Desert Sleuths: An Organization for Writers, Readers, and Fans of Crime Fiction and Mystery
Our 2025 events, below, are filled in as programming is confirmed. Select any month to move directly to that event description. Presentations are virtual unless the speaker is in the Greater Phoenix area. Then we may announce an in-person location and have a hybrid meeting.
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January 2025
Saturday, January 11th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (MST) — Members Invited
Volunteers and board members met on this day for the chapters first board meeting of the year plus an extensive planning session to set our goals for the year.
Wednesday, January 15th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 2 hours; Central, add 1; MT, add 0; Pacific, subtract 1)
Invented Settings, Realistic Characters: Blending Imagination and Experience to Enrich Your Writing, with Delia Pitts
Have you read a story or book where the setting functions as a character? Many authors write well-crafted fiction using this technique and earn high praise from readers as a result.
Can you do it? Can you strengthen your craft to enhance this sensation of engagement and immersion for your readers?
Acclaimed author Delia Pitts will discuss building a complex and vibrant physical setting for your story. Finding the right level of detail to bring your setting to life without overloading, distracting, or—worst of all—boring your readers. She will discuss how to infuse the opening scenes of your story with necessary details that convey the time period, technology, and social and economic climate of your setting. And she will reveal how to weave the setting into the picture you are building of your main characters.
Bio: Born and raised in Chicago, Delia Pitts graduated from Oberlin College with a bachelor’s degree in history. After working as a journalist, she earned a Ph.D. in African history from the University of Chicago. A former university administrator and U.S. diplomat, Pitts served in American embassies in Nigeria, Mauritania, and Mexico. Her newest book, a contemporary noir mystery, Trouble in Queenstown (Minotaur Books, 2024), features a Black woman private investigator navigating the complexities of small-town New Jersey life. The sequel, DEATH OF AN EX, will be published in July 2025. Delia is also the author of the Ross Agency Mysteries, a series set in Harlem. She has published several acclaimed short stories, including, “The Killer,” which was selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021. Delia is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Crime Writers of Color.
Delia and her husband live in central New Jersey and have twin sons living in Texas.
Connect with her through:
Instagram: deliapitts50
BlueSky: deliapitts50.bsky.social
Threads: deliapitts50
Website: www.deliapitts.com
Buy link: Amazon – Vandy Myrick Mysteries
February 2025
Wednesday, February 19th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 2 hours; Central, add 1; MT, add 0; Pacific, subtract 1)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Writing Humor in Mysteries, with Lois Winston
Humor is extremely subjective. What makes one person laugh out loud may produce a blank stare in another. Worse yet, what one person finds hilarious, another might find offensive. This is especially true when writing about murder. And yet, there’s an entire subgenre of humorous mysteries.
How does an author who wants to infuse humor into her stories balance humor with the serious topics of murder and mayhem? Join Lois Winston, author of the humorous award-winning and bestselling Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, as she discusses her approach to weaving humor into compelling mystery plots.
Bio:
USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career in 2006 with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous novel about a small-town girl in Manhattan and the mother bent on bringing her home. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception. Lois wrote her first mystery thanks to a conversation between her agent and an editor looking for a crafting-themed cozy series. Thus was born the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” The series now includes fourteen novels and three novellas. Learn more about Lois and her books at https://www.loiswinston.com
Website: https://www.loiswinston.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/dc9t0bjl00
Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com
Booklover’s Bench: https://bookloversbench.com
The Stiletto Gang: https://www.thestilettogang.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston
Buy Links
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZFYbfl
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/seams-like-the-perfect-crime
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seams-like-the-perfect-crime-lois-winston/1146583329?ean=2940184679983
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/seams-like-the-perfect-crime/id6738502932
March 2025
2025 Anthology Writers Conference Request for Proposal
The 2025 Anthology Writers Conference is scheduled for May 10, 2025, at Benedictine University in Mesa, and YOU can be a part of the activity!
Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter and Arizonan members of Mystery Writers of America are collaborating to provide two full-day tracks of 50-minute panels and presentations, with perhaps a workshop or two, for this event.
Now through Wednesday, March 19, 2025, we are accepting proposals from members of both organizations for moderators, panelists, presenters, and volunteers.
On the form, send us your ideas and let us know how you’d like to be part of the event. If selected, you will receive:
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- Complimentary access to the event for the day with the Presenters Pass
- Opportunities to be scheduled for on-site Book Signings
- Have your book sold by the exclusive book vendor for the day
- Access to the participants lounge, a space exclusively for volunteers, moderators, panelists, and presenters
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About the Event
Five programming rooms plus a featured presentation space provide access for a FULL day of multi-channel programming across all areas of writing: Craft, Marketing, Building the Writing Community, the Business End of Writing/Publishing, and more. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to spend the day mixing, sharing, and learning with a great writing community.
Deadline for Proposals: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Wednesday, March 19th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 2 hours; Central, add 1; MT, add 0; Pacific, subtract 1)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Books, Crooks, & Counselors: Common Mistakes Writers Make About the Law, with Leslie Budewitz
A legal thread runs through the fictional world. Writers of all varieties of fiction often find that a plot or subplot involves legal issues. But the law is complex; it varies among the jurisdictions and sometimes changes. And too many people, including writers, are TV-educated, unaware that the terminology used in New York on Law & Order does not apply to a story set in Virginia or Montana.
Leslie Budewitz, a lawyer with 40 years of experience, is also an award-winning mystery writer. She will begin with a discussion of why getting it right matters, then address 10 common mistakes writers make about the law and how to avoid them. She will touch on when it is and isn’t okay to make a mistake on purpose, provide some simple research tools for getting the facts about the law right, and include time for Q&A.
Bio: Leslie Budewitz has been practicing law since 1984, with a wide range of experience in personal injury law, business litigation, and criminal law. Her guide for writers on using the law in their fiction, Books, Crooks & Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure (Linden Books/Quill Driver), won the 2011 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction. She’s also the best-selling, award-winning author of the Spice Shop and Food Lovers’ Village mysteries, and stand-alone suspense written as Alicia Beckman. Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop mystery, and All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, historical short mysteries set in late 19th century Montana. Leslie lives in NW Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their big gray tuxedo cat.
Find excerpts, reviews, buy links and more for Books, Crooks & Counselors and all her books at https://www.lesliebudewitz.com/. While you’re there, peek at Budewitz’s blog and the Saturday Creativity Quote, and join her newsletter community for book news, an inside look at the writing life, and free short stories.
April 2025
Wednesday, April 16th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, subtract 0)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Finding YOUR Path to Publication with Judy Penz Sheluk
The road to publishing is paved with good intentions … and horror stories of authors who had to learn the hard way. Judy Penz Sheluk will explore and explain the ins and outs and the pros and cons of five different paths to publication:
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- Traditional (Big 5)
- Independent Publishers (Micro, Small, Medium, Large)
- Hybrid/Assisted
- Self-publishing
- Social publishing (Wattpad, Inkitt, etc.)
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Whether you’re an aspiring author, a published author considering alternative options, or merely curious, you’ll learn tips on getting ready, understanding royalties and contracts, advertising & promotion, and more.
Bio: A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edits.
With a passion for understanding the ins and outs of all aspects of publishing, Judy is the founder and owner of Superior Shores Press, which she established in February 2018.
Judy has also written two how-to guides to publishing. Finding Your Path to Publication: A Step-by-Step Guide was the Winner of the 2024 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Nonfiction. Finding Your Path to Publication also won First Place in the Prescriptive/Informative Nonfiction category of the 12th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published E-book Awards (to be announced May 2025). The follow-up to that book, Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie, provides an insider’s insight into the world of self-publishing.
Judy is a member of International Thriller Writers, Inc., the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she served on the Board of Directors, most recently as Chair.
Find her athttps://judypenzsheluk.com.
BUY LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://books2read.com/FindingYourPathtoPublication
May 2025
Saturday, May 10th, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MST
2025 Anthology Writers Conference
A full-day conference for writers across all genres. Five programming rooms plus a featured presentation space provide access for a FULL day of multi-channel programming across all areas of writing: Craft, Marketing, Building the Writing Community, the Business End of Writing/Publishing, and more. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to spend the day mixing, sharing, and learning with a great writing community.
Desert Sleuths and Mystery Writers of America have filled 2 of the 5 rooms with 13 panels, presentations, and workshops to help you in your crime and mystery writing.
Desert Sleuths/MWA Participants (alphabetical order)
Fred Andersen, Paula Barr Skillicorn, Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski, Lauren Buckingham, Yvonne Corrigan-Carr, Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Suzanne E Flaig, C.C. Harrison, Katherine Atwell Herbert, Deborah J. Ledford, Kathy McIntosh, Susan Cummins Miller, Margaret C. Morse, Claire A Murray, Karen Odden, RK (Roni) Olson, Karen Reeder, Betty Webb, C.B. Wilson
Desert Sleuths & MWA Sessions
- 9 am – 10:45 am Workshop – Grand Openings: The All-Important First Page – Karen M. Odden
- 9 am – 9:50 am Presentation – Alternative Marketing & Promotion – C.B. Wilson
- 10 am – 10:50 am Panel – Your Script’s Trip: From Novel to Screenplay – RK Olson (mod), Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Katherine Atwell Herbert, Deborah J. Ledford
- 11 am – 12:45 pm Workshop – How Settings Impact Your Characters – Betty Webb
- 11 am – 11:50 am Panel – Protagonists’ Day Jobs – Suzanne E Flaig (mod), Fred Andersen, Paula Barr Skillicorn, C.C. Harrison, Susan Cummins Miller
- 12 pm – 12:50 pm Presentation – It’s All in How You Look at It: POV – Kathy McIntosh
- 1 pm – 2:45 pm Workshop – Forensics in Fiction – Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
- 1 pm – 1:50 pm Panel – From Solos to Symphonies: Weaving Stories Into Anthologies – Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski (mod), Yvonne M. Corrigan-Carr, Suzanne E Flaig, Margaret C. Morse, Claire A Murray
- 2 pm – 2:50 pm Panel – The Pesky Problem of Pacing – Karen M. Odden (mod), Deborah J. Ledford, Susan Cummins Miller, Betty Webb
- 3 pm – 3:50 pm Panel – What is a Cozy, Really? – Paula Barr Skillicorn (mod), Suzanne E Flaig, Margaret C. Morse, C.B. Wilson
- 4 pm – 4:50 pm Panel – It’s 4:30 AM: Writing with a Day Job or Other Interruptions! – Claire A Murray (mod), Paula Barr Skillicorn, Lauren Buckingham, Karen Reeder
- 4 pm – 4:50 pm Panel – Mysteries Set in AZ or the Southwest – C.C. Harrison, Kathy McIntosh, Susan Cummins Miller
Venue/Cost
The AWC will be held in person at Benedictine University, 225 E Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201 and costs only $69 for the whole day. Register at: https://www.anthology.org/index.php/anthology-writers-conference
Wednesday, May 21st, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, subtract 0)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Chapter Meeting and Presentation
Writing Mystery, Heritage, & Hawaii — A Conversation with Award-winning Author Tori Eldridge
Join us for a conversation with the award-winning author of Dance Among the Flames and the Lily Wong mystery thriller series—The Ninja Daughter, The Ninja’s Blade, The Ninja Betrayed, and The Ninja’s Oath. Her latest mystery series released on 5/20/25 with Maua’i Storm and features Hawaiian Makalani Pahukula, who has been the last ten years on the mainland serving as an Oregon park ranger.
