Bouchercon, St. Petersburg

by Annette Dashofy 

Two weeks ago, I blogged about my memories of previous Bouchercons. Since then, I’ve returned home from Bouchercon 2018 in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I spent almost a week playing dual roles of professional author and reader fangirl.

Let’s face it, writers are readers too. I still stand in awe and feel like I should salute when Lee Child enters the room.

The convention was also an opportunity to spend some time with dear friends I only see once or twice a year. My first night there included a fun dinner out with Dru Ann Love, Paula Matter and her husband Dave (AKA The Saint), and my travel buddy, Liz Milliron, at a quaint and quirky seafood restaurant. 

Dru Ann Love, Annette, and Liz Milliron

The food was fabulous, but the company was even better.

And the hotel? If you ever get a chance to stay at the Vinoy, grab it. The place is ultra luxurious. I thought I’d hit it big with hotel room karma again, but from what I’ve heard, all the rooms were huge.

The Vinoy

The room I shared with Liz 

After a leisurely morning on Wednesday, I participated in a marketing workshop put on by Sisters in Crime and Dana Kaye. I took pages of notes and still need to digest all the fabulous information presented.

Bouchercon officially opened Thursday morning and my panel (Doctor Doctor! The Medical Panel) kicked things off. I had to control my inner fangirl in order to act like a  professional with Lisa Black seated at the same table. Thankfully, I don’t think I embarrassed myself.

One good thing about getting my panel over first thing—I got to relax and enjoy the rest of the convention.

With one of my wonderful fans, Marla Bradeen

                                   

Hamming it up with my good pal, Martha Reed

Liz Milliron and Paula Matter nervously waiting their turn at
the New Author Breakfast

With Jack the Ripper AKA Daniel Dark AKA Daniel Hooberry

With the beautiful and amazing Lesa Holstine

Always fun to run into fellow Pennsylvania girl,
good friend, and awesome author Lisa Scottoline

With Reavis Wortham and Liz

I did have one last item of business to tackle Saturday morning when Liz and I teamed up for Author Speed Dating, a fun little bit of madness in which authors pair up and have two minutes each to talk about their books to a table of readers. Then when the horn blows, the authors move to the next table and repeat the process. I confess I went to the wrong table at one point. My apologies to the other pair of authors whose pitch I messed up in the process.

Author Speed Dating with Liz Milliron

With that done—and with only a little bit of laryngitis from all the talking—I was free to slide back into reader fangirl mode.

The highlight of my weekend happened outside, on the Vinoy’s veranda where I spent almost an hour chatting with one of my absolute favorite authors, Julia Spencer-Fleming. (Yes, there is another Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alystyne novel in the works!)

Fangirl moment with Julia Spencer-Fleming

And tourist mode.

The marina across the road from the Vinoy

Keeping company with a heron

The view from the veranda

My deepest thanks to Erin Mitchell for organizing this year’s Bouchercon AND my most joyful congratulations to all the award winners.

Next year: Dallas!

I know we had a few other Writers Who Kill in attendance. Debra? Nancy? Tina? Shari? Care to share your favorite moment?