Left Coast Crime - 2016 - A Sum Up of a fabulous trip, plus 'Shout outs' to 'New to me' authors...

Welcome to my last post about Left Coast Crime 2016!  Part of why I've done this is to give myself a place to 'remember' what transpired.  And a place to refer back in case a certain author's name is 'on the tip of my tongue', but no name appears.  I appreciate everyone who has stopped by to read about LCC!  So, here's a couple of shots of what I saw of Phoenix for this trip.  We vacation here fairly often, so I'll catch up with the outdoors on our next trip.  These are from the 18th floor of the Hyatt, which is where our room was located.  Phoenix is great in the winter and early spring.  Maybe a little rougher in the summer.  Heatwise, I mean.  The weather during this trip was perfect golfing weather.  And that big guy I'm married to, well, he had a great time.

I promised to give a summary of the awards that were presented at the Saturday night banquet and here they are (starred entry is winner):

Best Humorous Mystery

**Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews

Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron

February Fever by Jess Lourey

Dying For A Donut by Cindy Sample

Crushed Velvet by Diane Vallere

Best Historical Mystery

(Bruce Alexander Memorial, covering events before 1960)

**Malice At The Palace by Rhys Bowen

The Masque of a Murderer by Susanna Calkins

The Chocolate Kiss-Off by Heather Haven

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King

Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal

Best LCC Regional Mystery

(Mountain Time Zone and west to Hawaii)

**The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian

The Crossing by Michael Connelly

Night Tremors by Matt Coyle

The Promise by Robert Crais

Young Americans by Josh Stallings

Best World Mystery

(set anywhere outside the LCC region)

**The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney

Dragon Day by Lisa Brackmann

The Killing Kind by Chris Holm

Stone Cold Dead by James W. Ziskin

Finally, I want to give a bit of a shout-out to a few authors that were especially kind, made me laugh, or their book sounded so very interesting or maybe all three.  Ha!  

Becky Clark was one of the first authors I even saw at the conference.  She was sitting near me when I ate breakfast early Thursday morning.  Then I saw her at the Speed Dating.  And on the 18th floor.  And in the atrium.  She has a very cheerful personality and so I've decided if her books reflect her humor, they will be a lot of fun.  Her first book was Banana Bamboozle and it's followed by Marshmallow Mayhem.  Check them out!

I had a good time chatting with Erika Chase on more than one occasion.  She writes the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries, the latest of which is Law and Author.  Erika also has another series, written under the name Linda Wiken.  The first book in the Dinner Club cozies will be published in July.  It's called Toasting Up Trouble and features the Culinary Capers Dinner Club.  Recipes included.  

Another author that caught my eye or my interest with her book was Kris Calvin.  Her debut book is One Murder More and the protagonist is a lobbyist in California, Maren Kane.  Kris herself is a former elected official and so politics is her specialty.  I'm not very fond of politics myself, but she made her book sound like one I'd be glad to sample.  So I shall!  Plus her 'swag' was in the form of a door hanger that says 'Don't Bother Me - I'm Reading'.  Perfect!!

One last list of authors and their latest books.  Had chats with all these ladies:

Frankie Bow - The Cursed Canoe (Hawaii)

Sandra Bolton - Key Witness (New Mexico)

Lida Sideris - Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters

Sheila Lowe - What She Saw and also the Forensic Handwriting series, which begins with Poison Pen

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As you can probably tell, I had a wonderful time at Left Coast Crime 2016!  Thanks for reading about my adventure.  Left Coast Crime 2017 will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii and the dates are March 16-19, 2017.  Honolulu Havoc will give a Lifetime Acheivement Award to both Jonathan Kellerman and Faye Kellerman.  Guests of Honor will be Dana Stabenow and Colin Cotterill.  Toastmaster will be Laurie R. King and the Ghost of Honor will be Earl Derr Biggs, creator of Charlie Chan.  Am I going?  Well, you never know!  You should think about it if you love mysteries.

Left Coast Crime - 2016 - The Eats with books on the side, plus Author Speed Dating...

My Left Coast Crime 2016 post for today is about some of the special events that were included in the conference.  Most of these included food.  The first one did not - well, many of the author brought chocolate or other treats, which provided sustenance for us - the participants who felt their heads spinning around!

The very first event I attended, right after visiting the registration table, being handed my envelope with 'Lefty ballot', award banquet tickets, and other essentials (like my book bag) - oh, and picking the award banquet table where my hubby and I would sit was - wait for it - Author Speed Dating.  In fact, Cathy and I were almost late and quickly took our seats.

Author Speed Dating

I have no pictures.  Didn't even think of that.  There were 2 authors already sitting at our table when I took my seat.  Here was the concept - something like 36 authors would very quickly tell us about their books.  They would go from table to table in pairs and the tables were numbered.  They would each have 2 minutes to give us their pitch.  One would begin talking and after 2 minutes, a bell would ring.  The other would talk.  Bell rings again.  Authors jump up and run to next table.  We greet 2 more people.  This went on for 2 hours.  It was.....mind boggling....and I'm not kidding.

