April 20, 2016 by Mystery by the Sea

Local Author’s Reception April 23 in Suffolk

Join several authors from Virginia is for Mysteries: Volume II at a Local Author’s Reception on Saturday, April 23 from 12-3 p.m. at the Suffolk Public Library, located at 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. The afternoon will include book signings and light refreshments. For additional info, visit Suffolk Public Library Flyer-Virginia is for Mysteries – April 2016

September 9, 2015 by Mystery by the Sea

2nd Annual Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival a Success

The 2nd Annual Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival was held Saturday, August 22nd, at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. Hundreds of people attended the event to meet the authors and purchase signed copies of their books, listen to readings from the authors themselves, hear writers’ firsthand experiences during moderated panels, and learn from experts about the topics of publishing and writing. For a video featuring clips from the event, click here.

Mystery by the Sea members were on hand at the festival to sign copies of the group’s latest anthology, Virginia is for Mysteries. Check out some photos from the event, taken by group member Ken Wingate.

An eager reader waits for Maria Hudgins to sign her copy of the Virginia is for Mysteries anthology.

The festival offered numerous moderated panels and workshops, including two hosted by Mystery by the Sea members. Group members took part in the workshop entitled How Do I Get Published?, which focused on ways authors can market their work, build their platforms, and handle social media. Another workshop held during the festival explained how to piece together all the parts of a murder mystery. Aptly titled Anatomy of a Mystery, the workshop was led by Mystery by the Sea members Jayne Ormerod, CB Lane, and Yvonne Saxon.

From left to right: CB Lane, Jayne Ormerod, and Yvonne Saxon.

Anatomy of a Murder featured special guest Jane Bones. Jane modeled all of the elements that go into a murder mystery novel and how they help the sleuth solve the mystery and reveal the killer.

Jayne Ormerod, right, goes over the keys to great mystery writing, as modeled by Jane Bones.

August 3, 2015 by Mystery by the Sea

Road Trip! Join us in Suffolk for the 2nd Annual Mystery Authors Festival

Mystery by the Sea will not be holding its usual meeting in August. Instead, the group will be attending the 2nd Annual Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival on Saturday, August 22, at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.

The event runs from 1 to 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The day of books and fun will include book signings, readings by the authors themselves, and workshops, including one entitled “How Do I Get Published?” that will be led by Mystery by the Sea members as they talk about what it takes to compile and publish an anthology, based on their experiences putting together Virginia is for Mysteries.

For up-to-the-minute information about the 2nd Annual Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival, click here to follow them on Facebook.

See you in Suffolk!

April 16, 2015 by Mystery by the Sea

Make Research Fun – Participate in a Citizens’ Police Academy!

Are you a Hampton Roads citizen looking for some hands-on research opportunities with local police departments? By participating in a Citizens’ Police Academy you will learn all about what law enforcement officers do on the job. This is a great opportunity for writers, especially mystery writers, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the daily duties of an officer, learn how arrests are made, and see what the inside of a jail looks like. Here is a list with more information about Citizen Police Academies in Hampton Roads.