The Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, sponsored by the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal, announced this year's nominees: The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly, Murder One by Robert Dugoni and Breach of Trust by David Ellis. (Hat tip to Omnimystery News.)
If you're looking for some good summer reading from Downunder, the Ned Kelly Award nomination longlists were just released for Best First Fiction, Best Fiction and Best True Crime from Australian authors.
Carolyn Hart is the Amelia Award recipient for the Malice Domestic 25 conference, which will be held May 3-5, 2013 in Bethesda, Maryland. The Amelia recipient is someone who has contributed significantly not only to the Malice Domestic convention but to the Malice Community. Other honorees next year include Laurie R King, Guest of Honor; Laura Lippman, Toastmaster; Aaron Elkins, Lifetime Achievement; Peter Robinson, International Guest of Honor; Cindy Silberblatt, Fan Guest of Honor; and Malice will also remember Dick Francis.
Patti Abbott frequently sponsors writing challenges on her blog, the latest being a "drabble challenge." A drabble is a 100-word story, in this case, based on one of three photos Patti posted for inspiration. These are fun, and maybe they'll inspire you, too.
If you'll be in the U.K. on July 3rd, Ayo Onatade of Shots Magazine notes the second annual Crime in the Court will take place in Goldsboro Books' Cecil Court location in the heart of London. This year's lineup thus far includes close to 40 authors including Mark Billingham, Christopher Fowler, Sophie Hannah, David Hewson, Peter James, Erin Kelly and S J Watson.
Another conference celebrating its second year is the Quebecrime Writers Festival, to be held October 25-27 in Québec City, Canada. Special guests and panelists include Linwood Barclay, Mark Billingham, Laura Lippman, Chelsea Cain, Owen Laukkane, and many more. Plus, the festival holds several "CSI Activity" sessions for festival participants.
Hard Case Crime is publishing its first-ever novel to include interior illustrations. The book is Seduction of the Innocent by Max Allan Collins, a whodunit inspired by the real-life crusade against comic books led by Dr. Fredric Wertham in the 1950s. The novel tells the story of how the crusading moralist agitating for censorship is murdered and how a troubleshooter for the comic book industry has to track down his killer. Tthe book features 16 pages of interior art done in the 1950s EC Comics style by veteran comics pro Terry Beatty.
In the Q&A roundup, Eva Dolan of the Crime Fiction Lover blog interviewed Danielle Ramsay, author of the Jack Brady novels set in the north eastern seaside resort of Whitley Bay, who was shortlisted for the CWA’s Debut Dagger in 2009; and K.A. Laity over at the blog A Knife and a Quill pulls a "Rapid Fire Interview" with Paul D. Brazill.
One sad bit of news to impart, this from the Mystery Florida Conference Board of Directors:
After seven wonderful years and conferences, the board of directors of Mystery Florida, Inc. has regrettably decided to end the program. We have not been able to recruit new people to take over the tasks of putting on the conferences, and frankly, seven years of intense activity required to make the conferences so successful has taken a toll on the board.
During the past seven years, Mystery Florida and its participants have contributed thousands of dollars to the support of the two beneficiaries of our non-profit corporation, the Longboat Key Library and the Tingley Memorial Library in Bradenton Beach. We have met great mystery writers and introduced many fans to their favorite authors. It has been a labor of love for the members of the board and we are saddened by the demise of the conference.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of our faithful followers for your part in making our conferences so successful.
Thanks very much for the mention!
Posted by: Paul D Brazill | June 20, 2012 at 12:24 PM
You're welcome, Paul! It was a fun whirlwinder of a Q&A.
Posted by: BV Lawson | June 20, 2012 at 12:29 PM