Annette Dashofy's Blog, page 12
July 26, 2017
The Search for a Chair
After years of hiding my furniture under afghans, quilts, and throws, it's time. Out with the old and in with the new.
Except I don't want the new to look old within two days, which is exactly what might happen.
This is the old.
Skye started the shredding years ago. Then Kensi came to live with us and joined in the fun. I tried deterrents. Nothing worked. I tried slip covers. There's a reason they call them SLIP covers. They slip all over the place. What's uglier? Clawed furniture or bunched and twisted cock-eyed slip covers? It's a toss-up.
Lately I just threw blankets over everything.
Why buy new when Kensi's just going to use it as another scratching post? (She has three of the real things and uses them all, so redirection isn't the trick.) Because the old chair has lost so much stuffing and has gotten so saggy, it's no longer comfortable. Hubby would rather lie on the wood floor than lounge in his recliner.
So I went shopping. I haven't bought anything yet, but I have made a decision. Leather. My old office chair was equally shredded when I tossed it and switched to leather. Kensi completely ignores it. Hopefully she'll be equally uninterested in a leather recliner.
Stay tuned for updates.
Except I don't want the new to look old within two days, which is exactly what might happen.
This is the old.
Skye started the shredding years ago. Then Kensi came to live with us and joined in the fun. I tried deterrents. Nothing worked. I tried slip covers. There's a reason they call them SLIP covers. They slip all over the place. What's uglier? Clawed furniture or bunched and twisted cock-eyed slip covers? It's a toss-up.
Lately I just threw blankets over everything.
Why buy new when Kensi's just going to use it as another scratching post? (She has three of the real things and uses them all, so redirection isn't the trick.) Because the old chair has lost so much stuffing and has gotten so saggy, it's no longer comfortable. Hubby would rather lie on the wood floor than lounge in his recliner.
So I went shopping. I haven't bought anything yet, but I have made a decision. Leather. My old office chair was equally shredded when I tossed it and switched to leather. Kensi completely ignores it. Hopefully she'll be equally uninterested in a leather recliner.
Stay tuned for updates.
July 20, 2017
But it's a DRY heat
I'm running a little behind lately. Being out of town (out of STATE) for over a week will do that to you.
Back on July 4, Hubby and I flew out to Durango, Colorado, by way of Denver, to visit my best friend, Leta Burns, who had helped me with the details of No Way Home .
While there are no immediate plans for a follow-up to Zoe Chambers' New Mexico adventure, I'm definitely not writing off the possibility. Maybe even a short story to revisit those characters. That makes this a research trip. Right?
RIGHT?
Yes.
The flight was lovely. While I was hemmed in for the Pittsburgh to Denver leg, I had a window seat for the flight over the mountains to Durango. Still snow-capped in July!
We arrived safely at the Durango Airport, where Leta picked us up for the 45 minute drive south to what's become my second home: Aztec New Mexico. Prettiest drive ever.
Meet our housemate for the trip. Elsa is Leta's fur baby. She's shy--run first, ask questions later--but she quickly accepted us as her humans.
Let me tell you about the heat. It was hot. Mid-to-upper 90s on the good days. A hundred or so on the REALLY hot ones. I maintain the "dry heat" of the southwest is much more tolerable than the wilting, dripping, humid head of Pennsylvania, but let's not kid ourselves. Upper 90s is HOT, "dry heat" be damned.
We did venture out a few times in spite of the potential for being baked. One trip was to the town of Durango. We had lunch at our usual spot--the Strater Hotel's Diamond Belle Saloon. Then Hubby and I took a stroll while Leta (the smartest of the three of us) sat in the air-conditioned lobby and people watched.
How hot WAS it in Durango, you ask? It was so hot, Leta's windshield cracked when we turned on the AC to come home. That's HOT.
Here are a couple of shots of Main Street in Aztec, including my favorite spot to get chile rellenos: Rubio's!
Our next adventure took us to Durango again. North of Durango, actually, to the Bar D Chuckwagon! If you ever have the chance, you MUST go to one of their shows. The location is gorgeous, the food is delicious, and the musicians are talented and hysterically funny!
