Con Survival Tips by Josh Stallings

 Q: With Covid restrictions starting to ease, many of us are thinking of conferences and festivals. What are you planning? Any fond memories of past events you’d like to share?

A: I went to Bouchercon XXXVI with a messy early draft of my first novel and a dream that I’d sit in the lobby and a publisher would discover me like Lana Turner in Schwab’s and sign me up. That isn’t how it happened for me or Ms. Turner. The problem with this kind of magical thinking is it gets in the way of seeing the real magic. I didn’t sell my book for a bag of gold, instead I got to know fellow writers and readers. I discovered that regardless of how brutal some of our writing can be, members of the crime fiction community are some of the most generous, funny, caring people in the world. These people are the magic.

Many years later I’ve learned a thing or two, here is my guide to surviving crime fiction cons.

Managing my expectations. 

Early on I treated cons like they were legitimate business expenses. I paid X amount for travel and registration and that would boost my sales by X+. As a small press and self published writer I poured most of the profit from my early books into going to cons. I was lucky enough to get two of my books nominated for both Lefty and Anthony Awards. 

Nominated... Lou Berney won

I took out ads in programs, gave away merch… and none of that changed my sales. There are multiple reasons for this, one is that the sample group of readers at any convention is small, from a business lens. And in my case as a writer struggling towards the mid-list, I never found myself on a panel in Ballroom A talking with best sellers to a packed house. That might move the needle, don’t know, it’s never happened. But I suspect the group even in the “big room” still isn’t large enough to push me to “sack of gold” sales numbers. 

If I go to a con expecting that damn bag of gold, I am setting myself up for a resentment. Instead I go looking for joy and encouragement. To be reminded why I write. I love hearing smart people talking about the craft of writing. It fires my engine, I always come home exhausted but with my creative battery charged up. 

Stop comparing my career to other writer’s careers.

This applies to social-media as well as cons. In sobriety I learned “don’t compare your insides to other’s outsides.” Translation, “Just because they look like they have the world by its tail, doesn’t mean they aren’t wracked with the same fears and insecurities as you.” Maybe they just hide it better or, and this is the real truth - you haven’t gotten to know them well enough to find out how they really feel. 

My mind was blown when I discovered writers I considered monsters of the craft, also suffered from imposter syndrome. Not only did they, we spent time together helping each other get over it, or at least quiet its screaming in our heads. 

By not comparing my “chart standing” against others I’m able to see we are all fighting battles to put the best words on a page that we can. We are in this together. I am not alone.

Be here now.  

Wherever I am in my career is where I am now. Early in my film editing career I won some awards, garnered the respect of my peers, made a good living, and through most of it, when I wasn’t actually editing, I was busy planning my next move, or looking backwards hoping not to make past mistakes twice. I was looking anywhere but where I was standing. The actual process of film editing and writing force me to be present. They suck me into the world I am creating and block all else out. As I type these very words, it is me and the keys flying beyond time and space. It is my happy place, okay that was too much, sometimes it’s a happy place, sometimes it hurts, sometimes it’s fucking sad, sometimes it’s ecstatic. BUT, when typing I am present to all of it. I am only here now.

When sitting in the audience for a con panel, I have to be there, fully listening if I’m going to hear what I need to hear. When I’m on a panel, I have to be fully there, listening. If I’m on the dais planning something cute or cool to say, instead of listening, my comment won’t be cute or cool, it will be annoying and again I’ll miss what I need to hear.

This also applies to the lauded con bars. This is a real opportunity to get to know some amazing folks. I don’t want to blow it by putting on the “Josh Show.” My only defense against this defense mechanism, is to truly be present. 

Be grateful. 

The strongest tool against “they stole my success” syndrome is a gratitude list.

1) Today I’m grateful I get to spend my day solving creative problems.

2) Today I’m grateful for the support and respect of writers I really admire.

3) Today I’m grateful for readers. And getting a message from someone who thanks me for telling their story. 

4) Today I’m grateful for writers. Reading is the greatest and cheapest vacation, education, and cure for alienation that I know. Thanks writers.