Room full of people.  All talking or 36 of them talking.  Bell rings over and over.  It was loud and not exactly chaotic, because it was organized, but I felt shell shocked.  I loved it and loved hearing about all the books.  All of the authors brought stuff - swag - bookmarks or postcards or little giveaway things or 'candy'.  You see why the sugar was needed for energy.  Ha!  The table also included a pitcher of ice water and glasses.  It was supposed to be for the authors.  We drank most of it.  Ha!  Sorry authors.  I was very interested in many of the books, but I'll just mention 5 from this group:

Gwen Florio - Disgraced (just published Tuesday) - Lola Wick series
Leslie Budewitz - Guilty As Cinnamon - Spice Shop series
Jennifer Kincheloe - The Secret Life of Anna Blanc (nominated for Bruce Alexander Historical Award)
Diane Valllere - A Disguise To Die For (nominated for 'Lefty' for another book)
Julie Mulhern - Clouds In My Coffee (3rd in her Country Club Murder series set in the 70's - out in May) - this series has appeared on many blogs that I read

Afterwards, I felt like I need a little 'quiet room'.  However, we went to lunch instead.

Debut Writers Breakfast

Friday morning, bright and early, I attended the Debut Writers Breakfast hosted by Mike Belefer.  He's pictured above with Toastmaster Catriona McPherson.  The food was fine, but I'm not going to talk about food.  I was definitely hoping for an event with a little less volume for my ears.  The idea here was for authors who had their debut novel published in 2015 or early 2016 to have a time for introductions - themselves and their book.  There were 38 authors.  We entered the room, got our food, picked a table that was hosted by 1 or 2 of the debut authors and sat to eat.  Meanwhile, each of them was introduced by Mike and then they had 1 minute to share with the audience.  I loved it.  I got to sip coffee and listen for 1-1/2 hours.

My table was hosted by Janet Finsilver and I enjoyed talking with her about her first book, Murder at Redwood Cove.  It's a cozy set in a Northern California B&B.  There's also a service dog who detects cancer.  I bought Janet's book later and got her to sign it.  Also hosting my table was M. Evonne (Meg) Dobson, who has written one of the first YA books in The Poisoned Pen Press' new arm, The Poisoned Pencil.  It is titled Chaos Theory.  Meg was so kind as to gift me her book after her presentation.  One other author that I'll highlight is Katherine Prairie and her book Thirst.  Set in Canada, I was very intrigued and have purchased it for my Kindle since coming home.

Meet the Canucks Reception

Friday afternoon at 5:30, I attended the 'Meet the Canucks' event.  Vicki Delany is President of the Crime Writers of Canada and she welcomed us to meet her compatriots from 'up north'.  They had a fun little game for attendees.  We were supposed to make our way around to 18 different little tables and 'meet' each author - and answer a question about their writing or books.  It was fun, and I managed to talk to all of them and fill out my sheet.  Some authors I was familiar with and some I was surprised at their Canadian connection.  Those who finished their 'treasure sheets' were eligible for a prize and I won one!  Hilary Davidson drew my name and gifted me with her most recent book, Blood Always Tells.

I want to highlight 3 other authors that I met at this event:

M.H. Callway - Windigo Fire - First author we heard at Speed Dating - was nominated for an Arthur Ellis Award for this book under Best First Novel category.  This award is Canadian as well.

Cathy Ace - The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer (WISE Enquiries Agency series) - She is the VP of the Canadian Writers and speaks with a lovely Welsh accent.

Victoria Abbott (Mary Jane Maffini) - The Marsh Madness (Book Collector series) - Mary Jane writes with her daughter, Victoria Maffini, as Victoria Abbott.

  

Discover Mystery Breakfast - Hosted by Poisoned Pen Press

Saturday morning brought a breakfast that I was very much looking forward to.  The Poisoned Pen Press hosted us and brought 22 of their authors to meet and greet attendees.  The picture above shows Barbara Peters, one of the founders of PP, welcoming us.  Since I had already talked with several of my favorite PP authors, I decided to sit with an author whose books I haven't read, up to now, Mary Anna Evans.  I had bought the first book in her Faye Longchamp series, Artifacts, the day before and there on the table was another in the series as a gift, Rituals.  Double bonus!  Mary Anna and I got to visit a bit.  She lives in Oklahoma and is a professor at OU.  I said I was from the land of 'burnt orange' and we discussed Univ of TX and Univ of Okla rivalry.  It's all good.  Ha!

On my other side was a very nice author, Cheryl Hollon.  She told me about her Webb's Glass Shop series, the latest of which is Shards of Murder.  I enjoyed hearing about her journey as a writer and look forward to reading her books, 2 out so far and another to be published later this year.  Barbara Peters introduced all the PP authors, but they didn't speak individually.  I made it around to see Betty Webb, who writes the Lena Jones series.  Desert Wives was a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.  I also met and spoke with Leslie Dana Kirby about her debut book, The Perfect Game.

