Michael Bracken
@crimefictionwriter.bsky.social
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Edgar- and Shamus-nominated, Derringer-winning short story writer. Anthony Award-nominated editor.
My story "Field of Bodies" appears in Black Cat Weekly #224.
12 days ago
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The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2025, featuring the 20 best PI stories of 2025 and an essay on the state of the genre by Kevin Burton Smith, is now available.
www.amazon.com/Best-Private...
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The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2025
The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2025 [Coyle, Matt, Bracken, Michael] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2025
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Private-Stories-Year-2025/dp/B0G48GYN2G/ref=sr_1_2
21 days ago
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21 days ago
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Coming to ShortCon 2026? Need a room? Hotel registration information is now available! Scroll down to the bottom of the home page for the link:
www.eastcoastcrime.com#/
23 days ago
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Looking for a good Christmas read? Consider Murder, Neat—winner of the Derringer Award for Best Anthology AND an Anthony Award nominee for Best Anthology. Edited by Barb Goffman and me, it features stories by the writers who blog together at SleuthSayers.
bookshop.org/p/books/murd...
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Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology
A SleuthSayers Anthology
https://bookshop.org/p/books/murder-neat-a-sleuthsayers-anthology-michael-bracken/f332488f3cf6a108?ean=9781685125660&next=t
24 days ago
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Today is National Adoption Day, and today my romance story "Forever Family" was published by Micromance.
micromancemagazine.substack.com/p/forever-fa...
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Forever Family
By Michael Bracken
https://micromancemagazine.substack.com/p/forever-family
about 1 month ago
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Coming Soon from Level Best Books: The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2025.
about 2 months ago
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If you had (or will have) a PI story published this year and you want it considered for The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2026, follow the submission instructions here:
www.crimefictionwriter.com/submissions....
Remember: If I don't see your story, I can't consider your story.
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Submissions
https://www.crimefictionwriter.com/submissions.html
about 2 months ago
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“Janie’s Got a Gun”—the third single from Aerosmith’s album Pump—was released this week in 1989, and it’s the title of an anthology of crime stories inspired by the music of Aerosmith. Order here:
www.mistimedia.com/product/janie/
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Janie’s Got a Gun edited by Michael Bracken – Misti Media, LLC
https://www.mistimedia.com/product/janie/
about 2 months ago
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KissMet Quarterly: The Greatest Holiday Romance Stories Ever Written releases tomorrow and it includes my story "Home for the Holidays." The ebook is available now; the paperback will be available soon.
www.amazon.com/KissMet-Quar...
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KissMet Quarterly: The Greatest Holiday Romance Stories Ever Written
Amazon.com: KissMet Quarterly: The Greatest Holiday Romance Stories Ever Written eBook : KissMet Quarterly, Cahill, Danielle, Landry, Denise, Turner , Laura, Langevin, Suzy, DeMoney, Barbara , Thompson , Penny, Black, Mickey, Whalen, Jennifer, Belfield , Jo: Kindle Store
https://www.amazon.com/KissMet-Quarterly-Greatest-Holiday-Romance-ebook/dp/B0FY3XWKBB/ref=sr_1_1
about 2 months ago
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A week or so ago, I was interviewed by Rich Ehisen for The Open Mic: Writers in Their Own Words, and the interview was posted today at YouTub and all the major Podcast outlets.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLP7...
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The Open Mic: Writers in Their Own Words with Michael Bracken
YouTube video by The Open Mic: Writers in Their Own Words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLP7HubFx0I
2 months ago
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It's been a tough few weeks for crime fiction short-story writers. Hell, it's been a tough year. Anthology publishers have closed and periodical publishers have closed, gone on indefinite hiatus, or announced closure in the near future. What's a writer to do?
www.sleuthsayers.org/2025/10/its-...
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It’s the End of the World as We Know It
A criminally compelling web site featuring professional crime writers and crime fighters.
https://www.sleuthsayers.org/2025/10/its-end-of-world-as-we-know-it.html?spref=tw
2 months ago
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
Kevin R. Tipple
6 months ago
#ICYMI
#ShortStory
#Review
Kevin's Corner: Short Story Wednesday Review: Renovated to Death by Michael Bracken and Sandra Murphy
kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/06/shor...