5) Today I’m grateful for the special ed teacher who came up to me at Left Coast Crime after a panel. She had me sign TRICKY, and said, “I wanted to write about the people I’d met but couldn’t see how until that panel.” Something I said helped her see we don’t write about a monolithic intellectually disabled person, we write about specific people.

6) Today I’m grateful for writers who said nuggets of truth that have helped me get out of my own way as I write.

7) Today I’m grateful for Erika who will be editing these messy words as soon as I finish typing. She creates a safety-net that allows me to type with wild abandon.

8) Today I’m grateful for my sons and dogs and the woods and all the creatures in my world who show me how rich life is.

I have found that I can’t hold gratitude and envy in my heart at the same time. When I start to feel envy, I know it’s time to write a gratitude list. 

As for cons in the age of COVID, it is a case by case deal. We each need to evaluate our own risk vs reward ratio. I have people I care for who are immunocompromised, we don’t have unlimited funds, air travel is both expensive and scary, all of these are part of my personal equation. All of us have complicated lists of pros and cons so I don’t judge any of my crime family for their choices. And that is the bigger point, we are a family. We take care of each other. If some can’t make it this year, I know we will save a seat for them when things change and they can come back.  

If big gatherings are still too much, look around for smaller events. See what your local chapter of Sisters In Crime, or MWA are doing. Seek out local readings. Noir Bar readings aren’t just noir, they’re a great way to hang with writers. Find branches of our collective family tree that fit where you’re at right now.

I look forward to seeing you all, when ever and where ever we meet on this collective journey.

Networking or not working?

by Dietrich

What an appropriate and timely question by Jim as Bouchercon happened this past week in Dallas. Just coming off a book tour for my latest, I’m sorry that I missed the conference this year. From the photos and comments I’ve seen so far it looked like a good one. Guess I’ll have to content myself with having attended Left Coast Crime held here in Vancouver earlier this year. Great panels, a lot of readers and writers, and best of all, the organizers let me put together the Noir at the Bar which turned out to be a total blast. Like all the conferences I’ve attended it was awesome, although I’m still kicking myself for missing out on the Criminal Minds lunch which included eight of our own Criminal Minds as well a few alumnus.

LCC Noir at the Bar Blake Crouch, Hilary Davidson, Rob Hart, Sam Wiebe, Frank Zafiro, SJ Rozan, Thomas Pluck, Kellye Garrett, Vicki Delany, Lisa Brackmann, Robin Burcell and me.

Now, to the question: As far as networking, I admit I never think of going to a conference in those terms. For me, it’s a party, a chance to connect with some old friends and maybe meet some new ones. 

Once checked in, I start running into people wearing those lanyards in the halls, restaurants, cafes, on the street, at the various panel discussions, and at the ever popular watering holes. So, if attending a conference is networking, then I guess, like a lot of other writers and readers attending, I’ve been working and putting in some serious overtime.

Writers, readers, agents, editors and publishers: throw a scotch on the rocks at the conference bar and you’re bound to hit one. So, if you’re new or just introverted and haven’t been yet, but you want to connect with writers and readers or get in front of somebody on the publishing side of things, there’s no better way to do it. And if you’re just there to party, that’s hard to beat, too.

One tip, if you’re new to it and you’ve got a book out, have an elevator pitch ready. There’s nothing worse (personal experience) than being asked what your book’s about, and standing there going “uh, well, uh …” looking like a deer in the headlights.

Sure, there are other ways to network: social media, writer events, reading groups, associations like Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers of Canada, Thriller Writers of America. And there are writers’ festivals and events available in just about every city.

Okay, so I didn’t get to Bouchercon this year, but as I mentioned, I did just return from what’s turned into an annual book tour down the coast to California, filled with reading events, a Noir at the Bar, and a two-day writers’ workshop. And I guess as well as catching up with old friends and making some new ones, each event was a new opportunity to network. I even got to ride in a police car – in the front seat this time, doing some research for a story I’ve got percolating. 

And now that I’m back on home turf, I should mention the next Noir at the Bar here in Vancouver is tonight at our usual haunt, the Shebeen Whiskey House. If you’re in town, you can see from the poster, we’ve got an excellent line-up of authors eager to network and read from their latest; it’s going to be one you don’t want to miss.

