What is a Thriller?

In honor of Jenn's Bookshelves' Fright Fest, I put together a video on "What is a Thriller?" During Bouchercon, I asked a handful of folks from the crime fiction community to share their definitions with me. Here is the result. I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to leave your own definitions in the comments!

Here, There and Everywhere

I've been visiting some other sites lately, so I thought I'd let you know about them in case you'd like to go visit.

First, I was asked by Amy and Nicole from The Underground Literary Society to chat with them about International Mysteries. It's a podcast and I'm not sure I want to listen to it myself. You know how it's weird to hear your own voice? But, you should go check it out and tell me how it came out. I know I missed a ton of great authors who should have been mentioned, but our time was limited and I did try to represent a lot of different areas of the world. So, hopefully it was decent.

Nigel Bird invited me to interview myself, so I'm talking to myself over at his blog, Sea Minor. Usually I save talking to myself for times when only my dogs and cats are around, but what the heck. This is the real me! You can check that out here.

And I also did a guest review post for Jenn over at Jenn's Book Shelves for her Fright Fest Month. I reviewed the THRILLER short story collection.

So, there are my various visits for this month. Whew. Now back to work on THIS blog!

Happy Reading!

Bouchercon - Day 3

Sorry for the gaps in between posts here; I've been finishing up work for the next issue of Crimespree, which is going to be STELLAR by the way - make sure you pick up a copy when it comes out if you don't have a subscription already.

But now back to Bouchercon. I believe I left off at Saturday, which also happened to be Alafair Burke's birthday! More on that later.

I started Saturday at the panel "In the Midst of Strangers." This panel dealt with the question, "Is the serial killer overdone?" On the panel were Jonathan Hayes, Chelsea Cain, Joel Goldman, and Wendy Corsi Staub. It was moderated by Con Lehane. The conversation was an interesting one and the question always intrigues me. There are so many things that question could be aimed at, why serial killers? Personally, I ask that regularly of memoirs, but I digress. The serial killer, like most anything else, can get old if it becomes formulaic and redundant. But as long as writers are taking a unique stab at it (ha!), putting their own twist on the plot it can and does continue to work. Jonathan Hayes is an absolutely fascinating person, and witty. I enjoyed being able to see him in action on this panel.



After the first panel, I headed down to the dealer room to hang out with Alafair while she was signing at the Bouchercon 2011 table. So I was able to wish her a happy birthday again. And as an extra special treat, I was able to meet her sister and her mother. I am now officially a fan of the entire Burke family!

The other panel I attended on Saturday was called "Monkey is Back." Maybe I was going with a theme for Saturday because the topic of "Monkey is Back" was "Are there no new stories?" This panel started out a little rough because it was scheduled to be moderated by David Thompson. His absence was felt and recognized; the panel was outstanding in his honor. On the panel were Steve Hamilton, Val McDermid, Reed Farrel Coleman, Daniel Woodrell and Michael Wiley. Talk about feeling utter fan girl! All of these authors are witty and charming and engaging. They were fascinating.

Each author started out talking about his/her setting. Then they moved on to theme. Val McDermid admitted she doesn't really know what her books are about until after she's finished it. But an idea that runs through all of her books is the gap between "justice" and "the law." Michael agreed with Val and said he tries not to think about theme at first but rather telling a story. And many times he focuses those stories on people, intelligent people, making very bad decisions at important points in their lives. Steve explained that this was actually the first time he looked back at THE LOCK ARTIST to discover it was, in essence, a WIZARD OF OZ story, a story of going home. But that concept didn't occur to him as he wrote; he didn't consciously include the parallels. How fascinating. Daniel said it was with the assistance of others after several books that he discovered his books deal with making some sort of family out of whatever you have.

Everyone contributed on this panel and their enjoyment in what they do came through so strong and clear. This was an amazing line-up of authors. If you haven't read someone on this panel, I encourage you do to so. They all contribute an amazing amount to the genre.


This was my final panel for Saturday. I attended a small event with the folks from Harper Collins and William Morrow. Very nice gathering, wonderful people, enjoyable time. Then our little posse made our way to a sports bar called Harringtons. Happened to be one of the nights the Giants were playing. It was a raucous crowd, but it was also amazing the way baseball brought all these people together, even us outsiders.


