Malice Domestic 30 - Very special author and fan encounters and the cutest attendee ever!

Today, I'd like to slow down a bit and tell you some stories.  And share a few pictures.  As I said in my first post, I was alone at Malice this year.  That worked well, but I didn't have eating companions planned or friends to talk with at breaks.  I had to be 'brave' (and you need to know that for this lifelong introvert, that was scary) and initiate conversations.  I did that and it was very sweet and satisfying.  Let me tell you about a few people:

Early Friday morning, I saw this group of ladies - from L to R - Alice Loweecey (always in a hat and costume), Gretchen Archer (nominated for Best Short Story), and Dru Ann Love (has the great blog - dru's book musings - just nominated for an Anthony Award for Best Online Content!)

This is author Misty Simon (L), who I met outside the book dealer room and, yes, me (R).  When she came around at the Malice Go Round, I noticed her dress.  After seeing her in the hall, I told her that her outfit was great - the skirt had a creepy forest vibe.  Told her it looked like something Abby Sciuto would wear on NCIS.  She said, just wait until tomorrow for the skulls.

   

The next day, I looked specifically for Misty and found her wearing her 'skull' dress.  Great for a mystery convention, right?  So, I had to buy her book and get her to sign it.  Of course.  LOL

I also met author Susan Reiss in the book dealers room.  We talked about a bunch of things and she was so kind to agree to pose with her book, Hammered Silver (4th in her Silver Mystery series).  Susan was helping out in a special way in the book room.  As I so enjoyed visiting with her, I picked up this book and hope to try the other 3 as well. 

The picture here is of author Christine Trent (L) and yours truly (R).  This was taken after the live auction.  As I said yesterday, I won the items donated by Christine and I was thrilled with the Elizabeth George books.  However, I really, really wanted to support her and her new series about Florence Nightingale.  Christine had shared online somewhere (a blog post that I read probably) that she is writing this series as a tribute to her late mother, a gifted nurse.  She said she was so pleased that the first book, No Cure For the Dead, would be available during National Nurses Week, May 6-12.  It seemed fitting.  I said that I had already bought a copy of her book in the book dealers room, but was happy to obtain another copy with the auction win.  The first copy I wanted her to personalize to my daughter, a gifted Labor and Delivery nurse, for National Nurses Week.  We bonded over our special nurses and she wrote a very sweet note to my girl.  I told her that I was sure her mother would have been so proud of her.  And we agreed that we were the biggest fans of nurses.  I was glad we got to share our stories with each other.     

This picture was taken at the Sisters in Crime Breakfast that I attended on Saturday morning.  Both of these lovely ladies are authors - Jane Willan (L) and Triss Stein (R).  Had a great visit at our table.  I spoke with Triss outside the room and we continued chatting after we found a table and picked up our food.  She writes a series set in Brooklyn - published by the Poisoned Pen Press.  I've read the first book, Brooklyn Bones.  Jane was at her first Malice and she is the author of The Shadow of Death, the first Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn mystery, set in Wales.  I picked it up for my Kindle soon after the breakfast (and just finished it - loved it - watch for the review!).  The second book in the series is The Hour of Death and it will be published in October.     

These lovely authors are Nicole Leiren (L) and Libby Klein (R).  They were sitting next to each other at a signing and I was glad to get a great picture of both.  Libby's first book in her Poppy McAllister series is Class Reunions Are Murder.  Her second, Midnight Snacks Are Murder, will be out at the end of July.  I told her that I had a number of blogging friends who had enjoyed her 'Class Reunions' book - said it was reported to be very funny.  And I was pleased to get her to sign a copy for me.  Can't wait to read it.  She was delightful to visit with.

Before I show the cutest attendee at the conference, I want to give a shout out to a few others.  After I arrived tired and hungry on Thursday evening, I went to the restaurant for a salad and met another person coming in - it was author Nancy Cole Silverman, who suggested that we eat together.  Again, 'brave' - we had a wonderful meal and visit.  Nancy took a picture of us, but honestly I felt you could see up my nose - decided not to share it.  Ha!  She was great and I was happy to hear about her books and writing.  

I also sat with a couple of authors at the Brenda Blethyn interview and then for the opening ceremonies.  Two historical authors that I had definitely heard about.  Anna Loan-Wilsey writes the Hattie Davish series in 1890's America - Hattie is a travelling secretary and each book is set in a different place.  Anna told me she had lived in Texas, but now lived elsewhere.  Her friend was Ashley Weaver, writer of the Amory Ames series set in the 1930's.  I know some of you have read books in this series.  It was Ashley's first time at Malice.  She's a librarian in Louisiana and writes her books at night.  Amazing, I told her and will check them out as well.

As I mentioned on Monday, I had a nice visit with Karen Olson as we were both walking through the 'Silent Auction' room.  I told her that her 'Black Hat' books were big favorites of some of my blogging friends and she told me that she never intended for it to be a series.  Plus, she didn't know all that much about computers - which was fine in the first book, Hidden, when the protagonist is staying off the grid, but later, not so much.  She researches - a lot.  We also shared some other family things and I was so glad I got to talk to Karen.

And, yes, I saw other authors and visited with them all over the place.  Chatted with Louise Penny at the Starbucks in the hotel.  The day before, I had also chatted with Rhys Bowen at the same place.  And Lori Rader-Day suggested a great tea for me to try on the 3rd day at, yes, Starbucks.  So, hang out at Starbucks in the lobby of your hotel.  You never know who you will see!

There were several ladies that I ate with and sat with and visited with that were fans like me.  Some were at their first conference, some were veteran attendees.  I enjoyed every conversation and gave most of them my blog address.  Did not ask permission to share their names, so if you are reading this, ladies - thanks so much for making my time at Malice so...much...fun!!!   

        

Finally, this is the cutest puppy ever!  Koa is a service dog that accompanied his human (who is diabetic) to the conference.  They are from Hawaii and Koa was very, very popular with everyone!  Somehow, one just thinks that he might appear on a book cover somewhere.

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Tomorrow, the last post.  You're probably sighing with relief!  Ha!  We'll talk about the Agatha Awards Banquet and who won, my table host and do a wrap up.  See you tomorrow!