CRIME ON MY MIND

Arthur and me!


Okay, not really true. However, I was at the Arthur Ellis Awards banquet on Thurs. May 30th and those Arthurs were handed out. What an exciting event it was. Crime Writers of Canada has come a long way since the first Arthur Ellis Awards in 1984.

It sees major growth each year as more Canadians who write crime and mystery are coming on board. Publishers are getting into the act, too. And the media coverage has helped catapult the association, and the award, into the category of well-respected, major Canadian awards.

It's also a wonderful opportunity to get together with crime writers from across the country who all come out to help celebrate these accomplishments. This week is was an added gala time as the Bony Blithe Award was given out the evening before. Congratulations to Elizabeth Duncan for winning the Bony Blithe for her mystery, A Small Hill to Die On, the fourth in her series.


And, the winners of the Arthur Ellis Awards are certainly to be congratulated, too. They are:

Best first novel: The Haunting of Maddy Clare, by Simone St. James.
Best novella: Contingency Plan by Lou Allin.
Best crime non-fiction: The Devil’s Cinema: The Untold Story behind Mark Twitchell’s Kill Room by Steve Lillebuen.
Best young adult book: Becoming Holmes by Shane Peacock.
Best French book: La Nuit des Albinos, by Mario Bolduc.
Best short story: Switch-blade Knife, by Yasuko Thanh.
Best unpublished novel: Sins Revisited by Coleen Steele.

Also, major congratulations to all the nominees for all of these prestigious awards. Crime writing is indeed alive and well in Canada. See everyone again next year!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

READ AND BURIED
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
A KILLER READ, also available at your favourite bookstores and online.
Agatha Award nomiee, Best First Novel 2012
COVER STORY available for pre-order; coming Aug. 2013.

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Let's hear it for the awards!




There's been a lot of talk about awards lately. Believe me, there has. Part of this flurry has been the Arthur Ellis Awards at the end of May in Toronto. Upcoming are the Anthony Awards to be given out at Bouchercon 2012, in October in Cleveland.

Every author would love to have an award for a book or a short story. That's human nature...the ultimate acknowledgement in a world where competition for publishing spots is keen and writer esteem can be low. Especially at rewrite time. How wonderful to sit at a computer, puzzling out new dialogue, staring at that award on a shelf, at eye level of course. Great inspiration...and therapy.

I wonder, though...as a reader (and we all are), how important are the awards to you?
I ask this purely out of curiosity. When I had my bookstore, there were certain customers who would come in with lists of the major award winners and want those books. However, more common were the customers who showed a mild interest in the award sticker on a cover. These readers were more interested in what the bookseller had to say about the book or even, what other customers, overhearing the conversation, would add to it.

Word of mouth is always effective, however awards can be looked at as words from the mouths of the judges. And just who might these people be? Some awards are juried by a variety of industry people and authors, a jury of peers; others are reader or fan selected. One relies on the votes of booksellers. All are valid. Because, as I have mentioned, we're all readers at some point or other.

Which brings me back to me question -- does an award make a difference in what you choose to read?

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

CRIME ON MY MIND

A Criminally Good Weekend

This is it! Bloody Words 2012 is happening right now in Toronto! And why aren't you here? Okay...I know there are some very good reasons for not attending...family, other commitments, money. But it's too bad because this is THE CRIME SCENE this weekend.

Last night, Crime Writers of Canada had a chance to applaud the best in our business and hand out the Arthur Ellis Awards. It was a truly awesome evening and shows just how terrific a writing scene is happening from sea to sea to sea.

Now, it's a weekend for lots of schmoozing in the halls, in the bars and over food; for lots of loose talk in the panels; for agent appointments, signings and stocking up on favourite and new authors in the Dealers' Room. There's the Bony Pete award for best short story and this year, a first, the Bony Blithe for best light mystery. Well done, Bloody Words!