    

'Lefty' Awards Banquet

Finally, the 'Lefty' Awards Banquet, which took place Saturday evening.  As we each passed through registration earlier in the conference, we were told to select an author's table for the banquet.  I had gotten my husband a ticket to the banquet as well, so I was looking for 2 seats (and missed out on Deborah Crombie's table because of that - I'm a wonderful wife, right?).  Michael Sears was a good alternative and our location in the large ballroom was ideal.  Sears (pictured above) writes about Jason Stafford, a financial crime investigator with a small son who is autistic.  His books are very good and the latest is Saving Jason.  The food was decent and I enjoyed my salmon and cheesecake.

The program included announcements of the 4 'Lefty' Awards, about which I'll share the specifics tomorrow.  It also included the conclusion of the Silent Auction that had been going on all through the conference.  Each Left Coast Crime conference has a silent auction and quilt raffle to benefit a literacy program specific to the area where the conference is held.  This year's charity was KidsRead USA, an Arizona non-profit that encourages children to love books and has gifted more than 40,000 books to 3rd graders in the Phoenix area.  Several big auction items were bid on and awarded at the banquet and the conference raised several thousand dollars for this great charity.

    
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Last post tomorrow - a 'sum-up' of LCC, who won the awards, and a few more 'shout-outs' to some worthy authors.

Left Coast Crime - 2016 - The Books that came home to live in Texas...

I bet you'd like to know what books I got at Left Coast Crime 2016.  You know you would, right?  I had a few in mind when I was planning the trip and checking to see who would be attending.  I also knew that the Poisoned Pen would be a big sponsor of the conference and I wanted to be sure and spend some dollars in their part of the book room.  Yes, there was a book room and lots of books were available.  I think there were 4 or 5 different sellers.

By the end of the conference, I had 29 new books and knew that I wouldn't be able to carry them home on an airplane.  So, I shipped them to Texas.  And UPS delivered them to me last Thursday.  Some of these books were ones I purchased, some came to me in my conference book bag, and a few were given to me at events.

I've divided the books into 3 stacks.  The first books are the ones that are published by The Poisoned Pen Press.  I was able to get most of these signed by the author. 

All Men Fear Me by Donis Casey (bought)

Unreasonable Doubt by Vicki Delany (bought)

Chaos Theory by M. Evonne Dobson (gift from author)

Artifacts by Mary Anna Evans (bought)

Rituals by Mary Anna Evans (gift at Poisoned Pen breakfast)

Deadly Descent by Charlotte Hinger (bought)

Dead Man's Switch by Tammy Kaehler (bought)

The Perfect Game by Leslie Dana Kirby (bought)

Silver Lies by Ann Parker (bought)

Artscape by Frederick Ramsay (bought)

Mykonos After Midnight by Jeffrey Siger (from swap table)

The next set of books are ones that I bought or traded to get because I saw or heard the authors at panels or other events.  Most I was able to get signed.

  

Strange Gods by Annamaria Alfieri (bought)

Murder at Redwood Cove by Janet Finsilver (bought)

Dark Waters by Chris Goff (bought)

A Cold White Fear by R. J. Harlick (bought)

His Right Hand by Mette Ivie Harrison (bought)

Saving Jason by Michael Sears (bought)

A Killing At Cotton Hill by Terry Shames (bought)

Fit To Be Dead by Nancy G. West (bought)

Fields Of Wrath by Mark Wheaton (from swap table)

Hover by Anne A. Wilson (bought)

The last set of books includes ones that were either in my original LCC book bag (yes, they give you several books) or were ones that I won at events or picked up from the swap table.  I got 3 of these signed.

Tattered Legacy by Shannon Baker (won at panel)

Bred In The Bone by Christopher Brookmyre (from swap table)

Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves (book bag)

Blood Always Tells by Hilary Davidson (won at event)

Falling Immortality by Robert Downs (book bag)

Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates (won at panel)

Wrongful Death by L.J. Sellers (book bag)

Bear Is Broken by Lachlan Smith (from swap table)

Probably enough reading material for a while, don't you think?  Now to find room on the shelves...

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Tomorrow, I'll be talking about some of the special events that included food (and books and authors)  - like the Awards Dinner.  And what about that Author Speed Dating?  A wild and crazy experience!

Left Coast Crime - 2016 - The Panels - fun, funny, touching and informative....

