Hi folks, if you have been planning to attend the mystery writers
conference on 4/19, but haven't signed up yet, please do so the folks
presenting this can plan accordingly

http://mainewriters.org/2014-maine-crime-wave/
he MWPA is excited to announce the inaugural Maine Crime Wave conference!
The day-long event will include a keynote address from best-selling author
Tess Gerritsen, panel discussions, theme-specific workshops, manuscript
critiques, book-signings with sales provided by *Kelly's Books To Go
<https://www.facebook.com/KellysBooksToGoMaine>*, and more!

From television stalwarts such as *Murder, She Wrote* and *Dark Shadows* to
the works of Stephen King, Maine has a reputation as the spookiest state in
the nation. Never mind that statistics consistently show the Pine Tree
State to be one of the country's safest places, in the public's
imagination, Maine equals murder, mystery, and mayhem.

One explanation for the state's dark reputation is the character of our
landscape: impenetrable forests, weather-beaten seascapes haunted by
foghorns, remote islands that strangers visit at their own risk. Combine
this ripe landscape with the sheer number of writers who are practicing
their own dark arts and Maine is, unsurprisingly, a haven for crime and
suspense novelists.

Why are writers drawn to Maine? Atmosphere to be sure--the same qualities
that intrigue readers of thrillers are catnip for authors of suspense
fiction--but another attraction is the connectivity of Maine's literary
network. In other places, the term "writing community" is an oxymoron. Here
in Maine it is the real deal, thanks in part to the MWPA's mission to bring
together the state's most creative minds.