My dear friend Paula Matter sent me an SOS yesterday, asking me to fill her blogging slot for today. With it being last minute, I decided to simply dig into more of my photos from the Pennwriters Conference. Today's selection has a theme: Socializing. Schmoozing. Hanging with friends. Whatever you call it, there was a lot of it going on.
In the Hospitality Suite Friday, Nancy Martin sits and chats with Catherine McLean and Ramona Long.
At Friday's keynote dinner, Pittsburgh area Pennwriters Stephanie Claypool, Cheryl Williams, and Carol Moessinger catch up.
And Lee Ann Dawson, Candace Banks, Working Stiffs' Martha Reed get better acquainted.
The networking continued at Saturday's lunch.
Heidi Ruby Miller and Jason Jack Miller were two of the authors participating at the book signing.
CJ Lyons and Becky Levine took part in it as well.
Pennwriters President Carol Silvis and Sandi Hahn share drinks and a laugh at Saturday night's cocktail party.
Fellow Working Stiff Joyce Tremel (on the right) chats with a new friend .
Two Davids: D.L. Wilson and Dave Freas.
Fred Connor, Don Jodon and Mercedes Goldcamp hang out at in the Hospitality Suite before Sunday's closing ceremonies.
Two Peggys and a Dave with a ton of tickets for the basket raffle.
So while the conference was a place to learn about craft and career, it was also a place to hang out with other writers, compare notes, and cheer successes. At Pennwriters, we're all family.
I've decided that past conference coordinators make the best...or at least happiest...conference attendees. We know how much work goes into putting one of these things on, so we appreciate every moment.
We're also thrilled beyond belief that we don't have to do it this time!
All the credit for the huge success of the 2011 Pennwriters Conference goes to Julie Long and Meredith Cohen. They did a fantastic job planning and running this event. BRAVO
And I thoroughly enjoyed every last minute of it. From the wonderful workshops (although a clone would have been nice, since I could only attend one at a time and there were sooo many choices!) to the delicious food (back to the treadmill for me) to the funny and inspirational keynotes, it was a weekend to remember. Plus, how fun to get to see all my Pennwriters friends!
Friday morning I attended the Perfect Pitch workshop with agent Rachel Vater Coyne. The room was packed. Fellow Working Stiff Joyce Tremel and I huddled in the back of the room and took notes. After sharing her suggestions on what makes a good pitch, Rachel opened the floor to anyone wanting to "practice." Her comments on what worked and what didn't were invaluable.
Next, Joyce and I assisted former Working Stiff Tamara Girardi in a hands-on "Twitter for Twits" workshop. (By the way, feel free to follow me on Twitter. I'm @Annette_Dashofy.)
Next came lunch. This was the first year I qualified for the Published Penns Retreat. What an honor to be included in the company of so many talented and successful writers and to listen in on a fascinating discussion of the publishing industry and the changes going on in it. Basically, the business is in such a state of transition, it probably changed three times during the course of the luncheon!
In the afternoon, I attended my friend Becky Levine's workshop on Growing a Critique Group. I picked up quite a few tidbits and ideas to share with my own critique groups.
Friday night is always a big one at the Pennwriters Conference and this one was no exception. The lovely and talented Jacquelyn Mitchard was our keynote speaker and shared a bit of her life story with us. What an inspiration.
Saturday, for me, was agents agents agents. First I attended "The Author-Agent Relationship with former Working Stiff and dear friend Nancy Martin.
That's fellow Pennwriter Stephanie Claypool introducing Nancy, by the way.
Next came "The Do's and Don'ts of Finding an Agent with agent Victoria Skurnick. After lunch, I attended the Agent Panel with all our visiting agents.
Lastly, there was the stand-up comic duo of C.J. Lyons and agent Barbara Poelle in "Welcome to the Jungle."
In the midst of all that, came one of the true highlights of the weekend. The Saturday lunch. First, Ayleen Stellhorn (2008 and 2010 Pennwriters Conference Coordinator) won the meritorious service award.
