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Welcome Readers! ~ M.H. Callway
This is the inaugural blog of the merry Mesdames of Mayhem! Since the Mesdames have named me, M. H. Callway, as the erstwhile founder of our autonomous collective, it is my honour and privilege to pen...
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Murphy’s Law of Technology – a cautionary tale for authors! ~ Donna Carrick
Spring is in the air…er…sort of. In keeping with our tempermental weather, this author has found the season to be a tad unpredictable, in more ways than one. Every challenge brings us an opportunity to...
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COMEDY WRITER FALLS RIGHT OVER THE CLIFF ~ Melodie Campbell
Ever make a really bad typo? I mean really bad. My worst ever professional mistake was in an Annual Report for a one-hundred-million dollar corporation, in which an innocent little ‘t’ went missing...
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Greetings Readers! ~ M.H. Callway
May is the month for Canadian crime writing – book launches and award galas aplenty. No less than three of the Mesdames of Mayhem have new books out: Melodie Campbell, Rowena and the Dark Lord D.J....
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The Sophomore – D.J. McIntosh, May 14, 2013
The Book of Stolen Tales, officially released by Penguin Canada on May 28th, is the second in the Mesopotamian trilogy. New York antiquities dealer, John Madison, hunts for a rare copy of a 17th...
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It’s all a matter of point of view ~ Rosemary McCracken
Before keyboarding in the opening sentence, a writer needs to decide what point of view that novel or story will take. I didn’t do this when I started to write Safe Harbor, the first book in my Pat...
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WRITERS’ FESTIVAL IN BAYFIELD
In two weeks time, Mesdames Cathy Astolfo, Melodie Campbell and M. H. Callway will be meeting aspiring writers and mystery fans in Bayfield, Ontario. They’ll be joining with friends Alison Bruce, Rene...
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Writing Courses: Are they Useful?
Close to 800 wannabe writers, all of whom had paid several hundred dollars to take the prestigious summer writing course and rub shoulders with some of the big names in Canadian letters, crowded into...
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ARE WRITING CLASSES GOOD FOR PUBLISHED WRITERS? ~ M.H. Callway
Just back from an intensive 5-day class, The Fiction Writers How To, taught at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario by master teacher and Best Friend of the Mesdames, Rosemary Aubert. In attendance:...
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Author Branding: a sometimes “Mysterious” concept for Crime Writers ~ Donna...
From cryptic tales to cozies, from classic mysteries to thrillers, the scope of our beloved “Crime” genre is being magnified even as I write this entry. The growing list includes: True Crime;...
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The Mesdames – Getting It All Together, by Joan O’Callaghan
The Mesdames of Mayhem will be publishing an anthology of short stories in the fall. It’s been an interesting process and for Mesdames Madeleine Harris-Callway, Donna Carrick and myself, Joan...
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Write A Review Part 2: Star Wars ~ Catherine Astolfo
As a retired teacher, I suppose I am biased in my view of “ratings”. I came from the old school—literally. I never believed in scoring something unless there was a set of criteria laid out from the...
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The Future of Publishing – Part I: Why I love my Kindle… ~ Donna Carrick
We Carricks are a family of bibliophiles. Martha Stewart would have a “clutter-buster” field day in our home. From one room to the next, our deco-theme is consistent: a rich display of Canadian yarns —...
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The Idea Shop ~ Joan O’Callaghan
If I were to take a poll of writers to find out what question they are asked most frequently, I’m betting it would be, “Where do you get your ideas?” Author Stephen King once joked that there’s a...
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Announcing “Thirteen”, an anthology of Crime Stories, to be released Sept. 1!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the Mesdames of Mayhem is proud to present our Anthology Cover for THIRTEEN: This outstanding collection includes stories from 13 of our seasoned authors: Catherine...
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Fire When Ready: A look at weapons in fiction ~ John Thompson
Hollywood has a lot to answer for, and widespread notions about guns are not the least of them. It is hard to be consistently accurate with a gun without a lot of practice – hundreds of rounds are...
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Suddenly Sexy—the Novella Today ~ Rosemary Aubert
What do Animal Farm, The Old Man and the Sea, A Christmas Carol, The Little Prince, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Great Gatsby have in common? All of these famous books are novellas. But despite their...
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The Future of Publishing, Part II: Anthologies ~ Donna Carrick
Advice for writers: Why participate in an anthology? I love novels. There. I said it. I love writing novels, and I love reading them. For me, there is no delight quite as satisfying as immersing myself...
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Secrets of a Successful Book Tour ~ Barbara Fradkin, September 14
Last August my friend Vicki Delany and I decided to do a book tour in Northern Canada. She had three books in her comic Klondike Gold Rush series set in Dawson City, Yukon, and my upcoming Inspector...
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Bad Girl’s Tricks for Writing with Kids ~ Melodie Campbell, September 20
IN THE WRITING TRENCHES: Rules for Moms Okay, these are not the definitive rules for Writer-Moms. I would never claim to be an expert. But I did raise two kids while writing stand-up on the side and...
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