Today marks the opening of the Malice Domestic traditional mystery convention. It’s their 20th of these shindigs, held every year just outside Washington DC. A Malice veteran myself, I describe it as a great big family reunion. It’s a must for fans of the mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie - so many huge names show up every year - some can be spotted at the Awards Banquet that don’t even get advertised on the Registered Authors list.

The awards given are the Agathas. Coveted accolades in the categories of Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Non-Fiction, Best Short Story, and Best Children’s / Young Adult.

Another award given is the Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers. Two grants of $1000 each are presented each year to two unpublished writers of a traditional mystery. The judging is based on three chapters and a synopsis. Details can be found here.

Previous years’ winners have included Marcia Talley, Sujata Massey, and…

Hey! And me!

That’s right, a manuscript of mine now under editorial consideration boosted me to such lauded ranks just a few years ago. I certainly hope all you readers out there get a chance to read it soon!

And for all you aspiring writers out there - take a chance and send off that traditional mystery this fall! Maybe we’ll meet at Malice next year with something to celebrate!