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The Smoking Guns offers local support to crime writers in East Tennessee. We host speakers from diverse career fields of interest to mystery, crime, thriller, and suspense writers, as well as writing workshops, networking opportunities, and promotional events.
We are a chapter of the national organization, Sisters in Crime. For writers of all genders, we offer professional education, career development, mentoring, promotional opportunities, networking and lively forums within a supportive community of mystery lovers. Readers, publishers, agents, booksellers, and librarians are also welcome.
We are a chapter of the national organization, Sisters in Crime. For writers of all genders, we offer professional education, career development, mentoring, promotional opportunities, networking and lively forums within a supportive community of mystery lovers. Readers, publishers, agents, booksellers, and librarians are also welcome.
MEMBERSHIP
Current Meeting Information
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When: The fourth Saturday of every month from 1-3 PM or as noted at Facebook or Meet-up (No May meeting, November book event/December Holiday party at other times)
Where: Bearden Branch Library 100 Golf Club Rd Knoxville, TN 37919 APRIL 22 : FICTION WORKSHOP with M.A. LEE: Hit your story hard with these techniques and tips from prolific mystery, suspense, and romance writer, M.A. Lee. She is also a writing instructor with the Think Like A Pro Writer series, A Messy Miscellany for Writers, and the podcast, The Write Focus. Meeting is In-Person and on ZOOM. M.A. Lee pens historical mysteries with a dash of romance as well as books on the writing craft. "It's literally 'penning' the novels," she says with a laugh, shaking out her tired left hand, "for I write the first draft long-hand. I burn through a lot of gel ink pens." Lee designed a series of writing craft books to help newbies achieve their own writing dreams. Check out the Think like a Pro Writer series, nine guidebooks. The fifth book, Discovering Your Novel, guides a new writer from ideas and world building all the way through to publishing and promoting. Her Hearts in Hazard series, now completed, is a loosely-connected series of English Regency mysteries. The series has had spy games and murder mysteries, as well as The Hazard with Hearts, a vintage gothic mystery. Also available are the books of the Into Death series: The Into Death series follows Isabella Newcombe, a young artist, in 1919 and 1920. "I've written mysteries and romances for years. When I published my first books in 2015, I realized a lifelong dream." To receive a free novella set in the 1920s, write to winkbooks@aol.com. |
Prospective members are welcome to attend public meetings before joining. National members can request a zoom link at the public FB group when we have Zoom meetings, we just need your member name: https://www.facebook.com/groups/391058174841953 Photo by Dylan Hunter on Unsplash |
OFFICERS
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Linda Griffiths-Gish writes the Cordelia Smythe Murder Mystery Games for dinner parties and more. Visit Cordelia Smythe Mysteries.
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Erika Engelhaupt is a freelance science writer and editor. Previously, she was the online science editor at National Geographic in Washington, D.C. As a freelance editor, she has brought her sharp editing eye to National Geographic News and other clients including Scientific American and Science News. Her writing has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and websites including National Geographic, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and NPR. She also loves storytelling, and has appeared on-stage and in podcasts such as The Story Collider. Read her non-fiction book Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science and visit her website.
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Elle Andrews Patt writes speculative and mainstream fiction. Her award-winning short fiction has been published by The Rag, Solarcide, and DarkFuse among others, and collected in several anthologies. Elle's novels are represented by Paul Stevens at Donald Maass Literary Agency. GHOST, her debut paranormal mystery was a 2020 National Indie Excellence Finalist for New Fiction and won the Gold Royal Palm Literary Award for Published Mystery. Ghost is available at Amazon. She is a long-time, active member of and blogger for the Florida Writers Association, writing coach, and editor. Visit Elle's website
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CO-SECRETARY |
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Kelley Griffin is a Romantic Suspense author, mom to five sons, wife to a marine and a teacher to tiny humans plus the occasional hostess, cheer coach, and youth group leader. She often spends writing time in her closet (and sometimes home office) with characters you’ll ponder on long after the last page. Check out her Kirin Lane suspense series and standalones and visit her at her website.
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Kaye George is a national-bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of pre-history, traditional, and cozy mysteries (upcoming is the new Vintage Sweets series from Lyrical Press). Her short stories have appeared online, in anthologies, magazines, her own collection, and her recent anthology of eclipse stories, DAY OF THE DARK, by Wildside Press. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Smoking Guns chapter, Guppies chapter, Authors Guild of TN, Knoxville Writers Group, Austin Mystery Writers, and lives in Knoxville, TN. Visit Kaye's website
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Award-winning author Leanne Tyler writes sweet and somewhat sensual romances whether historical, contemporary, or romantic suspense. Her newest series the Chicago Protection Task Force is part of the Brotherhood Protection World. Leanne lives in East Tennessee with her son and frisky Yorkie. For more information about her books and to sign up for her newsletter, please visit Leanne's website
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MEMBER AT LARGE
Paula Petty is a freelance journalist, poet, and is writing her first mystery. She has spoken extensively at conferences on recruiting and keeping volunteers for large organizations through her work with the PTA at the regional and national levels, and on topics such as joy in difficult times for Christian women in Jamaica, Honduras, and Cuba though her missionary work. She has also written grants, resolutions, and bills along with helping to design multi-media public safety messages as a Highway Safety Coordinator. Visit Paula's website
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MEMBER AT LARGE
Noir Crime Author Ernest Lancaster retired from the Memphis Police Department as a Captain in 2006 after a fascinating career that spanned multiple facets of the crime-fighting underworld. From beat cop to expert marksman, he’s been around the block a few hard times.As a cop for thirty-three years, Lancaster researched his crime-fiction stories on a daily basis as no ordinary author could. He didn’t just observe the police life, he lived it. For twenty-six years, he served as a long-range marksman with the TACT squad, where he also assisted the Secret Service with Presidential-protection details. And retired as a Captain. Read The Jinx and visit Ernie at his website.
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MEMBER AT LARGE
Jeffrey "Hammerhead" Philips has been scuba diving since 1967. He and his wife, Kitty, operated Seascape Charters, a dive charter service, and Mermaid DiveGuides, arranging international dive trips in the Bahamas, Lands End, Fiji, and other Caribbean destinations. In West Palm Beach, he joined Jim Abernethy’s Scuba Adventures [JASA.] Their team is widely known for its famous shark expeditions, National Geographic photoshoots, and flying boat adventures. But the mountains were calling and now Jeffrey and Kitty live in Tennessee, where they are learning the art of cattle farming. Read his underwater Jesse Stoker Mystery series and visit him at his website.
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