Eldridge’s background as an actress, singer, Broadway dancer, and martial artist feeds her writing. In this session, she’ll discuss that as well as what it was like to rediscover her Hawaiian heritage after living many years on the mainland.
Bio: Tori Eldridge is of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Norwegian descent and grew up in Honolulu. Holding a 5th degree black belt in To-Shin Do ninjutsu and an additional black belt in the Korean martial art Tang Soo Do, Eldridge has taught taijutsu (ninja body techniques), archaic and modern weapon use and disarmament, self-defense, and empowerment to students ranging from military and law enforcement to moms and kids. She was awarded the warrior name Myotoshi (Warrior of the Unfathomable Blade) to signify her deeply layered nature and never-ceasing quest for hidden ninja secrets.
June 2025
Wednesday, June 18th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, subtract 0)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Let’s Make a Mystery
Three of your Desert Sleuths 2025 anthology editors—Eva Eldridge, Suzanne E Flaig, and Sarah Smith—moderated by DS member-at-large Debra H. Goldstein—have accepted the challenge to build a mystery based on audience input as to the character(s), method(s), and weapon(s).
Join us for a fun evening where YOU get to supply the critical pieces to an on-the-fly mystery creation.
Moderator: Award winning author Debra H. Goldstein writes both long and short. Her most recent short story collection is With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying (2025). She is also the author of Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series and two standalones: Maze in Blue and Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery. https://www.debrahgoldstein.com/
Panelists: All 3 panelists are editors for 2025’s SoWest: Danger Awaits!
Eva Eldridge has edited SandScript, Trouble in Tucson, and Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars from WordFire Press. Eva received her MA in publishing from Western Colorado University’s Creative Writing Graduate Program. Her website is https://evaeldridge.com/.
Suzanne E Flaig: Sue is the author of the Missy Jenkins musical mystery series and several published short stories. She has been an editor for over twenty years and a member of Sisters in Crime since 1998.
Sarah Smith: International bestseller Sarah Smith has won the Agatha for best teenage mystery and numerous other honors, including NY Times Notables and Best Book of the Year lists. She’s delighted to get recognition but she’s happiest when her mysteries please you.
Wednesday, July 16th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, subtract 0)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
What Authors Need to Know about What Happens in Prisons (without the Pesky Felony Conviction) with James L’Etoile
Prisons, jails, and tight-knit criminal operations on the street exist with a unique flavor and culture. If you’re writing crime fiction, chances are one of your characters will rub up against prison or jail. There’s a difference between the two, and not every custodial setting is the same.
Join us as James L’Etoile brings his two-plus decades working in the prison system to our meeting so you can write with greater authenticity. This presentation will help you present your story with detail a convict would love. We’ll uncover what Hollywood gets wrong and reveal the character goldmine that lives behind the walls.
James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years “behind bars” as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. River of Lies is his most recent novel. Look for SINS OF THE FATHER coming in July 2025 and ILLUSION OF TRUTH in January 2026.
buy links: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=james+letoile
Poisoned Pen: https://store.poisonedpen.com/browse/filter/t/james%20l’etoile/k/keyword
Website: https://jamesletoile.com/
Email: crimewriter@comcast.net
Facebook @AuthorJamesLetoile
X (Twitter) @JamesLetoile
IG @authorjamesletoile
Subscribe to the Prison to the Page Newsletter
August 2025
Wednesday, August 20th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, subtract 0)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Creating Killer Characters: Villains Readers Love to Hate with Deborah J Ledford
Award-winning author and former Desert Sleuths President, Deborah J Ledford will discuss her favorite subject: The craft of creating a compelling antagonist. Ledford will offer tips to help you create memorable characters and what to focus on in order to make your characters pop off the page.
