Dear Librarians and SinC Members, In this issue you will read a terrific piece by Canadian mystery author and book coach, Diane Bator. Diane told me that in her work as a book coach she “helps writers with their books from start to finish by making sure the storylines work, helping them find an agent/publisher, and working with them to make their dream book a reality.” Some of her favorite books on writing include On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King; Before We Get Started: A Practical Memoir of the Writer’s Life by Bret Lott; Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg, the Save the Cat series by Blake Snyder; and Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing by Tiffany Yates Martin. I am also thrilled to announce the February 2022 Doris Ann Norris We Love Libraries Winner is the Bartholomew County Public Library in Columbus, Indiana! Please see details below. |
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Diane Bator Loves Libraries By Diane Bator I’m one of those people who believes our libraries are great community meeting places, especially in a small town. Our local library is where I first met the writing group I’ve been part of since 2007 and have been able to do presentations both alone and with groups of writers of many genres. With the support of the library, our group has hosted many fun events over the years including an Open Mic night during Covid. We have also brought in writers who do inspiring workshops. It’s been a lot of fun to meet with other groups, including the local ThREADS group who do crafts while they discuss books. A sucker for the smell of books in print, I love walking through the stacks and discovering new things to research. I find it easier to get lost in a book than a website any day! There are so many great books and resources that new writers can get their hands on for free. I have a terrific list of writing and research books that I’ve usually borrowed from the library before I’ve purchased my own copy, especially if it’s something I will go back to repeatedly. Now that I’m a book coach as well as a mystery writer, I’m scheduling workshops in various local libraries where I can answer questions for writers and help them form a framework to write as well as publish their stories. It’s always fun to work one-on-one with people who are driven to get their work out to the world—no matter what the genre. It’s a thrill to walk into the library and see my books on the shelf. In fact, part of my decision to become a book coach was so that I could help others to feel that same excitement. Thank you to our amazing librarians for all you do to help writers get the word out! |
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Diane Bator is the author of several mystery novels, a book coach, and a budding playwright. She’s a member of many mystery and writing groups. When she’s not writing or coaching other authors, she works in a professional theatre that will one day be subject to immortality in a mystery series. |
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The Doris Ann Norris We Love Libraries February 2022 Winner is the Bartholomew County Public Library in Columbus, Indiana! Caption: Pictured in the international languages section are library staff holding books by Sisters in Crime member authors: I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen; A Better Man by Louise Penny; and Brush Back by Sara Paretsky. Columbus, Indiana is full of architecturally significant buildings, and the Bartholomew County Public Library is no exception. The library was designed by I. M. Pei. It is a beautiful library with an equally beautiful mission, “to serve as a community crossroads—connecting people, ideas, information, and experiences to empower everyone on their journey of lifelong learning.” The WLL application further describes Columbus as “home to a diverse, global community. Columbus welcomes families from around the world, many of whom come to work at the Cummins, Inc. headquarters. On an average day in Columbus, you are likely to hear many languages spoken, including Spanish, Russian, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, French, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Italian.” The $500 We Love Libraries grant will be used to purchase fiction and nonfiction materials in the languages spoken by the library’s wonderfully diverse community. |
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How Can Your Library Win a We Love Libraries Grant? Does your library need materials? Do you have a great idea for a library program? Apply for the We Love Libraries award! Find grant details and the brief grant application on our website. A WLL winner of $500 is selected every other month. |
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Do you have a great idea for an article in We Love Libraries News? Did your library put together an excellent display of mysteries that you would like to share? Submit your ideas and suggestions to Susan Hammerman, Library Liaison at |
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To find out more about all SinC offers, including live webinars, please visit our website. Thank you for all you do for your communities. Sisters in Crime loves libraries. Best wishes and happy reading! Susan Hammerman
Library Liaison Susan Hammerman, a former rare book librarian, is the Library Liaison and coordinator of the We Love Libraries program. Susan writes crime and neo-noir short stories. Her stories have been published by Mystery Magazine, Dark City Mystery Magazine, Blood and Bourbon, Mondays are Murder, and Retreats From Oblivion. |
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WLL and WLB News Editor: Gail Lukasik’s latest book, White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing, was named one of the most inspiring stories of the year by The Washington Post. She is also the author of the Leigh Girard Mystery series and the stand-alone mystery, The Lost Artist. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, such as The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, and The Georgia Review. Gail appeared in the documentary, History of Memory, which is available on Amazon Prime. |
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Sisters in Crime hosts LIVE webinars each month. Webinars last 60-90 minutes depending on the topic and the audience questions! These webinars are open to all. |
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Here's a spreadsheet with our members' 2021 books. This month's releases are in a separate worksheet. Sort the spreadsheet by author name, location, title, or release date. |
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Looking for diverse books? For many years, SINC has curated Frankie’s List, an extensive list of crime novels by people of color and other marginalized groups. Frankie Y. Bailey, building on work by the late Eleanor Taylor Bland, began to compile a list of published Black crime writers over a decade ago. Frankie has expanded the list to include other WOC and LGBTQ+ authors. Here’s a link: https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/FrankiesList |
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Sisters in Crime is the premier crime writing association focused on equity and inclusion in our community and in publishing. Our 4,500+ members enjoy access to tools to help them learn, grow, improve, thrive, and reinvent if necessary. They also gain a community of supportive fellow writers and readers, both peers to share the peaks and valleys of writing, and mentors to model the way forward. |
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