Welcome to my 2nd post about Left Coast Crime 2016!  Today, we're going to talk about panels.  This year, there were 13 specific panel times beginning Thursday afternoon and ending Sunday at noon.  Each of those times had an assortment of panels available and we could choose which we'd like to attend.  They were all an hour in length and then the participants came out into the atrium area to sign books and talk with fans.  I managed to get to 11 different panels and got pictures at 10 of them.  I'll list the panel title and share the moderator (M) and participants with links attached.  They will be in the order of the picture above the info.  If I don't talk about every author - well, doesn't mean I'm not interested but this post will be very long regardless.  Here's the scoop:

1. Setting as Character

Jeffrey M Siger (M); Shannon Baker; Christine Carbo; Sara J. Henry; S.K. Rizzolo; Dana Stabenow

I did not get a picture of the participants of my first panel.  Honestly, Cathy and I had been finishing up our lunch when we discovered we were late (horrors!).  We jumped and ran.  I squeezed into a seat in the middle of a row, was fascinated with glimpsing the authors, did not take a picture, and remember exactly nothing about what they said.  Bad Kay.  In my defense, I was still recovering from the Author Speed Dating event Thursday morning - more about that on Thursday.

2.  Big Fish in a Small Pond:  Big-city sleuths tackle small-town murder

Dana Stabenow (M); M.P. (Martha) Cooley; Frederick Ramsay; Robin (R.J.) Harlick

As this panel was short one member, Dana Stabenow prevailed upon Laurie R. King, who was in the audience, to complete their number.  Which was fun.  I had thought that I would take notes at the panels and even got a special little notebook for that purpose.  However, I found that I just wanted to sit and listen.  Loved it.  I was able to talk with Martha Cooley afterwards and tell her how much I enjoyed her first book, Ice Shear, which I wrote about here.  I also bought a book by both Robin Harlick and Fred Ramsay.

3.  Traditional:  The Space Between Cozy and Thriller: What defines a traditional mystery?

Terry Shames; Triss Stein; Nancy G. West; Carla Buckley; Catriona McPherson (M)

I wanted to see Carla Buckley especially on this panel and talk to her afterward.  I also visited with Terry Shames, who writes the Samuel Craddock series that is set in my part of the world, Central Texas.  And the minute that Nancy West started speaking I knew she was from Texas as well.  Her series is set in San Antonio and Aggie Mundeen is the protagonist.  Triss Stein's Brooklyn based series is published by the Poisoned Pen and I'm excited about reading the first book, Brooklyn Bones.

4.  Genre Hopping:  Authors writing multiple genres

Clea Simon; Annette Mahon; Mette Ivie Harrison; Chris Goff; Ann Cleeves (M)

Cathy and I were most delighted to shake hands with Ann Cleeves as she met everyone at the door and welcomed them.  Cathy was the 'fangirl' that time.  This panel had some very touching moments as the authors shared some personal things that have affected their writing.  I was really caught up in their discussion and was glad I attended.  Clea Simon writes books that all have cats included, but her latest, The Ninth Life, is a bit darker than previous books.  Annette Mahon's books include quilts and that lovely quilt in the picture was one she made and it's featured on the cover of her latest, Slay Bells.  Mette Ivie Harrison is the author of The Bishop's Wife and her protagonist is the wife of a Mormon bishop.  Mette herself has a PhD, 5 children, and is a highly ranked triathlete.  Her life with her church after publishing her first adult book has been complicated.  I enjoyed chatting with her after the panel.  Chris Goff has a birdwatching mystery series, but her latest, Dark Waters, is a thriller set in Israel.  And the lady in white talking to Clea is Cathy Ace, a lovely Canadian author.

5.  Cherchez La Femme, Women Overturning the Stereotype:  Strong female sleuths as role models

Francine Mathews/Stephanie Barron (M); Allison Brennan; Mark Coggins; Deborah Crombie; Tammy Kaehler

This was a most interesting panel and even the participants were a bit flummoxed by Moderator Francine Mathews' questions.  Mathews, who writes spy type thrillers under that name and Jane Austen mysteries under her Stephanie Barron persona, used to be an analyst with the CIA.  So....there you go.  I enjoyed listening to Deborah Crombie talk about Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid.  Her books are great favorites of mine.  Tammy Kaehler writes a Poisoned Pen series about a female race car driver - fun!

6.  Historical:  Turn of the 20th Century

Ann Parker (M); Charles Todd; Tessa Arlen; Annamaria Alfieri; Donis Casey

All of these authors write series set in the early 20th century.  I'm a big fan of Donis Casey's Alafair Tucker books.  Moderator Ann Parker writes a series set in Leadville, Colorado of the 1880's.  It's another Poisoned Pen series and I got the first book, Silver Lies.  Can't wait.  I talked to Tessa Arlen, the daughter of a British diplomat, about how popular her first book, Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman, was around the blogging world.  She was delighted.  The discussion pointed out how history cycles occur and these authors have found so many similarities to situations today, while they were researching events of the past.

This was how the signing area was set up and the picture shows both Caroline and Charles Todd, who team write the Charles Todd books featuring Ian Rutledge in one series and Bess Crawford in another.