Then Jonathan Maberry presented an entertaining and uplifting luncheon keynote speech that drove the entire audience to their feet in applause.
After the workshops, there was a book signing event. Ramona Long and I didn't "officially" take part, but we held court at one of the tables and gleefully signed copies of Fish Tales for anyone who asked.
We might have mugged a few people walking by, too, if we happened to spot someone with the anthology tucked under their arm.
Later, I attended the cocktail party. By then everyone (including me) was on the verge of slipping into conference coma. But it was nice to schmooze a bit.
That's me with Jonathan.
Afterwards, our Sisters in Crime gang sneaked off to dinner and took Ramona Long and C.J. Lyons with us. It was a chance for a little bit of quieter conversation.
Sunday, I have to confess, I was done. And I wasn't alone. There were a lot of glassy eyes and slack jaws evident. I didn't even attempt to attend any more workshops. I was brain dead. Fried. Jonathan Maberry's zombies had nothing on me. So I just hung out in the Hospitality Suite and networked AKA schmoozed until closing cermonies and the basket raffle.
Some people, like my friend Peggy Hauser, buy a LOT of tickets.
I didn't win the writer's retreat that I REALLY wanted. But I did win a more practical prize: a folding cart on wheels that was stuffed with books and office supplies.
If you missed this conference, make plans now to attend the 25th anniversary Pennwriters Conference next year in Lancaster. I know I'll be there!
I loved attending the Pennwriters Conference last weekend. It was a wonderful experience, immersing myself in three days of Writers Talking About Writing All of the Time.
During the conference, I overheard two questions: 1) What in the world is going on with the publishing business? and 2) How do I get started?
Easy enough. The answer to Question #1 seems to be "Nuclear Ground Zero" or "Day One". I guess this means we get to start rebuilding the entire publishing business model, bully for us. I only hope authors keep their hands on the reins and their eyes on their contracts this time.
In honor of Jonathan Maberry's very positive and inspiration keynote speech, here's my answer for Question #2:
How Do I Get Started?
Never give up. Listen with a clear mind to every remark and distill that information for the benefit of your work. Writing isn't about ego, money, or awards, it's about story. If you stay true to the story, you will be given more stories to tell.
Be thankful when someone offers you criticism; at least they're interested enough to give a damn. Learn from everything and everyone. Don't close your mind to experience, you never know what you might need to use next, even the unpleasant bits.
Don't be afraid to ask for help or say 'I have no idea' but follow it up and track down the correct answer.
Talk to strangers. Practice courage, I promise it will get easier. Don't be afraid to ask 'Why?' You might be surprised by the answer. Challenge yourself before you challenge others.
Ignore people who say you can't do it even if this person is yourself.
Read Renee Maria Rilke Letters to a Young Poet; Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, and Stephen King's On Writing until the pages fall out and then buy yourself fresh copies.
Take a lot of notes. Work on some part of your writer's life every day. A page a day is a manuscript by the end of one year. Be honest with yourself and let that honesty show through your writing. If you can't work on your manuscript after your day job, get up an hour earlier and work on it before your day job.
Turn off the TV or better yet, junk your set. It's a complete waste of time and what's going on inside your head will be infinitely more interesting than anything you might see on the screen.
Find out what you want to say and then say it. If you get stuck on a plot point, seek out a professional and ask them about it; most pros will be delighted to share their experience and if they aren't, move on and ask the next one. Never take 'no' for an answer. A 'no' actually means 'yes' because a 'no' will block you from moving in the wrong direction and bump you toward the direction you were originally meant to follow anyway.
When you meet someone impossibly difficult, give thanks. It's a blessing and an opportunity. Someone or something made them that way and if you can figure out what that was you'll have a story.
