============================================ SinC and Swim Sisters in Crime Internet Chapter Newsletter December 2002 - Issue #21 ============================================ CONTENTS: President's Note Editor's Note Chapter News Member News Ask Websister Writer's Workshop MS. MANNERS' GUIDE TO BLATANT SELF PROMOTION - How to Win Friends and Influence Sales On-line by D.L. Browne ON THE ROAD WITH SISTERS IN CRIME- The Writers and Guns Seminar in Las Vegas by Lonnie Cruise INSURANCE FOR WRITERS IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT FOUND ONLINE DECEMBER TRIVIA The Fine Print ============================================ Notice to the members from La Prez... ============================================ Sibs, PLEASE don't forget to vote for your new officers the first week in December. Voting takes place on our website, in the member's area, on the message board. If you have any problems accessing, please contact websister@sinc-ic.org. Candidates are: Claudia McCants for Prez Steering Committee: Steve Kelner (returning) G. Miki Hayden (new) Nancy Mehl (new) Beth Anderson (new) Babs Lakey (new) The rest of our wonderful webcrew (who volunteer and are not voted on) has agreed to stay. YEAAAA! And for that they have my undying gratitude. They work quietly behind the scenes to keep this group up and running (not to mention the website.) More on this later. Please take a minute to vote! The Internet Chapter is a terrific organization, but it only works if we all do our part. La Prez Lonnie ============================================ Editor's Note ============================================ Last month, I told you about my Author Outreach to servicemen stationed overseas during the holidays. I was both amazed and gratified by your response. Some of you even passed the word to other lists and before I knew it, 28 authors offered to send books to three servicemen. To refresh your memory, one is in the Special Forces stationed in and around Afghanistan, another in Bosnia, and the third in Germany. All of them are related in some way to a SinC-IC member. I was truly thankful when many of you decided to send books to all three men. We have heard from two of them so far... Sandilee Lloyd writes: "We just heard from [my son-in-law] Kevin in Bosnia and although he is lonely over there on this holiday he does want eveyone who sent books to know that both the books and the thoughtfulness of the authors is very much appreciated and the troops, from all countries, are having a great time with the books. He received eleven books and the only problem he sees is trying to get the time to read them before someone else lays claim to their turn. Thanks again for the great idea and helping all of us show our appreciation for the troops and their sacrifices to keep us safe and able to enjoy our holidays here in the USA." My friend, Zandra Earle, sent me this about her son (who is an Army Ranger): "Matt said he has received some of the books and he has already read and passed on a few. He said to say thank you from him and all the guys for your generosity! Claudia, I just wanted to say thank you to you! I really miss my youngest son so much. I wanted to let you know I feel so rich to have a friend like you in my life! You're the GREATEST...and so are your Author friends! May God Bless you, your family, and your friends this Thanksgiving season!" Zandra also told me that all boxes intended for delivery to servicemen must be shipped by December 9 to be delivered by December 24. I also want to tell you a little about the wonderful authors that volunteered to help me. Here are some of the nice things they wrote: "If you get any other names, let me know. I'd love to see this effort snowball. A couple of books is a small price to pay for what our soldiers, sailors and airmen are doing for us." "Our soldiers really need to know how much we appreciate them." "I mailed packages yesterday to the three guys on this list. Each was filled with an autographed novel, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, and Hawaiian caramel corn. May they have a good holiday among friends." "As I and my husband were in the military (my husband in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm), I understand how uplifting it is to receive mail. Especially knowing that so many people are thinking of you and willing to reach out. Free time is very valuable and unfortunately there are not usually that many choices on activities to do. I know this program that you are organizing is wonderful and will fill so many soliders with joy and a few hours to get away and enter into another place." "I just wanted to let you know that I mailed three packages today for the servicemen on the list you sent. One copy each of two books went to all three men, along with packs of gum." "I served a year in Vietnam and know how much of a surprise and a delight it is to