Mystery Writers of America - Rocky Mountain Chapter

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Authors' News page for upcoming
signings and events!!

February 9th
Valentine's month, RMMWA's explores the seamier side of life with Shanna Michael, an undercover police officer, who has worked a number of prostitution sting operations netting Denver "johns."

When: Thursday, February 9th
Time: 6:30 p.m. for drinks (cash bar), dinner is served at 7:00 p.m. and the Program begins at 8:00 p.m. Program
Cost: $20 per person. Evening includes dinner, program and stimulating company! Reservations are required for dinner. Please send your RSVP to Becky Martinez .
Where: Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm St.

Officer Shanna Michael:

Shanna has been a police officer with the Denver Police Department for the past eight years, and prior to that she worked for Denver 's Department of Human Services. This experience aided Shanna in her ability to evaluate behavioral patterns and communicate with diverse cultures within the Denver metro area. Shanna holds a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice and a Masters Degree in Social Work. Shanna has been recognized for both her quality and quantity of work as an Undercover Officer.

Shanna is currently assigned to a proactive Street Crimes Team in the downtown district of Denver, which is notorious for the large-scale open air drug and prostitution markets. For the past seven years, Shanna has gained extensive knowledge and experience working numerous undercover operations in the areas of narcotics, prostitution, scalping, pattern sex assaults, robberies, burglaries, and theft of motor vehicles. Shanna has worked various assignments within these team operations including case agent, undercover officer, close cover, surveillance, and/or technical support.

Based on Shanna's experience in undercover covert operations, she has been selected to train numerous female officers in working undercover assignments. Shanna has also been requested by other Bureaus within the Department to assist with their investigations. Her education, experience, and ability to work well in a team environment have enabled her to excel in her current role of training and teaching others.

When Shanna is not partaking in all of the outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer, she heads to her home state, California , to catch a Raiders football game. Being a Raiders fan in Denver has had its challenges.

(The directions to the Denver Press Club, located at 1330 Glenarm Place in Denver, are as follows: Take 1-25 to 6th Ave. east. Turn north onto Santa Fe to Colfax Ave (15th) and turn right (east). Go about 4 blocks to Glenarm, turn left (north). The Denver Press Club will be about a block and half down on the right hand side, across from the Denver Athletic Club. It's a small stone building with an awning. Parking is available to the south, in the lot next to the Press Club, for $3. Bring singles or a credit card. You must pay the machine and then leave the ticket on your dashboard. Otherwise, there is meter parking on the street, for which you will need quarters. The Denver Press Club telephone number in the event you get lost is 303-571-5260.)

March 8th
RMMWA hosts Mike Angley with an "Insider's Guide to the
Counterintelligence Community."

When: Thursday, March 8th
Time: 6:30 p.m. for drinks (cash bar), dinner is served at 7:00 p.m. and the Program begins at 8:00 p.m. Program
Cost: $20 per person. Evening includes dinner, program and stimulating company! Reservations are required for dinner. Please send your RSVP to Becky Martinez .
Where: Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm St.

Program: Mike Angley will explain the nature of counterintelligence as prescribed by current Executive Orders, the differences between defensive and offensive approaches to CI, the major agencies that conduct CI, and the limitations the U.S. government places on CI activities. During the Cold War, Foreign Intelligence Services posed the greatest threat to American security, necessitating a focus on what are now regarded as the traditional elements of CI. Although crimes such as espionage, sabotage, and assassination remain serious and continue to demand attention from U.S. intelligence, today the greatest and most immediate concern is terrorism. As serious time-sensitive threats emerge, masters of the CI model oversee the execution of intricate and highly classified prevention strategies.

Bio: Mike Angley's Biography MICHAEL "Mike" ANGLEY is the award-winning author of the thriller series, the Child Finder Trilogy, which features USAF Special Agent protagonist, Patrick S. O'Donnell. Mike retired from the U.S. Air Force in September 2007 in the rank of Colonel, following an exciting and dangerous 25-year career as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). He held thirteen different assignments throughout the world, among which were five tours as a Commander of different units, to include two Air Force Squadrons and a Wing. Michael Angley is a seasoned criminal investigator and a counterintelligence and counterterrorism specialist. In his last assignment as the Commander of OSI Region 8 at Air Force Space Command, he was the chief architect of the nation's space-related counterintelligence programs. He was fond of saying, "If it entered or exited the Earth's atmosphere, I had a dog in the fight!" www.mikeangley.com

April 12th
Tom Adair presents
"CSI Fact vs. Ficton:
What's Real and What's Fantasy."