And we ended the night once again back at the hotel bar with everyone. It's such a great time to share stories and meet new people. We all share a common love of crime fiction and that...like baseball at Harringtons....is magical.

Bouchercon - Day 2

Friday at Bouchercon started with a fabulous panel at 8:30, led by Crimespree brother Jeremy Lynch. Jeremy and I share the bond of first time moderators this year and I threatened to sit in the front row and make faces at him. I did sit in the front row, but I was so captivated by the panel that I forgot to make faces. And anyway, he would have just made faces right back at me!


The panel was called "The Hard Breed" and featured Gregg Hurwitz, Duane Swierczynski, Robert Ward, Lou Berney and Hal Ackerman. The great connection with all of these men is that they all do more than write novels. Some write for TV or movies, some write comics/graphic novels, some teach the craft...Gregg, he does it all. They compared the formats they write in, talked about how one may or may not influence another, and they joked with each other through it all. It was lively, informative and fun. Kudos to these men for managing all that at 8:30 in the morning!

Following the panel, I made my way down to the bookroom, moseyed around and then took a turn manning the Bouchercon 2011 table. While I was doing so, I got to meet Daniel Woodrell! And he is fabulous! He's a bit on the quiet side, very personable and FUNNY! I'm looking forward to seeing him again in St. Louis.


A few minutes later, I look over and see my friend Judy Bobalik hob-nobbing with none other than audio book narrator, Scott Brick! Yes, he too was in attendance at Bouchercon. You just never know who you're going to run into at this conference.


Val McDermid came to hang out at the Bouchercon 2011 table, decked out in her St. Louis Cardinals jersey. Meeting and talking with Val was definitely a major highlight of this conference for me. She'll be the International Guest of Honor in St. Louis.

After lunch I made my way to the Mulholland panel, "Murder by Proxy." This was my first ever opportunity to experience both Mark Billingham and Daniel Woodrell in the panel setting. They are both flat out AMAZING. Whenever you have the chance to see either one, don't miss it. Their insights into the genre, writing, and life in general are fantastic. Daniel Woodrell's deadpan comments about his neighborhood were hilarious. His outlook on his writing style is simple and exquisite. He simply never thought to write any other way.

I definitely enjoyed the peek into Mulholland's new line-up of crime writers. John Schoenfelder and Miriam Parker did a fine job of highlighting all of the talent on this panel, which also included the very humorous Duane Swierczynski, Marcia Clark, and Sebastian Rotella. I'm looking forward to keeping a close eye on Mulholland Books.


To continue the Mulholland themed Friday, Judy Bobalik and I headed over to their party at the Gordon Biersch Brewery. We were only able to stay a short while because we had tickets to the Shamus awards, but it was enough time for me to meet Jeff Pierce from The Rap Sheet, chat with Ali Karim and Roger Ellory, and get this fun picture with Mark Billingham, thanks to Miriam Parker, photographer extraordinaire.


Judy, Jeff, Ali, Roger and I caught a cab to China Town next for the Shamus Awards dinner. The room was filled to capacity, but Reed Farrel Coleman and S.J. Rozan had saved us seats at their table with Michael Wiley and Parnell Hall. We had an excellent time.



The dinner was wonderful, seeing Brad Parks win his Shamus for Best First P.I. Novel was even better.

We returned to the hotel where the Reacher Creature party was in full swing at the hotel bar. I met up with Alafair Burke and got to ring in her birthday with her. I think that's a pretty darned awesome way to end an incredible day!

Bouchercon Day 1

A week ago today kicked off my second Bouchercon and my first experience moderating a Bouchercon panel.

First of all, the weather was stunning and I felt as though my summer was being extended a few extra days. Thanks to Mother Nature for that little surprise gift.

I am happy to report that the panel went very well. For whatever reason, the room we were in did not have microphones, but all of the panelists adjusted well and projected for the room full of people in attendance. I heard a few different opinions from folks in the back of the room; some said they could hear just fine, others said they had some trouble. But that was the worst we had to deal with and I think that's pretty minor in the whole scheme of things.

