Teresa Michael

Dec 02, 2024 by Teresa Michael, in Promotion

Editors:  Wendy Dingwall, Martha Reed, Barbara Ryan.

Judges:   Colette Bancroft, Lisa Black, Alan Orloff, and Susan Thibadeau.

Introduction by:  New York Times Best-Selling Author, Lisa Black

The anthology is on sale on Amazon for Cyber Monday:  https://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Deadly-Gripping-Tales-Floridas/dp/1949281248

About the Anthology:

Nineteen gripping tales from Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime, Inc. From hosting hurricane parties to dodging frozen iguanas falling out of palm trees, Florida is weirdly wonderful. These nineteen twisty tales cast a wide net from cozy mysteries to thrillers, from historical fiction to paranormal sleuths.

“The stories range from creepy to terrifying to old-school whodunit to just plain fun. Their plots revolve around archaeological digs, murder for hire, and the accurate pricing of second-hand designer purses. All use the details that make this state stand out from the other forty-nine: the weather, alligators, Florida Man, and, of course, a skunk ape.” From the Introduction by Lisa Black, New York Times Best-selling author.

How did you select the stories?

In early 2022, our Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime chapter formed a 6-person Anthology Committee. We developed a blind submission process so that only the Chairperson/Project Manager knew who wrote which piece. We put out a call for submissions and waited to see what we received. As the stories came in, the Project Manager read the story, assigned a submission ID number, and then distributed it to a reviewer who verified the submission met the published story guidelines. Then the story was passed on to a judge to read and score. When the judges finished their review, we ranked the stories and made our selections. The anthology was published in July 2023 by Mystery and Horror, LLC.

What were the guidelines?

Basic guidelines such as submissions must be in a Microsoft Word .docx format, maximum word count of 5,000 words, standard formatting of 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, etc. Additionally, the author had to be a member in good standing with the National Sisters in Crime and be a member of a Florida SinC chapter.

Reminder for new writers—it is important that you carefully read and adhere to whatever guidelines the organizers define. It could mean immediate rejection if you don’t. We allowed one return by the Project Manager to fix any issues with the manuscript, but the return policy is different for each organization.

Should emerging writers submit to anthologies?

Yes, definitely. Submitting your short fiction to anthologies and online journals is a great way to get that first publication credit. There are several first-time published authors in this anthology.

Will Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime do another anthology?

I hope so. That will be up to the incoming 2025 Board of Directors. Curating and publishing an anthology is at least a year-long commitment for the committee and the chapter.

Who was on this anthology committee:

Teresa Michael was the Chairperson/Project Manager.

Committee members were Wendy Dingwall, Harold Emanuel, Sarah Glenn, Gwen Mayo, Martha Reed, and Barbara Ryan.

Tell me about Sisters in Crime and the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter.

Sisters in Crime was established in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers. Sisters in Crime sets standards for itself, its members, and the crime writing community. Through advocacy, programming, and leadership, SinC empowers and supports all crime writers regardless of genre or place on their career trajectory.  (Mission and Vision).

Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime is one of over 60 local chapters worldwide. We offer monthly chapter meetings with educational offerings and events throughout the year. For membership information, go to the FLGC SinC website.

Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime Social Media

Website: Sisters in Crime – Florida Gulf Coast Chapter (flgcsinc.com)

 

Facebook Page: Facebook

Florida Gulf Coast SinC Meet Up Page: https://www.meetup.com/Florida-Gulf-Coast-Chapter-of-Sisters-in-Crime 

National Sisters in Crime Website: https://www.Sistersincrime.org

Check back tomorrow 12/3 when Cheryl Hollon will be the featured author.

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