receive something from someone--who is not at all related to you." "My book is an e-book, but I'd be delighted to send some absolutely like-new mystery for these young men to read. I'll bet the books will be passed around until they fall apart." "You have no idea how good it makes me feel to be able to do this. I told another list I'm on about your idea and got two addresses there. So, this week I've sent a package of books and puzzles to Korea and 2 packages today to Turkey. The other two on your list will go out tomorrow. Thanks again for the oppotunity." "What a great idea! I'd love to send a few copies of my book plus maybe some homemade biscotti to your friend's son to share...I plan on passing this idea on!" You have made my holiday(s) spectacular by sharing your words, wisdom and yes, even your books. My love and appreciation to you all, not only during this holiday season, but also throughout the year... Claudia McCants ============================================ CHAPTER NEWS ============================================ Reminder: Only dues paying members of SinC-IC have access to private areas of our website. If you're not visiting that area, you're missing out on lots of great features! Forget your password? Write to data@sinc-ic.org. Awards/Nominations: Carola Dunn: The Daisy Dalrymple series has been nominated for the RT Historical Mystery Career Achievement Award. DEAD IN THE WATER was on the Independent Mystery Bookstores bestseller list. Daryl Wood Gerber: I was a finalist in the St. Martin's Best First PI Novel contest this year for DESOLATE SHORS, a story set in Lake Tahoe. THE MINNEAPOLIS AWARD As many of you know, Babs Lakey received the Minneapolis Award in November. Here's a fun post from Babs to her mother-in-law. I'm posting it (with her permission) because it is 'SO BABS' and I know it will put a smile on your face: It was actually quite remarkable, and it was a humbling experience for me, at least. There were about 5 people who got awards I guess. What it did was make you realize how many people DO get out there and help others and how many people need the help, and that no matter what you do, it never is enough, so many need you. I've always found that doing things for other people is much more rewarding than anything else I can do. We had to go up in front of everyone in this very gorgeous room in the convention center, it was round and surrounded by nothing but glass that looked out on the city skylights. For some reason it made me think of NYC. So they called your name and said a few things about you, and you and the person who nominated you went up on this platform and shook hands with the mayor and some other city dude, forgot who he was. HAHA! They sat down, the nominator went to the podium and you just got to stand there while they talked about you. That was supposed to be 2 or 3 minutes. RC (the woman who nominated me) did a great job, she kept it to 4 or 5 minutes. Several were 25 min or longer, you could tell they thought their person was extra special. HAHAHA and that made it a little boring. You can only hear someone's good deeds for just so long. Then the nominators go sit and you are to talk for 1 minute. Again, several of them did 15 or 20 min. I think I did 1 min. ;) I thanked people, especially Lou for working so hard so that I can get the credit for doing what I love doing. And then I told them a short story about what had happened to me earlier that day. A man by the name of Joesph Novak had sent me a submission a few years ago, I'd written him that we no longer took them regular mail and sent him a copy. He wrote back raving that he'd been searching for us his entire life. He was thrilled to find us. He was a wonderful artist. We published his work many times and used him as an illustrator and this gave him the jolt of confidence to open his own small business, gallery, if you will. He sold his paintings for up to 1500, for the best. He did that for a year, and during that time stopped having the time to work for me, but always kept in touch as we'd become friends and he thanked me for his success. A few months ago he wrote that he'd closed the shop and wanted to do all the illustrating he could for us and he started in again. He also sent me a beautiful chickadee oil painting he'd done as a gift. His brother phoned me a few hours before I went to the awards to say that he'd died. As sad as I am to lose this wonderful man, and friend, I am happy knowing that I helped him fulfill his dream. I said that I hoped that this award would open some doors locally that had been closed to us, and thereby enable us to help even more people. Krissy and Hannah (8yrs) and Josh(6 yrs) were there, and while they were bored at times, they were VERY well behaved, and they liked it, too. We had cookies and punch. The people in charge took pictures of us with the award in hand (I was the only one