FLORIDA SISTERS IN CRIME HISTORY 

                Sara Paretsky, author of the V. I. Warshawski books, helped form Sisters in Crime in 1987 to promote and support women mystery writers.  For a detailed history of the national organization, see the website.   www.sistersincrime.org

                Our own Florida Sisters in Crime, the only chapter in the state of Florida, was originally First Coast Sisters in Crime.  We had our beginnings when Margee Howe Bugbee called a meeting with locals interested in starting a Florida chapter of Sisters in Crime.  They met at Panera Bread in San Marco, Jacksonville, Florida in 2003.  After Much Ado About Books in the spring of 2004, the chapter started meeting monthly at several different libraries in the city, eventually finding our current home at the Southeast Branch Library on Deerwood Park Boulevard.

                Margee became the first president of the newly formed chapter.  In the years following, several members served as president: Beverly Kiesel-2005, Jean Osborn-2006, Margie Sauls -2007, Darlene Myers- 2008, Sherry Czerniezewski-2009, and Kathy Bain- current president. We continue to support women mystery writers by buying and reading their books.  Some of our programs consist of speakers in  forensic science, psychology and law enforcement fields to continue feeding interest in crime for both readers and writers of mysteries.   We also invite fellow authors to speak about their journey to becoming published.  We’ve always offered a critique group for our writers after each monthly meeting.

          Although our name is Florida Sisters in Crime, we welcome men and women with an interest in mystery reading and writing and those with an interest in promoting the professional development and advancement of women crime writers to achieve equality in the industry.