A tremendous amount of thanks has to go to the Bloody Gang that organizes this event year after year after year. It's no wonder that next year's format will be shorter but just as sweet. Stay tuned for more on that. But it takes a lot of long range planning and person hours to make this conference such a big success every year. Caro Soles, the criminal mind that got it all rolling and continues to be part of the Gang, had the right idea twelve years ago. Create it and they will come, she said. And crime writers and readers have been doing so for all this time.

I salute you Caro, Cheryl Freedman and all the Bloody Gang! And a tip of the hat to all crime writers across the country, to our faithful publishers, sales reps and booksellers, and especially to all your readers who make it all happen by demanding to read home grown books. And even those set far away.

Let's all celebrate this weekend!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Waiting for Arthur

In Samuel Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, two men wait in vain for someone named Godot. Of course, he never shows up, and it turns out that they wouldn’t have recognized him even if he did. To while away the time, the two “eat, sleep, converse, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats”—anything "to hold the terrible silence at bay."

In my case, I am Waiting for Arthur. He, too, may never show up. However, I do know what he looks like! He wouldn’t be hard to recognize, in any case. He’s a lovely soft light brown with lots of lines and spots (even though he’s only twenty-nine, he’s made out of natural wood so his complexion makes him look older).

Try to disregard the fact that he’s been hung from a rope until dead. Arthur is, after all, the award for excellence in crime writing. He’s even named after the penname (so to speak) of Canada’s hangmen.

I have definitely been employing the various ways that the two Beckett characters used to fill the time, all except the swapping of hats. But maybe I can do that on Awards Night. I have eaten a lot (always do when I’m excited and happy), slept, talked (incessantly about Arthur), argued, sang (Will I Be Blue? or Winner Takes All?), played games with the grandkids, and exercised (not as much as I should, but still…).

I’ve added one other activity: writing. I’ve tweeted, facebook’d, blogged, googled, articled, librarything’d, pinterest’d, goodread, and texted. I’m famous for writing my way through almost anything, and this waiting period is obviously no different.

I have to use at least one cliché about my experience. If anyone had told me a year ago that I would be Waiting for Arthur, I would never have believed it. In fact, a year ago, I had just finished radiation for breast cancer and had no traditional publishers for my books or my recent stories.

Suddenly, here I am, a finalist for the most prestigious award for mystery and crime writing in Canada. All four of the novels in my series (and the fifth one in progress) have a home with Imajin Books. The short story that’s Waiting For Arthur was published by NorthWord literary magazine, and they are publishing another, non-mystery story of mine too. One of my personal favourite Canadian writers, Louise Penny, emailed me the morning after the shortlist to congratulate me! I have been asked to be a guest blogger for all sorts of writers and readers (including the Mystery Maven, my literary heroes). I entitled one of the blogs, They Like Me, They Really Like Me. That just shows how Flying Nun I’ve been feeling.

On the evening of the Arthur Ellis shortlist event, I was so busy organizing that I hadn’t given much thought to how I’d react if I actually made that list. My friend and I (who both had stories submitted) declared that simply making it as a finalist would be enough. And that night, it was more than enough. I was ecstatic, excited, honoured, humbled…all the emotions one might expect. (Plus my friend is on the list too!)

I have stayed buoyed ever since. Right now, I am a little overwhelmed with organizing the actual Arthur Ellis Awards Dinner, but essentially, I am thrilled. I wake up in the morning thinking about Arthur and pretty much spend all day with him on my mind. My husband is beginning to get suspicious.

But the real point is: it doesn’t actually matter who wins on May 31 (Awards Night). I’ll have had six whole weeks of pleasure. Forty-two days of anticipation, that delicious feeling of being on the cusp of something great. A thousand and eight hours to realize that my esteemed colleagues have judged my writing to be commendable. It’s rare to have such a sustained period of time where every few seconds you break out into a satisfied grin.

I almost hope the “terrible silence” doesn’t end. I like it here, in the quiet before I know for sure whether or not Arthur will show up. Right now, it’s delicious.