One of our last excursions took us back to the "scene of the crime." The area where much of No Way Home was set.
We stayed here on our FIRST trip out west back in 2013.
Abe's Motel and Bait Shop. Yeah, it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. But we had a great time!
And just to prove there IS water in New Mexico, we visited Navajo Dam, which is also mentioned in No Way Home .
And that about wrapped up our 2017 trip west. We wore poor Elsa out!
Back on July 4, Hubby and I flew out to Durango, Colorado, by way of Denver, to visit my best friend, Leta Burns, who had helped me with the details of No Way Home .
While there are no immediate plans for a follow-up to Zoe Chambers' New Mexico adventure, I'm definitely not writing off the possibility. Maybe even a short story to revisit those characters. That makes this a research trip. Right?
RIGHT?
Yes.
The flight was lovely. While I was hemmed in for the Pittsburgh to Denver leg, I had a window seat for the flight over the mountains to Durango. Still snow-capped in July!
We arrived safely at the Durango Airport, where Leta picked us up for the 45 minute drive south to what's become my second home: Aztec New Mexico. Prettiest drive ever.
Meet our housemate for the trip. Elsa is Leta's fur baby. She's shy--run first, ask questions later--but she quickly accepted us as her humans.
Let me tell you about the heat. It was hot. Mid-to-upper 90s on the good days. A hundred or so on the REALLY hot ones. I maintain the "dry heat" of the southwest is much more tolerable than the wilting, dripping, humid head of Pennsylvania, but let's not kid ourselves. Upper 90s is HOT, "dry heat" be damned.
We did venture out a few times in spite of the potential for being baked. One trip was to the town of Durango. We had lunch at our usual spot--the Strater Hotel's Diamond Belle Saloon. Then Hubby and I took a stroll while Leta (the smartest of the three of us) sat in the air-conditioned lobby and people watched.
How hot WAS it in Durango, you ask? It was so hot, Leta's windshield cracked when we turned on the AC to come home. That's HOT.
Here are a couple of shots of Main Street in Aztec, including my favorite spot to get chile rellenos: Rubio's!
Our next adventure took us to Durango again. North of Durango, actually, to the Bar D Chuckwagon! If you ever have the chance, you MUST go to one of their shows. The location is gorgeous, the food is delicious, and the musicians are talented and hysterically funny!
One of our last excursions took us back to the "scene of the crime." The area where much of No Way Home was set.
We stayed here on our FIRST trip out west back in 2013.
Abe's Motel and Bait Shop. Yeah, it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. But we had a great time!And just to prove there IS water in New Mexico, we visited Navajo Dam, which is also mentioned in No Way Home .
And that about wrapped up our 2017 trip west. We wore poor Elsa out!
June 28, 2017
Date Night
After 34 years of marriage, Hubby and I discovered we both love baseball.
I grew up watching the Pittsburgh Pirates on television and listening to the games, announced by the legendary Bob Prince, on radio. I had an uncle who was a rabid fan. My dad just loved the game. I celebrated the team led by Willie Stargell. I marveled at Kent Tekulve's arm. I mourned the loss of a true hero, Roberto Clemente. We claimed the song We Are Family as our own.
But that was well before I met my husband, who has his own tales of attending games at the long-gone Forbes Field as a small child.
Last night, we went on a date night to our little minor league franchise's ball field to watch the Washington Wild Things.
Meet The Wild Thing:
It was a hoot! There were foot races between a doughnut, an iced latte, and a cup of coffee. Another foot race involved the team mascot and a small boy. The boy won. A couple of kids competed in a hula-hoop contest. We all sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch.
We sat along the third base line where I fully expected to get beaned by a foul ball. (I didn't.) And our team won 4-0.
It would have been fun even if we hadn't impressed each other with our knowledge of the game. ("How do you know that?") Perhaps we have a new regular date night destination.
And let me also add a plug directed at anyone who enjoys audio books--BRIDGES BURNED is now available for your listening pleasure! Check it out here.