Start NOW. Jump in recklessly with both feet and shout: Geronimo! It really doesn't matter where you start because it will all change in the editing anyway. Getting started is half the work, editing is the other half. Prepare yourself for that. Don't get rushed, let the story tell itself. You can always earn the money you need doing something else. The story will necessarily involve your life experience and you may not have had the experience the story needs yet; fear not, walk on, it will come and in the end you will be delighted. Don't be afraid to chance a mistake. Thomas Edison invented a thousand light bulbs that failed but the one that worked changed the world.
Even if you never earn a dime for all your efforts you are still better off than you would have been if you never tried. Figure out a way to tell your story and then tell it, and tell it again. Amaze your friends. Shame your mother. She'll get over it and secretly she'll be pleased when you're listed in the Library of Congress.
What do you get when you fall in love? Burt Bacharach asked that question in one of his songs. I confess I can hear Dionne Warwick singing as these words hit the screen.
How fast do you fall in love with a book?
I fall in love before I turn the first page. I throw myself into the story, lose track of everything and everyone around me and escape into what I am reading. And if the first page doesn't draw me in like that, I throw the book away, or delete the sample from my Kindle. But when that first page works, when love strikes and I'm compelled to read the rest of the novel that fast, I'm rarely disappointed.
Now I want to deliver that same experience to my readers, and it's tougher than I thought. The big question is "where do you begin the story?" Every character has a life before the story opens. How much of it do you need to know?
Last week I sat in a room with five other writers and we read the openings to about twenty books. Some were best sellers, others simply personal favorites, and others our works in progress. After five hours, I can tell you with great conviction that I may not know how to write a strong opening, but I can now identify one. Like learning the field marks of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, I know what makes me turn the page.
What did I learn? The magic lies in the choice of each word. Specific. Sharp. Memorable. In strong openings each word serves triple duty, more than exposing the action, or introducing the emotion, each word sculpts the fine nuances that tie theme, premise, and promise together with tension.
A tall order for mere mortals. But not for Burt Bacharach. I've decided strong opening chapters are like a song. Crisp and unforgettable, with an cadence that carries you into the story problems. Rhythm, rhyme, melody and time.
Like Katniss from Hunger Games, or Jack Reacher from Lee Child's novels, I'm drawn to characters that drag me into the story problem quickly, with clear emotions, minimal distractions. Characters with a strong moral compass. It's not about likability for me, it's about situational strength. I love characters that fit their environment. No pussy footing around. I want a mystery in the first sentence, a problem within the first paragraph, and a fast beating heart before I turn the first page. Field marks.
Working Stiffs welcomes author Steve Ulfelder today. His debut novel PURGATORY CHASM was released this week to rave reviews. Working Stiffs' review can be found here.
1. Tell us a little bit about your book. Is Purgatory Chasm the first book you've written? Or do you have some of those this-will-never-see-the-light-of-day manuscripts stuffed in a drawer somewhere?
Purgatory Chasm kicks off when an AA buddy of protagonist and narrator Conway Sax asks for help wrestling his classic car away from a shady repair shop that’s had it forever. For his trouble, Conway gets his head caved in. Then the AA buddy is found hanging from a pipe. Even though he never especially liked the AA buddy, Conway makes it his mission to figure out the death and dole out justice in his own way.
I’ve got several other books under my belt, including that never-see-the-light-of-day novel – in my case, a bad Elmore Leonard impersonation that I wrote 20 years ago. Purgatory Chasm is the third book featuring Conway. The first two may see the light of day sometime, who knows?
2. Conway Sax is a pretty cool guy. He has a racing background. You have a racing background. Coincidence? How did he come about?
Series crime fiction has always been my thing, and many of my favorites – John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee especially – fall into the amateur-sleuth category. One thing you need for an amateur sleuth series is a believable machine to provide cases. A full decade ago, it came to me that an Alcoholics Anonymous group could be such a machine. Conway is a recovering drunk with a fanatical devotion to his AA group. Once I figured out that part, much of Conway’s character and background fell into place. He had to be tough, with a beat-up backstory, and he had to have an insanely strong sense of loyalty. As to the racing stuff – hey, write what you know, right?