7. Two Sleuths are Better Than One:  Fictional crime-solving duos

Rochelle Staab (M); Laurie R. King; Anne Cleeland; Mary Anna Evans; Tina Whittle; Michael Robertson

Each of these authors have protagonists that are either married, related in some way, or in a romantic relationship and it was interesting to hear them talk about pitfalls and comments by fans and how they decided to write their books featuring at least 2 regular sleuths.  Laurie King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books are probably the most familiar.  However, Michael Robertson writes the Baker Street Letters mysteries, which have a Holmes connection.  I've read several really positive thoughts about Anne Cleeland's books around the blogs.  And both Mary Anna Evans and Tina Whittle are published by the Poisoned Pen.  Thumbs up in my thinking.

8.  Sleuthing on Both Sides of the Law:  Bending society's rules to solve crimes

Lori Rader-Day (M); Agnete Friis; Mette Ivie Harrison; Alan Russell; Carla Buckley

Lori Rader-Day was a very funny moderator - very dry humor.  She was a natural at her moderator job.  Her two books are The Black Hour and Little Pretty Things, both stand alones and multiple award winners or nominees.  Agnete Friis writes the Nina Borg series with writing partner Lene Kaaberbol and they are Danish.  Alan Russell writes a series with a LAPD officer and his police dog, but his latest book, A Cold War, is about a woman who has been captured by a mountain man in Alaska.  Each of these authors has protagonists who have to decide whether to step outside of the law or expectations of their peers in order to 'do the right thing'.  Lots of food for thought.

9.  The Thriller of It All

Sarah Williams (M); Chevy Stevens; Michael Sears; Ingrid Thoft; Mark Wheaton

All of you know that I love thrillers, so this panel was sort of a given for me.  Plus, Michael Sears and Chevy Stevens were panelists - have loved books by both of them.  Michael Sears' first book, Black Fridays was a favorite with my mystery group - great discussion.  Ingrid Thoft writes about Fina Ludlow, who is a PI for her family's law firm.  And I've heard very good things.  Mark Wheaton is a screenwriter, comics writer, and has a new book, Fields of Wrath, that features a young priest sleuth in Los Angeles.

10.  Writing Other Cultures

Paty Jager (M); Timothy Hallinan; Shannon Baker; William Kent Krueger; Jeffrey M. Siger

Each of these authors writes a series set among another culture, be it in an area outside the US or inside the US.  Tim Hallinan writes the Poke Rafferty books, set in Thailand.  Hallinan has lived in Thailand part-time for many years.  Jeffrey Siger, also published by the Poisoned Pen, lives mostly in Greece and his series is set there.  His protagonist is Andreas Kaldis and so he not only writes books set in foreign country, his main character is Greek as well.  Siger's books are very popular in Greece.  Shannon Baker writes a series that features aspects of the Hopi tribe, though her protagonist Nora Abbott is not Native American.  Her new book, Stripped Bare, is the first in another series and set in the Nebraska Sandhills.  I look forward to that one, to be published in September.  Of course, William Kent Krueger writes about Cork O'Connor, who lives in Minnesota and is one-quarter Objibwe and three-quarters Irish.  This was a very lively panel that kept us laughing.

11.  Murder in the Great Outdoors

Maegan Beaumont (M); Vicki Delany (Eva Gates); Ellie Alexander (Kate Dyer-Seeley); Chris Goff

The very last panel  and it was a good one.  Vicki Delany's Molly Smith series, set in British Columbia, is a great favorite of mine.  I had the chance to talk with Vicki several times over the course of the conference.  She's also started writing cozies under the name Eva Gates.  Her Lighthouse Library mysteries look like a lot of fun.  Ellie Alexander writes the Bakeshop mysteries, but she also writes a Pacific Northwest cozy series under the name Kate Dyer-Seeley.  I really enjoyed talking with her about Portland and Oregon outdoors.  Can't wait to read the first book, Scene of the Climb.  Chris Goff's birdwatching mysteries are found with Christine Goff as the author.  She lives in Colorado and had funny stories to tell about researching those books.

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I know this post has been forever long.  Sorry about that.  Tomorrow, I'll quickly share the books that came home with me.  Some I bought, some I won, some I found in my book bag.  All look great!

Left Coast Crime - 2016 - kay's a major fangirl....

Welcome to my first post regarding Left Coast Crime 2016 - also known as The Great Cactus Caper.  Left Coast Crime is an annual book convention featuring mysteries.  It's sponsored by mystery fans for mystery fans. This event began in 1991 and except for the 2006 convention (which was held in Bristol, UK), it's always located in the Western US (or 'Left Coast') as defined by the Mountain Time Zone and other zones west.  Four awards are given at each convention and they are voted on by attendees.

As you can see, this year's convention was held in Phoenix, Arizona, and because my husband and I often vacation in that area during the winter, it was perfect.  I was very excited about several days of meeting authors and other attendees, going to panels, voting on the 'Lefty' awards, and generally immersing myself in book talk and books.  My husband - well, he was excited about playing golf - lots of golf.  He played 6 times in 4 days.  I bought a lot of books.  It was all good!

