Friends of The Ferguson Library and Mystery Writers of America Present Connecticut's Own (Virtual) Mystery Lovers' Conference CrimeCONN Express: Session Three How Do I Get it Write? Thursday, November 5 at 7 p.m. via Zoom The writing craft during quarantine and isolation. Moderator: Jill Fletcher Panelists:   Alexia Gordon, Reed Farrel Coleman, Richie Narvaez

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Reed Farrel Coleman: Called a hard-boiled poet by NPR's Maureen Corrigan and the noir poet laureate in the Huffington Post, Reed Farrel Coleman is the New York Times bestselling author of Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series and the Gus Murphy series for Putnam. He is a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year and a four-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories. His Where It Hurts is nominated for this year's Best Novel Edgar. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards. He is a former Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America. Reed lives with his wife on Long Island.

Jill Fletcher is a freelance editor and frequent contributor of short stories, flash fiction and essays, most recently appearing in the anthology Writers Crushing COVID-19: An Anthology for COVID-19 Relief. (Revenues from anthology sales will be donated to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.) She lives on Main Street, in Wethersfield, Connecticut, one of the state's oldest towns and largest historic districts where she is currently co-editing a book on the town's unique architecture and historic preservation efforts. As a member of Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter, she has helped develop marketing promotions and programming for the writing community, including the annual crime writer's conference, CrimeCONN, this year arriving virtually as CrimeCONN Express.

Alexia Gordon is a physician by day and an award-winning, #ownvoices crime fiction writer by night. She's the author of five novels in the Gethsemane Brown mystery series. Her latest, Execution in E, was published in March 2020. Alexia is a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She also hosts the podcast, The Cozy Corner with Alexia Gordon.

Richie Narvaez is the award-winning author of Roachkiller and Other Stories. He is the author of Hipster Death Rattle and Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco. His new book of short stories, Noiryorican, published on November 2. His work has appeared in Grand Central Noir, Long Island Noir, Mississippi Review, Shotgun Honey, and Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder, among others. He served as chapter president of the Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter, for two years, and was recently appointed Artist in Residence at Morris Park Library. He was one of the judges of the 2019 PEN Open Book Awards.

Upcoming Sessions

November 12: How To Connect In A Time Of Disconnection? Clever communicators turn the virtual into reality. Co-Moderators: Charles Salzberg, John Valeri Panelists: Lauren Bright Pacheco, Barbara Peters  More information. Register. November 19: How’d You Do It? Walter Mosley and S.A. Cosby have a conversation about how they've turned their passion for writing into successful careers. MC: Chris Knopf Panelists: Walter Mosley, S.A. Cosby More information. Register.

Based on the popular Mystery Writers of America/Ferguson Library annual CrimeCONN, CrimeCONN Express is comprised of five one-hour virtual events, one every Thursday at 7 p.m. Our theme this year is You have questions, we have answers. Moderators and panels include real-life crime fighters, best-selling authors, experts in writing craft and much more.  Each live streamed event is free, but registration is required for each session. Visit our CrimeCONN Express page for all the details.

Registration is free We appreciate your donation.  The Friends of The Ferguson Library is the Library’s volunteer support group. The Friends provide funding for many library programs including summer reading, book discussions, film programs and cultural events. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting everyday life, we have decided to suspend the normal ticket charge for our Friends programs. Please consider a donation.