Catherine Astolfo is the author of The Emily Taylor Mysteries, published by Imajin Books. Her novels have been optioned for film by Sisbro & Co. Inc. Catherine is a Past President of Crime Writers of Canada and a member of Sisters in Crime Toronto. Visit Catherine and discover her series at: www.catherineastolfo.com

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

That "T" word again...

Ah, the marvels of technology. Two things bring this to mind today. There was talk about Tweeting being done from the Arthur Ellis Awards at the end of May, giving up to date Tweets on the celebrations, and in particular the winner's names. I know CBC Books will have someone at the Awards banquet on May 31st doing this. As well, a Crime Writers of Canada member will also send out regular Tweets.

How times have changed. Not too long ago, we had to scour the Arts section of the local paper the morning after to find out the Arthur Ellis news, if not in attendance. And sometimes, it was a very small article. Now, the event is seen as newsworthy and the print coverage is greater. Websites carry the news. Email sends the alerts. And Tweets are only seconds removed from the action. Gotta love it!

Last night at our regular gathering of gals, most from the publishing business, someone remarked about how technology has finally caught up to current times in the mysteries she's reading. I hadn't given it much thought before that but when you look at books published as recently as just three or four years ago, Tweeting wasn't mentioned. Of course, those books were written a good year or two before the pub date. And Tweeting burst on the scene in 2006. So that makes sense.

That means, not only does the writer have to stay on top of emerging trends in publishing -- what the editors are looking for, reading demographics, technology such as e-books and as Michael McPherson mentioned yesterday, KDP Select-- writers also should be aware of tomorrow's 'toys'. Well, to me they are toys as I have a the most basic ever cell phone, a laptop, a desktop computer, and most recently, a Kobo. Not the most technology-savvy person around. I admit it.

It makes the writing life interesting though. How gadget-savvy are your sleuths?

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime
www.erikachase.com

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Mad Max & Canadian Crime Book Awards

Remember the film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (Mel Gibson before he completely weirded out), with the spectators chanting in the arena: “Two men enter; one man leaves”? Canadian literary awards aren’t quite that cutthroat (although one might wonder sometimes), so let’s modify the chant to “Many authors enter; one author leaves.” (Or for the shortlist, “Many authors enter; five authors leave,” which, quite frankly, doesn’t sound nearly as good. But I digress...)



We are now less than six months away from Bloody Words and the big Canadian crime book awards events: the new Bloody Words Light Mystery Award (aka the Bony Blithe), presented at the Bloody Words banquet on June 2; the Arthur Ellis Awards, presented on May 31, the night before BW starts; and the Hammett Award (which I consider a quasi-Canadian award because it’s for Canadian and American authors and is presented at the Bloody Words banquet).

The shortlist announcements are even sooner: around mid-February for the Hammett, March 28 for the Bony Blithe, and April 19 for the AEs.

Why do some authors win awards while others don’t? Legitimate question, that. What’s not so legit are complaints from authors, such as the following (yes, these are for real): The judges hated my writing style. The judges didn’t understand/appreciate what my book was all about. The judges hate cosies, noir, humorous mysteries, historicals, romantic suspense (go ahead – fill in the blank with your subgenre), and the flip side: The judges only like police procedurals (I’ve heard this one a lot for the AEs).

Granted, there may be some truth to these points (judges are only human), but the reality of why A wins while B to Z don’t is much simpler and less of a conspiracy.

Even before we get to what judges are looking for in an award-winning book, there’s something very important to consider: Is your book eligible for the award in the first place? The Bony Blithe is for light mysteries, or as stated in the rules, “books that make us smile.” Your angst-ridden noir novel with a tortured-body count in the dozens may be absolutely brilliant, but it doesn’t stand a chance of winning. The Hammett is for “literary excellence in the field of crime writing,” so I think we can assume that cozies are less than likely to win. The Arthur Ellis is the most open, albeit only apparently; the best novel award leans towards more serious books, although almost anything goes with first novel.

