True Crime Came a Little Too Close This Month...

I am lucky enough to be in a writing group with Mary Anna Evans, who is not only a well-known historical mystery author and college writing professor, but is also an expert on Agatha Christie. This month, she’s donated a signed copy of her newest novel, The Dark Library, for my book raffle. Here’s the blurb:

Can a family’s dark history repeat itself?

Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades—and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything—the whispers, the rumors, the secrets—is her father’s library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her.

Everyone in town is watching Estella, with her dead father’s name on their lips, and no one seems to care about her missing mother. Who were her parents, really, and is the answer hidden somewhere in the depths of Rockfall House? And who will Estella be, if she gathers enough courage to find that answer? What she will discover is that no one can escape the secrets hidden in this dark library.

Suspenseful and unsettling but ultimately triumphant, The Dark Library by acclaimed author Mary Anna Evans is a compelling tale of mystery, family secrets, and the quest for truth.

To win a signed hardback copy, send me an email between now and April 30th with the subject line: “The Dark Library raffle. “ That’s all there is to it! I’ll pick a winner shortly after the end of the month and will announce that winner in next month’s newsletter. (If you win, I’ll be emailing you for your snail mail address!) Good luck!

NOTE: The winner of March’s raffle was Virginia Healy, who won a paperback copy of Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States. Congratulations, Virginia!

My gift to you: two links to free books offered by some other mystery, suspense, and romance/romantic suspense authors for you to download.

Here are this month’s links:

Love in the City: Contemporary Romance

https://books.bookfunnel.com/loveinthecity/pnyle0h69o

Giveaway with Crime Thrillers, Mystery, Suspense

https://books.bookfunnel.com/mystery_crime_thriller_giveaway/oli11mffq5

I was planning to go on a writing retreat to upstate New York with my fellow members of Hudson Valley Scribes when I got a phone call I’ll never forget. The unthinkable had occurred: the daughter of one of our members was fatally shot while at college. I won’t go into the details other than say that because of the circumstances, one political group latched onto the story for their own purposes, using the girl’s death to further their own mission, which I felt was inexcusable.

We were all shaken by this horrible occurrence. Naturally, we canceled our retreat out of respect for the family, and instead, we gathered together to attend the girl’s vigil. For me, the fallout went a bit further. I’m not sure I can continue writing travel guides that involve true crime. Time will tell, but for now, that series is on hiatus, and I will be pursuing my fiction and my editing careers. This is actually the second one of my friends who had a child taken from them under such awful circumstances. I can only pray that our world begins to heal and my friend finds peace after such a devastating loss.

Because of the above, as well as a COVID-type illness that sidelined me for almost three weeks, I haven’t been reading as much as I’d like. I’ve edited three books for clients, but as for pleasure reading, I’m still enjoying:

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen

What an absolutely fun book, and the first in a series. I heartily recommend it.

Exciting News:

I have been elected to serve as co-president of Sisters in Crime-New York/Tristate. We have over 175 members, so this should be a challenge. My co-president is the wonderful playwright and short story writer, Nina Mansfield. The adventure awaits!

Editing:

I edited three books this past month, two thanks to referrals from good friends who met authors looking for an editor at various conferences and book club meetings.

If you’re a writer attending Killer Nashville, I’ll be meeting with authors to discuss the manuscript snippets they send me in advance. This looks to be an amazing conference, and I hope to see you there.

Book Accolades:

This month, I’ll find out if I’ll be a recipient of an Agatha and Chanticleer Award. We’re heading down to Florida in mid-April and spending some time with friends in Hilton Head, as well as checking out The Villages as a possible snowbird location for this upcoming winter. But on the way back, I’ll be attending Malice Domestic, where the Agatha Awards will be handed out. Looking forward to seeing good friends and rooting them on to success!

Personal Appearances:

I gave a presentation for the Ashford Library about true crime in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that was very well-attended (thank you, all!). The recording is below, if you have interest.

I also enjoyed book signings at the Barnes & Noble in Paramus, NJ and Mt. Kisco, NY, and attended a local author event at the John C. Hart Library in Shrub Oak. Most fun was an author panel of women crime writers at the Goshen Public Library on March 31st. It was a packed house, and we answered thoughtful questions from both the moderator and the attendees. Most exciting: I got invited to speak at Vassar College in the fall!

Still Coming Up:

April 11: Sinister Spring Event in Clifton Park at the Clifton Park Halfmoon Library (12-4pm)

May 2: Mavens of Mayhem Library Panel at Putnam Valley Public Library, 1pm

August 21-24: Killer Nashville, Franklin, TN

October 21-25: Bouchercon, Calgary, Alberta

November 10-14: Author Nation, Las Vegas, NV

I love interacting with readers! If you’d like me to speak at your organization or appear at your book club (in person if in the NY Tristate area, otherwise via Zoom) please contact me at dawnbarclayauthor@gmail.com.

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Do you know someone who needs a good editor? Refer me, and if they use me, you’ll get a referral payment as a thank you! Contact me for more details. You can see information and pricing at http://suggesteddevelopment.com. I edit everything except science fiction, fantasy, poetry, and anything with discriminatory or hateful content. I am also a book coach, if you need accountability, hand-holding, and someone to walk you through the querying process.

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My past post from Miss Demeanors (www.missdemeanors.com) ran on April 1st, and involved adapting the book Atomic Habits by James Clear to help develop the habit of writing. On May 5th, I’ll be writing about trends in character and author naming. Be sure to check it out here. Miss Demeanors is a great blog that was voted #25 in the Top 400 Mystery/Suspense Blogs list for 2025, so be sure to subscribe!

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I love hearing from readers! Write to me anytime at dawnbarclayauthor@gmail.com!

Until next month…