STIRRING MY MUSE by Korina Moss

In last month’s blog post, My Full Circle Journey, I wrote about the Malice Domestic Fan Convention I was about to attend and how it would be different for me this year going as a dual cozy mystery author/ freelance editor. I hadn’t written in a while, and my personal goal for the conference was to stir my sleepy muse. Whether that would happen or not, there was so much to look forward to.

Author Leslie Karst & SinC president Raquel Reyes
showing their love, lol 

I watched like a proud auntie while a client of mine, Megan Gerig, looked like a pro on her first author panel to talk about her first novel, Beatrice Ophelia is Flickering Out. 

I chatted with another client at her first Malice, Faith (pseudonym Tanzy Kohl), readying herself for the submission process. 

I got to watch my dear friend, Ellen Byron, charm the crowd as toastmaster, and my friend and our fellow Writers Who Kill member, Annette Dashofy, give her heartfelt speech as Guest of Honor. I cheered when my close friend Mindy Quigley won the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel for At Death’s Dough. 

And I jumped out of my chair next to my friend and client, Adrian Andover, as he won Best First Novel for Whiskey Business. (Click here for the full list of honorees and Agatha Award nominees and winners.)

Of course, getting to spend four days with dear friends and new friends always lifts me up. Among the laughs and the personal catching up, one-on-one or in small group settings, it’s no surprise that we talk a lot about writing and publishing. It’s encouraging to hear everyone’s stories—where they are in their journey, how they’re feeling about it, and what’s changed. We have real talks—it’s not all rainbows and unicorns, as most every writer knows. But it’s still our common passion. There are writers who are just getting their careers started, while others are taking a break. Some writers are busier than ever, and others are changing course. It doesn’t matter. Our shared goals and challenges are what bond us. Celebrating and supporting each other no matter where we are in our journey is what makes the mystery writing community so special. 

Back L to R: Jackie Layton, Rosalie Spielman, Korina Moss, Annie McEwen
Front L to R: Daphne Silver, Tiffany Krieg (The Beachbum Bookworm), Tricia Maniaci, & Holly Pirtle (Short, Sweet, & Cozy)

It’s been two weeks since I dragged myself and my luggage home from those whirlwind four days. As for my personal goal? I left inspired with my muse awakened. 

Writers: What stirs your muse? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, as well as two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

THE WRITERS' CONNECTION

 by Korina Moss

Connection. That’s what good books are about, aren’t they? You connect with a fictional protagonist and their circumstances. They become someone real to you, often times long after you’ve read the last page. How many times have you stayed up late, racing toward the end of a book, only to dread it when you finally get there, because that’ll mean the book is finished? This is why cozy mystery series are so popular. What could be better than the opportunity to be back with “old friends” you loved from a prior book in the series as they maneuver through a whole new and exciting set of circumstances? 

As important as the plot is to a cozy mystery, the connection readers feel with the characters doesn’t come from the mystery solved. It’s the human connection—our protagonist’s plight, their quirks, and their vulnerabilities—the stuff our readers can relate to. The traits our characters possess that we hope to have in our real-life friendships is what makes them likable and worth returning to read about book after book. 

As an author, a connection is also what I try to achieve off the page. I’m a cozy mystery writer, but I’ve been a cozy mystery reader for over thirty years, long before my own series was published. So although the marketing aspect of my profession is time-consuming, it’s also a lot of fun, because I get to interact with other people who love reading cozies too. Although our foundation is our love of mysteries, we connect on other levels beyond books. Same with my connection to others in the writing community. I thrive on authentic relationships. My mindset is never one of selling to readers or networking with authors. It’s about having an authentic connection. 

When I was honored last year with the Agatha Award for Best First Novel for Cheddar Off Dead, it was the validation I needed that I’d begun to make that connection I’d been striving for in my books and within the mystery community. And this year, being fortunate enough to be nominated again for an Agatha Award, this time for Best Contemporary Novel for Case of the Bleus, makes me believe that connection is holding strong. I’m so looking forward to the Malice Domestic fan convention in April where the awards banquet will be held. After all, what’s better than being back with old friends? 

Reader: What makes you return to a series or an author? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series (St. Martin’s Press) set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, CHEDDAR OFF DEAD and the current nominee for Best Contemporary Novel, CASE OF THE BLEUS. Her books have been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, AARP, and Fresh Fiction. For more information about Korina and her books, and to subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. 

