Desert Sleuths Chapter
of Sisters in Crime
An Organization for Writers, Readers, and Fans of Crime Fiction and Mystery
Welcome!
Our Desert Sleuths chapter is a proud member of Sisters in Crime, an international organization that promotes the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers. Sisters in Crime helps women achieve equality in the industry by raising professionalism, serving as the voice for excellence, and achieving diversity in crime writing.
The Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter is located in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and serves members throughout the State of Arizona and beyond! Our members include bestselling, award-winning authors, emerging writers, fans of mysteries and crime stories, and other writers of other genres. We are an inclusive organization. Whatever your gender, level of experience, or genre, you are welcome to join us!
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Current Events
Due to their popularity, Desert Sleuths is continuing hybrid (virtual and in-person) programs throughout 2023. We encourage local members to join us in person at the Tempe Public Library and those farther away to continue using Zoom.
Member Meeting: 6:00 p.m.; Presentation: 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
See our program lineups month-by-month under the 2023 Events page.
Photos from Tuscon Festival of Books and Left Coast Crime on new page
We created a new page to showcase photos and write-ups from events the chapter participates in. Check out the new page, Desert Sleuths on the Trail. We update these as new events (including in-person chapter meetings and similar events) arise.
April 2023
April Chapter Meeting and Presentation
Podcasting with Purpose and Panache
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. MST
Join two established podcasters, Andy Nelson of TruStory FM and Galit Gottlieb of New Books Network, for a frank and fun one-hour discussion about the podcast industry, including:
- how to be a good podcast guest
- how to start a podcast people will actually want to listen to
- good and bad podcasting experiences
- tips about how to choose a podcasting focus and build an audience
- how to engage a podcast host and podcast guests
This presentation is a “must attend” for anyone interested in getting involved in the podcast industry – with its millions of listeners and a list of shows that grows daily.
Bio
Andy Nelson (he/him) studied film and business at CU Boulder and has directed and produced short films, feature films, documentaries, and television shows. He has been a podcaster for over 11 years and is now a partner at the TruStory FM podcast network.
Nelson fell in love with the podcasting format about 11 years ago when he started the first of his many movie podcasts, The Next Reel Film Podcast. He has been teaching for a decade, as well, instructing students in several film production- and podcast-related courses. Now, as a partner at TruStory FM, he continues to explore his passion for storytelling across media genres and is excited about the growing audio world of podcast storytelling. Nelson is a family man and loves a good martini, a good beer, or a nice cup o’ joe. And always, of course, a good movie.
Bio
Galit (pronounced guh-LEET) Gottlieb has hosted podcasts about new books in literature for the New Books Network since 2018. After a career of performing (music), teaching, and administrating, Gottlieb was sidelined by cancer and healed by reading mysteries. That’s when she connected with the editor of the New Books Network and became the host for new books in literature, interviewing over 170 authors since 2018.
Gottlieb has written three culinary mysteries (The Whipped and Sipped Mysteries, DX Publishing) and invented enough vegan and gluten-free recipes to fill a cookbook. She is the mother of three adult children and the grandmother of one 8-month-old. Gottlieb and her husband go back and forth between Chicago and Colorado, where they all live. Wherever she is, she rarely lets a piece of fresh peach pie go untasted.
Website: https://gpgottlieb.com
Facebook: authorgottlieb
Twitter: GottliebGP
Instagram: whippedsipped
Members, please come to the chapter member meeting at 6:00 p.m.!
Preregistration required. Meetings are hybrid. Presenters will be virtual unless they are already in the area. Register through EventBrite, selecting in-person or virtual.
Virtual Presentation (on Zoom): http://bit.ly/403VUsX
Important: For Virtual attendance, your confirmation message returns you to EventBrite to register for the Zoom link. (Yes, a second “registration” is required.)
You will receive reminders before the event but keep your Zoom registration link handy as it will not be included in the reminders.
In-Person Registration (in Tempe): http://bit.ly/3YMuQgW
In-person attendance is at the Tempe Public Library. The EventBrite registration page has a map and directions, and you will receive reminders before the event.
September 2023
WriteNow! 2023, September 22-23, Details TBD
WriteNOW! Conference – Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter
WriteNow! 2023 (9/22-23/2023) will again be virtual, with a planned in-person anthology release and signing on Friday evening (9/22). More details will follow when everything is confirmed.
Arizona’s premiere mystery/crime writers conference for authors, readers, and enthusiasts welcomes writers from all genres. With panel discussions on Craft | Publishing | Marketing, and pre-conference sessions that include one-on-ones with agents and marketing specialists and manuscript assessments by an editor, there’s something for writers at all stages. Named Best Writers Conference in Arizona (2020, The Writer magazine).
WriteNow! 2022 – Deep Dive in the Desert Craft + Publish + Market
Our annual writers conference–named the Best Writers conference in Arizona by The Writer Magazine (2020)–is back with a fantastic lineup for authors and readers alike. It’s virtual. It’s low cost. It’s here!
If you missed the 2022 conference, register here to view the replays.
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Covid-19 Guidelines from SinC National and AZ DHS
SinC National has published their meeting guidelines for this stage of the Covid-19 pandemic:
2021 In-Person Meetings Guidelines
The AZ DHS has as well:
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