Assuming your novel fits the competition criteria, there are two ways judges look at the submissions to determine the winner (and the shortlist, too): absolute quality and relative quality.

Absolute quality is relatively easy to judge: All the elements of the book – plot, structure, characters, setting, dialogue, point of view, believability, writing technique, etc. – have to come together into a unified whole. Then the book has to have that magical spark – that ephemeral je ne sais quoi that makes it stand out from all the other entries.

Relative quality is much trickier and refers to how your book compares with all the other entries in the category. Judging relative quality has caused many a judge to become follicly challenged because there will almost always be more than five books that pass the absolute quality test. This makes for hours of backing-and-forthing among the judges, to say nothing of a certain amount of horse-trading. And then, of those five submissions that make it to the shortlist, there has to be one that stands high above all the rest. It’s not unknown for no one’s first choice to win.

Judges (being only human) have their likes and dislikes in literature. But all awards try to find judges who represent a wide spectrum of the reading public. Even more important, contests look for judges who understand that they are not looking for a book that they “like,” so much as they’re looking for the book that epitomizes the best of crime-writing in its field.

In the end, literary competitions can be a real crap-shoot. You can have a book or story that is a critical and/or commercial success – a piece of work that you’re proud of. But you may be up against other authors with equally stellar books. If your book had been published in another year, you might have been up against fewer books or books of lesser quality. And one year’s judges will almost certainly have a different view than another year’s judges of what makes for a stellar book.

So don’t go into paroxysms of angst about being a lousy writer if you don’t win or aren’t even shortlisted this year. The fact that you’re published probably indicates that you’re a good writer. The stars – or at least, publishers’ publishing schedules – were against you. Have a stiff drink or a big old chocolate bar...and get back to writing.


Cheryl Freedman was Mothership (secretary-treasurer, then executive director) of Crime Writers of Canada for 10 years; she resigned in 2009 but still keeps her hand in. A permanent director of Bloody Words, she’s been on the Bloody Gang since 1999 and is the chair for this year’s BW XII, June 1 – 3, 2012 in Toronto. www.bloodywords2012.com In “real” life, Cheryl is a freelance editor and desktop publisher.

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

News and schmooze opportunities...

Since the beginning days of Mystery Maven Canada, Mary Jane Maffini has provided the Mayhem on Mondays...she's so good at that! You may be wondering where she's been lately and if she'll be back creating a little or rather, a lot more mayhem.

She will be back at some point but for now, her life has taken a different turn. Her husband suffered unexpected trauma during surgery and has been hospitalized since the beginning of October. While his recovery is amazing the doctors, his family has known all along what a determined guy he is. However, Mary Jane is taking a break from writing to devote her time and energy into Guilio's journey to health. Please include them in your prayers and positive thoughts.

While back at Mystery Maven Canada, we continue to highlight all the terrific Canadian mystery writers from coast to coast to coast, as they say. I'd love to hear from you if you have a new book coming out...send me a copy and I'll try to review it, although my TBR pile is looking ominous these days. Just not enough hours to read and write to my heart's content.

If you're a reader, I'd love to hear what you're reading and what you think about it. Or them, as the case may be. It's great to share these titles as that may mean more an new readings for all authors.

If you're in the Ottawa area, look for several book launches coming up this spring. The excitement's already building. And then there's the announcement of the short lists for the Arthur Ellis Awards from Crime Writers of Canada, slated for April 19th.

Happy reading...happy writing!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime
www.erikachase.com

CRIME ON MY MIND

Organized crime...

I did a quick re-through of the latest issue of Crime Time, the newsletter from Crime Writers of Canada, that arrived in my email box within the last 24 hours. As usual, it was filled with clever articles by CWC members and news. What I found most interesting was that the membership of CWC has grown to 320 in the past 15 months.

That's a lot of writers across Canada with criminal thoughts running through their heads and onto the typed page.