A Guest Blog by John Carenen

First of all, many thanks to E.B. Davis for allowing me the opportunity to guest blog on Writers Who Kill. I gave it a lot of thought. What do I have to say? Can I encourage other writers? Will it make sense?

All writers, whether they are best selling authors or writing for a few close friends, or just family, lack confidence. ALL writers suffer from self doubt. Let’s face it, we all have it, and I’m pretty sure I have more than my share. We are all cursed with lack of confidence when we write. That’s not to say we have good days when we’re enthusiastic and things are clicking and that one setting finally comes around. Hang on to that feeling because you’ll need it later.

I’ve had more rejections than I can count. But I still write. Why? I guess you could say I have to write, that I need to write. I can’t explain it. I keep writing even though my success has been limited. And I will keep writing even if I never again publish anything except maybe a “Letter to the Editor” in the local newspaper.

Let me tell you one about a friend of mine. I will protect her privacy and not give you her name, but every bit of this story is true. She wrote a first novel. It was what I would call a “literary mystery.” The language is beautiful, the story is intriguing, the ending a shocker.

 It was well received. One of the Big Four publishers offered her a six-figure contract. She was ecstatic. Her agent suggested she not take the contract. WHAT? A better idea was to have a bidding war for the right to publish this first novel. She agreed. The original publisher ended up buying the rights for even more than originally offered.

The book was published to acclaim from critics and other writers. Then her agent began pressuring her to write another literary mystery. Under pressure, she sweated out her second novel. Also excellent, well received. Success. More pressure.

She sent in her third novel and her agent rudely rejected it. Corrosive self doubt set in. Depression set in. She seriously considered quitting writing altogether. Her publicist spent hours on the phone building her back up, encouraging her, listening to her. My friend is writing that third book and enjoying it, “free from the agents and publishers” she says. She sounds good.

So what does this mean to you? You know that obstacles will jump up and swat you down. You also know that you really do write well. So seek out honest critique from someone you trust, or a writers group designed to buoy you up, and let them. And beware of “writing snobs” who participate in such groups in order to put others down and brag on their own work. You don’t have time for them, so run away from any group like that. You have writing to do. And it will be good.

Author Bio:

An Iowa native, I was born and raised in Clinton, home town of the American movies’ first sex symbol, Lillian Russell. I graduated from Clinton High School with no distinction, direction, or enthusiasm. I attended several colleges, graduating from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in English, then an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from the Iowa Writers Workshop. These accomplish-ments stunned my high school guidance counselors. Later, I earned an M.A. from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, in Special Education.

My mainstream commercial novel, Signs of Struggle was published by Neverland Press in September, 2012. The sequel (2^nd in a series), A Far Gone Night, was published October 2014. The third, The Face on the Other Side, was published in March, this year. I am hard at work on #4, plus another, stand-alone novel about a lonely man living in the mountains of North Carolina, who sees a murder but does not report it.

For fun, I think about working out, go on a hike every now and then, read everything from Robert B. Parker to Dorothy Ayers, and play with my dog, Lily. I also take frequent naps.

MURDEROUS WRITERS

The first in my series of 8 books.

As mystery writers we kill people with great aplomb. There are few things we enjoy more than plotting murder – on the page, of course. There is only one mystery writer I know of who has actually done the dastardly deed, but I won’t name her here.

I just returned from my tenth Malice Domestic Conference and I can tell you there were many of those there who delighted in killing people in their books, and equally there were as many fans there that enjoyed reading about that, too. In the on-line mystery groups I belong to, like the Guppies, we discuss different ways of killing people, and we ask for advice from those who are authorities – not actual murderers, of course, Ask the SinC Guppies (my favorite mystery writers group) a question on something that stumps you and you’re sure to get plenty of answers.

An FBI man wearing protection before going into a  room with a
dangerous person with a gun in there.

In addition to the Guppies, there are those who come to my local Sisters in Crime chapter in law enforcement who talk about crimes which I always find interesting.

Luci  Zahray on the right & her helper on the left.

 And then there is the wonderful Luci Zahray, the poison lady, who goes to conferences like Malice and conducts panels on various types of poisons, how best to administer said poison, the symptoms the victim will show and how long before the victim will die. If we come up with an idea for a poison and wonder if it will work, you can email her and she’ll help you. (ihzahray@hotmail.com)

My son, Joe, posing for me.

We are a bloodthirsty lot of writers. Who but a mystery writer would ask her son to pose as a dead body? I did because when my step-granddaughter was designing the cover for my first book, The Blue Rose, she couldn’t find a picture of a body that would work. So my not always patient son, dressed in decent clothes since my victim was a wealthy man who was murdered at a garden reception. Joe laid down on the lawn so I could snap pictures to send to her. At least I didn’t try to arrange a garden fork to look like it was stuck in his back which is how my victim died.  He had shaved his head the week before I asked him to pose and asked me to have my step-granddaughter to add hair. I told her to add hair, but she didn’t.

You would think me a callous, blood thirsty person from what I wrote above and from my short stories and the books I write, but the truth is, I’m a sentimental crier. Yeah, I cried when Lassie tried to come home. I cried over Black Beauty and My Friend, Flicka. I’ve never grown out of that. I cry and sometimes even sob during sad movies. Tears flow during the sad parts in books.

In fact, I’d got so choked up reading some books to my third graders when I was teaching that I’d have to pass the book off to one of my better readers like when Timothy died in The Cay, by Theodore Taylor. I even cried when Philip was rescued from the island and reunited with his parents. I must have read that book fifteen times, and it always happened. It did with some other books I read to them, too. A smarter teacher might have given up on books like The Cay, The Door in the Wall, and The Sign of the Beaver. I don’t remember crying when Aslan was killed in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but maybe I’m forgetting that.

I get teary-eyed reading obituaries and news stories of children who died, and I imagine many of you reading this do, too. So why do we write mysteries in which someone is killed? And how can we, at least those of us with sensitive tear ducts, do it?

For myself, I don’t write a biography for my victim, except once for my first victim. By the time I got done with that, I was quite happy killing him off.  Most of my victims are usually not very nice, or at least ones that are expendable for the plot. I will never kill or harm a child or animal, of course. Also, I stick to cozies partly because they have much less blood and gore. Some of my victims I’m sorry to kill and there have been a few murderers I’ve been sorry for, too, mostly because of their families. It has to be sad for anyone to have a family member who is a murderer.

A policeman with his cadaver dog at one of our SinC meetings.

Since I read somewhere once that mysteries are the top selling genre, you would think it would harden readers and writers of mysteries to the reality of death and dying.  It certainly hasn’t me. I’ve been reading mysteries since I was a young child although of course those books didn’t include murder. And I don’t read true crime fiction, either, or books with too much gore.

Anyway, I enjoyed being with so many people at Malice who enjoyed murdering people – on the page, of course – as well as readers who enjoyed reading about it. These were my people. Next week I hope to blog about my experience there as well as having those of my fellow bloggers who also attended the 29^th year of Malice Domestic write about their experience there.

Do you ever feel really sad when you read about someone who dies in a book?

If you’re a writer do you ever feel sad about offing one of your characters?

Malice Domestic 28

Lucy Zahray, with different kinds of lead.

I just returned from my tenth Malice Domestic Convention, and as usual I had a great time meeting new fans and authors and those I’ve gotten to know from past Malice conventions. My roommate, Kathleen (KM) Rockwood and I arrived late Thursday afternoon. After registering that evening, we went to an early panel “A Little Spot of Poison” by Luci Zahray, the poison lady. As always she was both informative and funny. She talked about an unusual poison; lead. And as usual she went into factual details including how to murder someone with it, and she didn’t mean hitting someone over the head with a lead pipe.

I'm in the middle row at the left end.

Friday morning after breakfast I took my books to Mystery Loves Company for Kathy Harig to sell before I went to Malice-Go-Round. Kathleen and I both had slots, and it was a fun although a tiring event running from table to table with only two minutes each to talk about our books. Before we left after it ended, there was a group picture of all the authors who participated in this book marathon through crowded tables.

After that I went with a lot of other Guppies to Booeymonger for our annual lunch. I also took Beverly Allen/ aka Beverly Early with me to get to know her better. She would be one of my panelists on Sunday. Since I’d never gotten an email that she’d accepted being on my panel, I hadn’t read her book. As always there was a lot of laughing, talking and catching up with those we hadn’t seen since the previous year as well as getting to know Guppies we’d never met before.

The only panel I attended that afternoon was Simply the Best: Our Agatha Best Contemporary Novel Nominees, with Shawn Reilly Simmons, moderator, and panelists,

Annette Dashofy, Margaret Maron, Catriona McPherson and Hank Phillippi Ryan. What a great panel that was!

I went back for lunch the next day with two of my Sinc chapter.

That evening Writers Who Kill bloggers, except for Paula Benson, who had a prior meeting scheduled, went to La Madeleine for supper. Shari Randall, K.M. Rockwood, Jim Jackson and his significant other, Jan, as well as two of my local chapter of Sinc, Irma Baker and Jane Turzillo, and me of course. It’s a truly wonderful place to eat. We were joined by two others later, Maggie Toussaint, and Barbara Graham. After we got back, I went straight to our room to read more of Beverly Allen’s first book that she gave to me to read after the luncheon. Also, it had been a busy day, and I wanted some quiet down time.

I'm with the pink lei next to the fabulous Hank Phillippi Ryan. 

Saturday morning started with a scrumptious Sisters in Crime breakfast. Good food, and good camaraderie between mystery authors and fans, or as in my case, both author and mystery fan.

I went to several panels: One with K.M. Rockwood as a panelist, and one in which our Jim was the moderator, and he did an awesome job of moderating. Interesting questions and lots of joking and laughing. 

Paula Benson and Shari Randall

Shari and I met in the lobby late in the afternoon so we could go to 5:00 Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes three or four blocks away. We both like going to new churches, especially old historical ones. 

That evening was the Agatha Banquet which was packed with attendees. Just waiting outside for the doors to open the noise was so loud it was hard to hear anyone near you speak.

I was at B.K. (Bonnie) Steven’s table. Unfortunately two days before she’d fallen and badly broke her arm and required surgery, but her daughter came in case she won the award for either her book Fighting Chance or one of her short stories. The food was good as were the speeches, and it was interesting to see who won the Agatha’s. A wonderfully sweet member of my local chapter, Amanda Flower, won the best Children’s Young Adult novel. I was so happy for her.

 

Me, Beverly/Barbara, Christine, Wendy,, Liz & Jane

Sunday morning was the New Author breakfast. My panel Small Town Murders was at 10:00, with my panelists; Beverly Allen/Barbara Early, Christine Husom, Wendy Tyson, Liz Mugavero,  and Jane Cleland. It was a fun event, and I loved hearing their answers especially to the one in which I asked them to tell us about their most embarrassing event. Then there was my book signing before leaving for home. It was a fun conference, and I enjoyed myself, and best of all, I got almost as much money for my books sold and I spent, which was the first year that happened since I always buy way too many books, as I did this year, too.

K.M. Rockwood’s on Malice 28

Booeymonger last year, KM middle left & me on right.

I’m just home from Malice Domestic Convention and getting back to my regular life. That seems to get much more difficult as I get older.

Writing is a solitary process. The best part of Malice Domestic is seeing old friends and making new ones. People, fans and authors alike are so welcoming and supportive.

I’ve been going to Malice Domestic for the past few years, and each year is better, and I have more things to do. This time I had several things scheduled – Malice-Go-Round, participation on a panel, book signings – that kept me busy.

 

Abductions and Lies, the 6^th in the Jesse Damon Crime Novel series, was released just prior to the convention. I had been afraid that it would not make it, but my fears were unjustified.

Because I was running around so much, I feel like I didn’t spend as much time with my “old” friends, including my fellow bloggers from Writers Who Kill. But all told, it was a great convention, and I’m glad I went. - KM

Shari Randall on Malice 28

Liz Mugavero and Shari Randall in a bathroom. 

Malice is the yearly reunion of the tribe of the traditional mystery loving readers. The panels are always enlightening and entertaining, but reuniting with old friends and meeting new are always the highlights for me and this year was no exception. Dining with the other Writers Who Kill and friends at La Madeleine, joining the Wicked Cozy Authors for dinner and swag bag stuffing, sitting at wonderful Julie Hennrikus’ table (AKA Julianne Holmes, author of Agatha nominated

Just Killing Time, meeting Mark Baker, the tireless reader behind the Carstairs Considers blog, having cupcakes with my wonderful editor, watching the amazing Barb Goffman win an Agatha award after being nominated for the prize so many times, seeing in person all the wonderful Guppies and Facebook friends I’ve made over the years – wow! No wonder I fell asleep on the train ride back home.

If I am honest, there is hardly a low light. Even the malfunctioning elevators gave us more time to chat and the instant camaraderie that comes from facing the “we’re all in this together” travails of modern life. The only thing I can think of that wasn’t fun was the line to ship books home. And even when I think of that, I just thing, “All right! More books!” - Shari

Jim Jackson on Malice 28

Jim's excellent panel that had everyone laughing.

Whenever mystery authors get together, I find a terrific atmosphere of supportive energy. This, my third Malice Domestic, fit that to a T. It was great to see so many members of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. - Jim

And now I’m home in my favorite place to be with my small farm critters and lots of new books to read, and with fond memories of this past weekend at Malice.

Have you ever attended Malice or another convention?

What was your experience there if you have?

Writing in a Mystery Wonderland

by Shari Randall

To the tune of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"
with apologies to Felix Bertand and Richard B. Smith

Writing in a Mystery Wonderland

Slaybells ring! Are you listening?
In the lane, blood is glistening.
A criminal sight, we're sleuthing tonight
Writing in a mystery wonderland.

Gone away is the body,
Here to stay is the bobby
As we start the chase
To solve a tough case
Writing in a mystery wonderland.

In the story we will solve a murder
And pretend that we are Sheriff Brown.
He'll say "Are you guilty?" We'll say "No, man!"
But you can arrest my evil twin when you're in town.

Later on, we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
The plot that we made
Writing in a mystery wonderland!

shotinthedarkmysteries.com

Do you have a favorite holiday song?

A Weekend at Bouchercon 2015

How lovely to give Benedict Cumberbatch a hug.

My trip to Bouchercon in Raleigh, N.C. started Wednesday morning because I wanted to spend my first day with my friend Judy Hogan on her little farm. We first met at Malice in 2010, and although we only see each other at the Malice events, we have become online friends because we each have a small farm.

Judy in front of her chicken run. 

Judy picked me up at the Raleigh/Durham airport a little after five. Well, sort of picked me up since the radiator on her truck broke and all the fluid ran out as she was pulling into the parking garage so we had to wait for a tow truck to come. When it finally arrived we hired a taxi to take her the almost 30 miles to her home. I enjoyed my time at her home. She fixed me a lovely dinner with most of the ingredients something she’d grown as well as homemade wheat bread.

The next morning the rental car that was to come at 9:00 a.m., but didn’t arrive until about 9:45. Then we had to stop at the rental place for Judy to fill out all the paperwork and the agent had to go over everything with Judy about the car before we could take off for Raleigh. It should have been an easy ride, however, Judy was not familiar with automatic transmission, so we sort of bunny hopped the first mile until she realized she shouldn’t keep her foot on the gas and hit the brakes at the same time. I kept laughing and teasing her. Once she figured it out, she did quite well and we got to the Marriott where I shared a room with KM Rockwood.

 

Paula Benson and Barb Goffman at the Guppy luncheon

We arrived in time to go to the Guppy luncheon at the Twisted Tango. There were many Guppies there I knew from attending Malice, and some I knew only from Guppy digests. Not only was the buffet full of delicious food, but the camaraderie was heart-warming. Jim Jackson had us all introduce ourselves at one time. Karen Pullen had arranged this luncheon, and we gave her the money for the luncheon. She certainly chose well as this restaurant was across from the two hotels where Bouchercon was held.

After lunch, I went to register and get my bag of books and lanyard. While waiting for Judy, who wanted to put her books in our room, I sat down and visited with some writers. Then I went to the book dealers’ room and bought a few books. I left the Sheraton and went back to the Marriott to see if Judy was there and ended up visiting with people I knew in the lobby until eventually she showed up. So actually I didn’t attend any panels Thursday.

Thursday evening there was a BBQ outside under a huge tent for all attendees of Bouchercon – good food, lots of friendly conversation with other writers. The ones I was sitting with were among the last in the tent, so we went back to the Marriott lobby to continue our conversation along with others already there.

Leslie making a speech to the huge crowd of SinC members. 

Friday morning started with a delicious Sisters in Crime breakfast. Again, I was so happy to be a part of such a wonderful organization. There wasn’t a gloomy face in the room, only lots of laughing, and friendly get-to-know you conversations with those at the table we hadn’t met before. Leslie Budewitz our new SinC president was introduced and made a speech after chapter presidents were acknowledged.

Since breakfast ran over, the first panel I attended was at 10:00 “Write What You Know, the Day Job or Not” with Deborah Lacy as moderator. The panel consisted of  Catriona McPherson, Joe Clifford, Nancy G. West, and Suzanna Calkins. It was a very good panel. Catriona is always delightful and funny.

Judy, a friend of hers, and I went to the Twisted Tango for lunch. From there I went to the panel “Preventing a Mystery Series ‘Jumping the Shark’” The moderator was Francine Mathews (Stephanie Barron) with Nancy J. Cohen, Candace Robb (Emma Campion) Lisa Unger, and Laurie R. King. It was an interesting panel, however they’d opened two rooms for it which were packed, and I don’t think the panel was on a raised dais, because from close to the back of the room I couldn’t see even the top of anyone’s head. Still it was interesting and rather upsetting because Laurie R. King said her next book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series was going to be something like “The Murder of Mary Russell.”