who had mine turned the wrong direction, but it wouldn't be ME otherwise, would it?) with the mayor and that other councilman, and a few other pics, too. One of the best things about it were the others involved. They were people you'd like to know. This was awards that are mostly for people who volunteer to help the community around them. Good folks. Not pretentious. I don't like pretentious much. The award itself is kinda impressive. It's a framed certificate, but it is HUGE, and framed in very cool wide mahogany and it has a neat medal inside there too. Anyhow, it's nice...so there you have it. CONGRATULATIONS SIBLINGS! New Publications: Nancy J. Cohen is excited to announce the December hardcover release of BODY WAVE, a new installment in her Bad Hair Day Mysteries series. Marla Shore, savvy South Florida hairstylist, is ready to solve another scorching mystery while cutting and coloring her customers' hair. Tilapia aquaculture and shade-grown coffee production are topics explored in her new title. Meanwhile, MURDER BY MANICURE has just hit bookstore shelves in paperback. MURDER BY MANICURE: ISBN 1-57566-741-X $5.99 Kensington Mass Market, Nov. 2002; BODY WAVE: ISBN 0-7582-0068-4 $22.00 Kensington Hardcover Dec. 2002 Carola Dunn has 2 books out in November: MISTLETOE AND MURDER, a new Daisy Dalrymple mystery, St. Martin's Press; STYX AND STONES, the seventh in the series, now in paperback, Kensington Books. Judith R. Parker: The revised and expanded edition of my Eppie finalist anthology, A KIND OF JUSTICE, is due to be released in both download and trade paperback in December from Hard Shell Word Factory. Signings/Appearances: A busy month for Carola Dunn (DEAD IN THE WATER, MISTLETOE AND MURDER, STYX AND STONES): Dec. 3: 7 p.m. - speaking at Carlsbad CA city library Dec. 4: 7 p.m. - speaking and signing, Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego Dec. 7: Breakfast - Breakfast, meeting and signing Portland SinC Dec. 7: 7 p.m. - Eugene City Library signing Dec. 8: 2 p.m. - B. Dalton's, Gateway Mall, Springfield OR Dec. 10: 6 p.m. - Elliott Bay bookstore, Seattle Dec. 11: 12 p.m. - Seattle Mystery bookstore Dec. 12: 7 p.m. - Barnes & Noble, Eugene Dec. 14: 1 p.m. - Salem OR city library Dec. 14: 3:30 p.m. - Jackson's bookstore, Salem OR Dec. 15: 12-5 p.m. - Murder by the Book, Portland OR Holiday Open House Sara Frommer (WITNESS IN BISHOP HILL): Dec. 7: 12 p.m. - Village Smithy in Bishop Hill Dec. 7: 3 p.m. - Green River Books, 440 South Main Street in Princeton Dec. 8: - Kewanee Library Kit Ehrman (AT RISK): Dec. 7: 11 a.m. - Mystery One Bookstore, 2109 N. Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, WI Guest Author: The December GA is Larry Karp - his give-away book is the first book in his Thomas Purdue series, "The Music Box Murders". To learn more about Larry, check out http://www.sinc-ic.org/GA.shtml on our website. Spotlight Author: To Be Announced Recent additions to our SinC-IC family: Alecia Alexander Celeste Covas Elizabeth de Vries Amanda Flynn Nancy Martin Stephanie Patterson S. A. Reilly Judith Sealy June Shaw Rececca Zdziarski Welcome, New Siblings! ============================================ MEMBER NEWS ============================================ Roberta Isleib announces that her short story MENTAL HYGIENE was published in HandHeldCrime.com. Detective Caroline Rumson and Psychologist Rebecca Butterman unravel the stabbing death of a dental patient. Lynnette Baughman: I'm moving from Los Alamos, New Mexico, to Sequim, Washington, at the end of November. The moving van will be here Nov. 21 (about 48 hours from now) and we'll move into our new home on December 2. I've already sent my dues to join the Puget Sound Chapter. My third mystery (actually a bioterrorism thriller) came out in August from Wings ePress. LOST ALMOST is a sequel to A SPY WITHIN. My three local bookstores carry it in trade paperback (print on demand), and it's a bestseller here -- but since Wings doesn't give as much of a discount to bookstores as traditonal publishers do, I don't expect to see it on shelves anywhere else. I don't have a feel yet for how sales are in the electronic version. I bought a Franklin eBookman myself and I've never got it working right, so my optimism about ebook sales is flagging. LOST ALMOST did win a Golden Wings Award from the publisher and was their bestseller for its first two months of publication. I'm going to LCC in Pasadena and probably to Bouchercon in Vegas. From Babs Lakey: I am the featured author on JUDAS (http://www.adau.net/judas_ezine/) and I want feedback in as much as I don't do this short stuff often! I publish it and don’t write it as much as novels. But I’m doing more lately. The title of the story is THE RED BLOOD SALOON. I want REAL feedback, I want TRUTH and I won't be holding it against you when you submit. HAHAHA. Ya all know that I have no power at FMAM, right? With