Over the Moon

What do you remember about the first time you read your crime fiction work in progress or finished novel/short story to an audience?

by Dietrich

Before my first novel Ride the Lightning came out, I was over the moon. I signed a three-book deal with ECW Press and I got a chance to go to my first Bouchercon in September 2013, traveling by car from Toronto to Albany with one of my favorite Canadian authors, John McFetridge. And I met so many great authors while I was there, like 7 Criminal Minds’ own Cathy Ace and Robin Spano. 

E.R Brown, Linda L. Richards, me,
Robin Spano, Owen Laukkanen
(missing: Sam Wiebe)
at Vancouver's first Noir at the Bar, 2014.

Before the release of my book, scheduled for the following April, I went to a reading event in West Vancouver featuring E.R. Brown. I wanted to see how it was done, and I listened as Eric read excerpts from his rocking novel Almost Legal and spoke to the packed room about the writing process. He set the bar pretty high and I learned a lot. 

A couple weeks later I went to another authors’ event at the Vancouver Public Library, listening to Andrew Piper, Deryn Collier and Sean Slater read from recent works, and I came away with more ideas on how it was done. 

So, I felt more or less ready; now all I needed was an event where I could read. I had met Peter Rozovsky at Bouchercon, and he had talked about Noir at the Bar and that sounded perfect for the kind of stories I was writing. 

Vancouver hadn’t had a Noir at the Bar event before, and although I’d never read my work to an audience, I thought why not organize one. So, I called on fellow Vancouverite Robin Spano, along with Eric Brown and I had my first two authors. Robin suggested Owen Laukkanen and Linda L. Richards. And Eric had introduced me to Sam Wiebe at the Arthur Ellis Announcement event that year. And just like that, Vancouver had its first Noir at the Bar line-up.

The amazing Shebeen Whisky House in Gastown hosted us, as they have ever since. And we have been very fortunate to have the support of White Dwarf Books/DeadWrite Books who have come out and taken care of book sales every time since that first event. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Jill and Walter. Vancouver is truly blessed to be home to this wonderful bookstore. 

So, along with organizing the event, I rehearsed the chapter I would read until I felt I wasn’t going to stumble all over it. I didn’t want to get in my own way and ruin the rhythm of the words. And sure, the nerves were there, but nothing a pint of Guinness wouldn’t cure. Plus, the place was pretty dark, and when I stepped to the mic, I had a book to hide behind. 

That evening drew a good crowd, and when it was over I just wanted to do it again. 

This marks the start of the sixth year of Noir at the Bar events in Vancouver. So, if you’re in the area for our first one on May 1st, please come and check it out, and if you’re an author with a new mystery or crime novel coming out and would like to take part in a future event, please drop me a line at my website.

And if you’re planning to attend Left Coast Crime in Vancouver, make plans for the special Noir at the Bar on Thursday, March 28th at 7:30 PM. 

The Big Squeeze

Overheard at Bouchercon in Florida last month: “I don't write series *or* standalone; I write books.” Do you love/hate/mind/notice/use/ignore the publishers' and booksellers' classifications of your work?

by Paul D. Marks

It’s not a question of loving/hating/minding/noticing/using or ignoring the classifications. I do all of those, well maybe except for the first. But it’s something we have to live with. What annoys me is when the Powers That Be want to stuff us or our work into a small bag or can’t figure out what bag to stuff us into.


Pigeonholing:

Early on in my switch from scripts to prose, I wrote a novel based on a screenplay I had written. The screenplay had been optioned many times by many people or entities, but ultimately never produced – story of my life. So I decided to turn it into a novel. It’s a mystery-thriller with a touch of sci-fi. An editor at a well-known publisher wanted it. But whatever committee of faceless people make the final decisions on such things rejected it. Why? Because they didn’t know how to classify it. Was it a mystery? A thriller? Sci-fi? How do we sell it? What section of the bookstore would it go in? Things like that. So the editor, much to her regret, had to reject it.

I also agree with what Susan said on Monday re: agents or publishers trying to squeeze you into a box.

