Left Coast Crime (A Little Tardy)

I sincerely apologize for my tardiness in getting this post written for you. Left Coast Crime was such a wonderful time this year (except for transportation back to the airport, but we'll not go there--I might cry). I think I said this last year, but in case you weren't around then or I am mistaken, this is such a great conference and if you enjoy mystery and crime fiction, you need to attend at least once. It's the perfect size, the programming is wonderful, you have great opportunities to interact with others. It is really a gem in the crime fiction world. I hear say that Hawaii is the destination in a few years. I might be starting to save up for that one! Anyway...let's talk about Monterey.

If you follow the Facebook page, you may have already seen the video of Toastmaster Brad Parks introducing Guest of Honor Sue Grafton for her interview. For those who did not see it, I give you, "Keep Away from Alphabet Sue":



Throughout the course of the interview Sue Grafton shared many fun stories. She was animated and engaged. She talked about her frustrations writing in Hollywood--and not selling the rights to Kinsey Milhone, the books that came before A is for Alibi, the trouble she's having with her present novel (X), and the great support she gets from her publisher. She spoke about "Shadow" and the "death cookie" and how she knows someone is the child of an alcoholic. Sue wowed the crowd and Brad did a stellar job giving her the platform to do so. An exceptional interview indeed!

Brad didn't get much of a break on that Thursday as he had to turn around and MC opening night. Here he put on his liturgical robes and led the convention in the crime fiction reader's prayer.  You can see the prayer in its entirety here and pray it yourself tonight.

As always, opening night was a nice chance to mingle and chat. A very special treat this year was getting to meet my online friend Sarah RH.  I've made some of the best friendships online but getting to meet the people in person is always the ultimate treat.

In an effort to keep from writing a mile long blog post, I won't detail all the panels I attended. It's kind of late for that and I'm sure you'd get bored anyway. So I'm going to give you a Top 10 list of things I took away from Left Coast Crime panels:

10.  There's now a frozen yogurt shop in Buffalo, Wyoming called THE COLD DISH. I want to visit it!

9. Tim Hallinan was motivated to be a writer after he wrote his teacher a love poem.

8. There is a humor ghetto in crime fiction. Did you know that? I love humor in my books...topic for another blog post later, so tune in again on that topic.

7.  Lou Berney used Trip Advisor as a weapon in his novel Whiplash River. A lot of readers like to use Goodreads or Amazon that way, don't they? Wielding the powerful review!

6. Tim Hallinan, David Morrell and Sophie Littlefield all agreed that bad sex writing is worse than any other bad writing. Amen to that!

5. Lisa Brackmann, in a discussion on gender in crime fiction, said PTSD is PTSD regardless of gender. The difference comes in the additional obstacles women have to overcome in the military.

4. In a screenwriting panel, I learned there's a saying in Hollywood: "It's the only place on Earth you can die of encouragement."

3. Kent Krueger said he never understood winter until he moved to Minnesota--through his books, he wanted to help anyone anywhere understand that winter. (I'm sure that's especially true after this winter, right?)

2. One of Marcia Clark's goals in writing the Rachel Knight series is to depict the reality of female relationships.

1. And the top item goes to Kent Krueger who gave kudos to mystery readers saying they love to do a lot of the work in the reading process. So the writers only have to provide them a snippet and they take it from there.

A special award must be noted for Johnny Shaw. He made Brad Parks swear in front of his mother during their panel.

As a teacher I assured my students there is no such thing as a stupid question. As a panel attendee, I've learned how very untrue that really is. *sigh*

The programming was truly outstanding at this convention and I enjoyed every panel I attended, as well as the panel I moderated. We had standing room only--wow! So thanks to everyone who attended and to the great panelists with me: Janet Rudolph, Maddee James, August McLaughlin and Chantelle Osman. We had a great time talking about social media, but we could have talked MUCH longer.

The panels are always fun and I always take away interesting tidbits from them, but the true gems of these conventions come in the most unexpected encounters. I loved talking with Johnny Shaw and Erica Ruth before the awards banquet. I had the opportunity to meet several spouses--and parents--at this conference. So nice to meet people I hear about but haven't ever seen. I got to talk about dogs--and Harry Connick, Jr.!--with Lou Berney. Having dinner with Sophie Littlefield, Juliet Blackwell, Gigi Pandian and Maddee James was another highlight. I didn't have near enough time with my dear friend Lesa Holstine, but even if I had spent every minute with her, it wouldn't have been enough time. :-)

So, when you make your plans for your next convention, attend the panels--they're definitely great fun. But make sure you snatch up your own little gems as well!

