June is a hot month for the Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem! We have several exciting events happening, including MOTIVE and Shetland Noir where we have star power.
We’re continuing our mission to promote Canadian crime fiction through a month-long lecture series as well as attending exciting book launches. See you there, Readers!
NEWS AND EVENTS!
A SUCCESSFUL WORD ON THE STREET
Toronto’s open-air book festival, Word on the Street, just wrapped up on May 27/28th. The weather cooperated with glorious sunshine and big crowds. Great to be back at Queen’s Park Crescent. The Mesdames and Messieurs sold lots of books, reconnected with fellow authors and met new readers, including celebrities.
Here’s Toronto mayor candidate, Olivia Chow, at our booth with Mme Lynne Murphy!
Many thanks for Mme Caro Soles and friend, Nancy Kilpatrick, for organizing and to M. H. Callway, Lisa De Nikolits, Blair Keetch, Rosemary McCracken, Lynne Murphy and Sylvia Warsh.
MOTIVE CRIME AND MYSTERY FESTIVAL, JUNE 2nd to 4th
Catch the Mesdames and Messieurs from June 2nd to June 4th, at MOTIVE Crime and Mystery Festival in Toronto. There’s a packed schedule of events!
On Friday June 2 at 6 PM, Mme Melodie Campbell will be interviewed by Canadian crime fiction icon, Maureen Jennings, creator of the world-famous Murdoch series. Afterwards there’s the launch of Melodie’s 17th book, the first in her new crime fiction series, The Merry Widow Murders.
On Saturday June 3rd at 11:30 am Mme Lisa de Nikolitis will interview award-winning Canadian crime writers Dietrich Kalteis and Sam Wiebe at the Lakeside Terrace at Harbourfront Center.
On Sunday June 4 at 11:00 AM at the Lakeside Terrace at Harbourfront Centre, Mme Melodie Campbell joins Jonathan Whitelaw and Sam Shelstad for the panel discussion: Comic Crime Capers.
Then at 1-2:30 PM you can join Melodie again in the Main Loft in Harbourfront Center for her Masterclass: Comedy In Crime.
Love humorous crime novels and/or want to add humour to your own stories? Join award-winning author Melodie Campbell as she shows you how she does it with examples, and breaks down the various types of humour you can include in your own work, or merely enjoy in your reading. A fun, relaxing 90-minute workshop with “Canada’s Queen of Comedy” (Toronto Sun). All writing levels welcome.
The above are ticketed events. You can attend MOTIVE using a Day or Weekend Pass. For more information on tickets and pricing, visit the website here.
READINGS BY CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA
June 3rd and 4th the Mesdames and Messieurs will be well-represented in the Crime Writers of Canada booth by Blair Keetch, Lynne Murphy, Rosemary McCracken and Sylvia Warsh.
During the day, they’ll be selling and signing their books at the CWC booth from 11 am to 4 pm. Later on they’ll be reading from their work. Readings begin on Friday, June 2nd at 5 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, readings begin at 4:30 pm.
This part of MOTIVE is free and open to the public.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Mme Lisa de Nikolitis will be part of the Shetland Noir conference to be held on the – you guessed it – Shetland Islands from June 15th – 18th. Her journey there includes a 12 hour ferry ride from Aberdeen!
Lisa will be moderating the panel, When you don’t know who to trust.
Shetland Noir was founded by legendary writer, Ann Cleeves, creator of the Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Lopez and Matthew Venn series. The conference has a program packed full of internationally known writer events, workshops, panel discussions and outings. It also includes film, music, live performance, as well as other “noir” related content.
BOOK LAUNCHES AND DISCUSSIONS
BOOK LAUNCHES
Lisa will be interviewing Dietrich Kalteis at his book launch on Saturday June 3rd from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at the Supermarket, 268 Augusta Street in Toronto’s Kensington Market.
In his new book, The Get, anti-hero, Lenny Ovitz, has problems: he’s up to his eyes in debt and his wife wants a divorce. He comes up with a scheme to solve all his problems.
On Saturday, June 17th, 2 pm, Mme Melodie Campbell will host the public launch of her new book, The Merry Widow Murders.
The launch will be at A Different Drummer Bookstore, 513 Locust St., Burlington.
LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS
Mme Lynne Murphy is heading up a 4-week lecture series, Crime Writing in a Cold Climate, about Canadian crime fiction for Senior Adult Services.
Dates are every Friday at 2 pm, beginning June 2nd. This is a ticketed virtual event. For more information on how to register, visit the SAS website here.
Every week, Lynne will have a guest presenter. From L to R, June 2nd, Lynne and M. H. Callway discuss police procedurals. On June 9th, she and Rosemary McCracken analyze amateur sleuths. On June 16th, Lynne and Melodie Campbell examine thrillers and historicals. And at the final session, Lynne and guest, Lorna Poplak, discuss the enduring popularity of true crime.
Tuesday, June 13th, Mmes J.E. Barnard and Therese Greenwood join Erik D’Souza and Ludvica Boota from Crime Writers of Canada on Facebook Live. They will demystify the CWC awards judging process, discuss the upcoming 2023 awards, and encourage both entries and potential jurors. Time for the event TBD.
CONGRATULATIONS GO TO…
Mme Melissa Yi’s fantasy story, “Rapunzel in the Desert”, has been nominated for an Aurora Award. It was published in Issue 122 of On Spec magazine.
Melissa also has a piece in Crime Reads about creating believable Asian characters.
“That’s the first secret: think of your character as a human being...“
THIS MONTH’S FREE STORY
June’s story is by our Queen of Comedy, Melodie Campbell. In her light-hearted romantic thriller, “The Kindred Spirits Detective Agency”, ghosts from the 1930s stick around to help the living.
Melodie’s story will go live on Thursday, June 15th.
Mesdames of Mayhem 