Rounding Out April

This has been a good writing week as I round in on 24,000 words. My goal was 20,000 words by the end of April so I'm ahead of the game. Good thing too because I'll be spending next week editing the Turning Secrets manuscript. I got word from Shannon Whibbs my Dundurn editor late yesterday that she was three-quarters done her edits and should have it to me Monday for my review. She said the characters are feeling like old friends as this is the third manuscript in the series that she's worked on.

So the countdown is on for the release of Bleeding Darkness on May 10. That leaves 12 days to go if all goes as planned. The Ottawa launch is June 3 because it's good to allow a few weeks grace in case of printing delays and to give some time for shipping the books from the warehouse. I've heard back from lots of people and there should be a good crowd. These launches are becoming like my annual block party - a chance to see everybody in one place!

Michelle, my publicist, is working on a signing at Sleuth of Bakerstreet in Toronto and a signing in Kingston. I've been invited to be on the Kingston tv morning show in May and we'll finalize the date once we know if a signing date is available. I know the Chapters is moving locations next month and Michelle is checking with the other bookstore. I've not done a signing in Kingston since I started this series so it's high time!

Linda Wiken launched her latest mystery entitled Marinating in Murder at Books on Beechwood this past Sunday and I drove over to buy a copy and help celebrate. We Ottawa mystery writers are so fortunate to have several dedicated readers who come out to all our events, buy our books and spread the word. The authors also encourage and support each other, making this feel like a bit of a family. Here I am with fellow crime fiction writers (l to r) Barb Fradkin, Linda Wiken and Mary Jane Maffini - thanks for the photo Nancy Reid :-)

This week I've been reading the book X by Sue Grafton, which is her second last book in the Kinsey Millhone series. I met Sue at Left Coast Crime in Monterey a few years ago. We were the only two in the hallway - she was on her way to be interviewed and I was heading to another room to be on a panel. She asked me to help her turn the sound off on her phone and we tinkered with it for a bit before giving up. At that time, I only had knowledge of my work Blackberry and had never used her type of phone. Even in that brief encounter, I felt her warmth and enjoyed her sense of humour which comes through in her writing.