Before I begin telling about my 'fangirl' encounters with authors, I want to mention 2 other bloggers and good friends that I was able to see on this trip.  Cathy was my 'convention buddy'.  She blogs at Kittling: Books and shares lots of great reviews, pictures, and author events.  She lives in Phoenix, so this was right in her backyard.  We had a fun time hanging out together.

I also caught up with Lesa from Lesa's Book Critiques.  She used to live in the Phoenix area and was the branch manager of a library there.  A couple of years ago, Lesa moved to Indiana, but she took this opportunity to come back to the Southwest for books, friends and fun.  I loved getting to see Lesa again and we had a fun time talking.

Both of these lovely ladies will have a post or two sharing their experiences in Phoenix, so I encourage you to take a look at their blogs as well.  They have wonderful sites that are well worth putting on your 'blog radar'.

Enough of that.  Let's get to the 'fangirl' moments.  Let me say that I am normally a fairly introverted person, like many of us I imagine.  I come out of my shell when I talk about books though.  For the author encounters that I experienced at Left Coast, I had to be 'brave' and I am so glad that I was.  Every author that I talked with, whether I met them in a line or an elevator or at a signing table or eating table - they were all kind, friendly, and personable.  They listened and they smiled and made me feel comfortable.  I appreciated that so much.  So, who did I see?  Well, here's a 'selfie' that Dana Stabenow 'insisted' that we take.

L-Dana Stabenow and R-Yours truly

Yes, that is me in the pink and Dana hanging over my shoulder.  And yes, I was terrified.  I don't do selfies.  She and I had a very nice talk and I reported on that last Friday.

L-Catriona McPherson and R-Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves was the International Guest Of Honor.  Her first mystery was published in 1986 and she has written many more, including the Shetland Island series, which has been filmed in the UK.  She also writes the Vera Stanhope series, and you may recognize it from the TV adaptation, Vera, which stars Brenda Blethyn.  The picture above shows Ann on the right being interviewed by Catriona McPherson, who served as Toastmaster of the conference.  I also saw Ann when she moderated a wonderful panel that I'll talk about tomorrow.

Ann is very passionate about libraries.  Very passionate.  A quote from her website:

    'Libraries matter. If we believe in equality of opportunity we must fight not just for the buildings but for the range of books inside and the skilled staff who can promote reading in all its forms. Not only do libraries encourage us to be more tolerant and better informed, they contribute enormously to the wealth of the nation.'

As I was in conversation with Chris Goff in the atrium on Saturday morning, Ann walked up to join us and began talking about her quest to help libraries in the UK.  After she found out that I was a former library staff member, she asked me all  kinds of questions about the Austin Public Library, about funding and programs.  I was so pleased to get to share my thoughts with her on the state of American libraries and how very important they are.  We totally agreed that the world would be a poorer place without libraries.

William Kent Krueger

I also recognized William Kent Krueger on more than one morning as I picked up coffee at Einstein's in the lobby of the hotel.  He was busy writing, just as he says he does every morning at home at a local coffee shop.  And no, I did not interrupt him at that time.  I did talk with Mr. Krueger after a panel on Sunday and told him how much I loved his Cork O'Connor series.  My mystery book group read and discussed his Edgar-winning book, Ordinary Grace a while back.  Such a wonderful book!  If you haven't read it, you should.  Our group had a great discussion and he related that there will eventually be a follow-up book of sorts entitled This Tender Land.  Can't wait to hear more about that.

Donna Andrews

Donna Andrews has been a favorite author of mine for a long time.  Her Meg Langslow series often wins one of the 'Lefty' awards for most humorous mystery.  I stopped and chatted with her for a bit.  I didn't get to see her on a panel this time - lots of panels and too many choices.  I told her that several of my book group members loved her second series featuring Turing Hopper, a character that is actually an Artificial Intelligence personality - a computer.  Group members are always asking when there will be a 5th Turing Hopper book.  Ms. Andrews told me that the Turing Hopper books will soon be released in e-format.  If they do well enough, there will likely be a 5th book in the series.  Yay!  Judy from my book group is ecstatic.  She loves Turing.  I did confess to Donna that her first Meg Langslow book, Murder With Peacocks, is a particular favorite of mine.  I often reread it when I need a laugh and am feeling down.  By the way, the first Turing book is You've Got Murder.  It's a good one.

I talked with several other authors and told them how much I've enjoyed their books.  Some will show up in the panel pictures tomorrow - Chevy Stevens, Sara J. Henry, Vicki Delany, Donis Casey, M. P. Cooley, Jenn McKinlay, and Carla Buckley.  I had recently reviewed Carla's latest book, The Good Goodbye here and I wrote her to tell how much I liked the story.  She thanked me and asked me to please come introduce myself at LCC.  When I approached her signing table and mentioned my name, she jumped up and ran around the table to hug me.  I was so surprised.  She then had Catriona McPherson take a picture of us together and put it on her Facebook page here.  I have an odd smile.  She looks beautiful, just as she does in life.  I did see Deborah Crombie in the lobby twice, but didn't get to speak to her.  Bummer.  Maybe next time.

