Book Award Season - Please Consider My 2013 Titles!

This is the season for nominating books that were published in 2013 for various awards. My publisher, Midnight Ink, or I have nominated one or the other or both of my 2013 titles for the following awards:

- Best Novel Edgar Award given out by the Mystery Writers of America (a judged award)
- Best Genre Fiction Novel Award given out by the Colorado Book Awards (a judged award)
- Best Contemporary Fiction WILLA Award given out by Women Writing the West (a judged award)

- Best Contemporary Novel Agatha Award given out at the Malice Domestic conference (a fan voted award)
- The Squid Award (for best mystery set in the US) given out at the Left Coast Crime conference (a fan voted award)

Now, I have a favor to ask. If you are a mystery fan who has read and enjoyed one or both of my 2013 books, and you are able to nominate books for the Agatha or Squid awards, I hope you'll consider adding my books to your list. Here's some information about them to remind you, and you can follow the links to their book pages on my website if you need more information. Thanks!

A Basket of Trouble, third book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, released in November, 2013.

“Groundwater combines a satisfying mystery with aspects of riding life and a look at the illegal immigration issue. A good choice for fans of small-town amateur sleuths.”
   -- Booklist, Oct 1, 2013

Fatal Descent, third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series, released in June, 2013.

“Groundwater’s third entry (after the Left Coast Crime Rocky Award finalist Wicked Eddies) is marked by an outdoorsy intensity and authentic sports chatter sure to resonate with Nevada Barr readers. Her methodical, gentle buildup mirrors the river’s course so that when the characters hit the rapids, life jackets are a must.”
    -- Library Journal, June 1, 2013

Photos from Left Coast Crime 2013

Last weekend, I attended the Left Coast Crime 2013 conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I drove down the day before to meet with the Mystery Book Club at the Cheyenne Mountain Library branch of the Pikes Peak Library District. They had read my Wicked Eddies novel, a finalist for the LCC Rocky Award, and had a boatload of questions for me about my writing life. Then, I headed over to the conference location, the Cheyenne Mountain Conference Center, to put together honored guest gift bags with my fellow committee member, Cathy Dilts. We delivered the bags to the front desk, then I was off to BJ's to have dinner with most of the members of my former Colorado Springs critique group (shown below). What a fun evening!

At the opening night reception on Thursday, plaques were awarded to all the finalist nominees for the various awards to be given out at the conference--the Lefty, the Rocky, the Watson, and the Historical. I'm in the middle of the group of Rocky finalists below, wearing Craig Johnson's hat. The rest of the finalists are Craig, fellow Midnight Ink author Darrell James, Chuck Greaves, and Margaret Coel. I was very honored to be included in their company!

Here's my first panel on Friday, "Authors with Altitude", with fellow Colorado authors and friends, Mark Stevens, Laura DiSilverio, Robert Spiller, Leslie O'Kane, and Denise Dietz, who was also my editor when I was publishing with Five Star.

And here's fellow new MInker (Midnight Ink author) Shannon Baker (the blonde) on her panel, "You Say Teepee, I Say Hogan: Writing Other Cultures" panel with Margaret Coel, Craig Johnson, Curt Wendelboe, and R.J. (Robin) Harlick. Check out Shannon's brand new release, Tainted Mountain! Below that are two photos of me on the "Writing the West: the Rocky Nominees" panel with Chuck Greaves, Darrell James, Craig Johnson, Margaret Coel, and moderator and conference director (and good friend) Christine Goff.

Now, on to the Saturday banquet. We had a raucous and fun table of MInkers, including Acquisition Editor Terri Bischoff (seated on the far left in the first photo), and Janet Rudolph (seated on the far right), the "Mistress of Murder" and editor of Mystery Readers Journal. Look for an article written by me in the upcoming Environmental Mysteries issue of the journal. Below the group photo is one of me with fellow Minker Rocky nominee Darrell James. The last of this group is of live auctioneer Robert Spiller (who had us all in stitches!) and Special Guest Lou Diamond Phillips (actor in the Longmire A&E TV series based on Craig Johnson's mystery series) auctioning off a spiral-bound ARC of Craig's upcoming short story collection, Stay Calm, Have Courage and Wait for Signs.

