The deadlier of the species? Let's celebrate 25 years of Sisters in Crime!

This year brings the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the creation of Sisters in Crime, an international organisation that now spans 48 chapters worldwide; more than 3,000 members. Founded in a Soho loft, Sisters in Crime promotes the professional development and advancement of women writing crime fiction.

According to its website, Sisters in Crime grew out of a growing sense that female mystery writers were being overlooked; legendary American crime writer Sara Paretsky spoke at the first-ever conference on Women in the Mystery in March 1986, talking about the growing use of graphic sadism against women in mysteries. "Remarks I made at the conference set off a firestorm around the mystery world," Paretsky recalls. "Women began calling me from all over the country with their personal histories of treatment/mistreatment."

Phyllis Whitney wrote a letter to the Mystery Writers of America, pointing out that female authors weren't being nominated for awards, and then by the time the Bouchercon event occurred in October 1986, the movement was well and truly getting up to speed. "I convened the initial meeting of interested women at the Baltimore Bouchercon in October 1986," Paretsky says. At that meeting, she noted that books by woman mystery writers also weren't being reviewed at a percentage equal to their participation in the field. At the annual Edgars Week in 1987, interested women writers were invited to Sandra Scoppettone's SoHo loft for breakfast, to meet each other and discuss the situation. At that meeting, Sisters in Crime was formed.

New Zealand has quite a good tradition when it comes to female crime writers - the doyenne of our mystery-writing world is of course Dame Ngaio Marsh, one of the four Queens of Crime of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. In contemporary times, two of the five authors who've been finalists for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel are women (Vanda Symon and Paddy Richardson), and several other female Kiwi crime writers have been published in recent times, such as Lindy Kelly, Donna Malane, Dorothy Fowler, Trish McCormack, Cat Connor, Bev Robitai, Joan Druett, and others.

Historically, although New Zealand wasn't thought to have much of a crime or mystery writing tradition, outside of Dame Ngaio, amongst the crime writers we did have, many were women, for example: Dorothy Eden, Mary Scott and Joyce West, Freda Bream, Carol Dawber, Laurie Mantell, and others. In fact, many, perhaps even most, of the crime writers New Zealand had, from the 1950s-1990s, that wrote more than a book or two (ie a longer series of five, seven, ten books etc) seem to be women.

In the coming weeks I will be sharing more about many of these great Kiwi women crime writers, along with some of the international female crime writers I read and enjoy, or have had the privilege to meet, as part of a terrific Sisters in Crime blogging challenge being run by mystery writer, reviewer and blogger Barbara Fister.

Fister is a member of Sisters in Crime, and currently serves on the board. Here is the challenge she has created:

Easy challenge: write a blog post about a work of crime fiction by a woman author; list five more women authors who you recommend.

Moderate challenge: write five blog posts about works of crime fiction by women authors. For each, mention another woman author who writes in a similar vein.

Expert challenge: write ten blog posts about works of crime fiction by women authors. For each, mention three similar women authors whose works you would recommend.

Deadline: whenever. Another one of the joys of reading for pleasure is not having deadlines. Also, feel free to recycle previous reviews. Fister says she is all about recycling.

If you tag your posts with “SinC25", Fister will compile them on her blog.  And if you tweet, use the hashtag #SinC25.

Although I'm a little 'challenged-out' lately, I will be joining in, because I think it is a terrific thing to celebrate all that is good and great about female crime writers - and perhaps give more publicity to some who deserve it. I will be updating some of my 'encyclopaedia-style' posts about Kiwi crime writers, republishing some reviews and interviews of Kiwi and international authors, and much more.

If you have any suggestions, or requests, in terms of what you'd like to see from me in the coming weeks - which authors you'd like me to feature/highlight/interview etc, please do let me know. To start with, how about answering this question: who are some of your favourite female crime writers?

Balancing motherhood and crime writing: Canton Daily News interviews Kiwi crime writer

On Friday, Kiwi crime writer Cat Connor was interviewed by US publication the Canton Daily News. It's great to see local authors getting some deserved publicity in overseas markets.

In the interview, the Wellington-based author shares what attracted her to the thriller genre, how she balances motherhood (of a "bunch of children" ranging from just starting school to married) with writing, and more about her heroine, FBI Special Agent Ellie Conway. You can read the interview at the Canton Daily News website, here.

Connor's first two Conway novels, KILLERBYTE and TERRORBYTE were originally published as e-books, and both have received some very good reviews and featured in the Top Ten bestsellers on the Mobipocket website, with KILLERBYTE making it to the #2 position (ahead of Lee Child's latest Jack Reacher thriller at the time). Her books are now available in digital form from a variety of websites, and also in paperback form from Amazon.com.

KILLERBYTE was a finalist in the 2010 EPIC Awards (electronic publishing awards), and also was voted No. 3 in eBookNewser's Top Ten eBooks. TERRORBYTE was rated one of the Top 10 thriller 'Best Reads for 2010' by the Preditors & Editors™ Readers' Poll.