I grew up watching the Pittsburgh Pirates on television and listening to the games, announced by the legendary Bob Prince, on radio. I had an uncle who was a rabid fan. My dad just loved the game. I celebrated the team led by Willie Stargell. I marveled at Kent Tekulve's arm. I mourned the loss of a true hero, Roberto Clemente. We claimed the song We Are Family as our own.
But that was well before I met my husband, who has his own tales of attending games at the long-gone Forbes Field as a small child.
Last night, we went on a date night to our little minor league franchise's ball field to watch the Washington Wild Things.
Meet The Wild Thing:
It was a hoot! There were foot races between a doughnut, an iced latte, and a cup of coffee. Another foot race involved the team mascot and a small boy. The boy won. A couple of kids competed in a hula-hoop contest. We all sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch.
We sat along the third base line where I fully expected to get beaned by a foul ball. (I didn't.) And our team won 4-0.
It would have been fun even if we hadn't impressed each other with our knowledge of the game. ("How do you know that?") Perhaps we have a new regular date night destination.
And let me also add a plug directed at anyone who enjoys audio books--BRIDGES BURNED is now available for your listening pleasure! Check it out here.
June 13, 2017
Book Jail
It's DONE. I have sent Zoe Chambers Mystery #6, titled UNEASY PREY, to my editors. Another deadline met.
This one was a challenge. Lots of obstacles fell in my path over the last year. But I made it with much thanks to my friends, especially Ramona Long, who invited me to her writer's retreat in eastern Pennsylvania. I affectionately dubbed it Book Jail.
I traveled with my frequent road trip buddy, Martha Reed. Kensi was very unhappy with Aunt Martha for coming to take me away.
What a face!
And this is it! Officially it's "Clare House" but to us, it was our home for a week of writing. It was also Book Jail for those of us (ME) on deadline.
The grounds were lovely, with lots of statues of St. Francis of Assisi.
We had a trio of deer who visited us daily.
While we holed up in our own private spaces all day to write, we each took turns cooking dinner, which we shared as a group. Most evenings, we dined outside. Here is Martha Reed and Edith Maxwell about to dig into my potato soup.
And this is my "cell" in Book Jail. My room was in the attic and my desk sat in the gable of one of the windows. My view was limited to tree tops, so nothing in the way of distractions. Just me, my laptop, my notes, and my coffee.
I did get paroled on Friday evening for a few hours. Martha, Edith, Kim Gray, and I traveled to Doylestown to see Jonathan Maberry. If you haven't read his books or heard him speak, you need to do that. Soon. He's incredible.
The crowd was pretty awesome too! And this is only a small portion of it.
Saturday, I FINISHED my rewrite and celebrated by joining my fellow retreaters on a walk through the woods. If a tree falls in the forest and no one writes about it, did it actually exist?
And this is the other side of the house, looking up at it from the woods. Those two little windows (one with an air conditioner that didn't work) at the peak were mine.
Edith, Ramona, and Martha coming out of the woods after our walk.
Many thanks to Ramona Long for inviting me, to Martha Reed for driving, and to Edith Maxwell and Kim Gray for being the best housemates ever. I don't think I ever needed something as much as I needed this perfect week with the perfect mix of solitude and writerly comradery.
This one was a challenge. Lots of obstacles fell in my path over the last year. But I made it with much thanks to my friends, especially Ramona Long, who invited me to her writer's retreat in eastern Pennsylvania. I affectionately dubbed it Book Jail.
I traveled with my frequent road trip buddy, Martha Reed. Kensi was very unhappy with Aunt Martha for coming to take me away.
What a face!And this is it! Officially it's "Clare House" but to us, it was our home for a week of writing. It was also Book Jail for those of us (ME) on deadline.
The grounds were lovely, with lots of statues of St. Francis of Assisi.
We had a trio of deer who visited us daily.
While we holed up in our own private spaces all day to write, we each took turns cooking dinner, which we shared as a group. Most evenings, we dined outside. Here is Martha Reed and Edith Maxwell about to dig into my potato soup.
And this is my "cell" in Book Jail. My room was in the attic and my desk sat in the gable of one of the windows. My view was limited to tree tops, so nothing in the way of distractions. Just me, my laptop, my notes, and my coffee.
