Speed City Sisters in Crime BIG HIT at Annual Indiana Historical Society's Authors Fair

Co-editors Marianne Halbart and Diana Catt*

Several members of the Speed City Sisters in Crime participated in the Indiana Historical Society's Annual Author's Fair on December 1 at the Indiana Historical Society in downtown Indianapolis.
Authors were selected by the Historical Society.

Members greeting readers and signing books were:

Diana Catt, editor of the just released Speed City Sisters in Crime anthology Homicide for the Holidays. The recently released book includes 12 seasonal tales of murder, mayhem and Christmas joy, along with a dozen recipes that correspond with each story. The book is available at local Barnes and Noble stores, as well as online at Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com and Walmart.com.

Author Larry Sweazy*

Larry Sweazy, author of the Marjorie Trumaine series and recently named by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine to its annual Book Recommendations list for his western, "Pointe Blank, Texas."

Author Janis Thornton*

Janis Thornton, author of "Too Good a Girl," a true crime book about a 1965 unsolved murder in Tipton, Indiana. The book has been receiving high praise, including a feature article in the Indianapolis Star and appearances on Indianapolis television stations.


*Photos by Crystal Rhodes.

Speed City Sisters In Crime Featured at Historical Society's Dec. 1 Holiday Author Fair

Sisters (and Misters) Among the Featured Authors 

at This Year’s Holiday Author Fair

By Janis Thornton

Author of "Too Good a Girl"

Sisters in Crime member Janis Thornton
and David Williams, author of Indianapolis Jazz
at 2015 Author's Fair

The Indiana Historical Society’s 2018 Holiday Author Fair, scheduled for Saturday, December 1, will host more than 70 Hoosier authors and their latest books, including the Speed City Sisters in Crime and two individual members.
            The event is unquestionably the place to be for anyone who loves books. It’s even better for those who enjoy mingling with homegrown, Indiana authors. And it’s better still because visitors can take home as many books as they can carry, all of them personally autographed by the authors.
            Speed City Chapter of Sisters in Crime latest anthology “Homicide for the Holidays” is among the books selected for the event. Book editor and Speed City member  Diana Catt will host the Sisters in Crime table. 
            Two other Speed City Chapter members were selected for their own books. Larry Sweazy will be there with his Marjorie Trumaine Mystery, “See Also Proof.”  Janis Thornton will be be present with her gripping true crime mystery, “Too Good a Girl.”
        While it’s an awesome honor to be selected for this affair, it also is exciting and fun. I was privileged to participate in 2012 and 2015, and both times, I relished the unique opportunity to meet several of the other authors as equals and to exchange ideas and tips. Among those I talked with were James Alexander Thom, Jennifer McFadden, Dick Wolfsie, Angie Klink, Nelson Price, Barbara Shoup, Ray Boomhower, Sandy Sasso, and David L. Williams. In fact, I talked non-stop with fellow authors and visitors during the four hours and almost lost my voice. What a fabulous experience!
        The range of book topics at the 2018 event is vast — from politics and history to young adult nonfiction and mysteries (and true crime!).
            Please don’t miss this opportunity to support and rub elbows with some of Indiana’s finest authors.
            Doors will be open from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1 in the William Henry Smith Memorial Library at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis.
            And, as a gift from the Indiana Historical Society, admission is free.
            We hope to see you there!
            Click to download the Author Fair brochure.

When the Writer Loses Control of the Story and the Characters Takes Over

The path a short story takes from inspiration to completion is as wide and varied as short stories themselves. Some authors start with the opening scene while others start with the conclusion and work backward. Some do both. But sometimes the story takes on a life of its own, far different from the author’s original intent.  Author Stephen Terrell discusses the course of creating his short story “Unexpected Gifts.”

“Unexpected Gifts” is the concluding short story in “Homicide for the Holidays,” a collection of a dozen tales of murder, mayhem and even redemption included in Speed City Sisters in Crime's Christmas offering. The hardcover anthology also includes a dozen recipes, each related to a story in the book.  "Homicide for the Holidays” is the perfect Christmas gift for the readers or cooks on your list. The book is now available for pre-order (see below for links).  Release is set for November 1.

