IT’S RECOGNITION SEASON, DEAR READERS
May is not only awards month for the Mesdames, but also includes recognition in online writers’ panels and even an Italian/English interview with one of our Mesdames. And we’re still publishing new work.
FUN FACTS ABOUT… MME EMERITA ROSEMARY AUBERT
Rosemary Aubert started her writing life as a poet and wrote and edited romance before turning to crime…fiction. She holds a certificate in criminology and has drawn on her working experience in Canada’s justice system to create her beloved Ellis Portal series and standalones, including her chilling novella, Terminal Grill. She has won the CWC Award of Excellence for both Best Novel and Best Short Story.
Rosemary is a sought-after teacher of creative writing, delivering countless seminars, workshops and authors’ retreats in addition to classes at the University of Toronto and Loyalist College. Though she claims to be retired, she published the critically acclaimed historical novel, The Light in Trieste, and is planning a textbook on writing crime fiction.
The Mesdames of Mayhem: What do readers expect when they meet you?
Rosemary: I think readers find me to be pretty much what they expect: a rather contemplative aging author but with lots to say when questioned!
Mesdames: What would surprise readers about you?
Rosemary: They’d be surprised to know that I used to be quite a dancer. I studied ballet for several years and spent lots of evenings doing Scottish country dancing.
Mesdames: You used your work experience for your crime fiction, but have you ever mined your personal life?
Not really. I find it so much more interesting to investigate, learn about and depict the wide world outside of myself. But there is one exception.
I grew up in Niagara Falls, New York. We used to cross over the border regularly to buy Red Rose Tea in Canada – and firecrackers! My cross-border childhood experiences inspired my story, “The Canadian Caper” in our first anthology, Thirteen. In my story, two elderly ladies in a Niagara Falls old-age home use a cross-border social lunch to expose a smuggling ring.
Learn more about Rosemary and her work on her website www.rosemaryaubert.com.
CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA NOMINATIONS
Silvia Warsh’s story, “Days Without Name” (Carrick Publishing), is a finalist for the Crime Writers of Canada‘s (CWC) Awards of Excellence for Best Crime Short Story!
Sisters in Crime West’s first anthology, Crime Wave, has two nominations for CWC’s Awards of Excellence. The collection was edited by Mme Jayne Barnard together with sister-in-crime, Karen L. Abrahamson with a foreword by Mme Melodie Campbell. “Cold Wave” by Marcelle Dube is a finalist for best short story and “Salty Dog Blues” by Winona Kent for best novella.
The announcement of the winners for the CWC Awards takes place online on Thursday, May 27th.
PUBLICATION AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Rosemary McCracken‘s story, “The Passenger”, has been accepted by Mystery Weekly Magazine.
On May 13th, Rosemary will be the guest speaker of Na’amat Canada, talking about writing crime fiction. Na’amat Canada is a non-profit volunteer Jewish women’s organization whose mandate is improving the lives of women, children and families in Israel.
ONTARIO LIBRARY TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
Several of the Mmes are on Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) panels for the Ontario Library Technicians Association virtual conference being held May 8 to 15.
- Monday, May 10th, 12:00 to 12:45 p.m., Rosemary McCracken is on the panel: Clearly Canadian, All Canadian Settings, eh?
- Tuesday, May 11th, 12:00 to 12:45 p.m. M. H. Callway and Melissa Yi are on the panel: The Long and Short of It, Writing Short Stories and Novellas, moderated by Judy Penz Sheluk, Chair, Board of Directors, CWC.
- Thursday, May 13th, 12:00 to 12:45 pm, Melodie Campbell and Caro Soles are on the panel: Make ‘Em Laugh, Comic Relief to Comic Caper
- Thursday, May 13th, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Melodie Campbell joins the CWC Author Spotlight Special Discussion Panel
Rosemary McCracken 
M. H. Callway 
Melissa Yi 
Melodie Campbell 
Caro Soles
INTERVIEW FOR ITALIAN EDITION OF NO FURY LIKE THAT
Join Lisa de Nikolits in an Italian/English interview by an Italian blogger for the Italian translation of her 2017 book No Fury Like That.
AND DON’T FORGET…
The announcement of the winner of the Bony Blithe Award 2021 takes place online on Friday, May 28th. It’s also Bony Blithe’s 10th Anniversary!
Mesdames of Mayhem 