I did get paroled on Friday evening for a few hours. Martha, Edith, Kim Gray, and I traveled to Doylestown to see Jonathan Maberry. If you haven't read his books or heard him speak, you need to do that. Soon. He's incredible.
The crowd was pretty awesome too! And this is only a small portion of it.
Saturday, I FINISHED my rewrite and celebrated by joining my fellow retreaters on a walk through the woods. If a tree falls in the forest and no one writes about it, did it actually exist?
And this is the other side of the house, looking up at it from the woods. Those two little windows (one with an air conditioner that didn't work) at the peak were mine.
Edith, Ramona, and Martha coming out of the woods after our walk.
Many thanks to Ramona Long for inviting me, to Martha Reed for driving, and to Edith Maxwell and Kim Gray for being the best housemates ever. I don't think I ever needed something as much as I needed this perfect week with the perfect mix of solitude and writerly comradery.
May 31, 2017
New Camera Old Pictures
I finally admitted I'd outgrown my kindergarten-level Samsung Galaxy Core Prime smartphone and upgraded to a Galaxy 7S a little over a week ago. I could sing love songs to this new phone. And I am extremely grateful to my favorite Verizon guy who took the task of transferring all my "stuff" from the old phone to the new. Technology-wise, the smaller the learning curve for me, the better.
One of the things I did before putting my old phone on the shelf was transfer the photos I'd taken on it over the last two years to my computer. I've deleted more than I kept because--let's face it--3 megapixels. The camera sucked.
But here is a sampling of life as captured by my cell phone camera over the last two years.
Beginning with lunch with my friend, Terri Watson, in Nashville, TN. Such a fun afternoon! Great memories.
An in-the-wild book sighting of Bridges Burned:
Kensi daring me to keep working on edits:
Caught on Mystery Lovers Bookshop's "Best of 2015" shelf!
At the Agatha Awards banquet with Hank Phillippi Ryan who is always awesome:
My rhododendrons in bloom. This because one of my screen savers:
My friend Leta Burns' shy, but adorable, kitty Elsa:
Library bookshelf sighting:
Some scenes around Confluence PA, which was our second home for many years. No, I don't mean this house. This was just a research photo:
And this is a little fixer-upper in town:
THIS was our Confluence second home--an interior shot of my beloved camper AKA the Confluence Writing Cave:
And one last exterior shot before we sold it:
Another in-the-wild book sighting:
Kensi discovered selfies:
Books on display at the Shoppe Along the Way in Burgettstown PA:
You have to take photos when you open that first box of new books. You HAVE to. It's a law.
Another photo at the Shoppe Along the Way with the full set.
Critique buddies Tamara Girardi and Mary Sutton help with promo photos:
Another unexpected in-the-wild sighting:
At the start of my launch party at Mystery Lovers Bookshop. I'm happy to say the shelves were pretty bare by the end of it.
My southwestern flavored food table at my launch party:
A request for a signed copy...from Hank Phillippi Ryan!
I keep good company:
And then there were the two days in the hospital for poor Kensi. I still break out in hives at the sight of lilies.
Happier days followed. Wrapping up this photographic journey with the Wicked Cozies' book event prior to Malice Domestic this spring.
The old phone's camera might not have had the best quality, but it definitely captured my memories of the last two years. I'm looking forward to sharing more memories from the new camera in the days and months ahead.
One of the things I did before putting my old phone on the shelf was transfer the photos I'd taken on it over the last two years to my computer. I've deleted more than I kept because--let's face it--3 megapixels. The camera sucked.
But here is a sampling of life as captured by my cell phone camera over the last two years.
Beginning with lunch with my friend, Terri Watson, in Nashville, TN. Such a fun afternoon! Great memories.
An in-the-wild book sighting of Bridges Burned:
Kensi daring me to keep working on edits:
Caught on Mystery Lovers Bookshop's "Best of 2015" shelf!