When: Thursday, April 12th
Time: 6:30 p.m. for drinks (cash bar), dinner is served at 7:00 p.m. and the Program begins at 8:00 p.m. Program
Cost: $20 per person. Evening includes dinner, program and stimulating company! Reservations are required for dinner. Please send your RSVP to Becky Martinez.
Where: Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm St.

Program: Have you ever wondered how police find invisible evidence? Can DNA really exonerate someone of a crime? Whose fingerprints do the police really have access to? This presentation will cover the realities of forensics and crime investigation contrasted against the depictions in popular me dia (novels, television, movies, and documentaries).

Bio: Tom Adair is a retired forensic scientist/criminalist with more than 15 years of experience. Tom has served as a past president of the Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction, Rocky Mountain Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, and the Rocky Mountain Division of the International Association for Identification. He is a member of Necrosearch International; a volunteer group of forensic scientists who have traveled the globe to assist law enforcement agencies locate clandestine grave sites using a multi-disciplinary approach of forensic specialties.

May 10th
Ivor Hill on the DARKSIDE of
Real Estate appraisal!
Details to follow

September 13th
E-Publishing! Meet the Experts: Lynda Hilburn and Elle Lothlorien
Program Details to follow

Bios: Lynda Hilburn writes paranormal fiction. More specifically, she writes vampire books. After a childhood filled with invisible friends, sightings of dead relatives and a fascination with the occult, turning to the paranormal was a no-brainer. In her other reality, she makes her living as a licensed psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, professional psychic/tarot reader, university instructor and workshop presenter. Her first novel, "The Vampire Shrink" -- which introduced us to Denver Psychologist Kismet Knight and a hidden vampire underworld -- was first released in 2007 and was re-released
(the rewritten, expanded version) by Quercus Books 9/2011 and Sterling Publishing/Silver Oak 4/2012. Book #2 in the series, "Blood Therapy," releases in 2012. Several more books are planned. "Undead in the City," an erotic paranormal novella, and "Diary of a Narcissistic Bloodsucker," a
satire/parody, are now available in e-form from Amazon.com. Her short story,"Blood Song," is part of the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance anthology, April, 2009. For more information, visit Lynda's website: www.lyndahilburnauthor.com

A "military brat," Elle Lothlorien was born in Germany and spent her childhood in such far-flung places as Puerto Rico, Charleston, S.C., Italy, and Washington D.C. Sadly, the only language she ever became semi-fluent in is English.

Her first novel, the self-published, romantic comedy THE FROG PRINCE, became an Amazon best-seller in December of 2010. Ironically, after so many years of trying to get "traditionally published," Elle is now considered an
expert of sorts on electronic self-publishing ("indie publishing"), and has been invited to speak and lead workshops for writers, authors, and even the publishing industry.

An early mid-life crisis propelled Elle to take a Lindy Hop dance class at a Denver club. Several years (and a few ankle and knee braces) later, she does a mad Charleston and can pancake like nobody's business. She also belongs to
an all-girls, vintage jazz dance troupe which performs in Denver and all over the country (and sometimes outside of it).

Elle lives in Denver and keep two dachshunds around the house to provide comic relief.

Mystery Conventions across America
Sleuthfest- Boca Raton, Florida, March 1-4, 2012
Left Coast Crime 2012- Sacramento, California, March 29-April 1, 2012
Edgar® Awards events- New York City, New York, April -May, 2012
Malice Domestic 2012- Arlington, VA, April 27-29, 2012
CrimeFest- Bristol, England, May, 2012
Book Expo America 2012- New York City, New York, June 5-7, 2012
Mayhem in the Midlands 2012- t.b.a.
Bloody Words 2012- Toronto, Canada, June 1-3, 2012
ThrillerFest- New York City, New York, July 11-14, 2012
Killer Nashville- Nashville, Tennessee, August 24-26, 2012
Bouchercon- St. Louis, Missouri, October 4-7, 2012
New England Crime Bake - Fall 2012

Regional Conferences of interest
Northern Colorado Writers Conference- Fort Collins, CO, Spring 2012
Pikes Peak Writers Conference- Colorado Springs, tba 2012
Lighthouse Writers Workshop- Denver, CO, June.
Writing the Rockies- Gunnison, CO, June.
Jackson Hole Writers Conference- Jackson Hole, WY, late-June
Colorado Gold Conference- Denver, CO, September.
Tony Hillerman's Writers Conference- Albuquerque, NM, late-Fall.
Author Fest of the Rockies- Manitou Springs, CO, Oct

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