You can read more about Connor's third and latest Ellie Conway thriller, EXACERBYTE, here.

Kiwi author Cat Connor's EXACERBYTE available today

Continuing the good start to the year in terms of Kiwi crime fiction, Upper Hutt author Cat Connor's third FBI Agent Ellie Conway tale, EXACERBYTE, has been released today (it has a 'pre-release' on Kindle, but becomes more widely available from a variety of sites and formats today).

Connor's first two Conway novels, KILLERBYTE and TERRORBYTE were originally published as e-books, and both have received some very good reviews and featured in the Top Ten bestsellers on the Mobipocket website, with KILLERBYTE making it to the #2 position (ahead of Lee Child's latest Jack Reacher thriller at the time). Her books are now available in digital form from a variety of websites, and also in paperback form from Amazon.com.

KILLERBYTE was a finalist in the 2010 EPIC Awards (electronic publishing awards), and also was voted No. 3 in eBookNewser's Top Ten eBooks. TERRORBYTE was rated one of the Top 10 thriller 'Best Reads for 2010' by the Preditors & Editors™ Readers' Poll. TERRORBYTE continues the adventured of FBI Agent Ellie Conway, and even sees her heading downunder to New Zealand as part of a case. Here's a blurb:

"After the violent death of a close friend, Supervisory Special Agent Ellie Conway realizes a child trafficker known as Hawk is back. She believes Hawk killed her husband and was responsible for her friend’s death.

A request for help sends Ellie to New Zealand, on Hawk’s trail. Her job; to locate missing children before they disappear forever. Meanwhile, back in Virginia a child with ties to Ellie is in danger. Can she uncover the hidden agenda of the suspected terrorist and his real identity in time to save the children?"

EXACERBYTE will now be available from Amazon (Kindle), Kalahari, Mobipocket, iTunes, Kobo and on order from book stores (or perhaps in a few hours, given the time difference). Here's an early review of the Kindle edition:

"After the gut-wrenching finish to Terrorbyte left me in tears, I had high expectations of what I can’t help but think of as Connor’s ‘difficult third album.’ (Hey, she’s the one who made it all about the music.) She didn’t let me down. Exacerbyte had me crying quietly into my coffee, giggling out loud and holding my breath, sometimes at the same time. A fantastically fun and entertaining series, which just keeps getting better."
– Un:Bound

You can read an excerpt from EXACERBYTE (the first chapter) here.

Comments welcome.

Book Trailer for Cat Connor's second Ellie Conway thriller

Upper Hutt-based writer Cat Connor is the author of a technology-based thriller series starring FBI Agent Ellie Conway that is now also available in paperback form from Amazon.com.

Connor's first two Ellie Conway novels, KILLERBYTE and TERRORBYTE were originally published as e-books, and both have received some very good reviews and featured in the Top Ten bestsellers on the Mobipocket website. So for you international readers of Crime Watch, Cat Connor is one of the Kiwi authors whose books you can actually get hold of, relatively easily. I'm looking forward to reading them myself.

You can read the first chapter of KILLERBYTE, which was a finalist in the 2010 EPIC Awards (electronic publishing awards), here.

Back in September I published a 9mm interview with Connor (read here), and now a YouTube book trailer for the second Conway novel, TERRORBYTE, is available (see below):

9mm: An interview with Cat Connor

Welcome to the latest instalment in Crime Watch's ongoing series of author interviews; 9mm - 9 Murder Mystery questions put to a variety of New Zealand and international crime, thriller, and mystery authors.

We've had a bit of a run of international authors in the 9mm series, so I thought that today I would share another New Zealand writer with you. So, for the the 33rd instalment in the 9mm series, Crime Watch is talking to Upper Hutt-based author Cat Connor, the creator of the FBI Special Agent Ellie Conway series of crime thrillers and short stories.

Cat has had short stories published in several international magazines. Her first two novels, KILLERBYTE and TERRORBYTE were originally published as e-books, and both have received good reviews and featured in the Top Ten bestsellers on the Mobipocket website, with KILLERBYTE making it to the #2 position. Both books are now also available in paperback form from Amazon.com. So for you international readers of Crime Watch, Cat Connor is one of the Kiwi authors whose books you can actually get hold of, reasonably easily.

You can read the first chapter of KILLERBYTE, which was a finalist in the 2010 EPIC Awards (electronic publishing awards), here.

But for now, Cat Connor stares down the barrel of 9mm.

The Crime Watch 9mm Author Interview: Cat Connor

Who is your favourite recurring crime fiction hero/detective?

Without hesitation I can say it is… Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich’s Plum series. I’ve been reading the series for 13 years, ever since best friend Chrissy and I read the first and second books on a beach in Fiji. We were hooked instantly. Stephanie isn’t so much a detective as a pretty crappy bounty hunter with a detective boy friend but it’s hard not to like her. I’ve just read the sixteenth in that series. Now that Jeffrey Deaver is writing the Kathryn Dance series I’ve got another favorite.

What was the very first book you remember reading and really loving, and why?