Stories Take A Life of Their Own

By Stephen Terrell

My short story “Unexpected Gifts” is quite different than the story I started to write. When I typed out the first words on my computer, the story I envisioned was a dark tragedy of greed, prejudice, and misunderstanding set against a Christmas backdrop. 

But a funny thing happened on the way to the final pages. The characters and the story itself would not let me write what I had in mind. The characters had a different story -- a true Christmas story -- to tell.

“That’s crazy,” you may say.  “You're the one writing the story. You can write anything you want.”

But most writers know that’s not true. A story sometimes takes on its own life and will not let the author have his way. That's what happened with "Unexpected Gifts." The resolution of the story (no, I won’t give it away) is quite different than what was intended when the first pages were written. 

I must admit that the characters knew best. The final version is a much better story than the one I originally planned. Here are the opening paragraphs of “Unexpected Gifts.”

 “Oh, baby, baby, baby! ! !  Momma’s gotta pee.”

Maria Wafford pushed her foot harder on the brake pedal and pulled her knees closer together. She held her breath. If something didn’t move soon, she was going to pee all over the heated white leather seats in her new Mercedes sedan. 

Johnny Mathis came over the seasonal satellite radio channel singing something about marshmallows and Christmas. Maria tried to sing along to get her mind off the intense urge in her bladder, but she couldn’t concentrate enough to follow the words.

“Hurry up. Please!”  The unhearing line of cars creeped forward a car length, then two.  Then stopped.

If you want to know what happens,  you’ll need to buy Homicide for the Holidays and read "Unexpected Gifts." The hardcover is a perfect holiday gift for any reader on your list. 

Pre-orders are now available on Amazon.com (click here), BarnesandNoble.com (click here) and Walmart.com (click here).

Finding Characters in the Church Pew

Writers can find inspiration for characters in any setting -- a coffee shop, a line at the grocery, or even in the next pew at church.  Author M.B. Dabney discusses the inspiration for the lead character in his short story “Killing Santa Claus.” 

This story is one of a dozen tales of murder, mayhem and even redemption included in  Speed City Sisters in Crime Christmas offering, a hardcover short story anthology titled "Homicide for the Holidays."  A perfect Christmas gift for the readers on your list, the book is now available for pre-order (see below for links).

The Hero in the Next Pew

by M.B. Dabney

When it was first proposed, I thought Homicide for the Holidays was an interesting project. But I found myself scratching my head for a suitable hero for my story, Killing Santa Claus. Then one day at a church meeting I looked across the table and there sat the prototype of my protagonist, Drake Curtis.

No, he’s not a homicide detective, as in my story, or even in law enforcement. He’s just a big, physically imposing man with a salt and pepper beard – and perfect for what I needed.

Here’s an excerpt from near the beginning of Killing Santa Claus. Drake, who has lost some of the joy of the season, has just hauled the Christmas decorations up from the basement and is in the kitchen talking to his wife, Shelly, when they are interrupted by a neighbor.

  _________________

They were both startled when a neighbor suddenly appeared, banging frantically on the patio door.

“Help me, please,” she said, pointing behind her back toward the street. “It’s my husband Henry. Help me, please.”

Despite the cold outside, Drake and Shelly left the house without coats and ran behind the woman, who kept babbling on about her husband.

“Just got home. The car. The garage. Engine on.”

Three doors down, they rushed up a driveway. The garage door was up and inside the garage was a car with the motor running. A man was slumped inside.

Drake opened the car door and Shelly reached inside to check the man’s pulse. She turned back and shook her head, confirming what was obvious to Drake.

Henry Gibson was dead.

His widow’s wails reverberated throughout the couple’s garage.

If you want to know more – you’ll need to buy Homicide for the Holidays, and read the story Killing Santa Claus. The hardcover is a perfect holiday gift for the reader on your list. 

Pre-orders are now available on Amazon.com (click here), BarnesandNoble.com (click here) and Walmart.com (click here).