Sisters in Crime Holiday Event 2019

Despite the impending Snowpocalypse, we held the Sisters in Crime Holiday Event at the Chelmsford Center For the Arts.
Thanks to Susan Gates and the Center for the community support.

It was a lovely get-together with food, drinks, and good conversation.

Lisa Jackson, here with Chapter President Connie Johnson Hambley, received special thanks for putting this event together, as she has for so many functions in the past number of years.

To see an interview with Connie, click here.

Despite the weather, we had folks come from far and wide across New England.
Here's a group from Maine, including Bruce Robert Coffin and Ed Hunt.
To see an interview with Bruce, click here.

And Arlene Kay, coming in from the Cape.

To see an interview with Arlene, click here. 

Joanna Schaffhausen brought the family.

To see an interview with Joanna, click here.

Toni (Leigh Perry) Kelner gets a new throne for Sid the Skeleton!

To see an interview with Toni/Leigh, click here.

Tilia Klebenov-Jacobs

To see an interview with Tilia, click here.

Mo Walsh and Stephen Kelner bravely sing a holiday ditty penned by one of our attendees.

Julie Hennrikus, Edith Maxwell, and Susan Oleksiw

To see an interview with Edith, click here.

A nice time was had by all.

Jeffery Deaver Comes to Boston

The local chapter of the Mystery Writers of America hosted a day-long talk with noted author Jeffrey Deaver, who spoke on the craft and business of writing mystery/crime fiction in the current market.

Here's two posters showing covers of the books published this last year by MWA members.

With Mike Johnson and Don Kaplan as seated greeters. 

To see an interview with Don, click here.

Thanks to Hans Copek for putting the posters together.  

Hey, look at the second one down on the far right- 

why, it's the cover of A Sharp Medicine, my fifth Zack Taylor mystery.

Of course we had other celebrities, like the ever-wonderful Hank Phillippi Ryan, who later took part as a panel member.

Since the talk was early, first we had to have some breakfast to meet and greet each other.

That's Dave Zeltserman on the far right, trying hard to stay out of the picture... 

To see an interview with the camera-shy Dave, click here.

 There were guest author books galore to buy, 

courtesy of the New England Mobile Book Fair.

Preliminaries over, we took our seats for the talk.

 Jeffrey Deaver took the mic...

The talk was informative and thorough, so many just had to pick up a book or more.

Here's John McIlveen getting his copy.

And Tom Lyons, owner of the Book Fair, gets a pic with the guest of honor.

After lunch, the panel of authors talked about their work and lives.

L to R- Peter Swanson, Jeffrey Deaver, Hank, and Leigh Perry.

To see an interview with Leigh, click here.

Tilia Klebenov-Jacobs, who spoke later on publishing, and Mo Walsh, who put the program together, and is our local MWA Chapter President.

To see an interview with Tilia, click here.

Having a Blast at Bouchercon 17

Well, that was fun! Bouchercon '17 has come and gone, leaving a Niagara of good memories, seeing old friends, and making new friends.

We dashed through heavy Toronto traffic in the early morning light, to get me there on time for Author Speed Dating, where a partner and I pitched our writer chops to 20 different tables of people. Arriving barely in time, I was a wee bit pumped, and my partner, the estimable Warren Moore, said of me: "The combination of adrenaline and coffee had placed him somewhere between “ebullient” and “auctioneer on meth"..."

Here's one of our soon-to-be stars from Boston, Joanna Schaffhausen, taking part.

 

And a Maine star, Bruce Robert Coffin, stopping by.

To see an interview with Bruce, click here

Had a blast telling our author pitch story 20 times over, as people took notes on new authors and books they'd like to try.
As soon as this event was done, it was off to the bookroom, with all the book vendors.
I was delighted that I'd gone with Myth Hawker Books as a vendor, because the long-suffering Pat loves Indies, and put up with me and my antics all weekend, while I did what I could to sell my Zack Taylor series.