a few small exceptions, Earl has it all. HAHAHA! Don't critique HIS stories! Also, St. Thomas College in St. Paul has accepted FUTURES for their graduate student business school program. What it means is that students who are working on their thesis, use your company if you are chosen—it’s as if YOU are the thesis and this is how they get their grade. If they can make a huge difference in your business they get a great grade, if not...so you can bet they work their buns off. This is the very top university in this arena, so I am told. They must have contacts I don't have and I’m very excited. This will start in January/Feb of 2003. I’ll keep you posted on how it works and what it might be able to do for others. ============================================ ASK WEBSISTER ============================================ Dear Web Sister, I received a message clearly addressed to my sinc-ic email address. Are our addresses accessible to anyone? Concerned Sibling Dear Sibling, We use the SinC alias addresses to hide our members' real email addresses. People outside of our chapter can find our alias addresses (it's why we use the aliases instead of using the real email addresses), but in order to create a list of all the sinc-ic addresses, someone would have to compile this list manually, address by address. We don't have a master list of all addresses that anyone can simply copy and use. There are two places your sinc-ic address appears: 1. The roster. This is a link from the website's main page (ninth bullet on the left side of the page). Someone can link to the roster, search for your name (or the name you used when you joined the chapter -- some members use their 'pen names'), then click on your name. They'll see your alias email address and anything else you've added to your roster page. Some of our members use this as a mini-webpage and include information about themselves, their books etc. But because roster pages *are* webpages, search engines like Google can--and do--pick them up, so if you search for your name through Google/etc., you'll most likely see your roster page in the list of hits. But Google cannot compile all of the roster entries. Again, someone would have to do this manually, entry by entry. 2. The Membership Directory. This only goes to fellow members, however, so a member would have to share their copy in order for someone outside of our chapter to see it. But again, to protect your real email address, we don't include it in the membership directory, but instead include your ID, which if you put it in front of @sinc-ic.org, gives other chapter members your sinc-ic email address. But someone would still have to manually create a distribution list one address at a time. Many members like that someone can 'find' them (and information about their writing) through our website, so it would be a problem to hide the roster from the public. It's very simple, however, to change the address to which something sent to your sinc-ic address is forwarded. Do you have an alternate email address...one that you could reserve for sinc-ic messages (like the newsletter, membership directory, messages from other chapter members who don't know your @charter.net address)? If not, you may want to create one to keep your personal email address completely separate from your sinc-ic email, because when you reply to a letter sent to you through our forwarding service, the addressee will be provided with your other 'return' email address. So be assured, your personal email address will remain private... unless you go to your sinc-ic webpage and change it manually. Websister ============================================ WRITER'S WORKSHOP ============================================ YOU'RE INVITED TO AN ONGOING WORKING PARTY AT THE SINC-IC WORKSHOP! When? Any hour of the day or night. Where? Sinc-ic.org/-- South to the Message Board, and south again to the Workshop. Pick up your passwords at the gate from hostess/moderator Susan Shaw. Dress? Your favorite writing clothes. Refreshments: Prepared in Susan's cyber kitchen. Members' contributions are welcome. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * At the Workshop, we've discovered the art of turning work into fun by exchanging critiques and forming friendships. This is a place to learn more about the craft of writing, what works and what doesn't, and to test your WIP before you send it to an editor. Once you join, all you have to do is critique two selections. After that, critiques are exchanged on a one-to-one basis. Chapters, short stories, synopses--whatever you're writing and wish to have feedback on--may be posted. We hope to see you there! Dorothy ============================================ MS. MANNERS' GUIDE TO BLATANT SELF PROMOTION How to Win Friends and Influence Sales On-line By D.L. Browne ============================================ Dear Ms. Manners: I have just