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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.
Current Meeting Information
Currently meeting over Zoom: Join Facebook Group for Zoom link
When: The fourth Saturday of every month from 1-3 PM or as noted at Facebook or Meet-up (November book event/December Holiday party at other times)
June 26: World renowned forensic criminologist, North Carolina and South Carolina licensed private investigator, Dr. Laura Pettler, was named one of the world’s most influential women in forensics in 2019. Dr. Laura’s ground-breaking work has led to her being recognized as one of the top experts on crime scene staging behavioral and physical evidence analysis in homicide cases in the world. She wrote the first book in the world on the subject, Crime Scene Staging Dynamics in Homicide Cases published in 2016 by CRC Press Taylor & Francis. In addition to her daily forensics work at New World Report 7th Annual Legal Elite Awards Winner “Best Private Death Investigations Firm 2021”, Laura Pettler and Associates/Death Investigations, appearances at crime and law enforcement conferences and seminars, Dr. Laura has served as the Forensics Criminologist on several Emmy award winning shows, including Dr. Oz and CSI:Atlanta, as well as films and podcasts. Her latest endeavors in 2021 are the "Life After Happy Face" podcast on life after involvement with serial killers, which drops June 18th and the Murder Room podcast, premiering at Crime Con in Austin. In the Murder Room, Dr. Laura takes listeners and viewers inside LPA’s famed Murder Room located in their headquarters in Monroe, North Carolina, and into the field with Dr. Laura and her operatives on a real, live homicide investigation,
Chapter Members get access to the private Facebook group where Zoom links are posted, Zoom links by email, and members-only access to meeting recordings.
Per National, we will not be meeting in person through the end of year.
Currently meeting over Zoom: Join Facebook Group for Zoom link
When: The fourth Saturday of every month from 1-3 PM or as noted at Facebook or Meet-up (November book event/December Holiday party at other times)
June 26: World renowned forensic criminologist, North Carolina and South Carolina licensed private investigator, Dr. Laura Pettler, was named one of the world’s most influential women in forensics in 2019. Dr. Laura’s ground-breaking work has led to her being recognized as one of the top experts on crime scene staging behavioral and physical evidence analysis in homicide cases in the world. She wrote the first book in the world on the subject, Crime Scene Staging Dynamics in Homicide Cases published in 2016 by CRC Press Taylor & Francis. In addition to her daily forensics work at New World Report 7th Annual Legal Elite Awards Winner “Best Private Death Investigations Firm 2021”, Laura Pettler and Associates/Death Investigations, appearances at crime and law enforcement conferences and seminars, Dr. Laura has served as the Forensics Criminologist on several Emmy award winning shows, including Dr. Oz and CSI:Atlanta, as well as films and podcasts. Her latest endeavors in 2021 are the "Life After Happy Face" podcast on life after involvement with serial killers, which drops June 18th and the Murder Room podcast, premiering at Crime Con in Austin. In the Murder Room, Dr. Laura takes listeners and viewers inside LPA’s famed Murder Room located in their headquarters in Monroe, North Carolina, and into the field with Dr. Laura and her operatives on a real, live homicide investigation,
Chapter Members get access to the private Facebook group where Zoom links are posted, Zoom links by email, and members-only access to meeting recordings.
Per National, we will not be meeting in person through the end of year.
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KILLER NASHVILLE
Don’t miss Killer Nashville’s 15th Annual Writers’ Conference taking place in Franklin, Tennessee, August 19th through 22nd. This year’s guest of honors at the in-person event (with safety protocols in place) are bestselling authors Walter Mosley, Lisa Black, and J.T. Ellison. Learn, network, meet agents & editors, and mingle with forensic experts. Also, submit your book written in 2020 to Killer Nashville’s 2021 Silver Falchion Award! Killer Nashville is the premier forum for all genres incorporating mystery, thriller, or suspense elements. Early bird pricing through June 1. Visit www.killernashville.com. |
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MEMBERSHIP
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OFFICERS
PRESIDENT |
VICE-PRESIDENT |
SECRETARY |
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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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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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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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TREASURER |
MEMBER AT LARGE |
MEMBER AT LARGE |
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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Valerie Burns (V.M. Burns) is the Agatha nominated author of three cozy mystery series: Mystery Bookshop Mystery Series from Kensington, Dog Club Mystery Series from Lyrical, and RJ Franklin from Camel Press. She graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Urban Studies. Valerie later went on to get a Master of Science in Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Valerie is represented by Jessica Faust at Bookends. Visit Valerie's website
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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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Photo Credits:
Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash
Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash
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Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash