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...