Killer Nashville 2024

Finally recovered from the wonderful and thoroughly tiring weekend at the Killer Nashville mystery conference. Days of talking with other writers and learning more about the marketing of books.

Clay Stafford, who created this event, signing a book for a fan. 

Clay will be our guest on Tuesday, September 24th, for the Tewksbury Library Writer's Night Out, so be sure to tune in. 

Thanks to all the KN staff for their hard work in making this conference a major success. Especially Beth, Kylee, and Matti!  💓

It was a busy time- I gave 3 solo presentations, and was on 2 other panels.

Here's my panel on How to be a Successful Indie Author (also the title of one of my books to help writers!)

L to R: Kelly Oliver, Carmen Amato, Mary Jumbelic, Mike Faricy

Our moderator, Georgia Cockerham

Here's my audience for my presentation on Motivation and Having a Long Career, which wasn't even in the program, due to a last-minute substitution. 

It was supposed to be a talk on autopsies, so I asked if anyone wanted to volunteer as a visual aid for that. 

Jeremy Brazzell on the right offered to be the victim, and Yasmeen Salama in the middle, offered to do the cutting...  😏

Also did a presentation on 87 Ways to Sell More Books, also another title of mine. Big audience of over 40 people! 

And another on Excuses, from another book of mine, How to Conquer Excuses and Just Write. 

My other panel was on Book Launches and Promotions. I was joined by Tilia Klebenov-Jacobs, who graciously took a suitcase of books down for me to sell, and kept me company during the many book signings. 

Was so busy, only got to one other panel, Tools to Get Unstuck Mid-Manuscript.

L to R: Sierra Kay, Baron Birtcher, ER Kaye, Avram Lavinsky, Amber Mayer, Regina Galvin.

For selling the books we wrote, we had a huge vendor room with space enough for all.

Chris Underwood (the Richard Gere lookalike on the left), joined us for hijinks, and Bruce Robert Coffin hugs GoH T.M. Clark.

Met so many people, some former friends, and many new ones.

Pics of just a few of the over 600 attendees... though I missed many I spoke with- mea culpa... 

Here's the core of troublemakers that formed the crew nucleus.

Elizabeth, Helen Thornton-Gussy (all the way from New Zealand!), and Morgan Waddle. 

If you need a good editor, Helen and Morgan are available!

Avram, Kaye, Elizabeth and me

Lots of socializing!

Tom Barber, Elizabeth, Morgan, and Josh (CJ Howell)

Did not get pics of two writing buds from my area, Janet Raye Stevens and S. Lee Manning, but we had fun anyway! 

Jena was one of the first folks I met there.

RJ Shaw, a retired FBI agent (lots of ex-law enforcement types there)

Julie Elbe

Josh (CJ Howell)

James L'Etoile and Meredith Lyons

R. Weir

Jena and CB Wilson

Patrick O'Donnell and Kaye Ellis

Jim Nesbitt with Elizabeth

Darren Werkmeister

So much fun. Now about next year...  

Letterpress Re-opening

Went up to Maine to visit for the grand re-opening of Letterpress Books in Portland. 

Kathy Osborne has done a great job of seeing the long-process expansion. 

They've grown to have so much more room for all the authors they love. 

An active day, with snacks for all, and visits from local authors.

Here's Monica Wood, there to sign her latest. 

She's got quite a few fans!

Even more room inside, and look at the good books they stock- those are mine, bottom shelf, by dint of the alphabet.

Roomy and plenty of light- make sure you stop in when up north! 

Tatnuck Featured Authors

Dropped by Tatnuck Books in Westborough yesterday to see some friends signing books.

Nicole Asselin and J.M. Taylor with mystery and baseball works.

So Much News!

Wow- so much going on. Busy month- some retirement.

We had a fun time at the Brockton Library, making a mystery.

Then my story is out in the August issue of Mystery Magazine.

And I've got a new book out, to help writers get unstuck.

And I've got books on the shelf at the Dedham Barnes and Noble.

On the bottom, due to the alphabet, but right below and left of Louise Penny!

And still in the correct location.

And now the Hingham Barnes and Noble joins the ranks of bookstores carrying my titles! 

And in two weeks, I'll be giving presentations at the Killer Nashville Mystery Conference!

Woburn Library with the Sisters in Crime

We had a fun day at the Woburn Public Library, with a panel on How to Make a Mystery, one of our specialties at the Sisters in Crime Speaker's Bureau. A sort of improv, where a group of mystery writers takes suggestions from the audience and puts together a mystery on the spot.

Here I am with Bonnar Spring, BJ Magnani, and JA Macintosh. Each bag on the table contains audience written suggestions as to names, settings, occupations, motives for murder, and possible weapons used. We had some good ones. They get written on the big white board, and we set our mystery minds to crafting a story. 

Good audience, who stuck with us throughout. By the end, we had quite a complicated story, with inheritance issues, betrayal, affairs, a secret love child, racing horse doping, embezzlement, and more. 

After the presentation, we had a chance to chat with attendees and describe our books for sale. 

Thanks to the library staff, especially Megan and Jess, who set things up for us. Nice to have snacks and good AC on a hot August afternoon. 

New Story Out and Upcoming Appearance, Upcoming Book Release

Wow- my story The Trade is out today in the August issue of Mystery Magazine, and I get cover credit! 

Come see us this Saturday, August 3, from 1:00—3:00 PM.

In person at the Woburn Public Library.

Mystery Making with Sisters in Crime, New England.

In this fun, fast-paced improv game, the authors BJ Magnani, J.A. McIntosh, Dale T. Phillips, and Bonnar Spring, will brainstorm on their feet to create a brand new mystery, using suggestions from the audience.

And if that's not enough for just the first day of August, I've got a new book coming out soon, a guide for conquering those excuses which keep you from writing.