Good for us! Crime writing is serious business (and I'm including mystery plus all the sub-genres or labels you can think of)and deserves an organization that will blast that news through the media and into the homes of all book readers. To that end, CWC has forged a partnership with the National Post, yet another rung in the climb to make crime writing more legitimate, not the poor country cousin of mainstream lit.

Great writing is great writing, no matter what the topic, what the format or where it's shelved in bookstores. To this end, the Crime Writers of Canada proudly proclaim the winners of the Arthur Ellis Awards each June.

The categories of Best Crime Novel, Best First Crime Novel, Best Crime Short Story, Best Juvenile/YA Crime Book, Best Crime Non-Fiction, and Best French Crime Book along with an award (the Unhanged Arthur) for Best First Unpublished Novel are jammed packed with submissions. We're out there, Canada ... and we're writing up a storm.

The process is starting once again. Publishers are being reminded to send in their submissions, authors are asked to make sure their stories make it into the judging process. And next June, we'll have another list of winners...and of course, the short-lists that also make for some criminally delicious reading.

If you're a Canadian mystery writer who is not a member of Crime Writers of Canada...what's taking you so long to join? This organization is out there, championing the cause of mystery and crime writers. It behooves you to add your support to their efforts.

If you're a reader, I hope you're reading your way through the Canadian lists. You'll find some chilling, funny, thoughtful, thrilling, fact-filled, and downright excellent writing on the Crime Writers of Canada book lists.

Am I right...or am I right?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

MAYHEM ON MONDAY

Canadian crime writers rock!

So, this is not Mary Jane Maffini blogging although it is her day. I've given her the day off. Shouldn't a winner get some extra perks? And in case you haven't kept up with the good news, Mary Jane won the Agatha Award for Best Short Story at the Malice Domestic conference this past weekend!

Although being an award winner is not something new for our gal, it is especially exciting since it's an award given out in the U.S., voted on by those attending the conference, so mainly Americans. What an honour in the cosy mystery market! It's like breaking into a new market all over again.

This award is for a short story that appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery magazine, the Sept/Oct issue. Hope you'll give it a read at http:www/themysteryplace.com/ Her two previous awards have been the prestigious Arthur Ellis from Crime Writers of Canada, again in the Short Story category, beginning with 'Cotton Armour', which appeared in The Ladies Killing Circle, the first anthology for the group. For a complete list of her many nominations and wins, visit Mary Jane's website at http:www.maryjanemaffini.ca

And there's more good news! Mary Jane Maffini is short listed for another Arthur Ellis Award, for So Much in Common, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Those winners will be announced in Victoria, B.C. on June 2nd, the night before the Bloody Words conference kicks off.

Wait! There's more celebrating to be done. On Mon., May 9th, at 7 p.m., Mary Jane's latest book in the Charlotte Adams' series, The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder, will be launched along with Vicki Delany's Among the Departed, her new Const. Molly Smith mystery...at the Library & Archives, Sunken Lobby, 395 Wellington St.

What a trip you're on MJ! Congratulations.

And also, congratulations to Louise Penny for yet another Agatha Award for Best Novel. She won for her latest Insp. Gamache mystery, Bury Your Dead. Canadians really rocked at Malice!

Hurray for all Canadian crime writers!


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
Mystery Book Club series coming
April, 2012 from Berkley Prime Crime

CRIME ON MY MIND

2011 ARTHUR ELLIS SHORTLISTS

Here they are, the best in Canadian mystery and crime writing for 2010. Of course, there's still another "Best" list to come out of these shortlists and the winners will be announced at the Arthur Ellis Awards banquet in Victoria, B.C. on Thurs. June 2, the day before Bloody Words starts.

So, congratulations to all on these lists!