That’s actually not an easy question. Books have always played a large part in my life, from before I could read. I enjoyed the Trixie Beldon books when I was a kid, but I think Willard Price’s Adventure series would be the books I remember the most vividly and read over and over again. Along with the James Bond series by Ian Fleming. Guess I’ve always preferred boys books more than ones aimed at girls. Let’s go with Willard Price’s Adventure series. I was a big fan of Commando comics too.

Before your debut crime novel, what else had you written (if anything) unpublished manuscripts, short stories, articles?

Before KILLERBYTE – I’d written four novels, at least two of which will one day see daylight, I hope. One of them is a NZ thriller which, when I have time, I will polish and show to my hard working publisher. I’ve also had about 14 short stories published in the USA and UK, in various magazines and ezines. After KILLERBYTE – TERRORBYTE was released, and the 3rd in the Special Agent Ellie Conway series is due out late this year, EXACERBYTE. Currently writing the 4th Conway book, both five and six are waiting polishing and revising.

Outside of writing, and touring and promotional commitments, what do you really like to do, leisure and activity-wise?

Outside of writing? There is an outside? Say it isn’t so! Being a prolific writer means it takes up a lot of my time, if I’m not writing and promoting I’m thinking about both. It’s pretty rare for me to switch off. I do enjoy spending time with my family (how dreadfully corny) and I read a lot. Also enjoy movies and I never miss NCIS on telly. Those times when I need a break – I tend to sew or dye stuff. I love to dye things, anything. But that’s more of a summer thing. (Last time I ended up with bright pink tie-dyed jeans, they really make a statement, not sure what that statement is exactly– but they really make one!)

What is one thing that visitors to your hometown should do, that isn't in the tourist brochures, or perhaps they wouldn’t initially consider?

Having never seen a tourist brochure for Upper Hutt, because I live here, I’m at a loss really. Everything I can think of would be in such a brochure. Upper Hutt is more a small town than a city, even though it’s officially a city. As much as I hate to say it, it’s not exactly a tourist destination. We do have a lot of lovely parks and some of The Lord of the Rings was filmed in Harcourt Park and some of Without A Paddle a 2004 comedy (with a hint of Burt Reynolds) was filmed in Trentham Memorial Park. I fondly recall a graveyard that sprang up there during the making of the movie. A visitor should spend time in our parks or maybe doing some of the fabulous walking tracks around the hills. (Locals should too.)

If your life was a movie, which actor could you see playing you?

Sandra Bullock. When everyone stops laughing I shall explain. I just think that if any actress could cope with my life which is often crowded with a million kids and the typically interesting people I attract, it's her. The real trick is to do it while confining deaths to the plot of novels… I think she has the versatility required.

Of your books, which is your favourite, and why?

That’s a really hard question. But I have to say - TERRORBYTE, because it’s the second book and it feels a little like the red-headed step child. The world hasn’t discovered it yet and that’s just a little sad. I feel it’s a slightly different book to KILLEBYTE even though it is the second in a series and has the same protagonist – or maybe I just see if differently – it’s darker but not so dark that it makes you cringe and want to hide. It’s a fabulous book and as much as I hate to play favorites… it is mine, so far.

What was your initial reaction, and how did you celebrate, when you were first accepted for publication? Or when you first saw your debut story in book form on a bookseller’s shelf?

How did I celebrate? When my first short story was accepted I spent a week grinning like an idiot, I don’t actually remember celebrating as such, but I am sure I would have. I do however remember vividly the day KILLERBYTE was accepted by Rebel E Publishers. I sent a blanket text to everyone, and called my neighbor – which was more of a scream followed by a woot than a call! A few friends gathered with bottles of wine, and we sat on the deck drinking red wine and watching the stars. It felt very much like the beginning of an amazing journey with limitless possibilities. I still feel that, probably more so now I have two more novels homed with Rebel. Each acceptance and subsequent contract is cause for much celebration. (Any excuse for a party!) The day the boxes arrived from my publisher containing my copies of both books, there was much celebrating and delight. I think over the last 18 months my Admin’s and I have kept at least one vineyard ticking over nicely.

What is the strangest or most unusual experience you have had at a book signing, author event, or literary festival?

Being terribly new to the whole game, I’ve not yet been to a book signing, author event or literary festival. I am however going to the CHCH Writer’s Festival in September – so my answer might well change! I have signed books, and sent signed bookplates overseas to people who have asked for them. I’ve given a talk at a book club. Which was terrifying, it was back when KILLERBYTE first came out, it was an eBook and trying to explain eBooks to older kiwi women who barely used email – let’s say it was interesting, in a frustrating kind of way… and I knew not one of them would read it, because none could grasp the notion of reading from a PC, laptop, iPod or iPhone. No excuse now we have paperbacks!

Thank you Cat Connor. We really appreciate you taking the time to talk with Crime Watch.

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So what do you think of this 9mm interview? Have you read any of Cat Connor's books? Do you like the sound of the Ellie Conway series? I'd love to read your comments. Please share your thoughts.