Paradise is Deadly: Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast
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.
Authors: Tracy Ann, Mary Ball, Anne Carter, Wendy Dingwall, Mary Dutta, Harold Emanuel, Sarah Glenn, Tanya Goodwin, Margo Hammond, Cynthia Harrison, Jenna Kernan, Cindy Martin, Gwen Mayo, Teresa Michael, Monica Faeth Myers, Stephanie Palmarosa, Jenny Ramaley, Martha Reed, B. W. W. Roark, and Barbara Ryan
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
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
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