Series vs. Standalone

Why not do both? Initially, I didn’t think I’d want to be writing a series character. I thought it might get stale. But there are ways to keep series fresh and exciting. To this point I’ve written two Duke Rogers P.I. novels, White Heat and the recently released Broken Windows. And a third is slated. I’ve also written several short stories in the Ghosts of Bunker Hill series, featuring another P.I., Howard Hamm, that’s been appearing in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

The Howard Hamm series is fun to write in a lot of ways. For one thing, the narrator is dead. Yup, dead. A ghost. He was killed in the first story. You’d think being dead he’d be like an omniscient narrator who sees and knows everything. But not in this case. He pretty much sees what Howard sees over Howard’s shoulder. And even if does see something that he wants to give Howard a heads up on or wants to warn Howard about he has no way to communicate with him. Frustrating. It’s hard being a ghost. The stories are, in my humble opinion, solid mysteries, but they do have that ghostly aspect to them.

On the other hand, the Duke Rogers series is more on the hardboiled and noir side. No ghosts. Just clear doses of hard-edged reality. And so far each story, including the coming one, is set around real events. The stories take place in the 1990s. White Heat revolves around the Rodney King riots of 1992. Broken Windows around California’s anti-illegal alien Proposition 187 events of 1994. And the third one will also revolve around actual events that took place in L.A. in the later 90s. The fact that they revolve around real events that the characters find themselves in keeps it fresh on one level. But the thing that really keeps it fresh is how one deals with the characters. Hopefully, the characters are live, flesh and blood people with real problems and life stories and situations. This helps keep them alive and fresh and facing new challenges, besides the challenges of the cases they’re working or those real events that envelope the cases and characters.

Vortex is a stand-alone novel, about a returning vet, who finds more trouble at home than he did in the war. So that was a break from the series characters.


Typecasting:

On the other-other hand (I think I might be running out of hands) I don’t really want to be typecast as only the guy who does the Duke Rogers series or the Howard Hamm series. So I try to switch it up sometimes. For the Bouchercon Florida Happens anthology I did a story called There’s an Alligator in My Purse, which is a humorous take on the foibles of Florida and people. I hope readers get a chuckle or two out of it. And, though I’m known – if I’m known at all – as a noir or hardboiled writer, I do like writing humorous things once in a awhile, like that story or Continental Tilt (which you can find in the Murder in La La Land anthology), and hopefully funny stories as well. That said, Windward, my story from Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea, is another story about a P.I. A different kind of P.I., whose Venice Beach office is over a Cold War bomb shelter that also serves as his home. And, while that might sound a little humorous, the story really doesn’t work on that level. And, no, I don’t only write about P.I.s, but lately my works seem to be the Invasion of the Body Snatcher P.I.s. And why not, who doesn’t want to carry a gat, wear a fedora and trenchcoat and have a moll on each arm. I guess my P.I.s don’t, ’cause none of them do any of those things. Well, maybe they carry a gat when needed.

***

So the bottom line is that there’s reasons for doing series and reasons for breaking from the pattern. As long as I can do both I’m good to go. Just don’t stuff me in a bag that doesn’t fit.

***

And now for the usual BSP:

I’m honored and thrilled – more than I can say – that my story Windward appears in The Best American Mystery Stories of 2018, edited by Louise Penny and Otto Penzler, which just came out this week. I wrote a blog on that on SleuthSayers if you want to check it out: https://www.sleuthsayers.org/2018/10/the-impossible-dream.html .

I’m doubly thrilled to say that Windward won the Macavity Award at Bouchercon a few weeks ago. Wow! And thank you to everyone who voted for it.

And I’m even more thrilled by the great reviews that Broken Windows has been receiving. Here’s a small sampling:

Here’s a small sampling of excerpts from reviews for Broken Windows:

Kristin Centorcelli, Criminal Element: 

"Although it’s set in 1994, it’s eerie how timely this story is. There’s an undeniable feeling of unease that threads through the narrative, which virtually oozes with the grit, glitz, and attitude of L.A. in the ‘90s. I’m an ecstatic new fan of Duke’s."

"Duke and company practically beg for their own TV show."

John Dwaine McKenna, Mysterious Book Report:

"This electrifying novel will jolt your sensibilities, stir your conscience and give every reader plenty of ammunition for the next mixed group where the I [immigration] -word is spoken!"

