Dear Readers,
It’s finally spring, and the Mesdames have come roaring back from winter with events, such as the Bony Blithe Mini-Con, a Festival of Authors, a major book launch, more publications, an acclaimed documentary, and, even better, terrific recognition from our writing and film communities!
CONGRATULATIONS
Mega congrats to three fellow Mesdames for being finalists on the 2025 CWC Awards of Excellence Short list. Huge congrats to Mmes Catherine Astolfo, Therese Greenwood and Melissa Yi for their nominations for the CWC Award for Best Crime Short Story:
CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA FINALISTS
Mme Catherine’s short story, “Farmer Knudson”, from Auntie Beers: a Book of Connected Short Stories, Carrick Publishing, Auntie Beers: A book of connected short stories eBook: Astolfo, Catherine: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Mme Therese’s story, “Hatcheck Bingo”, from our fabulous anthology, The 13th Letter, also by Carrick Publishing, The 13th Letter (Mesdames of Mayhem – crime story anthologies Book 6) eBook Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Mme Melissa’s story, “The Longest Night of the Year”, published by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Issue November/December 2024 Get digital access to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine – November/December 2024 issue | Magzter.com
And more big congrats to Mme Melissa for her nomination for the CWC Award for Best Juvenile/YA Crime Book:
Melissa Yi, The Red Rock Killer, Windtree Press The Red Rock Killer: Yi, Melissa, Yuan-Innes, Melissa: 9781998758227: Books – Amazon.ca
Congrats to Carrick Publishing for publishing winning authors AND sponsoring the CWC Award for Best Crime Novella.
Fingers crossed for Thursday, May 29th, when the winners are announced!!
RECOGNITION FROM THE TORONTO STAR
Huge congratulations to Mme Melodie Campbell! Her latest novel, The Silent Film Star Murders, received a great review in the Toronto Star.
“Campbell does a good job recreating the kind of classic English puzzle mystery Agatha Christie excelled at, right down to the locked-room setting on board a cruise ship. Since this is the same setting as the previous book, some readers might cavil that the author is repeating herself, but her variation on a cozy whodunnit nevertheless sports a colourful cast of characters and a glitzy milieu with some well-placed commentary on class disparity and celebrity culture.“
Congrats to Mme Cat Mills. She has been working on the TVO show, Unrigged, which has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. You may stream Unrigged on TVO and on YouTube. Trailer | Unrigged | TVO Original
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Book Launch! On Saturday, May 10, 1 p.m, Mme Melodie Campbell will be at A Different Drummer Books, 513 Locust Street, Burlington to introduce her latest crime novel, The Silent Film Star Murders. It’s a West GTA Double Launch with Vicki Delany and her new novel Shot Through the Book.
Join Mme Lisa de Nikolits at the Appleby College Festival of Authors to celebrate the incredible work of Canadian writers on Saturday. May 24th. The festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Appleby College, 540 Lakeshore Road W, Oakville.
Lisa will be hosting the Dark Ambitions panel 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. To find out more about the event, check out: https://www.appleby.on.ca/festival-of-authors.
The Crime Writers of Canada have launched a newsletter, edited by Lorne Tepperman, and the Mesdames have articles published in it! Here’s the list:
May Issue: Mme M. H. Callway, Writers’ Groups – Are They Worth it?
May Issue: Mme Melodie Campbell, Murder at the Crime Writing Awards
April Issue: Mme Melodie Campbell, Four Things that Drive Writers Crazy
Bony Blithe Mini-Con
The Bony Blithe Minicon takes place on Friday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The High Park Club, 100 Indian Road, Toronto, Mme Cheryl Freedman presiding! There’s still time to register if you want to join the fun. Visit http://www.bonyblithe.ca and scroll down for the link to the registration form and instructions on how to pay. See panel descriptions below.
Mesdames of Mayhem 