published my first mystery, KILLER IN THE CRUMPETS . As a first-time author (long-time fan) I know that the responsibility for promoting my book falls on my shoulders. I also know that the basic tool for self-promotion is the Internet. I've targeted certain mystery discussion groups to join in order to advertise my novel (which has been described by the blurb I wrote as "break-neck paced, flawless, and unrelentingly brilliant), but I have heard horror stories of writers who alienated readers by their reckless BSP (Blatant Self Promotion). How can I tell when is the best time to launch my marketing attack? Gentle Writer: Thank you for asking. You have come to the right self-help maven, for if anything can sabotage a brilliant sales strategy, it is the lack of common courtesy. Just as the TV viewer will automatically mute the commercials (or seize the moment to check out her Martha Stewart stock options), so will the Gentle Reader of an online community instinctively delete the posts of someone she's pegged as a user (rhymes with LOSER, and dooon't you forget it). While it is true that the Internet is an essential weapon in your marketing arsenal, it is a two-edged sword. It's a small WWW after all, and if you are indiscreet enough to make the wrong sort of name for yourself, you may end up having to resort to using a pen name ...like...um...Ms. Manners. Remember, Gentle Writer, one does not join a mystery community to promote a book. Or if one does, one politely conceals the fact by taking active part in discussions that do not always segue into mention of one's magnum opus. If one has properly reconnoitered, one joined the mystery community long before the release of one's book, waxing wisely and wittily as opportunity arose, creating positive name recognition. Name recognition is a delicate matter. Shoot your mouth off too much or too vehemently, and you may offend. Worst case scenario, you may be banished (to the disappointment of your friends and admirers). Ms. Manners suggests moderation in all things. To change one's personality is undesirable, but restraint is rarely a mistake (and how Ms. Manners wishes she had recollected this when she was swilling the champagne from her size 9 pumps Saturday night). That said, there is one way to ensure all roads lead to you, and that is the ubiquitous signature line. In case you don't know, the sig line is the two to three lines of text automatically added to the end of an outgoing message. These should include the title and publisher and ISBN of your book. The sig line enables you to promote your work while reviewing other's books, lauding other's posts, well, you get the idea. Ideally, your sig line should not be longer than your post--nor should it be the most memorable thing about your post. Ms. Manners suggests that you and your sig line join a variety of discussion groups, taking active, but pleasant, part in topics you know something about. Do not try to be funny if you are not, and do not verbally assault those less informed than you. If you must debate (and no one loves a good debate more than Ms. Manners after a few slippers of champagne), attack people not ideas. When your book is actually published it is generally considered good form to announce it, and this is also a perfect time to offer copies in exchange for reviews. These reviews may be on the discussion list itself (if permitted) or they could be "citizen reviews" on Amazon, B&N or Borders. Do not underestimate the power of this word of mouth advertising. A word of caution however: your initial post to a group should not be the announcement of your book's publication. Should the discussion turn to mysteries about art, and you've published a mystery featuring a crime-busting Leonardo da Vinci, that's a perfect opening: take it. Look for the perfect openings. Do not initiate them. People will notice and shake their heads at your lack of subtlety. Gentle Writer, never forget that mystery discussion groups are not made up of potential customers, they are made up of fellow mystery lovers and discerning fans of the genre. They are made up of potential friends. Treat these people with respect. It helps to join groups that reflect your own taste; if you have written a cozy do not plug it on Rara-Avis. And keeping all this in mind, do not limit your on-line participation to mystery discussion lists. Are you a Korean War vet? Have you written a book about a Korean War vet? Guess what? There are a bunch of on-line Korean War vet discussion groups. Is your amateur sleuth a cat? Are you a cat? Join an on-line feline appreciation society. Quilting, anime, horticulture, SEALS, you name it, there is practically NOTHING that does not have an on-line community. But be warned: if you appear to have enlisted solely to promote your novel, your potential Gentle Readers will close their minds and hearts and pocketbooks to you. They may