Betty Webb, Mystery Scene Magazine:

"Broken Windows is extraordinary."

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Getting out there

by Dietrich Kalteis

Many of us who blog here belong to writerly organizations (like Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers Association (UK), Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers etc.) and some don’t. What benefits do those who belong to such groups feel they derive from their membership, and – for those who don’t belong to any – why have you chosen that route?

I have to admit I’ve let some memberships lapse lately as I’ve become caught up in my own writing and all that goes with it. And I know there are a couple of writers on this blogsite who have spent countless hours working to make these organizations happen, and I can just hear them going tsk tsk if they read that. But, let me say, organizations like Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers of Canada, and so on, are all worth checking out, especially for any aspiring and new mystery and crime writers. It’s a great way to connect to the local writing community, as well as a good way to network and get yourself and your work known. There are newsletters, opportunities to attend chapter meetings and take part in local writer events, promote books on their websites, and post events on online calendars.

Writing is pretty much a solo effort, so it’s important to step away from imaginary friends and get away from the desk once in a while. And another way to connect with other writers is through the various conferences and festivals that take place each year, like Thrillerfest, Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime. Most of which are also connected with writer organizations. Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime are held in a different city each year, and although traveling and attending can be costly, it’s a fantastic opportunity to network with the mystery and crime-writing community. The first Bouchercon I attended was in Albany NY in 2013, a great experience of meeting authors and readers and taking in author panels. It was also an opportunity to meet with authors in their natural habitat, the convention bar, standing around with a bunch of talented writers having a great time. These conventions are the perfect opportunity to take part in various panel discussions, pitch your stories to agents and publishers, and it’s also a chance to meet and chat with avid readers. One convention I’m looking forward to is Left Coast Crime which will be here in Vancouver in 2019. Although I haven’t been, the Harrogate Festival and Bloody Scotland would be awesome to attend.

Writing associations are also worth checking out. Aside from meeting others who write, you can listen to guest speakers, attend regular meetings, workshops and seminars. Then there are events like Noir at the Bar which are popping up all over. I organize a couple of these events in Vancouver each year, and I’ve attended and taken part in N@B events in L.A., Seattle, Toronto and Raleigh, NC. These events are another great chance to meet, mingle and hear other authors read from their latest works. If you’re an aspiring or debut writer, it’s a shot at joining the line-up and reading your work to a roomful of eager listeners. The events are always well attended, and many talented authors have graced our events with their presence, coming from as far as Toronto, Edmonton, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver and Seattle. So, if you’re in the neighborhood, you’re welcome to check out the next one here on Wednesday, November 1st. And as part of a book tour for Zero Avenue, I’m also taking part in a Noir at the Bar in Seaside, California on Friday, October 20th. A guaranteed good time. 

Social media is another good way to network, and I’ve made many connections with writers online who I eventually ended up meeting later on at some writing event. When I started writing, I joined Zoetrope, Frances Ford Coppola’s online workshop, where writers submit their screenplays and short stories and trade peer reviews. And I met some interesting writers there, got valuable help and even ended up having a couple of screenplays optioned through people I met. 

So, whether it’s for inspiration, information, promotion or socialization, it’s important to get away from the desk now and then and hang out with others who do what you do. And it’s amazing how helpful, friendly and supportive people who write about crime and some pretty gruesome stuff can be.

Eenie Meenie Miney Moe To Which Convention Do I Go?

There’s only so much time, and there’s only so much money, while the opportunities are plentiful. How do you decide which writing conferences and conventions to attend? (ie, what are your criteria?)

by Paul D. Marks

Funny you should ask, since I spent this weekend at the California Crime Writers Conference in Culver City, CA (Los Angeles). In fact, I’m writing this the night I returned home from the conference – so that’s one I decided to attend. It’s put on by the Los Angeles chapters of both Sisters in Crime and the Mystery Writers of America. I’m on the board of the latter and have been on the board of the former (a long time ago). That sort of helps in determining whether or not to go 😉 . However, I would go anyway. This is one hell of a good conference that’s put on every two years by these groups. It’s local – well fairly local for me. And that helps. But one still has to pay for the conference and maybe the hotel.