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Short Story Wednesday Review: Renovated to Death by Michael Bracken and Sandra Murphy
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/06/short-story-wednesday-review-renovated.html
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
Alan Orloff
4 months ago
EXCITED that “Won’t You Be Vine?” appears in this week’s edition of Black Cat Weekly (
@wildsidepress.bsky.social
). Everybody loves nature, and sometimes nature loves you back! Thanks to editor extraordinaire Michael Bracken for accepting this story—I guess it grew on him!
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
MysteryMarple
9 months ago
A little something from "Diana and the Princess," in SLEUTHS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN, edited by the amazing Michael Bracken -- out today from Down & Out Books! Where you get your books!
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Lunatic Fringe, which contains my story "Black Velvet," is now available for preorder.
whitecitypress.com/product/luna...
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Lunatic Fringe edited by J. Alan Hartman – White City Press
https://whitecitypress.com/product/lunaticfringe/
2 months ago
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Now available for preorder: The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology, which includes my story "4:13 a.m."
amzn.to/48ZXrrS
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The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology: A High Quality Mix of Straight Shots and Genre Cocktails
Amazon.com: The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology: A High Quality Mix of Straight Shots and Genre Cocktails eBook : Lansdale, Joe, Scott Bell, James, Bracken, Michael, Hoag, Christina, Altman, Steven-Elliot, Arturo, Michael, Sorondo, Marc, Cizak, Alec, Smith, Philip, Louis, Matthew: Kindle Store
https://amzn.to/48ZXrrS
2 months ago
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Coming Saturday, October 18: Mystery in the Midlands: Writing Short Mystery Fiction, a free, one-day online conference. Register at
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Mystery in the Midlands: Writing Short Mystery Fiction 2025. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
A One-Day Program with Experts to Instruct about Plotting Short Stories, the Experiences of New Authors, and Making Sure Editors Remember You
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__0zytBidTqO55Bz9UJIJ6Q?_gl=1*c6kfj3*_gcl_au*MTc2NDAyMzMyNy4xNzU5MTgwMjg0*_ga*ODg3MDkxMDg5LjE3NTkxODE0NTg.*_ga_L8TBF28DDX*czE3NTkxODE0NTckbzEkZzEkdDE3NTkxODIzNTYkajU4JGwwJGgw#/registration
2 months ago
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Coming tomorrow:
www.sincchicago.com/chapter-meet...
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Chapter Meetings — SISTERS IN CRIME CHICAGOLAND
https://www.sincchicago.com/chapter-meetings
3 months ago
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Submit to The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2026. SJ Rozan will be the guest editor. If you had or will have a PI story published this year, ensure that I get a copy. If I don't see your story, I can't consider it.
www.crimefictionwriter.com/submissions....
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Submissions
https://www.crimefictionwriter.com/submissions.html
4 months ago
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4 months ago
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4 months ago
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My short romance, "Banking on Love," appears today at Micromance Magazine.
open.substack.com/pub/microman...
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Banking on Love
By Michael Bracken
https://open.substack.com/pub/micromancemagazine/p/banking-on-love?r=sll3g&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
4 months ago
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Attempting to predict anything in publishing is a mug’s game, especially trying to predict how long it will take for a short story to find a home. In today's post, I examine my 10 most recent acceptances. (Hint: one took 22 years to place.)
www.sleuthsayers.org/2025/08/hot-...
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Hot Streak
A criminally compelling web site featuring professional crime writers and crime fighters.
https://www.sleuthsayers.org/2025/08/hot-streak.html
4 months ago
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My story "Curves" appears today as a Guilty Flash on Guilty Crime Story Magazine's website:
www.guiltycrimemag.com/flash/curves...
