Desert Sleuths: An Organization for Writers, Readers, and Fans of Crime Fiction and Mystery
Our 2026 events below will be 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.
____________
September
Friday, September 18th – 19th
WriteNOW! 2026
Two-day virtual event
Best Writers Conference in Arizona!
Friday, September 18: Hone your skills at our online workshop. Connect virtually with literary agents and editors.
Saturday, September 19: Enjoy a full day of speakers, panels, and our hands-on workshop.
Save the Dates: September 18-19, 2026
See details here
Return to top
October
Wednesday, October 21st, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, -0)
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.
Inside the Mind of a Criminologist: Building Crime Fiction Through Authentic Human Behavior, with Susan Magestro
Today’s crime fiction readers are remarkably sophisticated. They expect believable investigators, authentic criminal behavior, emotionally realistic victims, and characters whose decisions feel true to life. Yet many stories focus almost exclusively on the crime itself, leaving readers with characters who solve cases but don’t fully live on the page.
Criminologist Susan Magestro will draw upon her more than 40 years as an international criminologist, educator, consultant, author, and behavioral specialist to bring you behind the scenes of criminology. She will demonstrate how understanding human behavior creates stronger characters, richer relationships, and more compelling stories. In this session, she’ll help you learn:
-
- How criminologists analyze behavior rather than simply solve crimes.
- The difference between television crime and real investigations.
- How to create fully realized characters.
- Why motive is often misunderstood.
- Common mistakes writers make when portraying criminals, investigators, victims, and witnesses.
- The role of family systems, childhood experiences, personality, and environment in shaping believable characters.
How trauma influences memory, behavior, relationships, and decision-making. - and more!
Whether you write mysteries, thrillers, suspense, psychological fiction, or police procedurals, you’ll leave with practical tools to create stories that resonate because the people within them think, struggle, react, and grow like real human beings.
Crime may begin the story, but human behavior is what keeps readers turning the page.
Susan Magestro has been an international criminologist for 40 years. She is the voice behind Criminologist’s Corner on YouTube and a nationally recognized expert supporting youth, parents, and professionals working in high-risk situations. She has published nonfiction as well as the psychological thriller Priscilla Breen, Criminologist. Contact or subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.susanmagestro.com/contact-1
https://www.facebook.com/susan.magestro/
https://www.instagram.com/sulamaestra/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-magestro-2a892342/
Members, please come to the chapter member meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Return to top
November
Wednesday, November 18th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 2 hours; Central, add 1; MT, add 0; Pacific, subtract 1)
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.
December
Date to be announced
Member Appreciation Holiday Party
Return to top
January 2026
Saturday, January 17th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (MST)
Board/Volunteer Orientation/Retreat
Wednesday, January 21st, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 2 hours; Central, add 1; MT, add 0; Pacific, subtract 1)
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.
Writing for Anthologies: How to Slip Between the Covers, with Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson
Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson provide an insider’s look at anthologies, how they are conceived and pitched, and how editors acquire content. They will provide tips, tricks, and techniques to help students craft a compelling short story and make the most of anthology publication opportunities.
Michael Bracken is the editor or coeditor of three dozen anthologies, including three nominated for Anthony Awards. Additionally, he is the editor of Black Cat Mystery Magazine and is the Edgar Award- and Shamus Award-nominated, Derringer Award-winning author of more than thirteen hundred short stories, including crime fiction published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Best American Mystery Stories, The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and many other anthologies and periodicals. In 2024, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his contributions to Texas literature. He lives, writes, and edits in Texas.
Copywriting. Creative Writing. Editorial Services.
Michael@CrimeFictionWriter.com
https://www.CrimeFictionWriter.com
Stacy Woodson is a US Army combat veteran. Memories of her time in the military are often a source of inspiration for her stories. She made her crime fiction debut in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s Department of First Stories and won the 2018 Readers Award, the second time in the award’s history a debut took first place. Since then, she has placed over forty short stories in various publications—three winning the Derringer award for excellence in short mystery fiction. (She is a five-time nominee.) Her short fiction has also been nominated for a Macavity Award, Thriller Award, Anthony Award (anthology, co-editor), selected for The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, named a finalist for ScreenCraft’s Best Cinematic Short Story, and adapted for animation. She lives in Northern VA.