Must have done something right- before Pat had even rung in the books to her inventory, my favorite new fan came by and bought all five books- the entire series! Many thanks to Michelle.

Other authors came by to see how their books were selling. Here's EC Bell and Lisa Lieberman

Mary Feliz

 Melissa Yi

 Pat with Amy Reade

And the sassy and successful S G Wong

Angela Neary

There were gents as well. Here's Charles Salzburg

 And debut authors galore, with their first book out, like Roger Johns and Douglas Lutz

Another debut author, R. Daniel Lester

 A big part of the conference is author panels, explaining many different topics. 

Ours was on the dark side of fiction.

L to R: Mark Edwards, Me, Alexandra Sokoloff, Steven Cooper, Moderator Ben Coes

The crowd was good- more filled in as they kept coming.

And we got to sign books in the big room afterward. Someone who'd attended our panel bought the first Zack Taylor mystery, A Memory of Grief, because of what she'd heard in that hour.

So there were meals, in between seeing people and panels- here's lunch with Lisa Lieberman

And Sheila Connolly. Yes, that is octopus you see in her dish. I can't imagine how hungry I would have to be to ingest that...

And at the next table over were writing superstars Louise Penny and Ann Cleeves, 
who graciously allowed me to interrupt their meal and even posed for publicity.

And we had a celebratory official Sisters in Crime breakfast.
Here's outgoing President Diane Vallere saying her giving-up-office speech.

 

Leslie Budewitz (L), also a former President of SinC, along with Sheila

 

Saw lots more people I know from previous adventures, like Holly West and Neliza Drew
Sadly did not get a pic of their cohort, Josh Stallings

And Lou Berney, Katrina and Chris Holm, flanked by the ever-wonderful Hank Phillippi Ryan

Dana King, a man who knows the mystery genre and writes good ones

 To see an interview with Dana, click here

Ray Daniel with some friends- almost didn't recognize him, because Jay Shephard wasn't with him! (Which one is the sidekick?)

To see an interview with Ray, click here

Tom Pluck, with a fan, signing copies of his latest novel, Bad Boy Boogie

To see an interview with Tom, click here

Then photobombing Chris Irvin (right)

Other authors were out signing their books at publisher tables.

Like Barb Ross (L) and fan

To see an interview with Barb, click here

 Cheryl Hollon

To see an interview with Cheryl, click here

The irrepressible Edith Maxwell 

To see an interview with Edith, click here

One of my new buds, Jessica Ellis Laine, with Sherry Harris

 

 Maine author James Hayman, looking wicked surprised!

Another person I had fun meeting- Rick Ollerman

Here's Kat Richardson with Leigh Perry/Toni Kelner

To see an interview with Leigh, click here

Kate Stine, of  Mystery Scene Magazine, with Hank

Doug with Brendan DuBois, who did better on Jeopardy than I did

Can you tell we're in Canada? That's a real live Mountie keeping a close eye on Edith

And more uniforms- Jayne Barnard adds a steampunk vibe

Writing legend David Morrell with Hank

Some fun folks I met from the Twin Cities Sisters in Crime chapter.
So we threw together a team for the Author Trivia, got the outer-outer-outlying table, and proceeded to heckle after we were treated like troublemakers.
So we escaped- a perilous adventure.
After a dangerous journey, we made it to the bar, where we calmed our nerves and wrote a musical about our escapade. It's sure to win all major awards- as long as Lin-Manuel Miranda has nothing in the running.
L to R- Mindy Mejia, Jessica Ellis Laine, Devin Abraham, Sherry Roberts

Bruce Coffin signing books, here with Mo Walsh, our New England Chapter President of the Mystery Writers of America.

Here's authors Helen Wilkie and Cynthia Drew

More of our local folks I said hi to but didn't get a chance to see more of:
Julie Hennrikus
 Hallie Ephron
Paula Munier
Clea Simon

 And so many more! Once again, it was magical, and a great time. If you're a mystery fan or a writer, you should come take part in a Bouchercon. Next year, St. Petersburg, Fla!