Thanks to everyone who attended our SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! anthology book launch at the @poisonedpen.bsky.social on Friday. We had such a great time! Eight anthology authors were able to attend in person (pictured) and another six attended virtually.

After the Great Depression, a girl desperate to find her mother gambles that a dangerous cross-country journey to the west will bring her home. "Hard Times" by Meg E. Dobson, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading

This is going to be us tonight! We can't wait to get a copy of our newest anthology, SoWest: Danger Awaits! Join us and we can giddily bounce around the @poisonedpen.bsky.social together.

**TONIGHT** The SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Anthology Launch Party at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ, 6-7:30 p.m AZ time. Meet some of the authors in person and/or virtually. The Pen will also be Live Streaming on Facebook & Youtube. Can't wait to see you there! poisonedpen.com

A private detective goes undercover to investigate the suspicious death of an office bookkeeper in a flash flood. “Come Hell or High Water" by Claire A. Murray, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Mystery

A college student spends his summers digging for gold in a secret mine until his boss mysteriously disappears. "Herman Pines and Archie" by Bill Butler, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Mystery #Suspense

I'm giving a webinar on Saturday, Sept 27 at 10 am (AZ time) on Query Letters for the Arizona Authors Association - free and open to all writers! Info here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

"Send in your stylish mysteries and thrillers. I want bold, fun, and clever takes on the genre’s common tropes like KNIVES OUT, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, and WHITE COLLAR. I'm looking for the next THE BIG SLEEP by Raymond Chandler." @mariavicente.com #MSWL psliterary.com/submissions/

Smitten w/ an old copper-mining town, a genealogist buys a fixer upper Victorian, but is it haunted w/ more than boom time memories & sagging eaves? "Echoes of the Past" by @annabartkowski.bsky.social , Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162

When Ezra turns up dead after a frat party, it takes some ingenuity & determination to figure out who was responsible. "Ezra & the Frat Boys" by Debra H. Goldstein, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 @debrahgoldstein.bsky.social

Come to the @poisonedpen.bsky.social in Scottsdale, AZ, Friday, Sept 26, from 6-7:30 p.m. Arizona time, for the launch of SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! an anthology of short stories by authors from the Desert Sleuths Chapter of @sincworldwide.bsky.social. poisonedpen.com #SinC #AmReading #Mystery

A man seeks refuge from a monsoon only to find himself trapped in a chaotic standoff with strangers and a dead body. "The Microburst" by Michael Thomét, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading @michaelthomet.com

An accountant returns from a spiritual awakening in Sedona, determined to start a new life without her gambling police officer husband. "The Vortex" by Clare Broyles, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Suspense

A couple in a rocky marriage attempts to rediscover their happiness on the switchback trails of the Grand Canyon. "The Dark Side of Bright Angel" by Karen Odden, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC @karenodden.bsky.social

A police officer training for a marathon in the desert witnesses a terrible accident… or was it murder? "The Bride Wore Blood" by Wendy Harrison, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Suspense #PoliceProcedural

A woman renting a townhouse sets rules for the ghost she imagines is haunting the place while she figures out the truth of the matter. "Ghost Rule 47" by Cynthia Sabelhaus, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading

It’s technically the first day of autumn today, and I’m longing for cooler temps, turning leaves and crisp air. But fall is different here in central Arizona. So I’ll enjoy the vibrant orange blooms on a candy barrel cactus until the weather turns.🎃🍁🏜️ Does it feel like autumn where you are?

A down on his luck father-to-be gets sucked into a dicey murder for hire gig as he tries to support his family. "A Killer Job" by Roberta Gibson, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading @robertagibson.bsky.social

A woman sets off to the wild west in search of her missing brother, a treasure hunter on a quest for the legendary Lost Dutchman Goldmine. "Dutchman’s Curse" by Dory Crowe, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162

A hypervigilant veteran returns home to civilian life as a US Marshall, & he can’t shake the feeling that something bad is looming. "Bad JuJu" by Patricia A. Bonn, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Booksky

A contract killer is sent after a human trafficker working for a dangerous cartel with informants everywhere. "A Dry Heat" by Tim Maleeny, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pick up a copy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Mystery #Suspense #Booksky

Host Christina Estes kicked off Saturday by introducing Wendy H Jones who gave us beaucoup tips on how to "Self-edit Your Way to Being a Better Writer." #WriteNOWConference #DSWN @wendyhjones.bsky.social @reporterestes.bsky.social

We had such a fantastic time at the 2025 WriteNOW! Conference & we cannot wait to do it again next year! Save the Date! Sept 18-19, 2026 THANK YOU to our wonderful guest speakers, organizers, volunteers, #SinC & Desert Sleuth members, & attendees! We have the best #WritingCommunity around! #DSWN

Come to The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ, Friday night, Sept 26, from 6-7:30 p.m. MST, for the fun launch party of SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! an anthology of short stories by Desert Sleuths Chapter of Sisters in Crime authors. calendar.time.ly/9plshfqx/pos... #SinC #DangerAwaits #AmReading

A newly deceased ghost does his best to protect the family’s cattle ranch & his niece from her ne’er do well husband’s deadly sins of sloth & greed. "Finding My Solid" by Margaret Burnison, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Buy: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #Booksky

It's not too late to register for tomorrow's WriteNOW! Conference! A full day of AWESOME panels, presentations, and #WritingCommunity. Register: desertsleuths.com/writenow-2025/ #DSWN #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #SinC #MysteryWriters #CrimeWriters #ThrillerWriters

It's happening tomorrow! Join us for a lively discussion. @desertsleuths.bsky.social

We just spent a wonderful 90 minutes with the lovely @catrionamcp.bsky.social laughing and discussing clues, red herrings, crafting mysteries, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Thanks for such a great workshop, Catriona! Now, off to WRITE! #Inspired #AmWriting #DSWN #SinC #WritingCommunity

If you like Murder She Wrote , Only Murders in the Building & cafecito then YWL Mango, Mambo, & Murder. The ebook is on sale for HHM. bookshop.org/p/books/mang...