3. Was it hard to make the switch from journalism to writing fiction?
For me it was easy, because I’ve always been a better writer than reporter. Great reporters love to dig, love to talk with people. Me, I’d rather sit in my dark office making stuff up. Sad but true. Journalism did teach me several valuable lessons, though. First, I know that nobody’s prose is golden nuggets of unchangeable brilliance: anything can and should be edited. Also, for six years I supported my family as a freelancer. So I know how to sit in the chair and be productive even when I don’t feel like it. Put me firmly in the writer’s-block-is-a-crock-of-shit camp.
4. Will there be a sequel? When? What is it about?
Oh yes there will be! Minotaur bought a second Conway book for 2012 release, and I recently sent it over to my brilliant editor, Anne Bensson. This one centers on an election in Massachusetts. An old flame of Conway’s, whom he helped disappear years ago after she had an affair with a powerful businessman, returns to the state – because the businessman is now running for Lieutenant Governor. All the pols begin blackmailing and backstabbing one another, and when people turn up dead, Conway gets stuck sorting out the mess …
5. Are you doing a physical book tour? Blog tour?
No physical book tour, but I am trying to fold events into my racing schedule. Things haven’t firmed up yet, but anybody who lives near Lime Rock, CT; Loudon, NH; Watkins Glen, NY; or southern New Jersey, near Millville, should be on the lookout for me!
Thanks for being our guest today, Steve. For more information, check Steve's website, http://www.ulfelder.com. Or better yet, click this link to buy a copy of his book.
Genesis - or "in the beginning". How does it start? That creative spark, a new beginning of a new project? What comes first? The protagonist, that character that speaks to you from the dark recesses of your subconscious mind, the one that says, "Let me out. I have a voice and will not be silent any longer."
Or is it plot? The story, perhaps ripped from the headlines that sparks the "what if?"
Or is it a burning issue, something that is so deep in you, in your understanding of our world that you simply must explore the issue in your writing?
I've started a new project, born from a not-so-silent-voice, screaming to be free. This new character, Amelia Fortune, is in dire straits. Twice widowed, unjustly convicted of killing her most recent husband, she finds herself at the age of twenty four, forced to trade what she values most, her integrity for safety. But she makes a bad deal and places herself in mortal jeopardy. And then she discovers the world is not fair and there are no rules.
But enough about my project. What about your new beginnings. What sparks your creative genesis? Care to take a moment and introduce us to someone or a situation that you know you will bring to life?
If I had to describe Amelia's situation in six words, it would go like this.
Twice widowed. Wrongly convicted. Trapped by integrity.
Oops, that's more than six words. Try it. Share what you are working on and let's light a fire under some new projects.
p.s. I'm in the land of no internet, trapped on a barrier island with no car. The wifi signal gods have blessed me with a signal, six hours ahead of my usual Wednesday post time. Hence the early post. I'll try to answer comments, but am not sure how frequently the signal gods will bless my sand dune. Know that I am with you in spirit if not in keystrokes.
One of the most inspiring speeches I've ever heard about writing was given last month by Mystery Writers of America President and New York Times best-selling author Lisa Scottoline, who talked about how difficult it is to keep -- and nurture -- a dream when you are over the age of 12.
She was speaking about being a writer, of course. And as part of her presentation on "How to Write a Novel" at last month's MWA Edgars Symposium, she said that dream is our candle and we must do everything possible to protect it. We can't let people blow it out, take it away from us or diminish it.
Scottoline's story of living on credit cards to be a writer and stay-at-home mom is well-known. She believed in her dream, worked hard to achieve it and now is the author of 18 novels and two non-fiction books. She says we all can be published writers, too, if we "protect the candle."
That means even if we have day jobs and other responsibilities, we must make writing a priority and find time wherever and whenever we can to devote to our dream. To help illustrate her point, she said she declines luncheon and other fun invitations that might interrupt her work because writing is her job -- and it comes first.
