CONFERENCE SCENE
1 Sleuthfest
Find out whodunnit at this long-running conference sponsored by the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
March 14–17, 2019. Embassy Suites by Hilton Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Fla. $380 for MWA members, $400 for nonmembers through Jan. 15; $405 for members, $445 for nonmembers after Jan. 15. Thursday evening meet-and-greet dinner with faculty A kind, encouraging attitude among faculty and volunteers helps establish strong professional relationships. “We are a writer-focused conference, not a fan convention,” Co-director Michael Joy says. “We hear success stories from writers who have improved their manuscripts by applying the advice they’ve received from top-tier authors. And many writers have found their agent or met career-long critique partners at Sleuthfest.” 250. Authors T. Jefferson Parker (), Alexia Gordon (), Alex Segura (), Tom Straw () and Elaine Viets (The Dead-End Job series); editors Anna Michels (Sourcebooks), Chantelle Aimée Osman (Down & Out Books) and Stacey Donovan (Hallmark Publishing); agents Tess Callero (Curtis Brown), Cari Lamba (The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency), Michelle Richter (Fuse Literary) and Nicole Resciniti (The Seymour Agency); and others. The conference offers four programming tracks over four days, including a forensic track. Third-Degree Thursday, held the day before the conference, features hands-on workshops taught by masters of the craft for an additional $85. Other activities include a free “Pitch Tank” on Sunday, in which guests pitch a panel of editors and agents in front of other attendees. Take a 10-minute drive to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, a 20-acre coastal preserve that features a butterfly garden, walking trails and a sea turtle rehabilitation facility.