Connect with Stacy at https://stacywoodson.com/
Buy Links
Scattered, Smothered, Covered, and Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House, (shortlisted for an Anthony), edited by both Bracken and Woodson. However, Down & Out Books (the publisher) recently announced their closure and are pulling titles down from all outlets. So, it may not be available in January. But here’s the link, if it is.
Scattered, Smothered, Covered, and Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House
Janie’s Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith, ed. Michael Bracken
Hollywood Kills, featuring Woodson’s published short story, “Confessions of a Background Artist.”
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.
Return to top
February
Wednesday, February 18th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 2 hours; Central, add 1; MT, add 0; Pacific, subtract 1)
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.
Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Listener’s Ear, with Karen Krause
Fiction writers may not realize it, but when their book is made into audio, they have suddenly become scriptwriters. The visual artistry of prose is a beautiful experience for the reader, but it often just doesn’t transfer well to the ear. Audio writing is writing for performance, where rhythms, economy of words, energy, and ease of performance are critical to a listener’s experience.
We’ll discuss how to adapt from writing in your head to writing for the ear. We’ll talk about ways to self-check your book’s “audio-ability.” We’ll talk about practical tips for making your prose and dialogue more performance friendly. We’ll touch on writing techniques that keep your listener listening and involved. And I’ll provide resources/links through which you can dive deeper into the art of writing for audio, if you wish.
Karen Krause’s love of books started the minute she realized you could put single letters together and they made words! Wow! She began performing those words when she discovered acting in fifth grade. Since then, Krause has been acting and studying theatre for most of her life. Her education includes an AA in theatre with an emphasis in acting. In addition to steady on-stage performance, she regularly participates in classes, workshops, intensives, and one-on-one training.
As an audiobook narrator with dozens of titles under her belt, Krause is equally dedicated to learning and improving her skills. She regularly attends audiobook workshops, conferences, and master classes and has studied with notable audiobook narrator coaches such as Joel Froomkin, Johnny Heller, Carol Monda, Scott Brick, PJ Ochlan, and more. Her aptitude for dialects/accents and character voices makes her a great fit for fiction and bios/memoirs.
Audible: Karen Krause on Audible
Website: https://www.karenkrause.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karen.Krause.justsayin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7152831.Karen_Krause
Audio Books on Amazon: Karen Krause Audiobooks on Amazon
Members, please come to the chapter member meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Return to top
March
Wednesday, March 18th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, -0)
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.
Rise Above the Noise, with Bing Bruce
Podcasting is the new mainstream media. For authors, landing an interview on an established podcast is an opportunity to share your author’s story arc, build your audience, and promote your work, which translates into more book sales … if the podcaster knows what they’re doing. Unfortunately, many don’t.
In this interactive session, Bing Bruce will show you techniques to keep the interviewer on track, steer the discussion in order to get your message out, and, when necessary, take over the interview without offending the host.
Bing Bruce
Bing Bruce is the creator of Rise Above the Noise Podcast Academy and the author of Rise Above the Noise: A Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting. Through a program of hands-on instruction, he helps individuals and groups master the art of professional podcasting.
His extensive background in radio, television, and live production includes hosting morning radio shows, commercial and radio play voice work, and event emceeing. He’s also produced and directed numerous music videos, commercials, two nationally syndicated TV shows, and co-produced an award-winning short film.
Bruce has built a dynamic career as an on-air personality, producer, and educator. He owns and operates Raptor Films USA and maintains two recording studios in Southern California.
Buy Link: Rise Above the Noise: A Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting
Return to top
April
Wednesday, April 15th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, -0)
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.
Mastering the Outline: The Power of the Three-Act Structure, with Claire-Dee Lim
Writers are divided on outlining. Some find it too confining, preferring the freedom of discovery. Others value it as a roadmap that clarifies direction and keeps them from writing themselves into a corner. I fall into the latter camp.