Deborah J Ledford is the award-winning author of the Eva “Lightning Dance” Duran suspense thriller series, including Redemption and Havoc. Also a screenwriter, she is president of the media company IOF Productions Ltd and producer of Causing Chaos and Crescendo, both Anthony Award Nominees for Best Audiobook.
You can find Ledford’s podcast interviews of other authors on Soundcloud and YouTube. A member of SinC, MWA, Authors Guild, and ITW, she is a past president of Desert Sleuths.
Buy links for Havoc:
Poisoned Pen Boookstore: https://store.poisonedpen.com/item/NOOZpsDSEgs7AsqOijoxyg
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/havoc-deborah-j-ledford/20274891
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Havoc-Eva-Lightning-Dance-Duran/dp/1662510454
Audible: https://www.audible.com/author/Deborah-J-Ledford/B002RK7OF0
WriteNOW! 2025; Friday-Saturday, September 19 & 20
Named Best Writers Conference in Arizona (2020, The Writer magazine)
Workshops, pitch sessions with acquiring agents, an editor’s assessment of your first 3 chapters, panel, and presentations … we’ve prepared a programming slate to keep your skills sharp and put you in touch with industry pros to advance your writing career.
Arizona’s premiere mystery/crime writers conference for authors, readers, and enthusiasts welcomes writers from all genres. WriteNow! 2025 will be virtual.
With a focus on Craft ♦ Publish ♦ Market, there’s something for writers at all stages. Crowdcast will be our online platform for everything except the agent pitches (on Zoom), manuscript assessment (via email).
With a special post event in-person (free) Launch Party on September 26th, 2025.
Did You Attend WriteNow! 2025?
The Friday workshop and Saturday program are available for replay to paid attendees.
Friday, September 26th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
WriteNOW! 2025 Post Conference Event 9/26/2025
Come to The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale AZ, Friday night from 6-7:30 p.m. MST, for the launch of SoWest: Danger Awaits!, Desert Sleuths 11th anthology. Meet the authors in person and get your autographed copy.
WriteNOW! 2025 Launch Party Registration
4014 N Goldwater Blvd
October 2025
Wednesday, October 15th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, subtract 0)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Pinterest for Authors: Grow Your Platform Without the Social Media Overwhelm, with Melissa Bourbon
In this eye-opening session, bestselling author and educator Melissa Bourbon introduces writers to Pinterest as a powerful, underused tool for building long-term visibility. Unlike social media, Pinterest is a search engine—meaning your content continues to work for you long after you post it. Bourbon shares how authors can use keywords, boards, pins, and lead magnets to grow their platform while focusing on their writing. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding about how to attract readers and drive traffic with Pinterest.
Bio: Melissa Bourbon is a national bestselling author of more than thirty-five novels, including the Book Magic Mysteries, the Magical Dressmaking series, and the Bread Shop Mysteries (written as Winnie Archer). A former secondary English/Language Arts teacher and seasoned creative writing instructor with Southern Methodist University’s CAPE program and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at North Carolina State University, Bourbon brings her passion for storytelling and education to every workshop she leads. She is the founder of WriterSpark Academy, an online school dedicated to helping writers strengthen their craft, find their voice, and build sustainable writing lives. Through in-person and virtual workshops, presentations, and online courses, Bourbon inspires writers at all levels with engaging instruction rooted in real-world experience.
You can also find her on Instagram @bookishly_cozy and Facebook @MelissaBourbonWinnieArcherBooks. Learn more about WriterSpark Book Cover Design at https://writersparkbookcovers.com/.
Book Link: https://amzn.to/44uVAJg (amazon associates) or https://www.amazon.com/Bibliomancers-Daughter-Book-Magic-Novel-ebook
November 2025
Wednesday, November 19th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 2 hours; Central, add 1; MT, add 0; Pacific, subtract 1)
Please register on Zoom before the event.