On to the awards! We were all thrilled when fellow MInker, Catriona McPherson, won the Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award (first photo below). And I was so pleased to see fellow Sisters in Crime Guppies chapter member Rochelle Staab (in the second photo) win the Watson Award for best sidekick in a mystery. Craig Johnson, of course, won the Rocky Award, and Brad Parks (last photo) won the Lefty Award, for most humorous mystery. After accepting the award, he proceeded to serenade Guest of Honor Laura Lippman, putting a fitting cap on a very fun banquet.

Appearing at Left Coast Crime

I am spending this weekend at the Left Coast Crime 2013 conference in Colorado Springs, home of Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods as shown above. If you are attending, here's when you can see me speak at the conference:

Friday 3:00–3:45 PM - Authors With Altitude: Colorado Authors panel

Saturday 7:30–9:00 AM - Meet the Established Authors Breakfast
Saturday 2:15 - 3:00 PM: The Sporting Side of Murder panel
Saturday 3:15 - 4:00 PM: Writing the West: The Rocky Nominees panel

I'll also be volunteering at Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America information tables. I hope to have a chance to talk to many mystery readers at the conference!

An Award Nomination for WICKED EDDIES!

I am absolutely thrilled that mystery fans who will be attending the Left Coast Crime 2013 conference next month (one of the three largest annual mystery fan conferences in North America) have selected my Wicked Eddies mystery novel as a finalist for THE ROCKY award, for the best mystery novel set in the Left Coast Crime geographic area (essentially the Mountain Time Zone and west to Hawaii)! You can read the list of award nominations HERE. I've got some heady competition with two of my favorite authors, Margaret Coel and Craig Johnson, in the running, along with a fellow Midnight Ink author, Darryl James. I'm honored to be in their company.

If YOU are attending the Left Coast Crime conference, I hope you'll read Wicked Eddies, if you haven't already, and consider voting for it to win the award. Another of my books has finaled for a mystery fan-selected award, A Real Basket Case, for the Best First Novel Agatha Award, but I have yet to make it from finalist to winner status. I'd love to be on that podium!

Left Coast Crime

Left Coast Crime is a mystery conference that is help annually in the spring in some location in Western North America. It is sponsored by fans and is held for fans, so they can meet and mingle with each other and the mystery authors they love reading. Past conferences have been held in California, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Hawaii, Oregon, and Alaska. This year's conference, Left Coast Crime 2013, is being held in Colorado Springs, Colorado during March 21-24.

I have registered to attend LCC 2013 and hope to be on a panel of outdoor-oriented mystery authors. I'm also looking forward to reconnecting with fellow mystery author friends and mystery reader friends. I hope some of my blog readers will be able to attend, so I can hang out with you! Behind the scenes, I'm working with Sisters in Crime to sponsor a cocktail reception and man an information table and with the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America to sponsor a reception. I'll also be putting together gift baskets/bags for the key presenters.

One aspect of the conference is to vote on and present awards in various categories of mystery fiction. This year's awards include:

THE LEFTY — Best humorous mystery novel

THE BRUCE ALEXANDER MEMORIAL HISTORICAL MYSTERY — Best historical mystery novel covering events before 1960

THE ROCKY — Best mystery novel set in the Left Coast Crime Geographical Region (Mountain Time Zone and all time zones westward to Hawaii)

THE WATSON — Mystery novel with the best sidekick

Wicked Eddies, the second book in my RM OutdoorAdventures mystery series, is eligible for THE ROCKY. In the book, whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner discovers a murdered fly fisherman along the banks of the Arkansas River near Salida, Colorado. I hope those of you who are registered to attend the conference and have a nomination form will consider listing Wicked Eddies as one of your nominees for THE ROCKY.

I'd love to hear from those of you who are attending, so I can be sure to look for you at the conference!