Happy Reading, my friends!

NORTHWEST ANGLE - William Kent Krueger

I will have to double check, but this may be the last of the catch-ups on reviews from Shelf Awareness. So, as with the previous reviews, this one appears with permission from the Shelf Awareness folks.

First line: "He woke long before was necessary, had wakened in this way for weeks, troubled and afraid."

The O’Connor family is in the midst of a vacation on a houseboat in the Lake of the Woods when a derechos rips across the area, stranding the family members on various islands. Much to her horror, Jenny O’Connor discovers a devastation much crueler than the derechos. Where the derechos left downed trees and damaged boats, this disaster left a dead woman and an abandoned infant. The derechos has ended but the O’Connor’s nightmare has just begun.

In his eleventh novel of the Cork O’Connor series, William Kent Krueger delves into the theme of isolation and the question, “[Is] there any limit to how alone a human being could be?” The value of connections, whether physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual, emanates from every aspect of the plot.

One of the great strengths of this series is Kent’s juxtaposition of Christianity and the Ojibwe spiritual beliefs. Cork O’Connor, the series protagonist, claims both backgrounds in his heritage. Northwest Angle brings their peaceful co-existence to the forefront of plot with stunning depictions of each.

Some readers may find Jenny’s interactions with the infant a little extreme, but the underlying theme of human connection is otherwise well illustrated.

Those familiar with the series will appreciate the consistent characteristics of Kent’s writing. While those new to the series, can easily pick up the novel and enjoy the adventure without needing a history lesson.

NORTHWEST ANGLE was released from Atria Books in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1439153956)  this past August. It is also available as an unabridged audio from Brilliance (ISBN: 978-142339617).

You Have the Right to Six Words - Bouchercon Week

Sorry I haven't been around much. I've been working diligently to finish up the six-word memoirs scrapbook pages of the authors who will be at Bouchercon. Not sure if I'll get everyone done. But then again, not sure if I'll be able to see everyone to get the pages signed, but I'd like to at least have them ready. The book is really turning out nicer than I had hoped. Actually, it's turned into two books now and may make a third by the time pictures have been added and all memoirs have been completed. But between that, prepping and packing, and oh yeah, that pesky full-time job that pays the bills (ha), I've been pretty busy. I have not, however, stopped reading, so I have some reviews to catch up on after B'Con. But as promised, we will not miss the six-word memoirs this week. So, let's get to them so I can get back to work on the scrapbook.

I am so giddy about this week's memoirists, I can't even tell you! This is a great group of authors to represent for us during Bouchercon week.

To start us off, we have Hilary Davidson. Hilary just snagged her first crime novel book deal, but she's no stranger to writing. After interning for Harper's Magazine in New York City, Hilary returned to her home town of Toronto for a magazine job. From there she decided to strike out on her own and try her hand at freelance work. In the past ten years she's written 18 guidebooks (yes that number IS 18), and gads of newspaper and magazine articles. But the world of crime was calling Hilary and she started dabbling in fiction. After her short story "Anniversary" was selected for the anthology A PRISONER OF MEMORY AND 24 OF THE YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES, agent Nat Sobel took notice. And at this time next year, Hilary will be releasing her first crime fiction novel, titled THE DAMAGE DONE. But you don't have to wait to enjoy her fine writing. She's published short works in Thuglit, Crimespree, Well Told Tales, Beat to a Pulp, Spinetingler, and The Rose & Thorn. And you can see her prize-winning short story "Beast" here. In addition to the publication of her novel, Hilary will celebrate the publication of another short story in 2010. This time "Son of So Many Tears" will be published in the 2010 Thuglit anthology. I am confident that in a few years, someone is going to say to you, "have you heard of Hilary Davidson? She wrote this awesome novel." And you'll be able to say, "Where have you been? I read Hilary's six-word memoir before she even published her first novel. I've known how great she is for-ever!"

When she isn't conjuring up crime and criminals, Hilary studies krav maga and karate, where she's earned a brown belt. And she never tires of traveling. With all of these accomplishments, her memoir fits perfectly:

Thought small sins pointless. Dreamed big.