At the Agatha Awards banquet with Hank Phillippi Ryan who is always awesome:
My rhododendrons in bloom. This because one of my screen savers:
My friend Leta Burns' shy, but adorable, kitty Elsa:
Library bookshelf sighting:
Some scenes around Confluence PA, which was our second home for many years. No, I don't mean this house. This was just a research photo:
And this is a little fixer-upper in town:
THIS was our Confluence second home--an interior shot of my beloved camper AKA the Confluence Writing Cave:
And one last exterior shot before we sold it:
Another in-the-wild book sighting:
Kensi discovered selfies:
Books on display at the Shoppe Along the Way in Burgettstown PA:
You have to take photos when you open that first box of new books. You HAVE to. It's a law.
Another photo at the Shoppe Along the Way with the full set.
Critique buddies Tamara Girardi and Mary Sutton help with promo photos:
Another unexpected in-the-wild sighting:
At the start of my launch party at Mystery Lovers Bookshop. I'm happy to say the shelves were pretty bare by the end of it.
My southwestern flavored food table at my launch party:
A request for a signed copy...from Hank Phillippi Ryan!
I keep good company:
And then there were the two days in the hospital for poor Kensi. I still break out in hives at the sight of lilies.
Happier days followed. Wrapping up this photographic journey with the Wicked Cozies' book event prior to Malice Domestic this spring.
The old phone's camera might not have had the best quality, but it definitely captured my memories of the last two years. I'm looking forward to sharing more memories from the new camera in the days and months ahead.
May 29, 2017
Memorial Day
Remembering my dad on this Memorial Day and every day as I offer up gratitude to all of those who fought (and continue to fight) for our freedom.
May 24, 2017
Pennwriters Conference 2017
The 30th Pennwriters Conference was as close to perfect as one could get. Having coordinated one back in 2009, I know of what I speak. I'm sure there were behind-the-scenes glitches, but the conference committee, especially coordinators Heather Desuta and Carol Silvis handled them so that to the rest of us, everything flowed seamlessly.
I was the Saturday luncheon keynote, and as such, was given an awesome room.
My house isn't much bigger than this! And my house doesn't come with maid service!
I taught my first workshop, Setting as a Character, Friday morning.
I was a slacker where photography was concerned, however I did manage to capture a few pictures.
This was the Friday luncheon which combined the Published Penns business lunch with the Networking Lunch we usually have. Nancy Martin moderated the Littsburgh Panel.
Before the banquet, Martha Reed brought wine and cheese to my room for an impromptu happy hour with a few friends.
Afterwards was the Friday keynote with Chuck Sambuchino followed by the Read & Critique meetings. I was joined by Mary Sutton and Don Helin on that panel.
Saturday was a long day. Breakfast and the annual membership meeting started it off. I tried to sit in on a couple of workshops, but ended up retreating to my room for some quiet time. Then I hung out in the Hospitality Suite where Trevor Thomas of Mystery Lovers Bookshop manned the book sales. And there was an lovely assortment of prizes offered at the basket raffle.
The BIG LUNCH.
Bobbi Carducci presented the Meritorious Service Award to winner Heather Desuta. CONGRATULATIONS, Heather!
Then it was my turn. I snapped a few photos of the audience before I started my speech.
Thankfully, it was well received. I love Pennwriters and did not want to disappoint!
My critique buddies and I had a panel Saturday afternoon on (ironically enough) critique groups!
With the bulk of the conference behind us, my fellow Sisters (and Mister) in Crime and I had a raucous dinner at the hotel restaurant. Lots of fun and good food!
Later, the pirate-themed cocktail party brought out a wide assortment of scally-wags!
I had one more workshop Sunday morning--the Villain--before everything wrapped up with the basket raffle. Rock 'n' Roll Larry couldn't resist adding a few more tickets.
Now I'm back to real life. Writing. Doing laundry. But I carry my wonderful memories of the best Pennwriters Conference ever. At least for me.
May 9, 2017
Road Trip!
No sooner did I return from Malice Domestic in Bethesda than I hit the road heading east again. This time it was a multi-stop trip. Four nights in four different beds. Sounds kinky, but trust me. It wasn't. I have a new appreciation for the term "living out of a suitcase."
I left on Thursday and headed to my friend Hilary Hauck's home in Ebensburg PA where I had time to catch my breath before she drove me to Duncansville where I presented a writing workshop to a love crowd at the Inkwell Writers Group.