And, as she notes, if you write 1,000 words a day, you'll have a novel in a couple of months. Even if you write a page a day, you'll have a novel in a year. In her 42-page "Lisa Scottoline's Handy-Dandy Author Kit" distributed at the Symposium she included this inspirational advice from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland":
"Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end; then stop."
But in the process, do you "protect the candle"? Do you say "no" to people and activities that can interfere or distract you from your writing? This includes your family. Do they understand how important it is for you to invest in your craft and your dream? Protecting the candle means doing so against everything and everyone.
I wish I could say I am successful at this, but Lisa Scottoline has shown me I need to work much harder. I can say with certainty that when she finished her hour-long presentation, I wasn't the only one in the room who wanted to run home and get back to writing.
Along with inspiring us all and providing the name and contact information for her agent, she also discussed premise, voice, point of view, setting, time, starting your story, telling your story, ending and getting published.
I urge every one of you -- whether published or unpublished -- to spend $10 for the DVD of her speech or $9 for the CD by going to this link. You won't regret it.
And please don't forget to protect your candle. You won't regret that either.
I mentioned a few months back that I might be trying something new this summer. I promised to let you know if it came through. So far, so good. It's starting to look like it will come to pass.
What the @#$!&*@ is she talking about? you may be wondering. Well, I'll tell you. Remember when I started posting here I used to write about the dozens of jobs I've held? Wall painter, movie extra, lawyer, waitress, writer, salesclerk, etc., etc. - sometimes it seems as if I've done almost everything. One notable exception to the list of trades was teacher. It's not that I've never taught. It's just that my teaching experience is limited to a few adult education courses many years ago on boring-sounding topics like "How to Incorporate Yourself."
Not that I haven't seen a lot of teaching from the far side of the lecturn. Kindergarten, grade school, college, law school, dozens of adult education classes, and my current foray into film school. I know what teaching looks like. And I know what kind of courses I like to take.
I finally decided to bite the bullet and pitched a course myself, to the University of Pittsburgh's Osher Life Learning Institute. OLLI is a special program for students who are fifty years of age or older. For a reasonable flat fee ($225 per year, less for shorter memberships) you can take as many OLLI courses as you want, plus audit up to two undergraduate classes per semester. It's an amazing bargain for those of us who like to learn, but don't take my word for it. Take a look at the catalogue. Over the past few years, I've taken classes on dozens of subjects that piqued my interest - mostly related to writing, film and music - and gone on day trips to places like the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the Lucy and Desi Museum.
This summer, if all goes according to plan, I'll be teaching a three-day course on one of my favorite topics, Bollywood movies.
If you've been following my posts, you know Indian cinema has become an obsession of sorts. [BTW, the Silk Screen Film Festival is going on right now in Pittsburgh, featuring dozens of Asian and Asian-American films, including a few from India.] My course will focus on the work of a particular actor, Shah Rukh Khan.
I've seen more than 60 of his films, and his acting shines in every one. Romance, drama, action, comedy. This guy can do it all. OLLI wouldn't let me show dozens of movies, though. I'll be showing three and, because the films are long (averaging 3-4 hours), the classes will be split - half a movie in the morning, the rest of the movie in the afternoon. Luckily, the three I plan to show come with built in intermissions.
I took a Bollywood film course through OLLI last year and the instructor - who was much more knowledgeable on the subject than I will ever be - was reduced to showing part of a film one week and the rest a week later. I didn't want to do that. You lose too much by breaking a film up that way.
Anyway, I thought I'd give you a taste of the films I'll be offering. It was really hard to choose. I had to by-pass some of my favorites to come up with a selection. I decided to choose based upon a variety of time periods in which the films are set. Dilwale Duhenia Le Jayenge is relatively contemporary; Devdas is set about a hundred years ago; and Asoka takes place in the 3rd Century BCE. Every one of this films is worth seeing - and they're not just about romance. There are serious themes in there.