Brad Parks, Roger Ellory, Hilary Davidson and Douglas Corleone talked about how their characters and stories come to life. They joked with each other and the audience. We had some great questions from the audience and a person who wanted to know the "magic tools" to writing a book. *sigh*

Thanks to the generosity of Lauren O'Brien, I have a video recording of the panel, and as soon as I get it all edited and ready, I'll share that with you, so you can experience the panel for yourselves. I also want to thank Kathy Ryan who is responsible for the photos from the panel.

Lauren and Kathy are the next part of the Bouchercon experience I wanted to mention. Meeting my "virtual" friends in real life. That's when you're assured that "virtual" friends and "imaginary" friends are not one in the same! So thanks to everyone who made sure they said "hi": Robin, Les, Stephen, Alex, Toby, Todd...I know I'm missing gads more so thanks to everyone. It's never enough time, is it?

In between panels I spent some time in the dealer room buying books and visiting with folks at the Crimespree/Bouchercon 2011 table. Stephen Jay Schwartz was there, as was Meg Gardiner, and my awesome panelist Roger Ellory.

The other panel I attended and monitored was the "Year of the Locusts: Books to Screen" panel. This panel was moderated by Kelli Stanley and included panelists Derek Haas, Paul Levine, Val McDermid and Alex Sokoloff. This was a fun, animated group. And as I mentioned in my top 10 list, if you have the chance to experience Val McDermid, don't miss out. She's energetic and colorful and witty. Pair her up with Paul Levine and it's an extra special treat!

The opening ceremonies were Thursday night and here the Macavity and Barry Awards were announced. TOWER by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman walked away with a Macavity, as did Hank Phillippi Ryan. Jamie Freveletti and Bryan Gruley both took home Barry Awards.

Also at the opening ceremonies was Duncan, a.k.a. Jack Reacher. Duncan won Australia's Jack Reacher look alike contest, so he was present at Bouchercon. Since my good friend Judy was making friends with Duncan, she introduced me.

Of course every night at Bouchercon has to end with a trip to the hotel bar. It's always a great opportunity to just mingle and chat. Steve Hockensmith was in attendance and he even slipped me an arc of the upcoming Holmes on the Range book, WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH. It is one sharp looking book! I can't wait to dig into it.

So, this was Day One. The whole trip follows suit, so make sure you stop back for more posts on this most wonderful trip. In the meantime, though, you can head over to the Bouchercon 2011 site and register for next year's event in St. Louis. There's no better way to ensure you go then to make the commitment and register. Then just work on planning up to next September. It's a wonderful time. Don't wait any longer to experience it yourself! Plus, register before January 1st and get the added benefit of a $25 savings on the registration fee AND be entered into a drawing for free books!

Top 10 Things I Learned at Bouchercon 2010

Your first Bouchercon always holds a very special place in your heart and your memories. So Indy will always be special for me in that respect. However, San Francisco will always be special for me as well. It was nothing short of spectacular and yes, partly because I am still so very much the fan girl. Bouchercon for me is equivalent to turning a movie junkie loose on the red carpet before the Oscars. These are all my movie stars and I'm permitted to run loose among them - and no one arrests me for it! ;-) For me Bouchercon San Francisco was five days of walking on air.

Last year I talked about the 10 things I learned in Indy. So, I'll continue the tradition and share the top 10 things I learned this year in San Francisco. And then throughout the week I'll share my highlights from those five days, including my panel! So, here we go:

10.Judy Bobalik is the BEST roommate. And NO! You cannot steal her. She's MY roomie!

9. Growing up, I always wanted a brother - I have two younger sisters. Now I've got one through my Crimespree family, and I simply couldn't have imagined one more terrific than Jeremy Lynch. He and I shared the experience of being first-time moderators this year. Spending time with Jeremy, his wife Jill and his mother Sharon was definitely one of the great highlights of this trip!
8. There was NO WHERE I would have preferred to be Friday night than in China Town watching Gar Anthony Haywood announce Brad Parks as the winner of the Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel. While circumstances prevented him from being in attendance, the PWA also awarded Robert Crais the Lifetime Achievement Award. I think that makes 2010 a year to remember for the Shamus!

7. Mark Billingham and Daniel Woodrell absolutely ROCK! 'Nough said.

6. Reed Farrel Coleman and his wife once had a fight over whether Steve Hamilton was ugly or not. He's NOT by the way! He IS funny, smart and talented. Loved having the chance to meet him in person.

