Mystery Pioneer: Eleanor Taylor Bland

by Shari Randall

Inspired to try new-to-me authors by Warren Bull’s series of reviews of classic crime novels, I decided to pick up a book by an author who came onto my radar through a Tweet from Sisters in Crime. The Tweet announced the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award. Bland was an African-American author who in the 1990s created a series about Marti MacAlister, an African American police detective in a suburb of Chicago. Marti is a widow who must juggle finding killers and raising her two children. In a post on her website, Sara Paretsky praised Bland’s commitment to literature and her concern for the portrayal of women and African Americans in crime fiction.

I picked up the first in the Marti MacAlister series, Dead Time. A mentally ill woman is murdered in a rundown hotel that caters to the elderly, the down and out, and addicts in Lincoln Prairie, Illinois. MacAlister’s partner on the police force, Jellenovik, wants to believe that Lincoln Prairie is a small town without the type of crime found in its larger neighbor, but streetwise MacAlister knows that drug use, homelessness, and crime don’t respect borders.

In the 1990s, female police officers are breaking new ground and the appearance of an African-American female detective at a murder scene sets tongues wagging. MacAllister not only has to fight the public’s mistrust, she must prove herself to fellow officers who don’t respect her abilities. But she’s just as tough as any of her fellow officers and her role as mother gives her insights that help her crack a case that involves two homeless boys who have unwittingly witnessed a murder.

The opening scene, with the two boys running through a snowstorm in the dark, dodging drunks and security guards to make a delivery, pulled me into the story. MacAlister’s storytelling was taut and unsentimental, packed with details that grounded the story in its time and place. Dead Time kept me up all night.

Sisters in Crime honors Bland's contribution to the genre with the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award. The deadline for authors who would like to apply for the grant has been extended. Here’s the scoop from the Sisters in Crime website:

 “The EleanorTaylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is an annual grant of $1,500 for an emerging writer of color. An unpublished writer is preferred, although publication of one work of short fiction or academic work will not disqualify an applicant. This grant is intended to support the recipient in activities related to crime fiction writing and career development. She or he may choose from activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats; online courses; and research activities required for completion of the work. Applications will be accepted after April 15, 2017.  Deadline for applications is June 15, 2017. The winner will be selected and announced by August 1, 2017.”

Have you tried a new author lately?

Apply for the Malice Domestic Grant by Shawn Reilly Simmons

A common question writers get is “How did you get started in your writing career?” While that question can be answered in any number of ways, thirty-five unpublished writers and counting can say they won special recognition for their writing through the Malice Domestic Grant Program.

Founded in 1993 by Beth Foxwell, and later named for the late William F. Deeck, a long-time supporter and friend of Malice Domestic, the Malice grant program awards up to two grants per year to unpublished writers who are writing Malice literature (see definition below). The purpose of the grants is to foster quality literature and to help the next generation of Malice Domestic authors on their way to publication.

The grant committee is gearing up for the 2014 submission period, which is open from September 15th – November 15th. The committee reads every submission, vets the manuscripts, and decides as a group who will be the next grant recipients.

Many Malice grant recipients have gone on to successful writing careers after receiving their awards and recognition, and several have become bestsellers. It’s a wonderful way to launch a writing career, or gain recognition for your work while still unpublished.

The grants are $1500 each and registration to the Malice Domestic convention, which takes place at the Bethesda Hyatt from May 1-3, 2015. The registration includes two nights’ lodging at the convention hotel (an additional $700 value for hotel and registration). The grant winners will be announced at the Agatha Banquet on Saturday, May 2, 2015. 

  

So, what exactly is Malice Domestic literature? We get this question a lot. Malice fans are lovers of the traditional mystery, those best typified by the work of Agatha Christie. Malice literature contains no graphic sex or violence. There are many individual styles of books contained within this loose definition. Malice was originally founded by a small group of people, including Mary Mormon as Malice Chair, who were big fans of Christie, Robert Barnard and Elizabeth Peters.

That small group of fifty fans and authors has grown to over six hundred attendees today. We gather every year in the DC area to celebrate the traditional mystery, to remember the great writers of the genre, and to discover new writers writing in the same fashion. Those of us who attend Malice on a regular basis have come to think of it as a mystery family reunion, where we come to see our good friends and make new ones every year. We truly are a “Fun Fan” convention!

Fans are what make Malice Domestic such a strong convention every year. Our fans are such avid readers of not only writers with long and wide-ranging careers, but of new authors just starting out. Malice is a great place to meet fans of the traditional mystery in a very direct and welcoming way. Our programming promotes fan-author interaction and we hold the experience of all of our attendees in the highest regard.

We as a board meet all year long, every month at the hotel, working together and discussing things that have gone well and things that we may need to improve upon. We take your evaluation forms and comments throughout the year very seriously. While we can’t please everyone every time, we work very hard to make the Malice experience the best we can for everyone who attends.

If you’re an unpublished writer, please consider sending us your manuscript for consideration. You never know, you might have a story about how your writing career got started very soon!

For more information on Malice Domestic and for submission guidelines for the grant program, please visit our website: http://www.malicedomestic.org/grants.html

                                                   Malice Domestic grant winner, Gigi Pandian,
                                            and Harriette Sackler, Malince Domestic Grants chair.