A law student takes an odd job over summer break, to investigate the death of an apartment complex owner. "Horse Play" by D.R. Ransdell, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pre-order on Amazon Kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Mystery #Suspense #Booksky

Us, thinking about the WriteNOW! Conference THIS weekend!! ✨😍✨ Register: desertsleuths.com/writenow-2025/

Our signature event, the WriteNOW! Conference, is this Saturday! A full day of workshops, presentations, & panels for the budget-friendly price of $35 for non-Desert Sleuth members. All writers welcome, regardless of experience or genre. We have a great #WritingCommunity! #DSWN #AmWriting #SinC

Enchanted by the mystery and hooked by the music of an enigmatic pianist, a woman must figure out what's real & what's not. "Magic" by Suzanne E. Flaig, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pre-order on Amazon Kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #AmReading #Mystery #Booksky

Last chance for: -PitchNOW! - pitch an editor/agent your book -EditNOW! - get feedback on your first 3 chapters -CraftNOW! - Catriona McPherson's workshop on "Planting Clues and Red Herrings" RegisterNOW!: desertsleuths.com/writenow-2025/ #DSWN #AmWriting #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity

I visited the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix yesterday for the last day of their special exhibit, Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars. I went to go see all of the wonderful instruments, but especially this beautiful guitar from the School of Matteo Sellas, c. 1625.

A serial killer makes his way across the country while the one woman he left alive tracks him down. "Nana's Ring" by Laura MacKenzie, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pre-order on Amazon Kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Mystery #Suspense #Booksky

This month we're encouraging everyone to sign up for your library card! Libraries provide a vital service to our communities. There's more than books too, and you can access it all with a library card! #SinC #Library

Hey, whatchu doing this weekend? Fancy a writers' conference? Register: desertsleuths.com/writenow-2025/

Are you constructing a mystery novel or a story with mysterious elements? And you need to figure out the best clues & red herrings to add? This Friday's workshop with Catriona McPherson will cover that from an author who's written both award-winning, long running series AND standalones.

On Friday Sept 19, Literary Agent Ginger Hutchinson of Moveable Type Management is taking zoom pitches at the WriteNOW! Conference. Let's take a closer look at her manuscript wishlist. #DSWN #AmWriting #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity bsky.app/profile/dese...

Hey you crime fiction writers! Saturday 9/19 @desertsleuths.bsky.social WriteNow! conference I’ll be moderating "Doing Justice to Characters Unlike Yourself" with the brilliant @alexsegura.bsky.social, @dmrowell.bsky.social Rowell & @robyngigl.bsky.social. desertsleuths.com/writenow-202...

Registration is still open for Write Now!, the online conference of the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime. It's all via Zoom. Workshops and pitch sessions on Friday, Sept. 19 is a la carte. The sessions on Saturday, Sept. 20, are $35 for the entire day. desertsleuths.com/writenow-2025

Next Friday, Sept 19, Editor Melissa Rechter of Crooked Lane Books & Alcove Press is taking zoom pitches at the WriteNOW! Conference. Let's take a closer look at her manuscript wishlist. #DSWN #AmWriting #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity

Great deal alert! 1. Choose your editor (Terri, Jay, or Anne). 2. Get helpful feedback on your first 30 pages. 3. Level up your manuscript. 4. Take the publishing world by storm! #DSWN #AmWriting #MysteryWriters #ThrillerWriters #CrimeWriters #AmQuerying #WritingCommunity #SinC

Recently (finally!) read "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore. Such an incredible read! I'd love to see more character-driven and multiple-POV mysteries/thrillers in my inbox. #MSWL #currentlyreading

A confirmed bachelor meets a beautiful woman at his local tavern, but danger follows instead of love. "Ariana" by Jay Kinney, from the Desert Sleuths Anthology, SOWEST: DANGER AWAITS! Pre-order on Amazon Kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS2H162 #SinC #AmReading #Mystery #Suspense #Booksky

Award-winning reporter and mystery author, Christina Estes, is back to host the WriteNOW! Conference on Sat, Sept 20, and we could not be more excited! Register for the WriteNOW! Conference at DesertSleuths.com #DSWN25 #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #MysteryWriters #SinC @reporterestes.bsky.social

Can you believe this line up? Register Now! for the WriteNow! conference next weekend September 20, 2025. All the details at desertsleuths.com #writingcommunity #writingconference

I so admire each of these authors!! Honored to be sitting (virtually) with them. @djledford.bsky.social @robyngigl.bsky.social @alexsegura.bsky.social @desertsleuths.bsky.social

Congrats!