5. Books and sports can bring perfect strangers together. I experienced both this weekend.

4. Christa Faust is stunningly gorgeous, classy, witty and smart as a whip - even first thing Sunday morning! And you simply can't hate her for it because she's genuinely nice, gracious and generous as well. But don't repeat this because we don't want to damage her reputation!

3. When given the chance, don't ever pass up the opportunity to see Val McDermid.

2. Meeting virtual friends in real life is as much a part of the amazing experience as meeting the authors.

1. And yes, #1 is the same as last year's #1, but you can't be reminded of this too often: I LOVE being a part of the Crimespree family!

Gettin' Ready

THREE DAYS! THREE DAYS to San Francisco and 2010's Bouchercon. I've been a bit crazy getting ready: preparing for my panel, finishing up the memoir scrapbooks for the authors who will be at the convention, making arrangements for my critters while I'm gone...you know, all that fun stuff. Today is going to be a day of laundry, packing and dog washes.

While I'm doing all that craziness, however, you can be checking out the fantastic signing line-up at the Bouchercon 2011/Crimespree table. Authors will be available at the following times to sign for you. There will not be books available at the table, but we will be in the book room and there are gads of booksellers there all too happy to accommodate you. Or you can bring your own books from home. Heck, some of the authors might even be willing to sign YOU if you ask nice. I hear those literary tattoos are all the rage these days. But, I digress, here's the entire schedule as it stands:

Thursday:

Kelli Stanley - 11:00 a.m.
Tasha Alexander - 11:00
Libby Fischer Hellmann - 2:30
Martyn Waites - 3:00
Todd Ritter - 3:00
Brett Battles - 3:30
Stephen Jay Schwartz - 3:30
Meg Gardiner - 4:00

Friday:

Val McDermid - 10:30
Meredith Cole - 11:00
Rebecca Cantrell - 11:00
Joe Finder - 11:30
Jonathan King - 12:00*
Duane Swierczynski - 12:30
David Corbett - 1:00
Shane Gericke - 1:00
Toby Ball - 1:30
Hilary Davidson - 2:00
Douglas Corleone - 2:00
Lou Berney - 2:30
Cara Black - 2:30
Steve Hockensmith - 3:00
Sophie Littlefield - 3:00
Juliet Blackwell - 3:00
Christa Faust - 3:30
Carla Buckley - 3:30

Saturday:

Alafair Burke - 10:00
Bill Crider - 10:30
Marcus Sakey - 11:00
R.J. Ellory - 11:00
Brad Parks - 11:00
Hank Phillippi Ryan - 11:30
Andrew Grant - 11:30
Bryan Gruley - 12:00
Ken Bruen - 2:00**
Reed Farrel Coleman - 2:00**
Michelle Gagnon - 2:00
Megan Abbott - 3:00
Sara Gran - 3:00

*Jonathon King will have free USB drives with video and a sample chapter from his new book Midnight Guardians, the fifth book in his Edgar-winning Max Freeman series.

** Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman will be signing together at the table. We have been informed that this is the only formal signing they will do together. Come get your copies of TOWER signed by both authors at the same time!

You can also sign up for Bouchercon 2011 while you're at the table! The registration price will be $150 until January 1st. Plus, if you register by January 1st you get the discount rate in addition to a chance at some free books. There have been some extremely luscious donations of books - lots of books - to be raffled off to early registrants. As you can see, this is THE place to be. And if you aren't coming to Bouchercon this year, you can stop by the website to register for next year's blowout in St. Louis. Registration online or by mail before January 1st also makes you eligible for the discounted registration and the book raffle.

O.k. so that's the lowdown on Bouchercon for right now. I have not had time to prepare my interview with Hilary Davidson yet. I got new editing software, so I'm having to learn how to use it as I go, but that will be coming up in the not too distant future, as well as some video from Bouchercon.

Not sure if you know about this, but HARDCOVER MYSTERIES will have its first episode on Monday. It's on the Discovery Channel and they have a phenomenal line-up of authors who are going to be highlighted on this series. You can check out information on the website and the show debuts at 9:00p.m. Eastern tomorrow.

If I'm able, I'll get some photos posted from San Francisco, but blog posts will be light overall until I return. When I return, count on lots of recap! In the meantime, here are a few still shots I took from Hilary's event in Pennsylvania. Have a great week everyone!