The SMFS at Bouchercon 2009

Here is a running tally of SMFS members attending Bouchercon 2009, October 15-18, in Indianapolis, IN:

Patricia Abbott
Victor J. Banis
Jack Bates
Joseph Benedetto
Jack Bludis
Gary R. Bush
Bill Crider
Libby Cudmore
Jim Doherty
Laura Elvebak
Beth Groundwater
Dennis Leppanen
Molly MacRae
Ruth McCarty
Jim O'Keefe
Suzanne Rorhus
Kieran Shea


The presentation of plaques to the 2009 Derringer Award winners will be held in the Main Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, Thursday, October 15, at 6:00 PM. SMFS VP Jim Doherty is MC.

Derringer Winners, Are You Coming to Bouchercon?

From SMFS Vice President Jim Doherty:

Debi Watson, the Special Events Coordinator at this year's Bouchercon, has notified me that the presentation of the Macavitys, Barrys, CRIMESPREE Awards, and our own Derringers will be on Thursday, 17 Oct, at 6pm in the Main Ballroom.

Clark Howard has already notified me that he will be there to receive his award personally.

For the rest of you winners, I need you to contact me OFF-LIST with the answers to the following questions:

First, are you coming to Bouchercon? If the answer to that question is yes, you can skip all the rest of these questions.

Second, if you are not coming, do you plan to designate anyone who WILL be there to accept the award plaque on your behalf (and, importantly to deliver the plaque to you)? If you don't want to designate someone, can you send me your physical address so that I can mail the award to you? This is VERY important. If you aren't coming and no one will be designated to accept the award for you, and I know in advance, I don't have to bring your award to the 'con. On the other hand, if you aren't coming, and aren't designating a surrogate, and I DON'T know about it in advance, not only will I have to bring your trophy with me to the 'con, I will also have to take it back with me.

Third, if you are not coming, and not designating a surrogate, are there any remarks you'd like to have read at the awards event? If so, e-mail those remarks to me prior to the 'con.

Whether you're planning on "thanking all the little people" in person, or having me read your acceptance speech, try to keep your remarks brief. The event lasts only one hour, and three other sets of awards are being given out. Each organization giving awards is alloted only ten minutes.

Thank you for your prompt response to these questions. I'm hoping that all of the winners will be able to accept their well-deserved Derringers in person, but, if that's not possible, please let me know.

JIM DOHERTY
jimdohertyjr AT yahoo DOT com

SMFS Lapel Pin by Pattie Tierney

To order the pin, e-mail Pattie Tierney (pattie dot tierney at gmail dot com). The cost is $9.00 ($6.50 for the pin + $2.50 shipping and packaging) payable by check or PayPal.

SMFS in EQMM

Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer winner Clark Howard is featured in the November 2009 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Congratulations once again, Mr. Howard.

Poll Results: Editors' Control over Derringer Submissions

By a margin of 25 FOR, 1 AGAINST, the following clarification has been added to the Derringer Rules:

"An editor may personally decide not to submit his/her publication's stories for the Derringers. This decision cannot forbid the stories' submission by their SMFS-member authors or by other SMFS members UNLESS the editor has purchased such controlling rights from the author."

2010 Derringer Awards Coordinator

By acclamation, Suzanne Berube Rorhus has been elected Derringer Awards Coordinator for 2010. She will serve from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

Poll Results: Privacy of Shortmystery Members Section

By a margin of 10 FOR, 47 AGAINST, SMFS members have rejected the motion to make Shortmystery's Members list visible only to moderators as a means of preventing e-mail address harvesting and spam. The Members list will remain visible to all members of Shortmystery.