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Curves by Michael Bracken
“I want you to kill my husband.” My gaze traveled the long way around her curves and returned to her eyes. “What’s in it for me?” “Ten thousand. Small bills. Non-sequential.” Ten...
https://www.guiltycrimemag.com/flash/curves-by-michael-bracken
4 months ago
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In "Crafting an Interconnected World, One Short Story at a Time" (Writer's Digest, S/O 2025). P.M. Raymond discusses how the Chop Shop stories all tie together. She also interviewed Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier about her interconnected stories set in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
4 months ago
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PW reviewed The Best American Mystery & Suspense 2025 and gave a shout out to Gary Phillips’s “The Darklight Gizmo Matter,” which offers "tantalizing twists on the classic PI story." The original publication: Private Dicks and Disco Balls (Down & Out Books).
www.publishersweekly.com/9780063422292
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The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025 by Don Winslow, Steph Cha
City in Ruins author Winslow selects 20 splendid shorts for the latest volume of this long-running anthology series. Many of the...
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063422292
5 months ago
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I have stories in the September/October issues of AHMM & EQMM.: "The Girl in the Shop" in AHMM and "Blind Pig" in EQMM.
5 months ago
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ShortCon 2026, The Premiere Conference for Writers of Short Crime Fiction, will be held at Elaine's Literary Salon, Alexandria, Virginia, on June 6, 2026 and feature: Gary Phillips, Michele Slung, Art Taylor & Stacy Woodson Registration limited to 50.
www.eastcoastcrime.com#/
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ShortCon
EAST COAST CRIME
https://www.eastcoastcrime.com/#/
5 months ago
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In advance of our appearance at Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar in Austin this Saturday to discuss Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun, Laura Oles Author, Mark Thielman, William Dylan Powell, Andrew Hearn, & I were interviewed by Scott Montgomery at The Hard Word:
www.thehardword.org/single-post/...
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SLEUTHS JUST WANNA' HAVE FUN'S MICHAEL BRACKEN, MARK THIELMAN, LAURA OLES, ANDREW HEARN, & WILLIAM DYLAN POWELL
A few months back Michael Bracken released his collection Sleuths Just Wanna' Have with original private eye tales set in the eighties, linked to a moment in the culture. I will be moderating a panel ...
https://www.thehardword.org/single-post/sleuths-just-wanna-have-fun-s-michael-bracken-mark-thielman-laura-oles-andrew-hearn-william-d
5 months ago
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In "Schrödinger's Blonde," PI Morris Ronald Boyette is hired to find a potential witness to a decades-old unsolved murder, and all he has to work with is a faded Polaroid of a blonde with Farah Fawcett hair.
6 months ago
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6 months ago
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Like to listen to a playlist while reading a music-themed anthology? Check out this playlist for Janie's Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith (White City Press):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJDt...
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Aerosmith - Dream On (Official HD Video)
YouTube video by HQVideoClassics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJDtukGW79Y&list=PLagf92tUEByHIK619Elm-3RB8EpgrCZ_w
6 months ago
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My short romance "Cowboy Up" was published today in KissMet Quarterly: A Serendipitous Summer.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH79WTF2
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A Serendipitous Summer
Amazon.com: A Serendipitous Summer: 9798291814871: Quarterly, KissMet, Spellman, Laurie B., Liles, Adele, Shaffer, Tamara, Langevin, Suzy, Gracyn, Desirae, Landish, Daisy, Bracken, Michael, Fitzgerald, Katie, Gilmore, Elise: Books
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH79WTF2
6 months ago
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
Olivia Hill
6 months ago
I wish more people wanted to impress Jodie Foster.
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
judypenzsheluk
6 months ago
Some
#editing
tips:
www.missdemeanors.com/the-long-and...
Today on Miss Demeanors.
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The Long and the Short of It by Judy Penz Sheluk (And 3 Quick Tips to Get You There) - Miss Demeanors
Some authors will tell you it’s easier to write short fiction than it is to write a full-length novel. Best-selling author Judy Penz Sheluk isn't one of them. Today Judy shares her number one tip for ...
https://www.missdemeanors.com/the-long-and-the-short-of-it-by-judy-penz-sheluk-and-3-quick-tips-to-get-you-there/
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Gag Me With a Spoon, which includes my story “The Safety Dance,” releases July 8 but is now available for preorder from the publisher.
whitecitypress.com/product/gagm...
