Want to meet and mix with some terrific mystery writers? I did at the Malice Domestic mystery conference last weekend in Bethesda, Md., and want to share that with all of you.

I also met amazing readers – oh, my, yes, I did. The dedication, diversity of reading, loyalty, friendliness, and stamina of these readers is incredible. I’m only sharing the authors with you, however, because we can share reading their works and enjoying their talent. The readers I met, on the other hand, are mine… all mine. Bwah-ha-ha…..

Hostesses With the Mostest(s)

Vicky Delany and Barbara Early hosted a table for the Saturday night awards banquet and were kind enough to include me along with their devoted fans. It was a great table, with lots of fun conversation about what people love to read and fascinating travels. By asking questions (who? me?) I also got to hear about the mystery series Vicky and Barbara each write. Click their names to find out more about them.

They teamed up to give their table guests these adorable tea combos, along with varied teas. I’m happy to report that mine made it home intact … and will be put to good use. Thank you, ladies!

Make New Friends…

My first great break of the conference was teaming up with Angela M. Sanders for the Friday morning Malice-Go-Round. This is an annual event where readers settle in to one of twenty tables. Then pairs of authors rotate from table to table, telling a bit about their book in two minutes each. Yup, speed-dating for authors. Angela and I hit it off and that made it so much more fun. I’m also extremely grateful to the readers who looked interested and engaged, when their minds must have been as mushed as mine.

And then Angela and I kept running in to each other and having great conversations. She writes several series, including capers centered on a retirement home for petty criminals and one focused on vintage clothing. Be sure to check her books out!

My last “find” of Malice Domestic 29 was at the closing tea Sunday afternoon — Kate Carlisle. We’ve done promotions together, but had never met in person, Our mutual friend, Victoria Thompson (see more about her below) introduced us. That’s Victoria (left) and Kate in the photo. Kate is as warm and fun as her two series – Bibliophile Mysteries and Fixer-Upper Mysteries. Be sure to catch the latter’s original movies on Hallmark’s Mystery channel. Next one’s coming up May 20.

Kate Robbins (right, with me Saturday night, and thanks to Nancy Cohen for the pic!) isn’t precisely a brand new friend, but she is a newer writer, and she doesn’t fit in the next category, either.

We met almost three years ago at the International Thriller Writers conference, then ran into each other at the Writers Police Academy last August, and hung out there a lot. Kate’s finishing up her first book … and starting on her second. Right now. Right, Kate? Right????

… But Keep The, Uh, Long-Time

Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson and I have known each other since we were teeny-tiny, baby authors, barely able to toddle around. 😉 With a group of other cronies, we extended conference travels to visit the Colorado Rockies, Newport, R.I., the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania, and more. Kaitlyn is now writing the popular Liss MacCrimmon Scottish-American heritage mysteries. She’s also done series of historical mysteries, romances, and … well, check out her website for all the variety!

Kaitlyn also gets a VVF (Very Valuable Friend) award for raising her hand at the end of the panel I moderated and asking me to say something about my books. I was so touched. 🙂

Like history? Like mystery? You need to read Victoria Thompson’s books, including Agatha Award finalist “Murder in Morningside Heights” – that’s just from this year. She’s had scads of Agatha Award finalists (and other honors) in her long-running (that means lots of great books to read!) Gaslight mystery series. Plus, now she’s starting a second series. Can’t wait to add those to the Gaslight books.

Victoria’s comment at Malice about how long we’ve known each other? “I don’t ever remember not knowing you.” Compliment? … Or not? What do you think?

As for the picture … last day of the conference, about four hours of sleep, AND I was still on deadline. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Newshounds Abound!

Seated to my left are … the members of the “Extra! Extra! Extra! Newshounds as Sleuths” panel I moderated Sunday morning.

LynDee Walker, a former newspaper and magazine journalist, who writes the successful Headlines in High Heels mystery series set in Richmond, Va.

Lynn Chandler Willis, who knows all the skills, having owned a small-town newspaper, and is writing the Ava Logan mystery series.

Radha Vatsal, who takes readers to New York in the 1910s and World War I era, as her journalist sleuth Kitty Weeks refuses to be limited to the “Ladies’ Page.” (Book 2 is out this month.)

Christina Kovac, who was a TV journalist in D.C. (wonder if she ever ran across Elizabeth “E.M.” Danniher from my Caught Dead in Wyoming series? ‘-) ) before her first novel, a psychological thriller set in D.C. called The Cutaway, came out in March.

These sharp, smart women and I had a lot of fun, discussed with each other, didn’t always agree (sooo much more interesting), and made the audience laugh. Folks came up afterward and said it was the best panel they’d been to. We didn’t even have to pay them or anything. Wow.

More Mystery Authors Coming in 2018

So, if you’re like me, always looking for more authors to read (because it’s one of those pesky facts of life that it takes soooo much longer to write than it does to read), I present the list above as a great place to start. Hope you’ll share it with friends, too.

And it’s not too early to sign up for Malice Domestic 30 so you can meet amazing authors in person. It would be great to see you there in April 2018. 🙂

Free book!

Download Sign Off, book 1 in the Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series for free!

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