My Panel at CCWC this past weekend:
The Long and Short of It: Short Stories and Novellas vs. Novels

L to R: S.W. Lauden, Me, William Kent Krueger, Kate Thornton, Travis Richardson

As the question says, there’s only so much time and so much money and tons of conferences and conventions. And, while I might like to attend many conventions/conferences, one necessarily has to limit the ones we go to. If the event is local that certainly makes it easier to decide to attend. No airfare. Though sometimes even for local events I might stay in the hotel where it’s being held. It’s just easier than going back and forth, especially as we live kind of off the beaten path.

Bouchercon, Long Beach

Another thing that might make me want to attend is if I’m nominated for an award. But sometimes you don’t know that by the time you have to register. Sometimes it’s the city where the event is being held that draws you in, besides the event itself. I really wanted to go to Bouchercon in New Orleans. And we’d made reservations but due to the usual “circumstances beyond my control” I had to cancel. It would have been nice to hit Left Coast Crime in Hawaii too. Luckily those are both places I’ve been to a lot so I didn’t feel totally let down not going.

Bouchercon 2015 - Raleigh
L to R: Elaine Helms, Paul D. Marks, Art Taylor, Tara Laskowski, Janet Hutchings, Rick Helms

The Edgar Awards are always in New York and are the Big Kid on the Block of mystery/crime awards, akin to the Oscars in Hollywood. I didn’t know if I’d ever have a chance to go to them, but luckily I did get to go to the last Edgars a few weeks ago since I won the Ellery Queen Readers Award and was EQ’s guest at the Edgars. And I would love to go again…especially if I’m ever nominated 😃.

The quaint house we bought in Albany during the 2013 Bouchercon.
See, you never know what'll come of going to a convention 😉 .

And Bouchercon is the Big Kid of mystery/crime conventions/conferences. I’ve been to a few and really enjoyed them all. Love being able to connect with people I’ve met online, or people I don’t get to see in person that often, and to meet new people. We went to Bouchercons in Raleigh, NC and Albany, NY, two cities we might never have visited if not for the convention. And while we enjoyed Bouchercon we also booked a couple of extra days so we could explore the “neighborhoods,” and enjoyed them both. We’ve been to other Bouchercons as well, but in cities we already “knew.” There’s also the ITW convention, which I’d like to attend someday. And Malice and so many others. It really is hard to choose.

The Food Truck Day Celebration, right outside the Bouchercon hotel in Raleigh.
Who knew?

Even if you’re an introvert, you still might want to check some of these out. Most people are friendly and the writing community is very supportive. It might be uncomfortable at first, but eventually you’ll become part of the flow.

Hanging out at the bar -- a Bouchercon tradition.

My wife, Amy, usually comes with me. It gives us a chance to get away and spend time together. And we always have a good time.

Amy, on our way home from Left Coast Crime in Monterey, CA.

Of course, I’d like to attend as many conventions as I could, for the comradery, the networking, fun, adventure, excitement! And the food. But it’s impossible, so it really does come down to where they are, how much they are, how well suited to my writing style they are. Possibly if I have a book coming out that also would motivate me to want to hit the road.

I doubt you’d go wrong attending any of the established conventions/conferences. There’s always something to learn, people to meet and places to explore. Have fun!

###

And now for the usual BSP:

My story Twelve Angry Days is in the May/June issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, on sale at newsstands. Or click here to buy online. If you like food and you like mysteries, I think you might like this story.

***

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Summer's Almost Gone

Summer's almost done! How did you spend your summer vacation? Or did you even take one?

by Paul D. Marks


What I’d like to do here is quote from Casablanca, where Rick (Bogart) is talking to his former girlfriend, Yvonne (Madeleine Lebeau):

Yvonne: Where were you last night?Rick: That's so long ago, I don't remember.
Yvonne: Will I see you tonight?
Rick: I never make plans that far ahead. ₸

And even though summer’s not really over, whatever happened already seems so long ago that I barely remember it. And what I do remember, well, I hope this won’t be too much of a downer:

A few weeks ago we almost got evacuated—again (this was our 3rd close call, and we’ve actually had to leave twice) because of one of So Cal’s ubiquitous fires. Luckily it didn’t come to that this time. I think we were just on the border of the mandatory evac area. That didn’t stop it from being a very tense few days. I work at home and Amy stayed home from work in case we did have to get out. Watching a traffic jam of horse trailers removing horses from our area really brought home how close it was.