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Gag Me With a Spoon edited by J. Alan Hartman – White City Press
https://whitecitypress.com/product/gagme/MM/30
6 months ago
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Congratulations to Art Taylor, whose Murder, Neat story "Two for One" has been nominated for a Macavity Award.
6 months ago
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Join Andrew Hearn, Mark Thielman, Laura Oles, William Dylan Powell, and me at 1 p.m., Sat. July 19, at Vintage Bookstore in Austin, TX, where Scott Montgomery will lead us through a discussion about Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun and other PIs of the '80s.
www.vintagebooksandwine.com/events/29744...
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CRIME WRITING IN THE EIGHTIES | Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar
https://www.vintagebooksandwine.com/events/2974420250719
6 months ago
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Today's Black Cat Weekly features "Renovated to Death," the sixth story Sandra Murphy and I have co-authored.
6 months ago
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Congratulations to Martine Elise Proctor! Her story "Drop Dead Gorgeous," published in Janie's Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith (White City Press), has been nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America.
www.privateeyewriters.com/news.html
7 months ago
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
judypenzsheluk
7 months ago
Attention short story mystery writers: Did you or will you publish a PI story in 2025? Check out
www.crimefictionwriter.com
@crimefictionwriter.bsky.social
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The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2025, containing the best PI stories published in 2024, will be released later this year. Now I'm looking for the best private eye stories published in 2025 for next year. Complete instructions on how to submit:
www.crimefictionwriter.com/submissions....
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Submissions
Michael Bracken
https://www.crimefictionwriter.com/submissions.html
7 months ago
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ShortCon gets a shoutout today in Julie Hastrup’s article about short stories.
www.thebigthrill.org/2025/06/the-...
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https://www.thebigthrill.org/2025/06/the-long-and-short-story-of-it/
7 months ago
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In celebration of Pride Month, Deep Desires Press has discounted the Kindle edition of Queer Bait (Book 2 of the 3-volume Men in Love and Lust series of short story collections) to $2.99.
www.amazon.com/Queer-Bait-L...
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Queer Bait (Men in Love and Lust Book 2)
Queer Bait (Men in Love and Lust Book 2) - Kindle edition by Bracken, Michael, Plakcy, Neil S.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Queer Bait (Men in Love and Lust Book 2).
https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Bait-Love-Lust-Book-ebook/dp/B0CBNHHL55/ref=sr_1_1
7 months ago
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My story "Banzai Pipeline," in which a private eye investigates a death that occurred during a surfing competition, appears online in the Kelp Journal.
www.kelpjournal.com/post/fiction...
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[Fiction] Banzai Pipeline
By Michael Bracken The maniacal laughter and the sound of Wally Wailani’s surfboard breaking in two was enough to send chills up the spine of everyone who heard it, and we only heard it because the fi...
https://www.kelpjournal.com/post/fiction-banzai-pipeline
7 months ago
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
Josh Pachter
8 months ago
Today only, the digital edition of THE BEAT OF BLACK WINGS: CRIME FICTION INSPIRED BY THE SONGS OF JONI MITCHELL (Open Road Integrated Media) is 73% off at the 'Zon, marked down from $14.99 to only $3.99!
#jonimitchell
#crimefiction
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The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell
Amazon.com: The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell eBook : Pachter, Josh: Kindle Store
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRDMV8Y8?orim_id=9781504098397&tag=ebbsite-search-20
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SleuthFest takes place later this week in St. Petersburg, Florida. If you see me there, say howdy. Better still, join me at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday for "Writing Short," a presentation on how to establish and maintain a long-term career as a writer of short crime fiction.
sleuthfest.com
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Sleuthfest | Conference for mystery writers and fans
https://sleuthfest.com/
8 months ago
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reposted by
Michael Bracken
Jeffrey Marks
8 months ago
Coming up!
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