Best Crime Novel
A Criminal to Remember, Michael Van Rooy, Turnstone Press
Bury Your Dead, Louise Penny, Little, Brown UK
In Plain Sight, Mike Knowles, ECW Press
Slow Recoil, C.B Forrest, RendezVous Crime
The Extinction Club, Jeffrey Moore, Penguin Group

Best First Crime Novel
The Damage Done, Hilary Davidson, Tom Doherty Associates
The Debba, Avner Mandleman, Random House of Canada
The Penalty Killing, Michael McKinley, McClelland & Stewart
The Parabolist, Nicholas Ruddock, Doubleday Canada
Still Missing, Chevy Stevens, St. Martin's Press

Best French Crime Book
Cinq secondes, Jacques Savoie, Libre Expression
Dans le quartier des agités, Jacques Côté, Éditions Alire
La société des pères meurtriers, Michel Châteauneuf, Vent d’Ouest
Quand la mort s'invite à la première, Bernard Gilbert, Québec Amerique
Vanités, Johanne Seymour, Libre Expression

Best Crime Nonfiction
Northern Light, Roy MacGregor, Random House
On the Farm, Stevie Cameron, Alfred A. Knopf Canada
Our Man in Tehran, Robert Wright, HarperCollins Canada

Best Juvenile/YA Crime Book
Borderline, Allan Stratton, HarperCollins
Pluto's Ghost, Sharee Fitch, Doubleday Canada
The Vinyl Princess, Yvonne Prinz, HarperCollins
Lost For Words (The Worst Thing She Ever Did), Alice Kuipers, HarperCollins
Victim Rights, Norah McClintock, Red Deer Press

Best Crime Short Story
In it Up to My Neck, Jas R. Petrin, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
So Much in Common, Mary Jane Maffini, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
The Big Touch, Jordan McPeek, Thuglit.com
The Piper's Door, James Powell, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
The Bust, William Deverall, Whodunnit: Sun Media’s Canadian Crime Fiction Showcase

And, in case you missed it, we have two Ottawans on the list: C.B. Forrest for Best Novel and Mary Jane Maffini for Best Short Story...yay!


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
Mystery Book Club series coming
from Berkley Prime Crime, April, 2012

CRIME ON MY MIND

On with the awards!

Watching The Genie awards last night, I thought, we've finally arrived. Canadians do know how to throw a great party to congratulate those working in the film industry. The National Arts Centre was transformed, not that it's by any means a shabby place, but it morphed from the dignified aging lady to a vibrant, hip uptowner ready to strut its stuff.

The female attendees were decked out in glam outfits -- what did you think of Wendy Crewson in her hot pink strapless number? -- both long and short; the guys buffed up real nice in dark suits and tuxes.

The live music, and DJ intros to the film clips, were guaranteed to keep the energy level high. The presenters were easy to look at, well-behaved and did a presentable job. The winners, notably pleased and precise with their speeches. What was not to like? Even "Canadian Icon" William Shatner aced out the MCs in last month's awards ceremonies.

So, how about those Arthur Ellis Awards?

We can do glam up here in Canada, we can make a big deal of our creative types. The Arthur Ellis Awards presented annually by Crime Writers of Canada, should be taking its rightful place along with the Genies, the Junos, the GG's, the Giller...why not?

Crime Writers of Canada is working hard to raise the profile of mystery and crime writers in this country. We've got some terrific ones and this is the place to honour them. So, lets make a big deal out of it. If you live on Vancouver Island or the B.C. lower mainland area, give some serious thought to attending the Arthur Ellis Awards this year. They'll be held on Thurs., June 2nd in Victoria, the night before Bloody Words XI begins.

Tickets aren't yet available but that doesn't mean you can't mark the date on your calendar and start thinking about what you'll wear. The short-list of Ellis nominees will be announced on April 27th. I'll be you know some of those names and I hope you'll have read a lot of the books. Keep on eye on the CWC website for details http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/

Let the celebrations continue! And, don't worry -- it's not really about the glam. Come dressed as you like but do come!

Just wondering, what do you think about awards ceremonies?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
Mystery Book Club mysteries coming April 2012,
from Berkley Prime Crime
Murder By the Book