It's always lovely to see earnest writers scribbling away during one of my writing exercises!
I spent the night in Hilary's guest room and we had a lovely visit Friday morning. This is Shadow and Hobbs. Shadow (the cat) is the boss. Hobbs is big enough that I was tempted to throw a saddle on him!
Hobbs liked to nap under my feet.
Shadow took over my spot on the bed once I was done with it.
And Hilary is an incredible cook! Lunch was amazing! Risotto from scratch.
After lunch, I bid Hilary, Hobbs, and Shadow farewell and hit the road again.
Next stop: the home of my fellow Henery Press Hen Wendy Tyson and her lovely family. After supper at an Indian restaurant (YUM!) and a night in Wendy's spare room, I tagged along with Wendy and her twin sons for a train ride into Philadelphia.
I was a total tourist.
We returned to Wendy's house for some yoga, made interesting by the inclusion of her two dogs (gave a whole new meaning to DOG POSE).
And Driggs also seemed to nap under my feet. I sense a recurring theme here. "Black Dogs Underfoot." Perhaps a future photography exhibit?
Then we headed to the lovely, quaint town of New Hope to attend the world premier of the stage play CLUE.
It was hysterical. Laugh-until-you-cry funny. Afterwards, I moved into an artsy house owned by the daughter of one of the Friends of the Library for Saturday night.
Sunday morning, I struck out to walk the town's streets. So many cute shops!
It was good that they were still closed that early or I might have spent a LOT of money.
Finally, I joined Wendy, Jon McGoran, Sherry Knowlton, and Dennis Tafoya at the Free Library of New Hope and Solebury for a mystery author panel.
We all had a blast and the audience was great!
From there, I headed west again for my final night on the road--a generic hotel room an hour down the PA Turnpike so I had a bit of a jump on the long cross-state trip.
I'm glad to be home...and I wouldn't want to live the vagabond's life too often...but I had a lot of fun, saw some new sights, made some new friends, and got to spend quality time with some old ones.
I also learned a whole new way to pack a suitcase. But that's a post for another time!
I left on Thursday and headed to my friend Hilary Hauck's home in Ebensburg PA where I had time to catch my breath before she drove me to Duncansville where I presented a writing workshop to a love crowd at the Inkwell Writers Group.
It's always lovely to see earnest writers scribbling away during one of my writing exercises!
I spent the night in Hilary's guest room and we had a lovely visit Friday morning. This is Shadow and Hobbs. Shadow (the cat) is the boss. Hobbs is big enough that I was tempted to throw a saddle on him!
Hobbs liked to nap under my feet.
Shadow took over my spot on the bed once I was done with it.
And Hilary is an incredible cook! Lunch was amazing! Risotto from scratch.
After lunch, I bid Hilary, Hobbs, and Shadow farewell and hit the road again.
Next stop: the home of my fellow Henery Press Hen Wendy Tyson and her lovely family. After supper at an Indian restaurant (YUM!) and a night in Wendy's spare room, I tagged along with Wendy and her twin sons for a train ride into Philadelphia.
I was a total tourist.
We returned to Wendy's house for some yoga, made interesting by the inclusion of her two dogs (gave a whole new meaning to DOG POSE).
And Driggs also seemed to nap under my feet. I sense a recurring theme here. "Black Dogs Underfoot." Perhaps a future photography exhibit?
Then we headed to the lovely, quaint town of New Hope to attend the world premier of the stage play CLUE.
It was hysterical. Laugh-until-you-cry funny. Afterwards, I moved into an artsy house owned by the daughter of one of the Friends of the Library for Saturday night.
Sunday morning, I struck out to walk the town's streets. So many cute shops!
It was good that they were still closed that early or I might have spent a LOT of money.
Finally, I joined Wendy, Jon McGoran, Sherry Knowlton, and Dennis Tafoya at the Free Library of New Hope and Solebury for a mystery author panel.
We all had a blast and the audience was great!
From there, I headed west again for my final night on the road--a generic hotel room an hour down the PA Turnpike so I had a bit of a jump on the long cross-state trip.
