Join research librarian Marj Atkinson for a spine‑tingling deep dive into the real‑world evidence behind ghost stories—where folklore meets forensic research and every haunting leaves a paper trail.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with author Amber Royer, who will consider how travel has helped her create more authentic stories.  She will talk about how lived experience can become hands-on research. Bring your questions about how to approach someone at an event or venue to get and record useful information.  Also feel free to bring your own, "The craziest thing I did in the name of research. . ." or travel misadventure stories to round out the discussion.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with Dr. Victoria Calder who will speak on the Secret Service Model for Behavioral Threat Assessment, adopted by school districts and other agencies. The model is based on identifying a potential threat before it occurs, through recognizing observable behaviors (six steps) when someone may be moving along the pathway to violence. 

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Love crime fiction? Curious how writers dream up their plots? Come meet the authors of our 2026 anthology and ask them anything — from story inspiration to writing tips to what didn’t make the final cut.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with Mark Bergin, a writer, a former police officer, and a news reporter. Please come with questions! This discussion will cover writing and law enforcement, share some war stories, and answer many questions.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

The road to publication involves understanding what your publishing options are. Writers often have a single-minded dream of selling their work to a traditional publisher and becoming a bestselling author. In reality, there are several paths to publication, and it can feel overwhelming to know which one is the right fit. In this presentation, Holly Kammier will walk through the pros and cons of today’s five primary publishing models: traditional publishing, small publishers, self-publishing, vanity press, and hybrid publishing.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with “The Poison Lady”, Luci Zahray.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with Laura (L.A.) Starks.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with author and former Secret Service Agent, Larry Enmon. Check out this interview: Click Here

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Cocktails, Libations, Tea. Beverages of all sorts are integral to mystery literature. Drinks are also an essential part of the holiday season. Eggnog, Wassil, Mulled Wine. Our image of Santa Claus owes a great debt to the advertisers at Coca-Cola.  Neither crime fiction nor the holidays would be the same without a glass, bottle, or mug in one hand (and a revolver or gaily wrapped gift in the other). 

For our December meeting, fix a book-based beverage and enjoy while Art Taylor discusses cocktails in mysteries. Art, through years of study, is cross-trained in both mystery and mixology. 

Please be prepared not only to consume your drink of choice but to explain its connection to the mystery genre. The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us for an extraordinary session with Patricia Eddings, who brings forensic expertise and real-world cold case breakthroughs to inspire your crime writing.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with The Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF).

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join us in a discussion with Harry Hunsicker!

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join award-winning mystery author and editor Barb Goffman for an engaging discussion on crafting compelling crime stories and refining your work through expert editing.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join bestselling author Kathleen Baldwin and award-winning author Liese Sherwood-Fabre for a strategic session on leveraging fan conventions to connect with readers and grow direct book sales.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Dive into a captivating conversation with Richard Alpert as he unveils the intricacies of the courtroom with his unparalleled expertise.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Delve into the veiled world of bail—its intriguing history and evolution from its historical roots to its modern-day practices. With a special focus on Texas, where the courtroom sets the stage for compelling stories, you'll discover parallels that resonate across states. Join us for a behind-the-scenes discussion that promises invaluable insights for crime writers seeking authentic legal depth in their craft!

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join Brian Thiem, an author and former law enforcement professional, for a glimpse behind the blue curtain and a discussion of how to write authentic police characters and procedures. He hopes you’ll bring questions!

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Please join us in chatting with John DeDakis about his journey from journalist to novelist. This former White House correspondent and former Senior Copy Editor with CNN is also an accomplished author of six novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

We are pleased to host D.P. LYLE, MD, for a session to help authors navigate the psychology of character motivation.

The meeting will be held VIA ZOOM. Please RSVP for a link to the meeting to be emailed to you.

Join Amy Kelly, the new owner of Lone Star Literary Life, for an engaging discussion of the many ways LSLL can help authors bring their books to market.

Join Michael Merschel author, former books editor at The Dallas Morning News, and frequent host of the Dallas Museum of Art “Arts & Letters Live Author Series” for an engaging discussion on talking about books - yours or anybody else's - like a pro.

Join Michael Bracken and Sisters in Crime North Dallas for Crafting Killer Short Stories: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Take Your Short Stories to the Next Level.

Determining our biological family after a DNA test can reveal secrets and deceptions and is much like solving a mystery. Starting with relatives in DNA databases and working through public records and social media can be much like chasing clues to get to the perpetrator of the lies and sadly leaves victims along the way.

Whether you are published or unpublished, Nancy Coco discusses how to develop everything you need to market your book in one document. Using the long-running Candy-Coated Mysteries as an example, you'll learn how to create your own sell sheet that will help you focus on aspects like the book's summary, why audiences should read it, and what you want the public to know about your book. With everything in once place, it makes it easy to update your website, pitch reviewers, connect with bloggers, craft your social pages, create video content, and more!

Ready to learn how K9 search and rescue works? Join Paul Lake, the founder and executive director of Search One Rescue Team, for a scenario based on a real search that walks the audience through all the aspects of a Search and Rescue (SAR) mission and how the dogs are incorporated.

Today, when many books go on to Netflix or big screen production, location matters as it can become a significant factor in production cost. Reading habits are changing as well, as attention spans grow shorter and other content—including social media—competes with the novel. Franko’s novels strike a balance between traditional storytelling and meeting the demands of today’s audiences and market realities.

Join attorney Sara Borrelli as she provides tips and advice for protecting the hard work you’ve invested in your writing. 

New York Times best selling author and Edgar Award nominee Kathleen Kent will offer details on how her personal career experiences helped inform her writing of her recent spy thriller/ serial killer novel, Black Wolf, and will then welcome questions from attendees.