Schedule of Events
Friday, September 26
4:00 PM True Crime Roadtrip!
Meet at the Maine Historical Society as a group to view Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye. Special group discount available if you check the box at registration.
7:00 PM Noir at the Bar
A wild night of great readings at Novel in Portland. Details TBA.
Saturday, September 27
8:30 AM Coffee, Meetup, Book Sales
9:00 AM Opening Words
9:15 AM Speed Connections (Meeting & Greeting)
10:00 AM Break, Coffee, Bookbuying & Signing
10:20 AM Round Tables: The Craft of Writing
Roundtable conversations on: Playing the Long Game: Building an Addictive Series; One & Done: Writing Standout Standalones; Twists & Turns: Committing the Perfect Short Story; Choose Your Weapons: Writing Tools, Research, and Resources; Getting It Done: Planning, Outlining, or None of the Above; First Drafts That Kill; No Loose Ends: Revision Tactics; The Blueprint for Murder: Crime Novel Structures.
10:20 AM Workshop 1: The Author’s Six Hats with Matt Cost
11:10 AM Break, Coffee, Book-buying & Signing
11:25 AM Round Tables: The Business of Crime Writing
Roundtable conversations on: Crime Writing Business 101; The Path to Traditional Publishing; Hybrid & Self Publishing; Bring Your Book to Screen: Options; Short Stories: Characteristics, Markets, and Submissions; Online Marketing: Websites & Social Media; Talks, Events, and Conferences; MId-Career Blahs: Changing Agents or Publishers.
11:25 AM Workshop 2: How Not to Do a Reading with Barbara Kelley
12:15 PM Lunch & Two Minutes in the Slammer
1:00 PM Interview of 2025 Maine Crime Master Paul Doiron by Julia Spencer-Fleming
2:00 PM Break, Coffee, Book-buying & Signing
2:20 PM Round Tables: Many Mansions in the Room: Subgenres
Roundtable conversations on: The Call from Inside the House: Domestic Thrillers & Romantic Suspense; The World at Risk: High Stakes Thrillers; Professional Sleuths; Amateur Sleuths, Cozies, Traditional Mysteries; Out of this World: Paranormal/Supernatural; Younger Readers: YA/Middle Grade/Children’s; Plumbing the Past: Historical; True Crime.
2:20 PM Workshop 3: GeneratING new work with Gayle Lynds and Gabriela Stiteler
3:30 PM Break, Coffee, Book-buying & Signing
3:45 PM A Super Fun, Participatory, Author Mega Panel
Details TBA.