2008 Meeting Minutes
Lori Lake passed around a mock-up of a brochure she is
designing for our chapter. She asked for comments.
Marilyn Victor told us about the Midwest Independent Book
Show at the River Center on September 25-27. They are looking for authors to
sign books. There is also the Minnesota Library Conference in November. There
is a grant but we would have to pay before the next meeting. Marilyn asked for
the level of interest. Should we apply for the grant? They need 50 books
donated by the author or publisher. There was interest so a committee was
formed.
Book selections for upcoming months:
September – Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
October – Rain Fall by Barry Eisler
November –
December –
January – Blue Heaven by C J Box
Our book for June was Last Lessons of Summer by
Margaret Maron.
Our speaker for June was Joel Rosenberg, Minnesota author
and conceal and carry instructor. Joel spoke about the house break in that
prompted him and his wife to get their permits. He talked about the gun laws
and how they have changed. He also addressed some of the loopholes in the
current laws regarding signage, and the four legal ways one can acquire a gun.
Old Business:
Marilyn Victor asked for more member input in the newsletter. Feel free to
submit book
reviews, conference notes, information on upcoming conventions, etc. There
will be a
question emailed each month. Answer if you can and responses will be in the
newsletter.
New Business:
A workshop on editing is tentatively set for June 1. It will probably be held
at the
Common Root (formerly Soba’s on the corner of 26th and Lyndale).
A reminder that anyone interested is welcome to adjourn to the French Meadow
after the
meeting for continued conversation and possibly dessert.
The discussion book this month was Stalemate by Iris Johansen. The
protagonist is a
forensic sculptor working on skull reconstruction. This entry in the series
had many
subplots, CIA operatives, and gun runners. Johansen’s books work off an
ensemble cast
with different characters taking the lead. There were mixed reactions to this
novel.
The BCA tour is set for Tuesday Feb 26th at 7pm. Members must sign up in
advance for
security reasons. See Marilyn if you are interested.
A reminder that we no longer pay national dues for our members.
If you haven’t renewed yet, you need to pay your national dues on the Sisters in
Crime website or through the mail. Then the local dues of $10 should be paid to
our treasurer, Lori Lake.
Out book for the evening was Tin City by David
Housewright. Members commented on his using actual landmarks in his stories. His
books were recommended by several members.
Todd New was our guest speaker for the evening if you can call a
fellow member a “guest.” Todd is also a member of the Minneapolis police force
working in the intelligence unit. He talked about his work with gangs,
especially the Asian gangs, and how the police use intelligence to keep
different departments informed of what is going on out on the streets.
He also shared information on several new technologies helping
Twin Cities Sisters In Crime law enforcement like Starchaser, OnStar, Shot
spotter, and ALPR (automated license plate recognition).
New Business:
Marilyn Victor moved to present Charity with a gift of up to $50
cash or gift certificate as a thank you for maintaining our website for many
years. Motion passed.
Bill Fietzer asked members present for information on how to
save the newsletter as a pdf file. Suggestions included Cutepdf.
Books for future meetings were discussed and chosen:
February – Tin City by David Housewright
March – What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris
April – Stalemate by Iris Johansen
May – Salaryman’s Wife by Sujata Massey
June – Last Lessons of Summer by Margaret Maron
September – Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
(No meetings in July or August)
The book for this month was Amen Corner by Rick Shefchik. It
involved an injured cop who took up golfing as physical therapy and qualified
for the Masters where he encounters murder. It is set in Minnesota and Shefchik
also lives here.
We were reminded that our next meeting will be held on the
second Tuesday, February 12th, due to events scheduled at the store. The March
meeting will be in the first Tuesday, as usual, and the April meeting will be on
the first Wednesday, April 2nd.
Our speaker for the evening was Marcia Cummings, a forensic
artist with the BCA. She has been working as an artist for 20 of the 35 years
she has been with the BCA. Her duties include facial reconstruction, composite
drawings, and crime scene sketches. She presented information on her background,
training, and samples of her work. |
