Getting Medieval

My Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime and my Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America are in their second year of sponsoring the California Crime Writers Conference. This is a very special event in Pasadena on the weekend of June 11 & 12 for writers of all stripes, for the newbie to the weathered veteran. That's because there is something for everyone. We're offering tracks about the craft of writing, the business end of it (contracts and advice about agents), matters of crime (talks from police detectives), the nuts and bolts of writing (e-publishing info, small press vs big press) along with a cocktail party with agents and authors.

I'll be teaching a workshop on Researching Historicals on Saturday and you should be in for a good time. The manuscript critiques are all filled but there's still plenty of info to glean and plenty of schmoozing opportunities. You can see more info as well as register here. I hope to see some of you there!  

And so here is the cover for TROUBLED BONES, the fourth Crispin Guest novel to be released 11 October. It's also getting a lovely floorplan of Canterbury Cathedral as a frontis piece so you can follow the action, since it takes place in Canterbury. Nice and medievally.

 

It's already begun. I'm just another medieval traveller. I'll barely have time to breathe in January, but that's a good thing.

First event of the year involves my going to a book club in Sun City on January 5. (Yes, I do go to private homes to meet with people who have book clubs. If you don't live in southern California, I've also done it by phone conference or Skype.)

The next event is a meet and greet at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore on Friday, January 7 from 5 pm to 8 pm, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, CA , . This is a reception for a pack of us mystery authors attending the American Library Association Mindwinter Conference in San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center. I feel very honored to have been invited to attend this event and I'm also happy to report that I'll be on two panels, one at 11:00 am called "California Girls"--which I am--and another at 3:00 pm entitled "Laugh Or I'll Kill You." Now, though my novels aren't a laugh a minute, being noirish and all, I have been known to make 'em laugh in person, so we'll see how that goes. If you're a librarian, chances are I'll see you there. You'll get a free signed copy of THE DEMON'S PARCHMENT and all the free sword pens I can manage to bring with me.

The very next day I'm off to L.A. for a Mystery Writers of America board of directors retreat, where we will plan all the upcoming events for the new year (I'm on the board of directors for the Southern California Chapter and also newsletter editor).

On Sunday, January 16, Sisters in Crime Orange County kicks off its very first two-month long ForensicsFest! Best-selling author Jan Burke will be on hand at 3:00 pm to discuss the state of forensics in America. The following month we have an all-star panel of forensics experts, including a forensic anthropologist, a police sketch artist, and a crime scene clean up specialist. Come see Jan Burke at 3:00 pm at the Irvine Ranch Water District 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine, CA 92618. It's free with free refreshments, but space is limited so contact to reserve your space. And by the way, I'm president of the OC chapter, so I'll see you there.

On Monday, January 17, I'm at another book club, a private home in Long Beach, and on Tuesday, January 18, I will be giving a talk free to the public at the Sun City Library at 1:30 pm at 26982 Cherry Hills, Menifee, CA 92586.

Then I'll be taking a week long trip to Quartzsite, Arizona, just for fun, and maybe get my picture taken with the naked bookseller.

 

Looking forward to that, as I know you are, too. :)

Then it's back to business again on Saturday, January 29, when I will be at the Cerritos Library for "Murder on the Menu." My panel will be with Gary Phillips/Moderator, Robert Fate, Brett Battles and John Lescroart. Wow! What a line-up! Contact Janice Dawson at . The tickets are $40 per person. Cerritos Library 18025 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703, .

February is just as busy, but we'll worry about that next month. In the meantime, between all that traveling and paneling and lunching and talking, I've still got to write a book! 

Just returned from my stint at Borders in Riverside. Thank you, Shannon for inviting me and being my cheerleader! And thank you Borders staff for your cheerful presence. It's so nice being surrounded by people who know and love books. And another big thank you to the fans who came out and to the unsuspecting shoppers I accosted and who ended up buying the books. The helm and the flail always bring the guys over and the book trailer played for them. We only had five left and we started with a nice healthy stack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there was this. I just thought it was interesting juxtaposition. I'm just sayin'.

 
 

Yesterday at Mystery Ink Bookstore in Huntington Beach, I was treated to fans who said it was "an honor" to meet me. An honor to meet me? Oh my goodness! When you work for a good part of the year in a room all by yourself, laboring to put words to paper in an interesting story--at least you think it's interesting--you sometimes forget that other people will be reading it and loving your characters as much as you do. So back at you a thousandfold. I feel pretty honored to be treated to wonderful fans. How nice is that?