I'm glad to be home...and I wouldn't want to live the vagabond's life too often...but I had a lot of fun, saw some new sights, made some new friends, and got to spend quality time with some old ones.
I also learned a whole new way to pack a suitcase. But that's a post for another time!
May 2, 2017
Malice Domestic 2017
Malice is history for another year. I love getting to see all my mystery community family. It was a whirlwind weekend, and I really shirked my photography duties, so I'm relying a lot on pictures stolen from my friends. My apologies. But I will give credit.
My travel buddy, Mary Sutton AKA Liz Milliron had suffered a fall right after Easter and was still on crutches. So after we checked in, she retreated to her room and took a long nap. Meanwhile, my roommate, Joyce Tremel and I headed to the Bethesda Barnes and Noble where the Wicked Cozy bloggers had a panel.
They're a great group of ladies! And I recommend any and all of their books.
Afterward, we hiked another couple of blocks for a late dinner (and margaritas!) at Uncle Julio's before returning to the hotel to rest up for the official start of Malice on Friday.
I partnered with Joyce for Malice Go Round Friday morning.
(Thanks, Alice Loweecey for the photo!)
It's speed dating for authors. Twenty-one tables. Eight readers per table. Forty-two authors paired up, one pair per table. Each author has two minutes to talk about their books. After four minutes, the pair of authors move to the next table and repeat the process. It's exhausting, but fun!
The rest of the day, I attended panels including the one I'd been blessed to be on LAST year: Simply the Best with this year's Agatha nominees for Best Contemporary Novel.
(Left to right: Moderator, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Ellen Byron, Catriona McPherson, Barbara Ross, and Hank Phillippi Ryan. Not pictured: Louise Penny.)
And then there was the panel I'd been blessed to be on TWO years ago: New Kids on the Block with this year's Agatha nominees for Best First Novel.
My photos of the entire panel didn't turn out, but this is my good friend and fellow Henery Press "hen" Cynthia Kuhn with Rosemarie Keenan. Other nominees were Marla Cooper, Nadine Nettmann, and Vince Keenan (he and his wife, Rosemarie, are the writing team behind Renee Patrick).
Friday evening was opening ceremonies followed by the Henery Press cocktail party. I know there are photos of these events out there, but I didn't get any.
I did capture another Henery Press hen, Gretchen Archer, nominated for Best Short Story.
Saturday was Gretchen's panel of short story nominees.
And then MY panel--the most fitting panel for this farm gal--Rural Murder.
Left to right: Moderator extraordinaire Stephanie Jaye Evans, Shannon Baker, me, Anne Hillerman, and Carolyn Mulford. It was an awesome panel, and I was all fan girl over Anne Hillerman. Hopefully I didn't embarrass myself. Photo courtesy of Henery Press.
Later in the day was my book signing.
This is Dru Ann Love taking a photo of me while Eleanor Carwood Jones took a photo of her taking a photo of me.
And this is the photo Dru took:
The banquet Saturday night was fabulous (okay, the food was not). The best part was my pal Cynthia Kuhn won the Agatha for Best First Novel!
Sunday was the exhausting drive home where I was reunited with Kensi, who crawled into my tote bag after throwing all the contents out on the bed and declared I was not leaving her home with THE DAD again.
My travel buddy, Mary Sutton AKA Liz Milliron had suffered a fall right after Easter and was still on crutches. So after we checked in, she retreated to her room and took a long nap. Meanwhile, my roommate, Joyce Tremel and I headed to the Bethesda Barnes and Noble where the Wicked Cozy bloggers had a panel.
They're a great group of ladies! And I recommend any and all of their books.
Afterward, we hiked another couple of blocks for a late dinner (and margaritas!) at Uncle Julio's before returning to the hotel to rest up for the official start of Malice on Friday.
I partnered with Joyce for Malice Go Round Friday morning.
(Thanks, Alice Loweecey for the photo!)It's speed dating for authors. Twenty-one tables. Eight readers per table. Forty-two authors paired up, one pair per table. Each author has two minutes to talk about their books. After four minutes, the pair of authors move to the next table and repeat the process. It's exhausting, but fun!
