Photos from the 2012 Malice Domestic Conference

This is the first of two reports on my east coast trip. (The next one will appear Monday.) I started in Hampton, Virginia, visiting my parents. While there, I signed some stock at the local Barnes & Noble store and I gave a talk on "Series Writing for the Organizationally Challenged" to the Chesapeake Bay Writers. In the photo below, I'm with their Vice President, Jackie Guidry, and my proud mother. :)

That was followed by the Malice Domestic conference, where I had a blast! I arrived just in time on Friday to relieve Beth Wasson, the Executive Secretary of Sisters in Crime, at the SinC table in the bookroom, so she could attend the SinC Chapter Meeting. I serve on the National Membership Committee, so I spent the next couple of hours encouraging folks to join the organization. After Beth returned, I attended some panels and schmoozed with old friends such as Liz Zelvin and Leslie Budewitz (winner of the Nonfiction Agatha Award) in the photo below, and made some new friends.

Then I met up with the Midnight Ink gang (see us in the group shot below!) for dinner at a local Mongolian BBQ restaurant. I returned to observe the Live Auction for the JLG-RICA charity and watch a character name in my next RM Outdoor Adventures mystery book, Cataract Canyon, go for $400. Wow! During the dessert buffet at the Welcome Reception, I talked to my hubby on the phone and found out some buyers had signed an offer contract for our Colorado Springs house, which has been on the market almost forever. Double wow!

The New Author Breakfast and more schmoozing and panels filled up Saturday morning, then I joined some fellow members of the Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime for lunch at Booeymonger (see the two photos below).

The afternoon kicked off with my lively panel, "Three Strikes, You’re Dead: Sports-Related Mysteries" including Laura DiSilverio, Sasscer Hill, Maggie Barbieri, and our referee moderator Alan Orloff. Alan kept things lively with sports-related puns, a Seventh Inning stretch, getting the audience to do the wave, and his whistle.

The panel was followed by a signing, and here I am with a whitewater paddler fan, who is looking forward to reading Wicked Eddies. Below that is a photo of me with Parnell Hall, still in costume from the roast of Elizabeth Peters, and Geezer Lit author Mike Befeler.

Then it was time to get gussied up for the banquet. We had two tables for Midnight Ink authors, with table prizes of Midnight Ink logo T-shirts and books from fellow authors. Our acquisition editor, Terri Bischoff, provided wine, too. I'm with her (sampling the wine) and Jess Lourey in the photo below. Below that, I'm between Maddy Hunter and Darrell James.

Sunday morning began with the Sisters in Crime breakfast, where I gave out Lifetime Membership pins to the lifetime members in attendance. Then Beth Wasson came up to give me my pin. After more schmoozing and panels, I met up with fellow Midnight Ink authors Lois Winston and Vicki Doudera to drive to Oakmont, Pennsylvania, for the Festival of Mystery that would take place on Monday. This coming Monday, I'll post photos from that event!