even write Ms. Manners for help in getting—politely—rid of you. D.L. Browne's website: http://www.girl-detective.net/ ============================================ ON THE ROAD WITH SISTERS IN CRIME The Writers and Guns Seminar in Las Vegas by Lonnie Cruse ============================================ On Monday, November 18, my husband Don and I flew to Las Vegas to attend the Writers and Guns Seminar. We arrived to lovely warm weather, found our room, and quickly realized that most Vegas hotels were built on the “You can't get there from here” school of thought. If you want to eat in a restaurant located on the third floor and your room is also located on the third floor, you must go BACK downstairs (through the casino of course) and find your way upstairs through another means. A couple of hours after our arrival we attended the "Get Acquainted" session and met most of our fellow attendees and hosts. I was delighted to be able to put faces to names in the cases of those I'd met or heard of online: Chris Freeburn (fellow Quiet Storm author) Miles Archer Tony Fennelly Andy Straka Chassie West Taffy Cannon Louise Titchener And to meet: Mickael A. Black Debra Whittaker Vicc Simmons Paula Woods Celeste Covas Warren Murphy (Beg pardon if I misspelled anyone's name or left anyone out. I tried to write them each carefully.) The Second Amendment Foundation as well as other groups hosted this seminar. The purpose was to teach those interested (and believe me, WE WERE INTERESTED!) to become more familiar with firearms, and more importantly, to write knowledgably about them. As writers, we talk a lot about doing the research and getting it right so the reader can easily suspend belief and not be taken out of our story by some glaring errors because we haven't done our homework. We talk, but have we been listening to ourselves? There are thousands of readers out there who might try our fiction once for escape (which is why we write it, right?) who work in any of the various divisions of law enforcement, the armed services, or who are simply very familiar with firearms, AND who will put our book down as soon as they see a glaring error in a mystery or any other fiction because the author hasn't done his/her homework. The series I'm working on has a sheriff as the protagonist assisted by his deputies, so I signed up for the seminar knowing I would gain some important information and experience. The seminar hosts far exceeded my expectations. The first day we attended a series of lectures beginning with the history of firearms (calling a firearm a weapon generally leaves out all the many other types of weapons.) We discussed various TYPES of firearms, types and calibers of ammunition, the differences in bullet resistant vests (they aren't actually bullet PROOF) what the laws says regarding the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers and private citizens, common mistakes made by well known authors, why men and women typically must carry a gun on a different part of their body, (the reach is different) what various holsters look like, how they are worn, what caliber means, what happens to a bullet when fired (and by the way, do you know the difference between a bullet and a cartridge? I thought I did.) We also covered what rim fire means or center fire. And speaking of bullet resistant vests, did you know that of the over 2500 wearers saved by the vests, half were saved in shooting incidents, the other half were saved from death by serious falls or car accidents? Five of those saved in shootings were firearms teachers hit by students (comfy thought!) My hubby, who is not a writer and SAID he was only taking the trip to keep me company, intended to bail out of the seminar and take a walk on the famous Las Vegas strip if it became boring. He never left his chair except for a bathroom break. Everyone we've met since arriving home is hearing the story of how it went from HIM, I haven't been able to get a word in . . . yet. The second day of the Writers and Guns Seminar was spent at a shooting range outside Las Vegas. In the morning we were given a simulation using several volunteers from our group who each faced an armed assailant in front of a small house at one part of the range. The range, by the way, is full of “berms” large mounds of dirt and sand surrounding each firing area, which help prevent shots fired from entering other areas where people are practicing. Our cars were parked inside the berm around the house and we were told to stay inside with windows up. The ammunition used was similar to a paint ball, which would sting if it hit an unprotected area of the body, but not penetrate, and left a mark on clothing to indicate where the “victim” had been hit. The volunteers were kept separate from each other during briefing, equipped with vests, head gear, a weapon, and were told only that an attacker outside the door was