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I'll stop here for now.  Sorry for the length.  Tomorrow, all the news that's fit to print about 'panels'.    

kay's favorites from the keeper shelf...Dana Stabenow

Welcome to the 3rd 'kay's favorites'!!  I'm so happy to be highlighting an author whose work I have truly loved over the last 20 years or so.  Her name is Dana Stabenow and she writes, among other things, a favorite mystery series of mine featuring Alaskan Kate Shugak.

I was beyond excited to get to meet Dana this last weekend while attending the Left Coast Crime Convention in Phoenix.  I got this lovely picture of Ms. Stabenow when I spotted her (no, I didn't stalk her...really!) in the hotel lobby relaxing for a moment.  Yes, I marched right up and said, 'I love your books!' and I'm writing a 'favorites' post about you.  She, being a kind woman, asked if I wanted a picture and I did.  This was the result.  There will also be a picture shared on Monday of the two of us (she looks like the better half) as part of my 'fangirl' post.  It was a terrifying and wonderful encounter for me.  So, let me tell you about this 'favorite' author.

Dana's short bio on her website says:

I was raised on a fish tender in south central Alaska, and I knew there had to be a warmer, drier job out there somewhere.

Short and sweet.  The longer version relates that she was indeed raised on a 75-foot fish tender in the Gulf of Alaska.  The Great Alaskan Earthquake occurred in 1964 during her 12th birthday party - mega fun, huh?  Dana put herself through the University of Alaska working for a seafood company.  After she graduated with a degree in journalism, she spent 4 months backpacking through Europe, spending what little money she had.  Coming home pretty much broke, Stabenow found that work had begun again on the TransAlaska Pipeline.  She began working for various companies connected with oil and gas, made a very decent living, and vacationed in Hawaii often.

At the age of 30, Dana took a look at her life and decided to enroll in a MFA program and try to write a book.  She got her Master's degree and her first science fiction novel, Second Star, was published in 1991.  A Cold Day For Murder, the first Kate Shugak book, came out in 1992 and it won the Edgar Award in 1993.  And she was off....

There are now 20 books in the Shugak mystery series, as well as 4 books in the Liam Campbell series.  This author also has written several science fiction novels, a couple of stand alone mysteries, and most recently, a historical trilogy based on the life of Marco Polo's granddaughter.  It is called the Silk and Song Trilogy and includes the titles, Everything Under the Heavens, By the Shores of the Middle Sea, and The Land Beyond.

Let me tell you just a little bit about Kate Shugak and her Alaskan world.  I'll also share a couple of books in the series that I love.  Kate Shugak is an Aleut and she lives on a homestead in 'The Park'.  Kate comes from the village of Niniltna and she went away to Anchorage to go to school, have a career, and live life.  After a particularly horrifying child abuse case, Kate has left her job as an investigator for the Anchorage DA's office and come home.  She lives with her half-wolf, half-husky dog, Mutt, and these two ladies do very well together.  In A Cold Day For Murder, a young park ranger has gone missing and Kate is asked by her old boss and the FBI to assist in determining what happened.  And we begin our tour of Alaska, visiting all the many locations and very interesting people that live in that far northern state.

Another of my 'must read again' entries in this series is the 4th book, A Cold-Blooded Business.  This story takes place in the oilfields of the North Slope, brutal, cold country.  Kate goes undercover, at the bequest of the Anchorage DA's Office, to investigate who is bringing in drugs and selling to the employees of Royal Petroleum.  Dana Stabenow uses her knowledge of the oil industry to give us a fascinating picture of those people who work in the Far North and what their lives might be like.

The last specific book that I will mention is Breakup, the 7th in the series.  Breakup or spring is the time when the bears come out of hibernation, the roads are slushy and muddy, and tempers are short.  Kate is trying to do her taxes, figure out if a bear really killed the man in the woods, and is dodging bullets and honestly crazy people.  Lots of humor here.  And another one that deserves a reread soon.

As I said, there are 20 books in this great series.  I am a bit behind reading them.  I think I have 3 left to catch up, but that works out well because Dana says that she is working on #21.  She's not sure when it will be published.  She also is planning on beginning a book about Cleopatra.  After writing about Marco Polo's granddaughter, she found writing historical fiction a lot of fun.

Dana Stabenow will be the Guest of Honor at next year's Left Coast Crime Convention in Honolulu.  It's called Honolulu Havoc.  Sounds great!  I hope you'll consider picking up one of her books and finding out why she's earned her spot on my 'keeper shelf'.

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Join me in a couple of weeks for the next 'kay's favorites from the keeper shelf...' when I'll be talking about Mary Stewart and her wonderful Gothic suspense novels.      

Left Coast Crime Convention - Phoenix - 2016 - a teaser post.....