In this presentation, we’ll examine how three-act structure concepts can provide a strong foundation for your story outline while still leaving room to explore character, theme, and nuance. We’ll also break down a few bestselling novels to show how you can apply the same framework to your own work.
Claire-Dee Lim is a screenwriter, author, and writing professor. Her credits include Firehouse Dog, Love Match, and The Power Object. She has taught at Gnomon: School of Visual Effects, Games & Animation, and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
Links
clairedeelim.com
Love Match
Return to top
May
Saturday, May 9, 2026, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (MST)
Sonoran Writers Conference
Saturday, May 9, 2026, (Mesa)
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Benedictine University
225 E Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201
Whether you’re polishing your first manuscript, building your author platform, exploring indie publishing, or honing advanced craft skills, the Sonoran Writers Conference offers dynamic sessions that meet you where you are and help you grow. Engage with expert-led panels, hands-on workshops, roundtable conversations, and meaningful networking opportunities that connect you directly with fellow writers and publishing pros.
Keynote Address: Kick off your day with Tori Eldridge, bestselling and award-winning author of the Lily Wong mystery thriller series, the standalone dark fantasy Dance Among the Flames, and the Ranger Makalani Pahukula mystery series (newest book releasing on 5/19/26).
Desert Sleuths and Tuscon SinC (TSinC) have prepared 13 sessions, filling 2 rooms throughout the day. Here is our schedule of workshops, presentations, and panels:
-
- 9:00 a.m. Workshop: What I Learned from Nancy Drew—Tools for Fast-Paced Plotting, with Kris Bock
- 9:00 a.m., Panel: Unleashing Creativity through Brainstorming, with Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski (mod), Lauren Buckingham, Margaret C. Morse, Claire A Murray
- 10:00 a.m., Presentation: Find Music in Your Writing, with Suzanne E Flaig
- 11:00 a.m., Workshop, Short Stories and Anthologies: Do’s, Don’ts, and What to Expect, with Eva Eldridge
- 11:00 a.m., Panel: You Can Make it Up, But it Better be Right: The Value of Research in Fiction Writing, with Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski, Patricia Bonn, Roberta Gibson, C.C. Harrison (mod), Elaine Powers
- 12:00 p.m., Presentation: Conflict-ology: The Art of Creating Conflict Within Your Writing , with Susan Magestro
- 1:00 p.m., Panel: Critiquing, Self-editing, and What Professional Editors Look For, with Kris Bock, Claire A Murray, Suzanne E Flaig (mod), Elaine Powers
- 1:00 p.m., Presentation: How to Write the Paranormal: Choosing a Paranormal Character and World Building: A Vampire Moved in Next Door, with Margaret Morse
- 2:00 p.m., Workshop, Haunted by History and Mystery: Writing the Past from Family Secrets, Memory, and Dreams, with Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski
- 2:00 p.m., Panel, Plotting Practices — Tips, Practices, and Warnings, with Patricia Bonn, Roberta Gibson, C.C. Harrison (mod), Susan Magestro
- 3:00 p.m., Presentation: Venomous vs Poisonous Animals, We Have both in AZ, but Which is Which?, with Elaine Powers
- 4:00 p.m., Panel, Warm Up Your Writing with Cozy and Humorous Touches, with Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski, Suzanne E Flaig (mod), Margaret C. Morse
- 4:00 p.m., Presentation, Cliffhangers: Keep the Pages Turning!, with Kris Bock
Plus, there are another 30+ sessions scheduled in three other rooms! Come and learn, network, and refill your creative juices.
Visit the official website.
Wednesday, May 20th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, -0)
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.
Multiple Point of View: The Key to Great Pacing, with Brendan Flaherty, R. John Dingle, Catherine Dilts, and Merida Bass
You have a great story idea. But how should you tell the story – in whose voice and how many voices? These authors will talk about why they chose multiple POV, how to write multiple POV well, and the advantages it can bring to writing a page-turning mystery.
Brendan Flaherty
Brendan Flaherty’s debut novel, The Dredge, was published by Grove Atlantic in 2024. The New York Times Book Review wrote of it: “Flaherty writes with stealthy acuity, his prose seemingly simple yet full of coiled power.” His next book, MIDDLEMAN, is a comedy about a middle-aged middle manager who tries to get his family a home by becoming the middleman in a mausoleum heist. It will come out from Atlantic Crime in November 2026. He lives with his family in Hartford County, CT. He was once struck by lightning.
Website:https://www.bflah.com/
Instagram:@brenjohnflaher
Buy link: https://groveatlantic.com/book/the-dredge/
R. John Dingle
R. John Dingle lives and writes from a restored 200-year-old house on a small island in Midcoast Maine. The often-haunting themes of the rocky coast, as well as a lifetime of experiences in and around New England’s small towns, farms, and cities, provide excellent inspiration for the tones and moods reflected in Dingle’s mysteries and psychological thrillers. He is the author of the critically acclaimed and multi-award-nominated Gus Wheeler FBI Thriller series, which includes Karma Never Sleeps, Wings of Madness, and Before the Devil Knows.
Website:https://rjohndingle.com
Instagram: @r.johndingle
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557423907169
Buy links:
Tule: https://tulepublishing.com/authors/john-dingle/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R-John-Dingle/author/B0DT24Z2D1
Catherine Dilts
Catherine Dilts is the author of twelve novels. Her short stories appear regularly in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Most of her published works have a cozy mystery flavor. After a career in environmental compliance for a global corporation, Dilts now writes fiction full-time. She has completed two marathons and two ultramarathons. and enjoys spending time in the mountains and out in nature. Dilts shares her life with her wonderful husband, two daughters, three granddaughters, a puppy, three grandcats, and one granddog.
Website: https://www.catherinedilts.com/
SubStack:https://catherinedilts.substack.com/
Facebook: @catherinediltsauthor
Instagram: @diltscathy
Buy Links:
Catherine Dilts: The Body in the Hayloft (Rose Creek Mystery Book 3)
Co-authored as Ann Belice; YA science fiction series The Tapestry Tales:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FF2DPY3Y
Merida Bass
Merida Bass taught mathematics at the college level before pursuing her artistic dreams. When she isn’t working on the novels, she co-authors with her mother. Bass writes and illustrates children’s books and creates massive pencil and ink artwork measured in feet, not inches. Her YouTube channel features videos of her actively drawing, and her blog follows her training for and participation in extreme endurance events. Bass, her husband, and three children love international travel, camping and hiking through America’s National Parks, and dressing in homemade costumes for cosplay at anime and science fiction conventions.
Website:https://merida-creates.com/
Facebook:@meridacreates
Instagram:@meridacreates
Tiktok: @meridacreates
YouTube: @meridacreates
Buy Links:
The Apple of My Eye and The Jelly Monster
Co-authored by Catherine and Merida: The Ninja Grandparent Placement Mysteries, Grandpa’s New Year’s Relocation and Grandma’s New Year’s Abduction
Members, please come to the chapter member meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Return to top
June
Wednesday, June 17th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, -0)
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.
Writing is Like Painting: Layering Enhancements to Transform Plot into Story, with Claire A Murray
Writing engages a creative process that wants freedom, not restraint. Yet good writing requires criticism and restraint. The trick is to separate the creative process from the critique/restraint process.
In this session, Murray relates writing to another creative process: painting. Her work with acrylics (a very forgiving medium) lets her be fully creative and apply criticism and restraint through layering, just as she does in her writing.
Her presentation will provide a quick overview of the 5 critical components to every story and touch upon story structure. She will use painting progressions and a short story to demonstrate how word/color/object choices and imagery can transform a simple six-sentence plot into an engaging story.
Claire A Murray writes, paints, and hosts write-ins for connection, inspiration, and sanity. She reviews books for Kings River Life Magazine, belongs to the Short Mystery Fiction Society, Mystery Writers of America, and is president of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter.