causing a serious problem for someone they love. Keep in mind as you read this that we ALL (volunteers, instructors, observers) were WELL aware that this was ONLY a simulation, not the real thing. No one was going to get hurt, this was just an exercise. The results were quite amazing to all of us. The volunteers promptly forgot the audience was there, forgot it was a game, forgot everything except the guy in front of them screaming at them and holding another instructor hostage. Two or more of the volunteers were “shot dead” by the attacker, even though he gave them several counts to himself (as he later told us) to fire at him, even having the hostage drop out of the way to give the volunteer a clear shot. Two of the volunteers did manage to hit the attacker fatally. One volunteer simply dropped the firearm to the ground when ordered to do so by the attacker. She said later she had no idea why she complied since it was obvious he was going to shoot both her and the hostage. My hubby (he who was NOT going to participate in this seminar) fired one shot, accidentally caused the firearm to jam, and got hit in the chest and leg by the attacker. He said the leg shot did sting as that area wasn't protected. Don is very familiar with firearms and was completely taken aback that he couldn't properly fire this one under duress. I think the point that came across to ALL of us from this exercise is that no matter how much you THINK you are prepared to face an intruder/attacker, you most likely aren't. How many of us have heard “things that go bump in the night” gotten scared, and then worked out a plan in our minds of what we would do if the threat were ever to become real? Probably ALL of us. The truth is, the attacker is far more prepared and ready to act than most of us will ever be. Don't assume that because you have thought it out, you will be ready. Take careful precautions for home safety, and stay alert when you are away from home. After a terrific lunch, we were given the opportunity to shoot a wide variety of firearms. How did we do? Let me just say, you don't want to cross Miles Archer or Andy Straka if either is standing near a 50 caliber firearm. Or my husband. Or Chris Freeburn. I was amazed at the concussion from that 50 caliber baby even though I was standing several feet behind whoever was firing. I didn't try any of the larger firearms offered, but I did shoot many of the smaller ones. The pistol was much harder to handle because of kickback than the P 12 45 automatic. The Race Guns were fun, they have a laser point that helps you find the target, and while very light weight, have little kickback. But my favorite was the Glock 9 (Santa, are you listening?) Seriously, I know many of you dislike guns. But if you are going to write about them, you need to know your subject. Assuming that your readers don't know any more than you do is a big mistake. One of the speakers mentioned that another turn-off for many readers is a writer who spends the first chapter or so having his/her protag talk about how much he/she hates guns and the last chapter shooting at everything that moves. Not very consistent, is it? The last morning of the seminar we spent time discussing plotting and how to make your novel more accurate in terms of what a protag/antag would really do in certain situations. I couldn't take notes fast enough. With the help of Massad Ayoob who is Captain of a New Hampshire force and Director of the Lethal Force Institute, I gained a lot of information and insight as to how a young cop featured in my second book would behave in certain circumstances. My book ending will be MUCH more forceful, thanks to him. All the instructors at the seminar were helpful and offered to be available to answer questions for us in the future. The hosts are seriously considering timing next year's seminar around Bouchercon, having it possibly a before or after so that more writers can take advantage. If you are planning on attending Bcon 2003 in Las Vegas, I highly recommend attending the Writers and Guns Seminar as well. I'll post information on that seminar when I have it. ============================================ INSURANCE FOR WRITERS by C. Hope Clark ============================================ A major upside to freelancing is the freedom from boss oppression. But what many freelancers soon learn is a major downside is a lack of insurance coverage - especially health insurance. When you can't write, you don't eat. And when you can't afford insurance, you can't afford medical attention. For the flu that might be only a temporary setback. But for a car accident or major illness, crisis sets in. Artists and writers are a different breed, and need a different spin of insurance. Some don't know where to turn, and as a result, let the insurance "thing" slide until they are in a fix. For insurance coverage, take a look at the following sites: