Greetings from Bethesda, Maryland where I am currently attending Malice Domestic, a mystery conference primarily, but not exclusively, for cosy mysteries. These are books with lighter storylines, often cats or dogs feature prominently (sometimes are even the main character), no violence or sex....let's just say that my books will not be the bestsellers this weekend :-) But, I am having fun and have met some readers as well as other authors.
I drove down with Mary Jane Maffini, Linda Wiken and Vicki Delany, leaving Ottawa Wednesday morning. Our one foul up was trying to check into the wrong hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that evening, only to be sent across the city where we discovered that our reservation in Harrisburg was for our return trip - we were supposed to spend Wednesday evening in Hazleton, which we'd passed an hour earlier. Luckily, we were able to exchange reservations and all was well.
I've sat in on some panels yesterday and today and will soon be heading down to hear Sara Peretsky being interviewed by Parnell Hall. Then, later in the afternoon is a cocktail hour before the closing banquet. In case you think that I'm not working at all, tomorrow morning I'm on a police procedural panel with three American authors: Frankie Y. Bailey, Anne Hillerman and Stephen Kelly. Then, Linda, Mary Jane, Vicki and I hop in the car and speed up the I-85 for an event in a bookshop on the way home.
It was lovely to go from leafless trees in Ottawa to the trees in full leaf with the magnolias and apple trees in bloom once we got closer to Washington. Today is warm - about 80 degrees F - and I'll fit in a second walk this afternoon.
I've managed to find some writing time and while not maintaining my pace this week, I've exceeded my target of 50,000 words by May 1. The edits for Tumbled Graves will be arriving shortly after I get home from my editor and I'll have two weeks to review them. I'm actually looking forward to reading that manuscript again as it should help me with a fact check for the one I'm working on now.
I have a couple of Chapters book signings coming up in May in Ottawa and also the Arthur Ellis dinner in Toronto toward the end of the month - another trip, but shorter and closer to home. This is turning into one busy time but at least the spring weather is here, making it enjoyable to be out and about again!
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ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun trip. When you're in a car with two other authors, do you talk about anything but writing?
ReplyDeleteHi Kristina - just saw your question - We talk a lot about writing but also everything else under the sun - lots of laughter :-)
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