KILLER NASHVILLE: MURDER IN THE MAKING by C. Hope Clark
For
the mystery reader, it’s all about the suspense and the twist, and outguessing
the author who’s doing their best to carefully design those words so that the
reader doesn’t guess the secret until the author wants him to. Author versus
reader.
Killer
Nashville is a conference devoted to enabling and supporting those authors so
that the readers receive the best game the genre can offer. For four days, this
conference presents classes, panels, and hands-on crime-solving to authors, readily
involving famous names and law enforcement experts.
This
year represented a ten-year anniversary for Killer Nashville. Founder Clay
Stafford applauded the life of the conference, and honored the genre, by
creating Killer Nashville Noir:
Cold-Blooded, an anthology he carefully filled with stories from greats
like Jeffrey Deaver, Donald Bain, Robert Dugoni, Steven James, and Heywood
Gould, then added stories from highly respected contemporary authors and Killer
Nashville alumni like Catriona McPherson, Jonathan Stone, and Blake Fonteney.
Sixteen twisting and turning mystery short stories representing the best of
what Killer Nashville represents. I was very lucky to be included in the mix
with my short story “Rich Talk.”
The
conference opened with a short film by mystery great John Gilmore then an
interview of the man by Clay Stafford, who weaves and winds his way throughout
the conference so devoted to this cause, making himself reachable to all. Clay,
no slouch in his own right, is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and
filmmaker. He has sold over 1.5 million hardcover copies of his children’s
adaptations and has seen his film work distributed in over 14 languages. Publishers
Weekly named Stafford one of the Top Ten Nashville literary leaders
playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers.” His
thrill is making literature happen, particularly in this genre. He’s given
hand-up assistance to many an author, and his heart and soul manage this
conference.
Of
course there are classes and panels, consisting of not only bestselling
authors, but also expert crime experts, from local to state to federal levels.
My husband, a federal law enforcement criminal investigator, presented on
non-traditional federal law enforcement and had a ball helping authors mold
their scenes into something credible. Then there are the experts in other areas
who answered questions to these writers about works in progress. Experts like
these: a sex offender counselor, psychologists, publicists, a social media
expert, a Microsoft senior programmer, and a filmmaker. I moderated a
presentation by a mortician that I had to cut off because the questions would
have gone on and on about how to deal with death and bodies in a story.
Intriguing stuff!
And
what mystery aficionado doesn’t want to try their hand at solving a murder?
Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Assistant Director Dan Royse sets up a crime
scene, giving attendees two days to analyze and turn in their answers as to
what happened. The winner receives free attendance to next year’s conference.
It’s amazing at the details and who has that keen eye.
But
the conference also presents famous, well-established authors who not only
present, but make themselves available. This year, we were graced with the
presences of Robert K. Tannenbaum (NYT Bestselling Author of nonfiction and
fiction, to include Echoes of Silence
and Trapped), M. William Phelps (NYT
Bestselling Author of 30 books and producer/writer/host of the television
Investigation Discovery Series Dark Minds)
and John Gilstrap (NYT Bestselling Author of All Enemies, End Game, High Treason, and many more, plus the
creator of four Hollywood screenplays adapting the works of Nelson DeMille and
Thomas Harris). Unlike other conferences where these guys appear and disappear,
they availed themselves to attendees on a regular basis, open to help in the
style that Clay Stafford promotes.
But
the conference culminates in a grand banquet at the end, not only with great
presentations from the guests of honor, but also announcements of award. Killer
Nashville presents the Claymore Award to an unpublished mystery novel and the
Silver Falchion Award to mystery releases of the past year. Winners consisted
of Catriona McPherson, Terry Odell, Laura McHugh, Lori Rader-Day, Hank Phillip
Ryan, and myself for my novel Palmetto
Poison.
Add
to this excitement the wine tasting, signings, agent and editor roundtables (no
five-minute pitches here!), costume contest, samurai sword training, live band,
and book con to the public, and you have more than you could ever ask for in a
mystery environment. Next year promises to be bigger and better, which seems to
happen every year. Why not give it a try?
BIO
– C. Hope Clark is the author of award-winning Carolina Slade Mysteries and the
most recent Edisto Island Mysteries. Her latest release is Edisto Jinx (October 2015). At Killer Nashville, she accepted a
Silver Falchion Award for her Slade series title Palmetto Poison. Needless to say, she’ll be back next year to her
fourth Killer Nashville conference and highly recommends it to all mystery,
suspense and thriller lovers.
When she’s not penning mysteries, she’s managing FundsforWriters.com, an online resource of funding opportunities for serious
writers, chosen by Writer’s Digest for its 101 Best Websites for Writers for
the past 15 years. www.chopeclark.com / www.fundsforwriters.com
BLURB
for Edisto Jinx - Is it a flesh and blood killer—or restless spirits? According
to an island psychic, beautiful Edisto Beach becomes a hotbed of troublemaking
spirits every August. But when a visitor dies mysteriously during a beachhouse
party, former big-city detective Callie Morgan and Edisto Beach police chief
Mike Seabrook hunt for motives and suspects among the living. With tourists
filling the beaches and local business owners anxious to squelch rumors of a
murderer on the loose, Callie will need all the help she can get—especially
once the killer’s attention turns toward her.
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