Upcoming Events
Desert Sleuths

An Organization for Writers, Readers, and Fans of Crime Fiction and Mystery

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

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January 2022

Jan 12* Meeting: Muddle in the Middle with Hank Phillippi Ryan

***Please note January’s Member Meeting is being held on the 2nd Wednesday of January and not the standard 3rd Wednesday of the month.***

You have a rocking first act to your novel, and you even have an idea of how to end your story with a twist and a bang and a shot at certain bestsellerdom. But now what? How will you get from that great beginning to the kickass ending? You’ve hit the muddle in the middle. Hank Phillippi Ryan will show you how these central pages can be made to intrigue and delight your readers–and have them turning pages as fast as they can. With practical advice and specific tips, Hank will show you how to make the magic in the middle.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the USA Today bestselling author of 13 thrillers, winning five Agathas, the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and 37 EMMYs for investigative reporting. THE FIRST TO LIE (2020) garnered a Publishers Weekly starred review and is an Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee. Her newest is HER PERFECT LIFE, a chilling psychological standalone about fame, family, and revenge with starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, which called it “A superlative thriller.” HankPhillippiRyan.com

See you on Zoom January 12th! Meeting details will be in the monthly newsletter and sent in an email prior to the meeting to all chapter members. Please reach out if you would like to be a guest and check out the Desert Sleuths Chapter.

6:30p-7:00 pm AZ Time – Business meeting and chapter check-in
7:00-8:00 pm AZ Time – Speaker
Meetings are currently being held via Zoom. All members receive an email with the details in the monthly newsletter and a day or two before the meeting.

(Nonmembers please email desertsleuths at Gmail dot com to request a one-time guest pass.)

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February 2022

February 16th: Marketing for Writers (Who Would Rather be Writing) with Lizbeth Meredith

Lizbeth Meredith is an author, speaker, and online teacher who recently relocated to Chattanooga from her home in Anchorage, Alaska. Her memoir, Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters published by She Writes Press is now adapted for television as Stolen Hearts: The Lizbeth Meredith Story on Lifetime Television (spring 2022 release). Connect with her at lameredith.com or on her Facebook author page for live video on Fridays.

Author Photo of Lizbeth Meredith — Lizbeth Meredith

Marketing for Writers (Who Would Rather Be Writing)

You’ve heard the statistics. More than 1 million books are published annually. The vast majority sell less than 1000 copies over their lifetime.

So in the current climate of publishing, how can we develop the right mindset to stay motivated and find our books their forever homes without spending a fortune or feeling slimy in the process? What if you’re an introvert and bad at tech? And if you’re on your way to publishing your first book, what can you do to prepare the market for your book and your brand?

Indie author Lizbeth Meredith will give you pitfalls to avoid and tips that she teaches authors who now enjoy the practice of book marketing while budgeting their time and money.

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March 2022

March 16th: Turning Medieval with Sarah Woodbury

Sarah Woodbury is a successful self-published author who will be sharing how she has drawn on her love of history to go from being a full-time mom to having sold over a million books and created a sustainable career as a historical fiction novelist. She will talk about both the creative and the business sides of writing, including research and her writing process, what has worked and what hasn’t, and strategies for sales and marketing.

Social media:

Website: www.sarahwoodbury.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahwoodburybooks/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SarahWoodburyBooks

Ebooks for all retailers: https://books2read.com/ap/xqN2WR/Sarah-Woodbury

Sarah’s new book was released January 8, 2022.