Dilwale Dulhenia Le Jeyenge (released in 1995) begins with London-raised Raj and Simran meeting on a tour of Europe. They fall in love, but Simran's father has arranged her marriage to a man in India. Raj follows and tries to break up the match.
Based upon an early 20th Century novel, Devdas (2002) tells the story of a London-educated young man who bows to family pressure to give up the woman he loves, only to sink into alcoholism and despair.
Asoka (2001)is based on the true story of a man who built an empire with his sword then, overwhelmed by the horror of the destruction he had caused, forswore violence and became instrumental in the early spread of Buddhism.
Yes, it’s me. I have a new name. And to go with it, I have... well, not a new book, exactly. Just a new edition of an old book.
It’s a long story, but the short version is that the publisher who published A Cutthroat Business last year, decided not to publish the sequel, Hot Property, this summer. They gave those rights back to me, and for a couple of different reasons, none of which matter to this blog post, they threw in the subsidiary rights for A Cutthroat Business as well. Subsidiary rights meaning audio, electronic, foreign, movie and serial rights. Anything except print.
What that means is that I can now self-publish A Cutthroat Business in electronic format, along with all the other books in the Savannah Martin mystery series.
So that’s what I’m doing. What you’re looking at is the new cover for A Cutthroat Business, which is available from Amazon.com, BN.com, Smashwords.com, and maybe a couple of other sites, for the low, low price of only $3.99.
(Yeah, I know there are people out there who sell their books for $.99. But this is 88,000 glorious, beautiful words that I spent a year of my life crafting, and believe me, they’re well worth $3.99. Library Journal said so. “Will delight fans of chick-lit mysteries and romantic suspense.” And if Library Journal says it, you know it’s gotta be true. Besides, $3.99 is only half of what the DIY e-books sell for, and I have it on good authority – I did a poll – that my readers would pay more.)
In another month, I’ll be publishing Hot Property, and the month after that – that’ll make it July – I’ll be throwing book 3, Contract Pending, out there. Book 4, Close to Home, is written but not yet edited, so I don’t know if I can get it ready by August – I’m a third of the way through writing DIY-6, and that’s the priority right now – but I’ll be able to get Close to Home out sometime this fall. If I’m super-focused and really, really lucky, I might have book 5, which has the tentative title of A Done Deal, written by Christmas, although that’s probably pushing it.
Anyway, for the next couple of months, my posts will most likely be focused around this brand new adventure I’m trying on for size. If you’re not interested in e-publishing and the skinny on my journey through the twisted maze of doing it myself, feel free to tune out the first Friday of every month.
If, on the other hand, you find the new frontier to be as exciting as I do, stick around and answer a few of the following questions for me:
1. Do you buy/read e-books?
2. Does it matter to you whether an e-book is self-published (by the author) or traditionally published (by a publisher)? Do you even know whether it is or not when you buy it?
3. Do you think the e-book revolution means the end of the printed word as we know it? How does that make you feel, one way or the other?
4. Does it piss you off when people show almost malicious glee at the thought that print books are on their way out and traditional publishing may go the way of the dodo? (You can probably tell where my feelings are on this subject.)
5. If you’re into e-books and I offered you a free download of A Cutthroat Business, would you read it and do me the favor of posting a review somewhere?
Thanks, y’all! I’ll see you next month with an update.
UPDATE: Edited to add more photos because although they didn't come out well, I didn't want to exclude the authors.
I made my annual trip to the Festival of Mystery in Oakmont, PA this past Monday, and had a wonderful time as usual. Some of my favorite writers were there, and I got to meet a few I hadn't met before. I took loads of photos, but many didn't come out very well. Turns out I should've been using the flash. I'll know better next time!
Annette (the good photographer) showed some of her photos yesterday, and I'll try not to repeat, but this one of Avery Aames is so nice. Congratulations again for winning Best First Novel at Malice!
One of my favorites, Mary Jane Maffini who won the Agatha for Best Short Story. MJ and I had a great time reminiscing about the panel we were on, ahem, a number of years ago. The book she's holding is THE BUSY WOMAN'S GUIDE TO MURDER, the latest Charlotte Adams. Can't wait to dive in!
The so very sweet Heather Webber. Always a winner as far as I'm concerned. I love her Lucy Valentine series. The book Heather's holding (stupid photographer, grrrr) is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY which came out in February. She's coming out with a new series about witches soon!
I'd never met Kate Carlisle, and I bought the first two books of her series. (Not something I normally do with a new-to-me author, but I had a hunch I'll like her books).
The fabulous Rosemary Harris, author of the Dirty Business mysteries. I look forward every year to buying her latest book. This year was no exception.
Of course, no mystery festival would be complete without our own wonderful Nancy Martin! After buying her new Roxy Abruzo book STICKY FINGERS, I got a huge giggle after reading the personalized inscription. . . Pictured here with Nancy is author Beth Groundwater, who I didn't get to meet, but I'm going to check out her Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series!
I met Lois Winston and bought her ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, the first in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. I'd read a blog recently about the story behind this book, and it was a hoot. With any luck I'll be able to find it and post it here in the comments later.
Jess Lourey, who I met and learned from at last year's first MWA-University. I'm now the proud owner of MAY DAY, the first of the A Murder-By-Month Mystery. The woman in red, who I called the nun lady, is Alice Loweecey. Her first book is FORCE OF HABIT and introduces former nun Giulia Falcone. Both look like fun books!
Wendy Lyn Watson, author of SCOOP TO KILL. I would've bought this book if I hadn't won it in her agency's contest last year. Thanks, BookEnds, for the Scavenger Hunt!
This good-lucking guy is Alan Orloff, author of KILLER ROUTINE, a Last Laff Mystery. Alan's DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD was nominated for an Agatha for Best First Novel.
I met Elizabeth Lynn Casey, author of the Southern Sewing Circle mysteries. I won one of her books (PINNED FOR MURDER) from the great scavenger hunt mentioned above. This time I bought the first in the series, SEW DEADLY.
I've read FALLEN by thriller writer Kathleen George, and this year I bought TAKEN. Aren't those great titles? I can't wait to get started!
This wonderful trio includes our fantabulous Annette Dashofy, standing between Beth and Avery. I'd bought the Kindle version of FISH TALES, but couldn't imagine not having a print copy. Y'all must go get this anthology!
Two photos, if you can believe it, came out worse than any of the above but I do want to mention these authors. I bought the latest books in Sheila Connelly's Orchard Mystery. I'm looking forward to finding out what Meg Corey is up to in ROTTEN TO THE CORE and A KILLER CROP.
Brad Parks, author of EYES OF THE INNOCENT, was his usual funny charming self. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough while reading last year's debut FACES OF THE GONE, and I know that's going to happen again this year.
And there you have it. To everyone who commented yesterday about wanting to attend this festival, DO IT. You definitely won't be sorry.
Now, I'm gonna go curl up with a good book. What fantastic choices I have!
Every year, Mystery Lovers Bookshop plays host to fifty or so authors for the Festival of Mystery. I’m not sure how many of these I’ve volunteered at, but it’s been a few. The event is always a ton of fun and thoroughly exhausting for everyone involved.
My role each year is author escort. Since I live in the vicinity of the airport, I pick up anyone staying in one of the airport hotels and drive them to and from the Festival. This year, I only had one author for the inbound trip: Aileen Baron.
I loved hearing her tales of misadventures during her travels.
First stop was the Oakmont Library for the tea. It’s a chance for authors and librarians to mix and mingle and schmooze a bit. It’s also an opportunity to clown around a little.
Nancy Martin catches some antics on film. (Okay, so who uses film anymore? But it doesn’t sound the same to say “on digital.”)
Pittsburgh ladies of mystery Kathryn Miller Haines, Kathleen George, and Heather Terrell strike a pose.
And Heather chats up Richard Goldman of Mystery Lovers Bookshop.
Next, we headed a few blocks away to the Greek Orthodox Church for the Festival. While I wasn’t a “scheduled author,” I did get sign copies of Fish Tales: the Guppy Anthology along with my fellow Fish Talers Beth Groundwater…
…and Daryl Wood Gerber AKA Avery Aames, who came to the Festival with laryngitis and fresh from winning the Agatha Award for Best First Novel.
Also in attendance was another Agatha winner, the radiant Mary Jane Maffini.
And the wonderful Cara Black.
A lot of Working Stiffs and friends were in attendance. Joyce Tremel (darn it, we didn’t get a group photo AGAIN), Paula Matter, Martha Reed, Tamara Girardi, Laurie Kassim, Alan Orloff, Kathy Sweeney… I know I’m forgetting someone and should be tarred and feathered for my lousy memory. Karen Maslowski (who looks EXACTLY like her Facebook photo!) made the long trek to attend.
The Fish Tales display was set up on the bar, so I hung out there all afternoon. In other words, I was easy to find. MaryAlice Meli and Candace Banks, two of my critique buddies, showed up and asked me to sign their copies.
So did my dear friend Marianne Skiba (who has known me longer than just about anybody, knows all my dark secrets, and still likes me!).
Afterwards, we all headed back to the book store for the annual pizza party. We were looking a little frayed around the edges by then, so I have no photos.
The drive back to the airport area was “cozy.” Besides Aileen, Rosemary Harris, Vicki Doudera, and Laura DiSilverio joined me for the ride. I borrowed my mom’s car because the backseat has a smidgeon more room than my Saturn Ion’s does. But it was still tight. Good thing we all get along!
It was a wonderful day. My first author event as a semi-official author. Thanks to Mary Alice and Richard of Mystery Lovers for another Festival to remember.
When Kate Middleton and Prince William got married last Friday, I found myself surprisingly sentimental about the whole thing. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to feel anything. I remember sort of ignoring the big Charles and Lady Di event although my mother did get up early to go to a friend’s house to celebrate with champagne and scones at 4AM.
Being in my early twenties in 1981, I’m sure that 4AM was way too early to support my lifestyle.
But I feel different about this royal wedding. I think it’s because I’ve got another 30 years of life under my belt. I’ve come to realize just how rare and wonderful and painful human hope is. I’ve seen dreams die. Some of the deaths are long and lingering while others are sharp and cynical. I’ve gotten really good at keeping on track of my goals and ignoring the ups and downs of emotional drama that come along the way. Yes, my life is calmer now but lately I’ve been wondering if I’ve lost the ability to feel?
Now I know the answer is no, I do still feel and I know that because I thought ‘good for you’ when I saw Kate and William driving away from Buckingham Palace. I felt myself hoping that they would find some happiness together. I hope that William is man enough to stand up to the lunatic royal protocol and protect his wife the way his father Charles never did for Diana. I hope that Kate (now Catherine with a ‘C’) can keep herself grounded enough to bring joy to their lives so they don’t end up mired in lifeless royal function.
And because this wedding took my mind off of the discussion of presidential birth certificates, killer tornadoes, nuclear meltdowns and war, if even made me wonder if I should be writing romance instead?
In life as in our writing, sometimes an event marks the end of an era. A moment of departure from a path that we can no longer take. As I plot out my next project, my main character stands at a crossroads.
I'm wondering, what do you feel when you are standing at the crossroads yourself? This past weekend, we've seen a royal wedding, a beautification of a Pope, and the death of a major figure. Each of these events marks a crossroad.
What do you feel when you are standing in the crossroad. Do you even know it? Ceremonies and rituals have the advantage of helping me know that's where I am. But what about when it's not so clear cut. What about those times when you have that last conversation without knowing it is the last. Or when you finally realize what you are doing is not working for you and you decide to change.
Do those moments happen as clearly in life as they do in our fiction? Please share how it works for you. My fiction needs more emotional honesty.
