News and Events
MURDER KNOCKS TWICE (St. Martin's/ Minotaur)
was released April 30, 2019 Look for THE FATE OF A FLAPPER coming July 28, 2020 
ULCC Chicago Authors Book Feast
Presented by the Union League Club of Chicago (Registration Required) October 22, 2019 5:30-7:30 pm Union League Club of Chicago (65 West Jackson Boulevard) Invited talk: Prohibition!—Origins, Impact and Legacy
October 24, 2019 10:00-11:15 (Registration Required) Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Hefter Conference Center (3271 N. Lake Drive) Why did the United States government ban the manufacture, sale and distribution of “intoxicating liquors” in October 1919? How did the passage of the 18th Amendment (“Prohibition”) impact society and culture throughout the “Roaring Twenties?” In this session, Susanna Calkins, historian and author of the historical “Speakeasy Mysteries,” will share insights into the paradoxes of Prohibition on the eve of its hundred-year anniversary, exploring how the struggles over the illicit alcohol trade had far-reaching consequences. Chicago Mystery Panel
Cliff Dwellers Club (Registration Required) October 29, 2019 4:30-9:00 I'll be conversing with Raymond Benson, Tracy Clark, and Bryan Gruley (moderated by Emily Victorson) |
 The North Shore Weekend
April 5, 2013
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Bouchercon World Mystery Convention 2019
October 30-November 3, 2019
Panel information forthcoming
October 30-November 3, 2019
Panel information forthcoming
Flappers, Cocktails and Temperance: True stories of Prohibition
Friends of American Writers Chicago
November 13, 2019 luncheon
Flappers, bootleggers and gangsters, cocktails and speakeasies--these are the common images of Prohibition. But what led to Prohibition? What was its impact? At our November luncheon, Susanna Calkins, historian and author of the historical "Speakeasy Mysteries," will share insights into the paradoxes of Prohibition on the eve of its hundred-year anniversary. She will explain how the illicit alcohol trade impacted society, culture and daily life in Chicago throughout the "Roaring Twenties." See event site for more information.
Friends of American Writers Chicago
November 13, 2019 luncheon
Flappers, bootleggers and gangsters, cocktails and speakeasies--these are the common images of Prohibition. But what led to Prohibition? What was its impact? At our November luncheon, Susanna Calkins, historian and author of the historical "Speakeasy Mysteries," will share insights into the paradoxes of Prohibition on the eve of its hundred-year anniversary. She will explain how the illicit alcohol trade impacted society, culture and daily life in Chicago throughout the "Roaring Twenties." See event site for more information.
Building Tension and Suspense in Fiction
Story Studio Workshop November 20, 6:30-9:00 (Registration Required)
What’s going to happen next? How do we keep our readers feverishly turning pages? In this workshop, Susanna Calkins will help writers explore the elements of tension and suspense, considering strategies for creating and heightening anticipation in your readers. You will analyze passages from published authors, including Jeanne DuPrau, James Dashner, and Gillian Flynn, to examine how components such as pacing, expectations, obstacles, and emotions can build—or reduce—tension. Participants will also engage in several writing activities which will help them apply components of suspense and tension to their own writing. Students will share their in-class writing and receive appreciative, positive feedback on their work. Suitable for writers of all fiction genres.
Story Studio Workshop November 20, 6:30-9:00 (Registration Required)
What’s going to happen next? How do we keep our readers feverishly turning pages? In this workshop, Susanna Calkins will help writers explore the elements of tension and suspense, considering strategies for creating and heightening anticipation in your readers. You will analyze passages from published authors, including Jeanne DuPrau, James Dashner, and Gillian Flynn, to examine how components such as pacing, expectations, obstacles, and emotions can build—or reduce—tension. Participants will also engage in several writing activities which will help them apply components of suspense and tension to their own writing. Students will share their in-class writing and receive appreciative, positive feedback on their work. Suitable for writers of all fiction genres.
Cocktails, Flappers and Prohibition: Fun things I learned while writing historical fiction
Monday, January 13, 2020, 1:15 PM
The Nineteenth Century Club (178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park, IL)
Focusing on the paradoxes and social tensions around flappers, gin joints and those who favored temperance, local historian and author Susanna Calkins will share how she conceived of her “Speakeasy Mysteries” set in Chicago, 1929. How did the attitudes toward women impact how she created her protagonist, Gina Ricca, a cigarette seller on her first day on the job in a Chicago speakeasy? $15 suggested donation (non-members) helps support our Enrichment Series. Click here to make a lunch reservation.
Monday, January 13, 2020, 1:15 PM
The Nineteenth Century Club (178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park, IL)
Focusing on the paradoxes and social tensions around flappers, gin joints and those who favored temperance, local historian and author Susanna Calkins will share how she conceived of her “Speakeasy Mysteries” set in Chicago, 1929. How did the attitudes toward women impact how she created her protagonist, Gina Ricca, a cigarette seller on her first day on the job in a Chicago speakeasy? $15 suggested donation (non-members) helps support our Enrichment Series. Click here to make a lunch reservation.
Left Coast Crime
San Diego, CA
March 12-15 2020 Panel Information Forthcoming
San Diego, CA
March 12-15 2020 Panel Information Forthcoming
Murder and Mayhem Chicago
March 21, 2020
Panel Information Forthcoming
March 21, 2020
Panel Information Forthcoming
Middlebury Indiana Literary Festival
Invited Speaker
April 25, 2020 Details TBD
Invited Speaker
April 25, 2020 Details TBD
Malice Domestic
Bethesda, Maryland
April 30-May 3, 2020)
Bethesda, Maryland
April 30-May 3, 2020)