The rest of the day, I attended panels including the one I'd been blessed to be on LAST year: Simply the Best with this year's Agatha nominees for Best Contemporary Novel.
(Left to right: Moderator, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Ellen Byron, Catriona McPherson, Barbara Ross, and Hank Phillippi Ryan. Not pictured: Louise Penny.)And then there was the panel I'd been blessed to be on TWO years ago: New Kids on the Block with this year's Agatha nominees for Best First Novel.
My photos of the entire panel didn't turn out, but this is my good friend and fellow Henery Press "hen" Cynthia Kuhn with Rosemarie Keenan. Other nominees were Marla Cooper, Nadine Nettmann, and Vince Keenan (he and his wife, Rosemarie, are the writing team behind Renee Patrick).Friday evening was opening ceremonies followed by the Henery Press cocktail party. I know there are photos of these events out there, but I didn't get any.
I did capture another Henery Press hen, Gretchen Archer, nominated for Best Short Story.
Saturday was Gretchen's panel of short story nominees.
And then MY panel--the most fitting panel for this farm gal--Rural Murder.
Left to right: Moderator extraordinaire Stephanie Jaye Evans, Shannon Baker, me, Anne Hillerman, and Carolyn Mulford. It was an awesome panel, and I was all fan girl over Anne Hillerman. Hopefully I didn't embarrass myself. Photo courtesy of Henery Press.
Later in the day was my book signing.
This is Dru Ann Love taking a photo of me while Eleanor Carwood Jones took a photo of her taking a photo of me.And this is the photo Dru took:
The banquet Saturday night was fabulous (okay, the food was not). The best part was my pal Cynthia Kuhn won the Agatha for Best First Novel!
Sunday was the exhausting drive home where I was reunited with Kensi, who crawled into my tote bag after throwing all the contents out on the bed and declared I was not leaving her home with THE DAD again.
April 25, 2017
Ready for Malice!
Last week I did something that happens about once a year and which provides a ridiculous amount of joy in my (and any writer's) life. I typed THE END.
Of course, the next book isn't "done" by any stretch of the imagination. But the first draft is. There are still rewriting and revisions galore ahead of me, but the bones of the story are there.
The other good part is the timing. Now I can take this week off to prepare for and attend Malice Domestic. Malice is one of the big mystery conventions out there. Taking place annually in Bethesda, Maryland, it's the home to the Agatha Awards. I'm not in the running this year, but I have good friends who are. I get to relax and cheer them on.
Here are a few photos from recent past Malices.
My New Kids on the Block panel from 2015 for Best First Novel nominees:
My nomination certificate. Still love that handbag with my book cover on it:
Before the banquet with my editors, Rachel and Erin:
Biggest Awesomest Moment of My Life - 2016's Simply the Best Panel when I was a nominee for Best Contemporary Novel along with Hank Phillippi Ryan, Catriona McPherson, Margaret Maron (who won), and Louise Penny (not present). Also in the photo is our moderator extraordinaire, Shawn Simmons:
Before the banquet:
Stay tuned for a new batch of photos from this year's Malice!
Of course, the next book isn't "done" by any stretch of the imagination. But the first draft is. There are still rewriting and revisions galore ahead of me, but the bones of the story are there.
The other good part is the timing. Now I can take this week off to prepare for and attend Malice Domestic. Malice is one of the big mystery conventions out there. Taking place annually in Bethesda, Maryland, it's the home to the Agatha Awards. I'm not in the running this year, but I have good friends who are. I get to relax and cheer them on.
Here are a few photos from recent past Malices.
My New Kids on the Block panel from 2015 for Best First Novel nominees:
My nomination certificate. Still love that handbag with my book cover on it:
Before the banquet with my editors, Rachel and Erin:
Biggest Awesomest Moment of My Life - 2016's Simply the Best Panel when I was a nominee for Best Contemporary Novel along with Hank Phillippi Ryan, Catriona McPherson, Margaret Maron (who won), and Louise Penny (not present). Also in the photo is our moderator extraordinaire, Shawn Simmons:
Before the banquet:
Stay tuned for a new batch of photos from this year's Malice!
