Quarterly Chapter Meeting/Event: February 12, 2022

Lone Tree Library, 10055 Library Way, Lone Tree, Colorado 80124 (303-791-READ)

Also Via Zoom; (Information on how to join the presentation will be posted in the Sisters in Crime-Colorado Groups.io members listserv.)

Please note: Chapter meetings are a member only benefit. You can learn more about us and our chapter here: Please note: Chapter meetings are a member only benefit. You can learn more about us and our chapter here: https://sistersincrimecolorado.org/join/

To request more information, please use our contact form: https://sistersincrimecolorado.org/connect/

PROGRAM/SCHEDULE

9:30 am – 10:00 am
Welcome, Announcements

10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Exploring Short Stories – Shannon Lawrence

Short stories are an artform different from novel writing. We’ll discuss what sets them apart, how to pursue writing short, what to look for when editing, and how to submit them for publication, as well as what comes next.

12:00pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch (brown bag or visit nearby restaurants)

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
What I Learned in Jail – Sue Kraus

If you’re writing about jail and/or about prison, it’s important to know the difference. For instance, do you know if a person is in jail, he’s an inmate; if he’s in prison, he’s a convict? For some, jail may be the accused’s first encounter with the penal system, and a place he or she never wants to encounter again. For others, they may become known to the Court as repeat offenders. Still, for others, jail may become a steppingstone as they await trial and face the ultimate punishment, the prison system.

Deputy Sue Kraus (retired) will talk about what she learned in her 19-year career, separating fact from fiction, separating reality from stereotypes, and talk about the very human component of inmates and the deputies who are responsible for their incarceration, well-being, and protection.

Sue will talk about what she learned as a deputy and as a person, and the human component involved on and off the job. Moreover, she will answer your questions. This talk will enhance your writing, and ideally provide an eye-opening experience.   

Please feel free to come to either the morning or afternoon session if you cannot attend both.

Please note: Chapter meetings are a member only benefit. You can learn more about us and our chapter here: https://sistersincrimecolorado.org/join/

To request more information, please use our contact form: https://sistersincrimecolorado.org/connect/

Please RSVP at our Meetup Page: https://www.meetup.com/Sisters-in-Crime-Colorado/events/283319872/

The Zoom login information will be posted in the chapter’s groups.io listserv.

About the Presenters:

A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in over forty anthologies and magazines, as well as her solo collections. Her craft book The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Editing, Submitting, and Marketing will be out in 2022. You can also find her as a co-host of the true crime podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings, where, coincidentally, there’s always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. Find her at www.thewarriormuse.com.

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In September of 2001, Sue Kraus answered an ad for a Booking Clerk position with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. She had no idea she would spend the next nineteen years of her life in jail. During her career, Sue worked as a Property Tech, then as a Booking Clerk, a Detention Operation Technician (DOT), a Deputy and finally as an ISS Supervisor. Her entire career was in the detention facility where she worked in both the male and female pods and with the special inmate population. She worked in the booking area and special housing units. She was the facility’s Compliance Officer as well as a trainer, a driving instructor, and a CPR instructor. She taught in the academies and during in-service training and she was the chairperson for the inmate disciplinary board hearings. Over her nineteen years with the County, Sue was assigned to special tasks, projects, events, and details. Looking back, Sue realizes she started as a new green employee and left as a blue sister, and she had the time of her life.

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This event is funded and presented by Sisters in Crime-Colorado and is not sponsored by Douglas County Libraries.

To request more information, please use our contact form.