And then, when I signed at Book Carnival today, a mystery bookstore in Orange, CA, I got a wonderful visit from fans and local medieval re-enactors Sir Jamie the Red and his wife the Lady Maedb from the Adrian Empire and the kingdom of Esperance. Lady Maedb set up her spinning wheel and added versimilitude to the proceedings. After I showed Sir Jaimie a little piece of real mail I had (no, it's NOT called "chain mail", it's simply called "mail") he brought in the mail belt he was working on and proceeded to "knit" his rings.

 
 

 

 
 
I also visited the Fullerton Library and did a presentation for their Friends of the Library. I love the Friends of any library. The money they raise from their library bookstores--and sometimes it's pretty substantial--helps support the book buying budget for libraries and anything that gets more books into libraries is a friend of mine. So it was a full Orange County weekend of bookstores and libraries (with a side trip to the marvelous Westwood bookstore, The Mystery Bookstore). Next weekend, it's a San Diego weekend with a Mystery Club dinner and the bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, with a Riverside stop at Borders on Sunday. Check my website for full details and addresses. See you there!     

It's this Saturday so come on down!

Actually, I seem to do a lot of talking in libraries and I haven't been shushed yet! The Buena Vista branch of the Burbank library is a lovely place full of spaciousness and friendly people. This was my third stint at this particular branch (as an author, I get to see many different libraries in my travels, either the ones I'm speaking at or the ones I drop in on along my journeys. And yes, I do sign library books when they ask.)

Last Saturday, I had the privelidge of being on a panel with fellow Sisters in Crime members, (top left to right) Jackie Vick, Avery Aames, and lower left Lori Ham. And me, of course. We had a lively discussion about our books and the ever-changing publishing world. I was just at the Azusa library, too, for a Lunch at the Library and meeting with their book club (sure am glad they liked the book!). In fact, I'll be at a lot of libraries--and other places--next month:

Saturday, September 11, 2010, 11 am to Noon –Lompoc Library Luncheon at the Grossman Gallery 501 E. North Avenue – Lompoc, CA 93436 –

Sunday, September 12, 2010, 4 pm – Flintridge Bookstore, “Ten Secrets of Constructing Mysteries That Work” presented by Flintridge Bookstore and P.R. Me! Publicity. With author Gay Totl Kinman. 964 Foothill Blvd, La Canada Flintridge, CA

Monday, September 13, 2010, 6 pm – Ontario Library, a panel discussion “Writing Mysteries and Thrillers” with authors Loni Emmert and P. I. Barrington. 215 East “C” Street Ontario, CA

Saturday, September 18, 2010, 2 pm – Upland Library–”Meet the Experts: Writing Mysteries and Thrillers” with authors Loni Emmert and P. I. Barrington. 450 N. Euclid Ave., Upland, CA 91786

Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 6:30-8:00 pm – reading/signing at the Palms-Rancho Park Library 2920 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, 90064.

Saturday, September 25, 2010, 10 am to 4 pm – I’ll be a speaker! Mission Viejo Readers Festival, Mission Viejo Library 100 Civic Center, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 www.cmvl.org

Sunday, September 26, 2010 – West Hollywood Book Fair–look for me at the Sisters in Crime booth from 10 am to Noon and at the Mystery Writers of America booth. 

Come meet me! We'll talk, we'll nosh.

I'm a guest blogger on the Sisters in Crime blog today. And by the way, if you haven't heard of Sisters in Crime (and why haven't you?), it is an international organization of crime writers and readers with chapters all over the U.S. and Canada. At chapter meetings, members get together to talk about writing and mysteries usually with a guest speaker. And it's not just "sisters." We also have "misters" in crime. If there are no chapters in your area, (and you should check www.SistersinCrime.org) then you can always join the online chapters. Sisters in Crime has a yahoo email list to chat with one another and if you are a writer just starting out, you may wish to join the online chapter of Guppies (for the Great UnPublished--http://www.sinc-guppies.org/). That's a very active and lively list of rookies as well as veterans. I'm on there and occasionally beg for help or just chat. And remember, what happens with the Guppies, stays with the Guppies.   

I'm guest blogging today on Jungle Red Writers, talking about promotion and what has worked for me. Some useful information for the would-be author out there. I'm telling it like it is, warts and all. I'm in good company on this blog, which includes Rosemary Harris, Hallie Ephron, Hank Philippi Ryan, Rhys Bowen, Jan Brogan, and Roberta Isleib. Thanks to a wonderful bunch of ladies for hosting me!   

More interviews and guest blog posts. Today you can find me at Mayhem and Magic and The Horsey Set (don't you love these blog names?) And thanks, all, for reading and following my meandering tour!