After that I went to my room for some down time from all the social stimulation and noise. I’d heard there were 1500 people attending Bouchercon this year. Even with Malice I need some down time to relax and read.

At 4:00 I attended the “Importance of Book Clubs and Young Adult Literacy” panel. The moderator was Tina Whittle, mother of Kaley Whittle, one of the teens. The other two teens were Destiny Geddis and Mathew McGrath plus the non-teen B.K. Stevens, who has written a YA and once taught high school English. It was a lively panel with quite vocal teens giving their opinions on what they like and don’t like in YA books. Destiny made me laugh with her dramatic  eye rolling and throwing up of her hands, etc. The other two were good at expressing their feelings, too, but without all the drama. I liked B.K.’s comments, also. All in all, it was a fun panel.

I didn't get a picture of mine, but you get the idea.

Friday evening SOHO Press, had a reception. Kathleen and I  didn’t get there right away, and by the time we did, almost all the hors-d’oeuvres were eaten so we only got three small samples. We did much better later at the ‘Death by Chocolate Reception put on by the Southeastern Chapter of MWA. There was a huge crowd outside the door before it opened, and when it opened there was a stampede, but well worth the wait. The woman in charge begged us not to be greedy and take more than one. All the chocolate desserts were exquisite and although I only chose one, they all looked scrumptious. I chose a most delicious brownie layered on top with chocolate frosting and nuts. One woman at our table ignored the request and had 5 or 6 different desserts. When she finished those, she was eyeing the desserts as if to see if there were more.

Saturday morning was the New Authors & Publishers Breakfast. It was interesting, too, and there were books on every table for us to choose from. I took one.

My Saturday morning panel was “Human Nature: Our Fascination with Law Breakers & Law Enforcers in Fiction.” Hank Phillippi Ryan was the moderator, and she’s always a joy. Sarah Paretsky wasn’t there, and I forget who took her place. Also on the panel were Lawrence Block, David Housewright & Michael Koryta.  It was an interesting panel.

My afternoon panel was “You are what you read – The Influences in your Writing,” moderated by R.G. Belsky, with panelists Dorothy Cannell (always funny), Timothy Williams, Susan M. Boyer, and Diane Kelly. Another good panel.

Sacred Heart Cathedral 

I met Shari Randall at 4:30 in the lobby to go to Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Because it was raining, she ordered a cab. The church was beautiful inside and out, and what impressed me the most was the diversity of members. The very large church was packed. They even have a Mass in Spanish. It had stopped raining when we left so Shari and I walked the five or more blocks back to the hotel. It was a lovely although very cool walk.

When we returned we met the other Writers Who Kill members except for Sam and Jim, but Jim’s significant other, Jan, joined Paula, Shari, Kathleen and me on our rather long walk checking into numerous restaurants all with long waiting time to get a table. Eventually, we found one that had a table for us. It was rather loud, as were all the restaurants we checked, but the food was good so it didn’t matter so much that we had to shout to be heard at our small table. Paula called for a large cab/car to take us back to the hotels.

Kathleen and I went to one panel Sunday morning – “Choose your voice: First, Third or Omnipotent in Mystery Fiction” moderated by Debra H. Goldstein with panelists M.L. Rowland, Bill Crider, Patricia Coleman (P.R. Morris) Julieanne Holmes (J.A. Hennrikus). Again it was a good panel.

After that Kathleen and I checked out, and her friend Mary Stojak she’d came with, kindly offered to take me to the airport on their way home.

 

It was a good conference, and I enjoyed meeting people, attending some of the panels, eating with friends, although I regret not taking more pictures. But overall still nothing is better in my opinion than coming home. Maggie, my collie, heard my car pull in, and raced out the door and down the sidewalk to greet me when my friend Laura opened the door. The cats were happy to see me, too, even though Laura took excellent care of them. She also swept my house, made fresh flower arrangements and had supper in the fridge ready to be heated up. Although the hotel bed was quite comfortable, it’s nothing like my own bed. And it was so nice to have my morning oatmeal and newspaper, and later feed my ponies and hens, and especially to get my morning walk in the woods after five days of being gone. I know Maggie enjoyed it, too.

Have you ever been to a mystery conference?

What did you like best about it if you've been to one?

If you haven't, what do you think you would enjoy most?