No sooner did that situation settle down than my dad fell and ended up in the ER. While there they discovered that he had a heart valve that needed replacing. After 17 days in the hospital he’s back home recuperating slowly in a sort of two-steps-forward-one-step back routine. Though lately it seems more like five steps back.

On the good news front, Amy got to go home to see her family. But I stayed here to tend to business and take care of the critters. So, I didn’t go anywhere this summer, which is fine with me. Mostly, I got to hang with the dogs and Amy (not putting them all in the same category ;) ). And get some writing done (not enough—it’s never enough!).

From Amy's vacation

And there were some good things on the writing front. I sold my first story to Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and got the news that Ghosts of Bunker Hill will be in the December issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, the last issue of Ellery Queen’s 75th year anniversary celebration. And both of those are reason for celebration in our house!

But summers aren’t like the summers when I was a kid when all you had to do was head down the California Incline to the beach. No worries. No bills to pay. No appointments to keep or places to be. Not much Responsibility with a capital R. Just Sun, Sea, Sand and Surfer Girls. In fact, I met my first real girlfriend at the beach on one of those lazy summer days. A California Girl on a California Beach. Like the Beach Boys sang in Surfer Girl:

We could ride the surf together
While our love would grow
In my Woody I would take you everywhere I go*

California Incline

All I needed was a Woody, which I never managed to get – and when I met her I wasn’t quite old enough to drive yet. Though at one point I did have a Ford station wagon with fake wood on the side. Does that count?

And now that summer’s almost gone, a few lines about that from the Doors:

Summer's almost gone 
Summer's almost gone 
Almost gone 
Yeah, it's almost gone 
Where will we be 
When the summer's gone?**

Where will we be when summer’s gone? Well, we were supposed to be at Bouchercon in New Orleans. Unfortunately due to the usual circumstances beyond our control it looks like we’re going to have to bow out of that, which is a major bummer!

So maybe next summer will be better but for now I’m looking forward to autumn and winter, such as it is in SoCal. And maybe we’ll get enough rain to fill the creek again. Now that would be something!

***

Check out my story Deserted Cities of the Heart in the recently released St. Louis Noir.

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₸ Written by: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Murray Burnett, Joan Alison, Casey Robinson

* “Surfer Girl,” written by Brian Wilson. Performed by the Beach Boys.

** “Summer’s Almost Gone,” written by Jim Morrison. Performed by the Doors.

A Tale of Several Cities by Cathy Ace

Tell us which conferences are your favorites and why you like to attend them.

There are different types of conferences in “our world” of crime writing: there are the conferences devoted to the craft of writing where authors pay to attend and have the chance to listen to those who write and teach writing; there are “festivals” where authors are invited to attend, are paid to do so, and tickets are sold so that (generally) readers and fans have the chance to listen to authors speak on panels or in interviews; then there are “conferences/conventions” where authors and readers/fans sign up and pay to attend, the authors are arranged into panels where their audience comprises readers and other authors, and there are many chances for socializing and mingling.

I’ll take the chance to consider this third type of “get together”, because it’s what I’ve attended most of to date.

So far I’ve attended Bloody Words (now defunct…nothing to do with my appearance there, I don’t think!), Bouchercon, Left Coast Crime and Malice Domestic. I’ll be attending CrimeFest in the UK for the first time this year. Each is different and all have their plus-points, so being asked to choose a favourite is like being asked to choose a favourite child. I’ll therefore (wimp that I am), give that part of the question a miss and focus on each in turn (this might help readers of this blog who are considering attending a conference and need some insights).