Murray has more than twenty short stories published in anthologies and online magazines. “Mother’s Mountain” earned first place from SouthWest Writers 2025 Competition (Beyond Boundaries, Opening Pages, Speculative Novel), “nanoni-and-shish-Ka-toomi” earned Honorable Mention (2021, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable), and “Lucky Seven” (2023, Portraits of the Pen, City Limits Publishing) and “After the Rush Fades” (2021, SouthWest Writers) each took third place in competitions.
She was lead editor for two Desert Sleuths anthologies, 2025’s SoWest: Danger Awaits! and 2023’s SoWest: Wrong Turn—a 2026 Derringer Best Anthology nominee. Play the Hand You’re Dealt is her short story collection. Murray is completing a suspense fantasy novel and the first book of a trilogy.
Links
Website: https://cam-writes.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/clairemurraywrites/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/clairemurraywrites
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/clairemurray/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ClaireAMurray
Members, please come to the chapter member meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Return to top
July
Wednesday, July 15th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, -0)
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.
5 Ways to Boost Your Mystery’s Chances for Success, with Julie Sturgeon, Sinclair Sawhney, and Lee Hyat
Julie Sturgeon has more than thirty years of professional editorial experience, with the last fifteen years dedicated to fiction development. She is currently the executive editor of Tule Mystery, with experience in writing blurbs, acquiring manuscripts, crafting author brands, writing blurbs, and myriad author management roles. But her favorite role is development editor.
Sinclair Sawhney has been the senior developmental editor for Tule Publishing for over thirteen years. Writing as Sinclair Jayne, she’s published over thirty-five contemporary romances with Tule Publishing. An avid romance reader since sixth grade, she’s savoring her dream writing career. Married with two adult children, she and her husband own Roshni Vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where she hosts weekend wine tastings while attempting to write one more sentence between pours of pinot noir.
https://sinclairjayne.com/
Lee Hyat has been part of the Tule Publishing team since 2013 and served on the company’s Editorial Acquisitions team since its inception. She reviews submissions, evaluates manuscripts, and works with authors on story development for Tule’s commercial fiction list. Hyat is also the Director of Design at Tule Publishing, where she leads the Art Department and oversees the visual development of the company’s book covers and brand.
https://leehyat.com/
Return to top
August
Wednesday, August 19th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (MST)
(East Coast: add 3 hours; Central, add 2; MT, add 1; Pacific, -0)
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.
Cliffhangers: Keep the Pages Turning!
A cliffhanger chapter ending can add impact to a dramatic scene and leave the reader desperate to find out what happens next. Learn how to identify your best cliffhanger moments and make them even more dramatic through pacing and paragraphing. Even when you have to end at a quieter moment, you can drive the story forward by leaving your character—and the reader—with a sense of anticipation or worry. Come prepared with a couple of chapter endings from a work in progress, so you can try out the techniques during the presentation.
Kris Bock writes mystery, suspense, and romance, often with smart, snarky heroines finding adventure (sometimes against their will) in the Southwest. Bock lives in New Mexico where she enjoys hiking with her spouse and playing with their ferrets.
In the Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. In the Reluctantly Psychic Mystery series, a quirky loner who can read the history of any object with her touch gets drawn into mysteries at the museum of oddities where she works. Bock’s romantic suspense novels include stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue. Readers have called these novels “Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.” She also writes sweet romance, with one series set at a cat café and one about a Texas ranching family that wins a fortune in the lottery. Bock writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Bock writes for young people as Chris Eboch, with several middle grade mysteries and historical adventures.
Website https://www.krisbock.com/
See all Kris Bock books: https://storyoriginapp.com/collections/31a0404b-88a7-4740-afe5-1f2501dd09ca
Author newsletter signup https://sendfox.com/KrisBock
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4735592.Kris_Bock
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kris-bock
Mastodon https://mastodon.social/@KrisBock
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/krisbock.bsky.social
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mysteryandromance/
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.
Return to top