I attended The Great Cactus Caper, Left Coast Crime - 2016, last week in Phoenix and had an amazing time!  It was the first time I've done anything like this before - attending a mystery convention.  There were all kinds of activities and authors all over the place, plus fans like me of course.  This is just a little teaser post about my fun.  I'm going to be sharing a few things about what transpired in the desert, with pictures.  In fact, next week will be all about Left Coast Crime - 2016 here on kay's reading life.  Here's the schedule for my posts (and if you aren't particularly interested in book convention talk, well, come back week after next when things will be back to 'normal'):


Monday - Left Coast Crime - 2016 - kay's a major fangirl...

Tuesday - Left Coast Crime - 2016 - The Panels - fun, funny, touching, and informative...

Wednesday - Left Coast Crime - 2016 - The Books that came home to live in Texas...

Thursday - Left Coast Crime - 2016 - The Eats with books on the side, plus Author Speed Dating...

Friday - Left Coast Crime - 2016 - A Sum Up of a fabulous trip, plus 'Shout outs' to 'New to me' authors...  


I postponed my latest 'kay's favorites' post, which will go live tomorrow, because it's about Dana Stabenow and....she was at Left Coast!  I wanted to be able to add my sightings of her and also a little about what she said on panels and things.

I hope you'll stop back by for 'kay the blogger and mystery devotee goes to The Great Cactus Caper, aka Left Coast Crime - 2016'.  Stay tuned.....

Waiting on Wednesday - Quiet Neighbors

This is a weekly event that highlights a book we can't wait to be published.  It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The book I'm sharing this week is a new one by an author, Catriona McPherson, that I've recently seen at the Left Coast Crime Convention (and that's her photo above).  I've not read any of her books as yet, but I'm eager to do so.  My pick this week is:

Quiet Neighbors

by Catriona McPherson

Publication Date: April 8th

It's the oldest bookshop in a town full of bookshops; rambling and disordered, full of treasures if you look hard.  Jude found one of the treasures when she visited last summer, the high point of a miserable vacation.  Now, in the depths of winter, when she has to run away, Lowell's chaotic bookshop in that backwater of a town is the safe place she runs to.

Jude needs a bolt-hole; Lowell needs an assistant and, when an affordable rental is thrown in too, life begins to look up.  The gravedigger's cottage isn't perfect for a woman alone but at least she has quiet neighbors.

Quiet, but not silent.  The long dead and the books they left behind both have tales to tell and the dusty rooms of the bookshop are not the haven they seem to be.  Lowell's past and Jude's present are a dangerous cocktail of secrets and lies and someone is coming to light the taper that could destroy everything.

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - Black Rabbit Hall

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase.  This will be another entry into my Gothic Fiction Challenge.  I actually ordered this one last year from the UK after reading about it on another blog - can't remember which one.  And I like the US cover better, so that's the one I'm showing.  See what you think:

Amber, last day of the summer holiday, 1969, Cornwall
     I feel safe on the cliff ledge, safer than in the house anyway.  A few feet from the coast path, it's a twenty-minute scramble from the edge of the estate, far enough from Black Rabbit Hall's watching windows, a secret place.  I hover on the cliff above it for a moment or two, wind snapping my dress against my legs, soles of my feet tingling, then lower myself carefully, gripping the clumps of grass, sea roaring in my ears. (Best not to look down.)  One small heart-stop drop and I'm perching right on the edge of sky.
     Jump too wide, it's all over.  I wouldn't do it.  But it occurs to me that I like the fact I could.  That I have some control over my destiny today.
     Pressed against the cliff wall, I finally catch my breath.  So much frantic searching:  woods, rooms, endless stairs.  Heels rubbed raw in too-small plimsolls.  And I still haven't found them.  Where are they?  Shading my eyes from the sky dazzle with my hand, I scan the bottle-green cliff tops on the other side of the cove.  Deserted.  Only cattle in the fields.

Blurb:

Ghosts are everywhere, not just the ghost of Momma in the woods, but ghosts of us too, what we used to be like in those long summers . . .

Amber Alton knows that the hours pass differently at Black Rabbit Hall, her London family’s country estate, where no two clocks read the same.  Summers there are perfect, timeless.  Not much ever happens.  Until, of course, it does.

More than three decades later, Lorna is determined to be married within the grand, ivy-covered walls of Pencraw Hall, known as Black Rabbit Hall among the locals.  But as she’s drawn deeper into the overgrown grounds, half-buried memories of her mother begin to surface and Lorna soon finds herself ensnared within the manor’s labyrinthine history, overcome with an insatiable need for answers about her own past and that of the once-happy family whose memory still haunts the estate.

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First of all, I'd never be able to perch myself on any kind of cliff.  I get vertigo in glass elevators.  However, I was intrigued by what Amber did.  I want to know who she is searching for.  This reminds me of the one book I've read so far by Kate Morton.  Hoping for a good gothic here.