Left Coast Crime: Report 2

This is the second report, with photos, about my trip to Santa Fe, NM, for the Left Coast Crime conference. I ended Report 1 with the Friday evening blessing ceremony. After that, we all chowed down on the plentiful appetizers and the "Mass Market Murderers" made a supreme effort to get liquored-up enough to gather our courage for our later performance of "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles. The photos below are from that hilariously awful rendition--after my muscle pose with program chair Rob Kresge. I've been told we'll be YouTube stars soon. (Shudder!)




Saturday morning was the Established Author Breakfast, where I made my pitch for Deadly Currents, and where I met up with Becke Martin, who runs the Barnes & Noble on-line Mystery Book Club (photo below).



After listening to Craig Johnson's delightful interview of Margaret Coel (photo above), I lunched with the Sisters in Crime Guppies chapter members who were attending the conference, about a dozen of us (photos below).

Patricia Gulley, Avery Aames, Kaye George.

Gigi Pandian, Elizabeth (Liz) Wilkerson, Mysti Berry.

Jill Amadio, me, Kari Wainwright's sister.

Kari Wainwright, Tammy Kaehler, Gigi Pandian.


Then I listened to the "Series vs Standalones" panel of authors who have written both: Michael A. Black, G.M. Malliet, Janet Dawson, Rosemary & Larry Mild, and Penny Warner (photo below). After volunteering in the Hospitality Suite, I napped in my room, then refreshed, dressed for the banquet. I sat at my good friend LC Hayden's table (photo below).



Sunday morning, I breakfasted with Kris Neri and the conference chair, Pari Noskin Taichert, attended the "Police Procedurals" panel moderated by LC Hayden, then hit the road. I stopped in Pueblo, CO, for a signing on the way home to Colorado Springs, did a couple loads of laundry, then fell into bed and slept for ten and a half hours!

And here's the YouTube link to the slide show from our "Murder in the Great Outdoors" panel. it's short and sassy!

Left Coast Crime: Report 1

Last weekend, I attended the Left Coast Crime conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Below are the first set of photos from the event. I'll post another report tomorrow with more photos.

Wednesday, I drove down from Colorado Springs, checked into the hotel, then went to the Otowi Station Bookstore in Los Alamos, NM, for a signing. If you're ever in Los Alamos, you've got to stop in there! What a fun collection of children's science toys and all kinds of books (they're next to the science museum in town), and the two owners, Peggy and Michele, are very nice & friendly. The next photo is of me with two store customers who bought copies of Deadly Currents at that signing.


Thursday, I spent the morning checking in, schmoozing, and figuring out where all the conference rooms were. The first panel I attended was after lunch: "Santa Fe, the City of Different", with Susan Paturzo, Joe Badal, Margaret Coel, and Susan Shea, as shown in the photo below. After volunteering in the Hospitality Suite, I went to the "Short But Not Sweet: Short Stories" panel with Jane Burfield, Stephen D. Rogers, Lance Zarimba, Patricia Morin, and Michael Bracken, shown in the second photo below.



After that was a dinner at Milagro 139 with 20 members of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America that I had arranged. The meals were delicious, the margaritas were flowing, and Denise Dietz, editor for Five Star, gave a brief talk and answered a few questions. The next three photos are from that dinner.




Friday morning I went to the New Authors Breakfast where 16 first-time authors took turns pitching their mystery books. After that, I attended the "Crafts, Hobbies & Murders" panel with good friends and cozy mystery authors Christine Goff (birdwatcher series), Maggie Sefton (knitting series), Avery Aames (cheese shop series), and Camille Minichino (miniature series). Next, I sat in on the "Industry Professionals on Publishing" panel manned by agents and editors with their thoughts on the state of the mystery business, and the publishing business in general.

Then came my own "Murder in the Great Outdoors" with Sandi Ault, Michael Norman, and Twist Phelan. We each brought a few items we took with us into the great outdoors while researching our books. Mine were a PFD (personal floatation device), whistle, and pocketknife. Also, Sandi and her husband crafted a wonderful slide show of photos of us doing outdoor activities & research and of some joke images of celebrities holding our photo-shopped-in books. People kept coming up to me later to tell me how much they enjoyed the panel, so I'm very pleased with its reception! The next photo is from that panel.


