M..E Kemp attended the Deadly Ink Writers Conference in New Jersey from June 25th - 27th. Kemp served as moderator for a Saturday panel on "What Makes a Mystery" and appeared on another panel: "Our Favorite Characters." On Sunday Kemp appeared on "Historically Speaking," a panel dedicated to historical mysteries.

M. E. Kemp's new novel, DEATH OF A DANCING MASTER, coming Fall 2010 from L&L Dreamspell.

M. E. Kemp has written two short stories that have been submitted to anthologies, one of which is set during the Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution.

On March 31, (Wednesday) - M. E. Kemp will be interviewed online by the "Dames of Dialogue."

February 22nd '10 - M. E. Kemp enjoyed answering questions from the Malta Book Club in upstate New York. Members read DEATH OF A BAWDY BELLE and questioned her as to writing techniques and creating characters. She particularly enjoyed eating the home-made grape pie served by the hostess from her own grapes!

February 26th - M. E. Kemp's talk on "The Salem Witch Trials" drew 95 people to the Clifton Park library in upstate New York. This library is a new, "green" building and is fast becoming a favorite place with local authors. Kemp focused upon the various causes authors have proposed as to the hysteria in Salem.

March 6th - M. E. Kemp traveled to Derry, NH as part of a panel for the New England chapter of Sisters in Crime. She discussed the writing process, her schedule for writing or lack thereof, and answered questions from the very discerning audience. Kemp and hubby Jack enjoyed walking around the town and eating lunch at Mary Anne's, a really fun place in Derry!

M. E. Kemp has guest blogged several times in recent months, appearing often on friend Julie Lomoe's always interesting blog: julielomoe.wordpress.com. This Feb. 5th she guests on: horsemysterybooks.blogspot.com.

M. E. Kemp's article on horses in mysteries, "Four Legged Champions," is in the new SPORTS issue of MYSTERY READERS JOURNAL. Kemp talks about living in Saratoga Springs, home of the legendary racetrack, and how many writers you would least suspect have written shorts and novels featuring horses; Dick Francis is hardly the first. Not just racing but polo plays a part in many mysteries! Saratoga has a polo season as well as a trotting track and a flat track. In fact, one of the little known but most interesting tours of Saratoga involves the Racing Museum's tours of the backstretch. It's a whole world unto itself behind the track.

Oct. 22 '09 - M. E. Kemp signed a contract for her fourth book, DEATH OF A DANCING MASTER, with a new publisher; L&L Dreamspell. The company had previously published her short stories. The book will be out in the fall of '10.

Oct. 31 '09 - M. E. Kemp served on a panel featuring local writers at the New York State Museum. The panel paid tribute to the birth of Edgar Allan Poe.

Nov. 6 - M. E. Kemp presented a program on "Mysterious Villains" in Boston at the Mid-Atlantic Public Culture conference. held at the Logan Hilton. She showed film clips of literary and film villains including Richard III, Fagin and Tom Ripley. She has been invited back for next year.

Nov. 21 - M. E. Kemp was nominated as Vice President of the Upstate New York chapter of Sisters in Crime/The Mavens of Mayhem.

M. E. Kemp is a finalist in the Deadly Ink short story contest, for her story: "Aye Spy," which is set in Trenton, NJ during the Revolutionary War.

M. E. Kemp is a graduate from Siena College in Loudonville, NY and is very proud of this little college of 3,000 students whose basketball team whupped the pants off the MAAC and who got into the second round of the NAAC and went toe-to-toe with the top-rated team in the country, Louisville, KY. As one of the Siena players noted, "We go to class!" There's a rumor that in the big ten colleges, members of the basketball teams don't have to study very much. Not so on the scholarly Siena campus.

M. E. Kemp got the thrill of her life (well, so far!) at the Metropolitan Opera when she was standing in line for the 'ladies' and who should walk right by but leading tenor Placido Domingo, on whom she has had a crush for years! She was too stunned to react! (But she has to admit that if it had been young Russian hunk Dimitry Hvorostovsky she would have fainted dead away.) The opera was "Rusalka" with Renee Fleming.

M. E. Kemp spoke in her hometown, Oxford, MA., on Dec. 2nd. The Oxford Public Library hosted a talk/signing by Kemp, who noted that her ancestors helped settle the town back in 1713. On the maternal side, her ancestors fought in both the Revolutionary War and in the Civil War. In fact, Cousin Willy Grout was the first Worcestor, MA. boy killed in the Civil War. It was particularly gratifying to be asked to speak at the library where she spent so much time in her youth! (Not that she's old now -- she's sort of in her second childhood.)

On Dec. 4th, M. E. Kemp was guest of honor at a Unitarian Women's Club luncheon in Schenectady, NY. She talked about writing the mystery novel, and sales of her books were brisk following the talk. (Perhaps because she noted that her grandmother's "Uncle Horatio" was one of the founding members of the Universalist Church in Oxford, MA., which became the Unitarian Universalist Church.)

On Dec. 10, M. E. Kemp did a signing at Good Buy Books in East Greenbush, NY, where she spoke about Dutch customs of the Colonial period. Her second novel, DEATH OF A DUTCH UNCLE, is set in the Albany area, which includes "Grenen Bosch," or Greenbush, NY.

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.

DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND made the 2008 Top Ten Bestsellers (Softcover) list for the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association!

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.