With Sue Grafton at Bouchercon

Bouchercon is the biggest annual international convention focusing on crime fiction, and non-fiction. It moves to a different venue each year and, while it’s usually held within the last three months of the year, the exact dates vary. Because it’s the biggest (around a couple of thousand delegates sometimes) it can feel overwhelming (the first ever conference I attended was a Bouchercon and I certainly felt a bit nonplussed at first). However, because it’s so big it gives authors of many different types of sub-genres the chance to meet each other, their readers, and new potential readers. From cozy to noir, historical to espionage, YA to forensic (if you can imagine those as being on any sort of spectrum) authors and fans are represented, so it’s a wonderful melting pot for all things criminal. I met people at that first Bouchercon who have become friends I now keep in touch with on an ongoing basis, learn from as I read and admire their work…and I had the chance to become a complete fangirl when I met many of the Big Names whose work has given me joy over decades – Sue Grafton and Katherine Hall Page to name just two. Here’s a link to the website: http://www.bouchercon.info/

With Louise Penny

Malice Domestic is the annual conference that focuses on traditional and cozy mysteries. To the uninitiated, it might come as a surprise to realize how far the word “cozy” goes: Hank Phillippi Ryan, Louise Penny, Charles Todd and Catriona McPherson – all of whom write books that deviate from the expected “here’s a cat solving a mystery in a cheese shop” idea of “cozy” – are among the attendees (and award winners) who write compelling, thrilling, procedural and even dark works where a crime is at the heart of the story, and the recesses of the human condition and character are investigated. It’s always held in Bethesda, Maryland over the last weekend in April and has a few hundred attendees – both authors and readers. It’s a blast for those of us who believe suspense and satisfaction can be delivered without the need for acronyms, global maniacs, umpteen explosions or car chases – and that we can weave a tale that engages and holds the attention of readers without resorting to gore or strong language on the page. I’ve attended a few Malice Domestic conferences, and am looking forward to the next one at the end of this month. I’ll get to renew friendships, learn from my peers, and mix with authors whose work is, for me, the epitome of skillful plotting, character-building and storytelling. This year I also get to moderate a panel there for the first time – something I’m honoured (and a bit nervous) to do…it’s a big responsibility to ensure the authors on the panel have their chance to shine. Here’s the website: http://malicedomestic.org/

With Catriona McPherson at LCC

Left Coast Crime is, for me, a great balance: its focus is any sort of crime fiction/non-fiction but with a slant toward the West Coast of the USA and Canada. Around five hundred authors and readers attend, and it’s held in different venues in the “Left Coast Crime” region at slightly different times of the year (usually February/March). Authors who either live in the region or set their work there (the location on the temperate West Coast attracts many from the chillier East) enjoy the relatively relaxed atmosphere, and there’s a lot of mingling with readers and fans. I’ve attended a few of these and have also planned my time to be able to indulge in “side-trips” (this year it was held in Phoenix, AZ, so I took the chance to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West – next year it’s in Honolulu so I dare say a bit of time on Waikiki Beach will be called for!). Because it’s a multi-genre conference the mix of readers and authors is similar to Bouchercon, but on a smaller scale. Even so, with four or five tracks of panels running for the whole conference there’s no shortage of places to be, and people to meet. Here’s a link to the site: http://leftcoastcrime.org/

I don’t know what to expect of CrimeFest. Because I have a UK publisher for my WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries (which are set in Wales) I felt I should find out more about UK authors and readers, and attending CrimeFest seems to be a good way to do it. I’m thrilled that the two panels I’ve been selected to appear on will have me sitting down with, in one case, James Runcie the author of the books featuring Sidney Chambers upon which the TV series Grantchester is based, and, on another, with Felix Francis, who has taken up the reins of his father’s hugely successful domination of books set in the world of horse racing. It’s also got an international slant that veers toward the European and I know I’ll get to meet Icelandic, Scandinavian and French etc. authors as well as others from the UK (Ian Rankin included – WOOT!). It should be exciting! Here’s a link: http://www.crimefest.com/

Cathy Ace writes the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries (book #2 THE CASE OF THE MISSING MORRIS DANCER was published in hardback in February, and book #1 THE CASE OF THE DOTTY DOWAGER was published in trade paperback on March 1st) and the Cait Morgan Mysteries (book #7 THE CORPSE WITH THE GARNET FACE was published in paperback in April). Find out more about Cathy and her work, and sign up for her newsletter at http://cathyace.com/