May is the month for Canadian crime writing – book launches and award galas aplenty. No less than three of the Mesdames of Mayhem have new books out:

Melodie Campbell, Rowena and the Dark Lord
D.J. McIntosh, The Book of Stolen Tales
Rosemary McCracken, Black Water (Cover to be announced.)

And two of the Mesdames have works up for an Arthur Ellis, Canada’s national crime writing awards: Melodie Campbell for her short story, Life without George and Vicki Delany for her novella, A Winter Kill.

I have a warm place in my heart for a certain skinny lady, the fabulous Bony Blithe. She’s a relative newcomer to the awards scene, celebrating her second birthday this year. I was one of the midwives, so to speak, who helped bring Bony into the world.

Bony Blithe is the brainchild of Mesdames Caro Soles, Cheryl Freedman, Jane Burfield and myself. She bestows a generous prize of $1000 to the best Canadian light mystery. Our feeling was that light-hearted mysteries tend to get overlooked for the weighty Arthur and Edgar awards. Serious awards that require a serious, if not bleak, vision. In other words, noir!

Bony Blithe contenders are anything but. BB embraces comedies and cozies, thrillers, send-ups, supernaturals and gothics, just to name a few. Suspense is great, even a little naughtiness, and crossovers into fantasy or the paranormal are welcome. But please no gloom!

When BB turns the last page, she wants to close the book, smile and say, “Now that was a damn fine read!”

Discover more about the 2013 finalists for the Bony Blithe at her website: http://www.bonyblithe.com/
Or Join us on FaceBook.

Join us at the National Club in Toronto on May 29th, 6:00 pm for the Bony Blithe gala. Tickets are available via internet and snail mail.

Click HERE for tickets to the May 29 Gala!

See you there!