Photos from the Pikes Peak Writers Conference

Last weekend, I drove down to Colorado Springs for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference. I was only able to attend on Saturday, but I arrived on Friday in time for the Staff/Faculty mixer. Many of the folks were in costume as their favorite literary character for the dinner that evening. Below are photos of myself with mystery author Robert Spiller (dressed as Brother Cadfael) and his wife Barbara (dressed as Philip Marlowe). Below that I'm with vampyress Julia Allen and MB Partlow dressed as the lost love Lenore in Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "The Raven."

The photos below are from my Saturday panel about "Fooling the Reader Fairly" with fellow mystery authors Donnell Ann Bell, Robert Spiller, and Laura DiSilverio. My topic was red herrings (false clues), and I brought a can of red herrings (kipper snacks) as a prop.

The last two photos are from the Saturday night banquet, where folks dressed to the nines. Notice the balloon centerpieces. I placed most of those on the tables when I helped decorate the banquet room. The first is of me with two of my favorite critique partners, Maria Faulconer and Barbara Nickless. The second is of me with with Robert Crais, an update of one taken of the two of us in 2001, when he handed me the certificate for my first writing contest placement. I had a great time at the conference, re-connecting with writer friends!