Next was a late lunch at Cafe Pasquel's with historical mystery author and long-time friend Ann Parker (photo below).


We got back to La Fonda in time for Toastmaster Steve Brewer's interview of New Mexico author Steven Havill, which was very interesting and entertaining. We reconvened in the ballroom a half hour later for a blessing ceremony performed by the Ice Mountain Dance Group from the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. The rest of the photos are from that ceremony.




Stay tuned for tomorrow's report, with photos of my most embarrassing moment at the conference!

Hanging Out at the Left Coast Crime Conference

This weekend, I will be attending the 2011 Left Coast Crime Conference, subtitled "The Big Chili," in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It will be a gathering of around 400 mystery authors, librarians, booksellers, and readers to celebrate the mystery genre. If you plan to attend, here's where you can find me:

Today, Friday:

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM, “Murder in the Great Outdoors” panel with me, Sandi Ault, Twist Phelan, and Michael Norman, followed by a signing from 12:15 – 12:30 PM. We're bringing props and having a contest for free books!

5:30 - 7 PM, Opening Reception, where I'll be singing "Paperback Writer" with the Mass Market Murderers (members of the Rocky Mountain chapter of Mystery Writers of America). This is guaranteed to be a hoot and a half!

Saturday:

7:30 - 9 AM, Continental breakfast featuring Established Authors where I'll give my "elevator speech" about Deadly Currents

2:30 – 3:45 PM, I'll be a volunteer in the Hospitality Room, so I'll be looking for people to be hospitable to!

I'll also be attending panels and the conference banquet and award ceremony, and meeting various groups for meals: the Rocky Mountain chapter of MWA, the Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime, and the Mystery Babes.

On the drive home from the conference on Sunday, I'll stop at the Barnes and Noble bookstore at the Eagleridge Shopping Center in Pueblo, Colorado from 4 - 5 PM for a signing.

It will be a busy and fun weekend, I'm sure!

A Day in the Life of an Author in the Promotion Phase

Yesterday was a cold, blustery, snowy day that never got above 10 degrees. Perfect for sitting in front of the computer and getting stuff done. But, since the release date for my Deadly Currents book is just one month away (March 8th), that "stuff" wasn't writing or editing fiction. Instead, here's what I did:

- Confirmed plans for a blogtalk radio show (Dellani's Tea Time) I'm participating in on Valentines Day and made sure I knew what phone number to call when.

- Wrote a guest post for one of the blog stops on my upcoming Virtual Book Tour and found and attached photos to that post and two others.

- Finalized dates/times for two signing events and almost a third, talked to the CRM (Community Relations Manager) of the Citadel Mall Barnes & Noble store in Colorado Springs where I'm doing my launch event on March 17th to make sure balloons and cookies are okay, and pushed a few more event plans down the road toward confirmation.

- Wrote up questions and directions for my fellow panelists on my "Murder in the Great Outdoors" panel at the Left Coast Crime conference in March since I'm the moderator. Our panel is from 11:30 to 12:15 on Friday, followed by a signing. If you're going to be at the conference, please come! We've got some great surprises in store for you.

- Made final arrangements for a two-car carpool to drive from Colorado Springs to Denver for the February meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of MWA Thursday.

- Took a break to shovel the driveway, planning to go out and run some errands, then changed my mind because it was too danged cold!

- Wrote and scheduled two posts for my own blog, sent review quotes to Mystery Lovers Corner for the Deadly Currents book page there, and sent my bio in to the author liaison for the local Pikes Peak Library District's Mountain of Authors event (mark your calendar for this free event on April 2nd!).

-Skimmed through hundreds of yahoogroup, DorothyL, etc. emails and responded to some, did the same with hundreds of Facebook status updates, and caught up with my friend requests on Facebook and Goodreads.

- Oh yeah, I did do some fiction writing work. I sent synopses on my two 2012 books (Wicked Eddies and the paperback/e-book version of To Hell in a Handbasket) to my editor at Midnight Ink. And, I got word from my agent that the acceptance advance check for Wicked Eddies arrived and she'd be sending it to me shortly. Yee haw! That's my Left Coast Crime traveling money. ;-)