I spent a
few days in mystery writers’ heaven last week.
First, I
attended Malice Domestic, an annual celebration of traditional mysteries in Bethesda , Maryland , near Washington , D.C.
From there,
I headed to Oakmont , PA ,
outside Pittsburgh
I’d been
quite concerned before heading to the Festival of Mystery this year. The wonderful owners of the Mystery Lovers
Bookshop had publicly announced that they wanted to sell the store to have more
time for family and travel. In these
days of so many bookstores closing, I was afraid that boded the end for this
one, too. Not so! They found a perfect buyer with a background
as a librarian and bookseller, who was moving to the Pittsburgh
One of the
best things about both events, by the way, was being able to see some of my
blog sisters in person!
Now I’m
back home in L.A.
What
writers’ or readers’ events are close to where you live--and which ones do you
travel to?
11 comments:
I'm glad you had a good time. I always attend the annual SCBWI every year in L.A. And this the RWA is in Anaheim. Can't get much closer to home than that!
Depends on your definition of close. I go to Magna cum Murder in Muncie, Indiana. Been there most of the conventions. It means a drive from Minneapolis to Indianapolis, but that can be done in a day.
For the smaller definitions of close, Minneapolis is overflowing with science-fiction conventions. Those, too, are full of writers and readers, and the travel involved is more on the order of half an hour.
SCBWI sounds like fun, Janie. And I'm definitely looking forward to the RWA National Conference in Anaheim!
I suppose that close is what you decide it is, Ellen. I've never attended Magna cum Murder, but I love the name! And I'll bet the sci-fi conventions are quirky and fun.
Linda, I told Laurie Miller Stephens, the new owner of Mystery Lovers Bookstore, that all of us authors just KNEW she was perfect for the job when we saw her red tights. Wasn't that so cute? Great to see you and your husband. http://plum-oakmont.patch.com/articles/new-owner-for-mystery-lovers-bookshop-chosen
Malice was great and it was nice sitting next to you at the banquet. I hope things went well with your father.
I have been attending Malice for several years, live in Baltimore so I didn't have to drive far. I went to Bouchercon when it was in Indianapolis, and I am going again this year in Cleveland.
That really was adorable, Joanna. Laurie just seemed so involved and excited, and I'm delighted that she'll be taking over the store, although I'll miss Mary Alice and Richard. Great to see you, too!
I enjoyed sitting next to you, too, Betty. Thanks for asking about my dad.
I've gone to Bouchercon, too, Shirley, but unfortunately not this year. Conferences definitely are handier when they're not too far from home.
I highly recommend Magna cum Murder. Great panels, great attendees, very well organized. Its commander in chief, Katherine Kennison, feeds us all day long! Locally, I've been going to the events put on by Once Upon A Crime in honor of an anthology they have published featuring authors who attend their annual Writes of Spring - another great event.
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