DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND, the holiday anthology with sales to benefit TOYS FOR TOTS, is hot off the press from Wolfmont Press (Editor: Tony Burton, email: tony@wolfmont.com) -- M. E. Kemp's short story, "A Merry Slay Ride," is found on page 31 and is set in Dutch Albany. When poor old Squint Eyed Harmen is found dead in a sleigh on a New Year's visit, Hetty Henry must sift through many suspects to find the murderer.

Check out M.E. Kemp's A Little Humor page.

On Oct. 19th M. E. Kemp will serve on a panel at the annual Chronicle Book Fair in Glens Falls, NY, to be held at the elegant Queensbury Hotel: panel topic to be on writing to publication of a book. Stop by Kemp's booth for an autographed copy of her latest book, DEATH OF A BAWDY BELLE and to also support Toys for Tots by picking up a copy of the anthology DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND -- a bargain at $10/copy.

Coming in October -- M. E. Kemp contributed a short story, "A Merry Slay Ride," in an anthology to benefit the Marine Corps "Toys for Tots" campaign. All proceeds above printing costs will go to Toys for Tots, to provide Christmas toys to needy children. Authors donated their work to Wolfmont Press and urge book lovers to purchase DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND for the mystery lovers on their Holiday lists. Books make great gifts -- especially this one, which will help to brighten a child's Christmas. Copies may be obtained from Wolfmont Press, your local book source or Amazon.com. ISBN: 978-1-60464-005-3

M. E. KEMP organized and served on a panel on writing mysteries at the New York State Museum in Albany, NY on September 13th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Film clips from old "noir" movies served to cue the panel on questions about villains, writing and marketing mysteries. The program was free and open to the public.

On Saturday, July 12th, M. E. Kemp was one of the many authors featured at the Hobart Book Expo in Hobart, NY. Kemp had a chance to meet and greet fans and other authors in one of the prettiest areas of New York State in Hobart, near Stamford and the Scotch Valley Ski area. The Expo was held in a rambling old Victorian mansion and her table was located next to a strange cupboard where one could easily store a dead body. Hmmmm...

M. E. Kemp was the subject of a long interview by reporter Wendy Liberatore of the Daily Gazette Schenectady, NY, 6/29/08, who wrote that "M. E. Kemp wallows in sex, murder and acts of revenge." Here's a link to the interview.

June 25th - M. E. Kemp addressed the Glens Falls AAUW Book Club on writing in general, and mysteries in particular. She sold copies of her books, including the latest book: DEATH OF A BAWDY BELLE (Hilliard and Harris.) The group met in a lovely home overlooking scenic Lake George, one of the prettiest lakes in New York State.

June 22nd - M. E. Kemp took fifth place in the Deadly Ink short story contest at the Deadly Ink Writer's Conference in Parsippany, NJ. Her short story, "A Pillar of the Community," is published in DEADLY INK 2008 anthology. The twist in her story: the body is buried inside a pillar!

June 14th - M. E. Kemp served on a panel with the topic: "Writing the Short Story," a topic that filled an hour and could have gone on for several more! The topic covered creating characters, what makes a 'short,' and markets for shorts -- do they exist? Yes, although magazines are a limited market now, there are many anthologies from different groups looking for material.

M. E. Kemp’s short stories have appeared in various anthologies including NEWN, MURDER NEW YORK STYLE and DEADLY INK. She has several new stories in the works: "A Pillar of the Community" has a body buried on the verandar, not under it. "Murder Falls on the Mohawk," – who shoved Squint-eyed Harmon over the Cahoos Falls? And "Firing the Pink Eagel," where a body is found in the hull of a burned ship. Kemp discovers ideas for stories in the history books. "All I have to do is open an old diary or an old history and I find a plot," Kemp says.

Kemp’s next book in the Hetty and Creasy series of two nosy Puritans is: DEATH OF A DANCING MASTER. When the new dancing master is found stabbed through the gut with a fencing foil, Hetty and Creasy find no end of suspects between amorous women and jealous husbands. The only clue, a ledger of clients, has disappeared, with Hetty, Creasy and the murderer in hot pursuit. Kemp’s love of Baroque dance inspired the subject, which is taken from history. In Boston at this period the magistrates drove away a dancing master who sought to establish a school of dance in the Shining City.

The Spring ’08 issue of the Worcester Statement features the book cover of M. E Kemp’s novel: DEATH OF A DUTCH UNCLE under the "class notes." It’s hard to miss the Hilliard and Harris cover art.