Cozy up to Cozies: Reading, Writing, and Selling the Genre, with Valerie (V.M.) Burns, Ellen Byron, and Jennifer Chow
Three bestselling and award-winning mystery authors talk all things cozy, from defining the genre to sharing their individual writing processes, to offering tips on navigating the marketplace. Pour a cup of tea and join us for a fun, enlightening chat!
Register with us before the event to get your Zoom registration link.
Members, please come to the chapter member meeting at 6:00 p.m.
V.M. Burns
Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award-finalist. Writing as V. M. Burns, she is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, and RJ Franklin Mystery series. As Valerie Burns, she writes the Baker Street Mystery series. She also writes the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series as Kallie E. Benjamin. In addition to writing and being a member of Sisters in Crime, Valerie is an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, and a mentor in the Pocket MFA program. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Burns now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles.
Buy link: https://amzn.to/3YLivMN
Social media:
Blue Sky: @vmburnsbooks.bsky.social
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/
Threads: @vmburnsbooks/
Website: vmburns.com
Register with us before the event to get your Zoom registration link.
Members, please come to the chapter member meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Ellen Byron
Ellen Byron is a USA Today bestselling author and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries (Crooked Lane), Vintage Cookbook Mysteries (Berkley and Severn House), Catering Hall Mysteries (Kensington, as Maria DiRico) and Golden Motel Mysteries (Kensington). She is also an Anthony Award nominee and an award-winning playwright.
Byron spent twenty-five years writing TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, plus pilots for all the major networks, before segueing into writing humorous mysteries. She blogs with Chicks on the Case, is a member of Sisters in Crime, a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America, and serves on the national board of Mystery Writers of America. But she’ll always consider her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for the iconic Martha Stewart.
Buy Link for Solid Gold Murder: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496745385/solid-gold-murder/
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenbyronmariadirico/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-byron; https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-dirico
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23234.Ellen_Byron?from_search=true&from_srp=true; https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19130966.Maria_DiRico?from_search=true&from_srp=true
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126386/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Jennifer J. Chow
Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies filled with hope and heritage. She has been a finalist for the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award. Kirkus Reviews said this of her Magical Fortune Cookie mysteries: “Good things lie ahead in this series.” Star-Crossed Egg Tarts was highlighted in Book Riot, Criminal Element, and Fresh Fiction.
In addition to her cozy series, Chow contributed “Cultural Elements Elevate A Cozy Mystery,” to Writing the Cozy Mystery: Authors’ Perspectives on Their Craft and has written numerous short stories. She is a finalist for 2025’s Anthony Award in the Best Cozy/Humorous category for Ill-Fated Fortune, the first in her new Magical Fortune Cookie series.
Chow is a past president of Sisters in Crime and an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America. She regularly blogs at Chicks on the Case.
Buy Links: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/star-crossed-egg-tarts-9781250323255/;
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/JenJChow; https://www.instagram.com/jenjchow/
November 2025
If you’re a reader or author who’ll be in the Mesa area on any of these dates, stop by and check out our amazing collection of anthologies and, of course, our fabulous cookbook! Anthologies.
DS members, if you can help us staff our table/booth at these events, please complete the form(s) on our Sleuths on the Trail page.
December 2025
Member Appreciation Holiday Party, Saturday, December 13, 2025
Join us at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore Saturday, December 13, 2025 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. for a potluck brunch, awards, white elephant book exchange, and a joyful celebration together.
Join the celebration! Breaking bread is a centuries-old, worldwide tradition. Whether you make new friends, reacquaint with those you haven’t seen in some time, or gather again with close friends, breaking bread brings us together.
As writers, what better way to share our love for reading and writing than with a book exchange over food! As we celebrate our Desert Sleuths membership, we’ll also honor members who have graced us with their talents over the years.
There is no charge, and members are welcome to bring one guest (spouse, significant other, author friend, driver, …). Remind them we’re friendly and certainly want them to join the festivities with us!