Mystery Writers of America is an organization of professional mystery writers.

The MWA NorCal Chapter, which covers the territory above the 36th parallel of California and Nevada, meets approximately 8-9 times per year.

Saturday, July 25
11:30 AM
John's Grill, home of the Maltese Falcon
$22 members; $25 guests

Financial Tips, Tricks & Traps for Writers (and normal people, too)

Bob Goldman, founder and head of BG Financial Planning in Sausalito, is uniquely qualified to provide financial advice to writers because he actually made his living as a writer in his former life—mostly with ad agencies but also writing newspaper and magazine articles. (He also proudly credits himself with a number of unpublished novels and unproduced screenplays.)

This is one presentation you don't want to miss. Whether you're preparing for the launch of your first novel or working as a full-time writer on your tenth book, you need to know the special financial planning needs and pitfalls awaiting the writer and all the tips that will make that advance you got work harder for you.

We will leave plenty of time for Q&A and Bob has offered to look at questions submitted in advance. If you'd like to submit one, send it along with your RSVP and choice of entree (chicken caesar salad, vegetarian pasta or bay shrimp Louis) to Susan Shea no later than Thursday, July 23.

Chapter President Louise Ure has been nominated for a 2009 Nero Wolfe Award for her novel The Fault Tree. The "Nero" is an annual award presented to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre.

Several NorCal writers have been nominated for Macavity Awards, to be presented at Bouchercon in October. They include Chapter President Louise Ure (The Fault Tree, best novel), Lisa Lutz (Curse of the Spellmans, best novel), Rhys Bowen (A Royal Pain, best historical mystery) and Kelli Stanley (Nox Dormienda, best historical mystery).

NorCal writers were among the winners of awards presented at Left Coast Crime in Hawaii on March 11. Tim Maleeny (Greasing the Piñata) won the Lefty Award, a prize for the best humorous mystery of 2008. Kelli Stanley received a Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award for Nox Dormienda: A Long Night For Sleeping. Former Chapter President Rhys Bowen was one of the Guests of Honor.

Congratulations to our members with new books out! To share your news on the web site, please e-mail the Web Coordinator, Susan C. Shea, at scsauthor (at) mac.com.

Royal Flush Rhys Bowen

Cutting Edge Allison Brennan

The Crack in the Lens Steve Hockensmith