Mystery Melange

If you're looking for flash fiction markets featuring crime stories, there's a relatively new kid on the block, Shotgun Honey, operated by Kent Gowran, Ron Earl Phillips and Sabrina Ogden. They're looking for crime/hardboiled/noir stories of 700 words—"Short, Concise and Complete. If it has to go over, it better be damn good." You'll find stories already featured from the likes of Keith Rawson, Sandra Seamans, Kieran Shea, Anthony Neil Smith and other fine folks.

Speaking of short stories, L.A. Noire, an anthology based on the video game of that title, was recently published with offerings from Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Duane Swierczynski, Megan Abbott and Andrew Vachss. BoingBoing posted Hard Case Crime publisher Charles Ardai's introduction to the anthology.

Giveaways! You can win a copy of Laura Lippman's I'd Know You Anywhere over at the Rap Sheet, but the deadline is this Sunday, May 22; Murder, Mystery and Mayhem is offering an advanced reading copy of Cold Wind by C.J. Box (enter by May 30); and Euro Crime notes that Random House is running a competition during each day of CrimeFest for residents of the UK and Ireland.
 
And speaking of CrimeFest—it starts today in Bristol in the UK, with several fun panels and the evening CrimeFest Pub Quiz. Featured guests for the conference include Lindsey Davis, Peter James, Deon Meyer and Christopher Brookmyre. The Shots Magazine blog plans to have coverage for those of us who are desk-bound.

Two interesting anthologies coming out soon; Declan Burke is editor of the first one, titled Down These Green Streets, "a collection of essays, interviews and short stories about Irish crime writing by the Irish crime writers themselves." Burke also notes on his blog the upcoming release of a similar book on Scottish crime fiction, titled Dead Sharp, featuring in-depth interviews with Scotland's bestselling crime writers.

Want to get a jump on fall and start penciling in your calendar? Omnimystery News and Crimepree Magazine have posted some previews of new (and one returning) crime drama, including Alcatraz, Charlie's Angels, The Finder, Grimm, Person of Interest, Prime Suspect and The Glades.

Mystery Scene magazine has an in-depth interview with author Sara Paretsky, with the 2011 MWA Grand Master discussing "what it takes to be a female shamus—and writer—in a man's world."

The Mystery Writers of America now has a YouTube page. Visit this link to see videos from this year's Edgar Awards Banquet.

There's a celebratory day set aside for just about everything, including museums (something I celebrate every day, or at least whenever I get the chance here in D.C.). Janet Rudolph took the opportunity of International Museum Day to profile some crime museums.

The International Mystery Writers' Festival had a bang-up initial few years, but has been struggling ever since with funding in its home town of Owensboro, Kentucky. The past two years, the conference has been on-again, off-again, depending upon the winds of financial fortunes at the time, and now it appears it's off again, at least until 2012.The producing organization, RiverPark Center is taking advantage of a grant to retire their outstanding construction debt, but as it's a challenge grant, the organization has to spend all its time raising the cash instead of staging the festival. Since the state has confirmed a pledge to contribute another challenge grant to help fund the 2012 festival, it's currently scheduled for June next year.