Our next memoirist this week likes to bring comedy to the crime fiction genre. Don't believe me? Let's put his bio to the first sentence test:

"Lee Goldberg is an ex-Navy SEAL, freelance Sexual Surrogate and a professional Pierce Brosnan impersonator."

I think the man knows how to write a hook! And write them he does. For print and for television. Instead of following his mother's wishes and attending law school or following his grandfather's wishes and going into the family furniture business, Lee attended UCLA, working as a freelance journalist to pay the bills. Lee published his first book .357 VIGILANTE under the pen name Ian Ludlow, but since the publisher promptly went bankrupt, Ian Ludlow was no more. But that didn't deter Lee Goldberg. He climbed back on the bike to try again. And since climbing back on, Lee has published non-fiction, fiction, and television scripts. He's well-known these days for writing the book series MONK, which is based on the television show. His newest MONK novel and the ninth in the series, MR MONK IN TROUBLE is due out this December. MONK is not the first book series Lee's written based on a television series, however. He also wrote the DIAGNOSIS MURDER novels. Lee broke into television with a freelance script for SPENSER: FOR HIRE. DIAGNOSIS MURDER, MONK, HUNTER and NERO WOLFE (for which he won an Edgar nomination) are just a few of his other television credits.

Not giving up after that first let down led Lee Goldberg to a job he loves. And he sums it up with six words:

Paid to pretend, best job ever.

Our next guest today comes to us from across the pond. And I can't tell you how surprised or thrilled I was to have her respond to my e-mail asking if she would participate. Her writing is a magical trip back in time with a gutsy, intelligent, independent woman. These days Ariana Franklin writes the Mistress of the Art of Death series about a twelfth century female pathologist. But Ariana, like Lee and Hilary, started her writing career in journalism. She dropped out of school at the age of 15 to pursue journalism, and by 20 she was the youngest journalist on Fleet Street in London. Ariana loved the journalist's life, but when she married fellow journalist Barry Norman, she left it behind and gave birth to two daughters. Just because she left journalism didn't mean she left writing, however. She continued to write anything and everything: magazine articles, biographies, ghost stories and especially women's history. It was Helen Heller who encouraged Ariana to try her hand at a historical thriller, and try it she did. She took Raymond Chandler's famous line, "When in doubt, have a man come in with a gun" and she molded it to fit her needs. She has a woman come in, and she comes in with a poison or a dagger or a crossbow. Or in Adelia's case she comes in to investigate the results of the poisons or daggers or crossbows. This year Ariana published the third book in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, GRAVE GOODS, and April of next year will bring the fourth title, A MURDEROUS PROCESSION, in this highly accurate, incredibly fun historical thriller series. While Ariana claims

Success has taken me by surprise

Being a great fan of this series, it doesn't surprise me at all!

And anchoring our list of authors today is a man who at 19 wanted to be Ernest Hemingway. William Kent Krueger began writing at the "first light" of day in his efforts to emulate Hemingway. Kent discovered this time of day also worked well for him. So, writing longhand in wire-bound notebooks while sitting in a local cafe at 6:00 each morning, a writer was born. Years later he is writing in that same cafe at 6:00 each morning, but now he's writing full time. Kent's series of Cork O'Connor books have garnered him a Barry Award, three Anthony Awards and four Minnesota Book Awards, among numerous other awards and recognitions. That's not too shabby for a man who was kicked out of Stanford for "radical activities."

Kent has been married to his wife, Diane, for over 35 years. They have two children and call St. Paul, Minnesota home. Kent's ninth Cork O'Connor novel, HEAVEN'S KEEP was released last month. So what six words did Kent find to capture his amazing experiences?

Ambitions failed. Blessings, never. Hope
abides.

How can you help but succeed with an outlook like that?! I'm excited to, hopefully, have the chance to meet Kent this weekend at Bouchercon. Our other three memoirists will, unfortunately, not be making it to the convention this year. That's part of the reason I chose them for this week. I wanted to add them to the celebration! Hilary, Lee, Ariana, and Kent, thank you so much for celebrating mystery and crime fiction with us today through your six-word memoirs. We look forward to all the intrigue and thrill you continue to bring to us, your fans, through your writing.

O.k. everyone, I will once again go quiet until next week when I will return with stories and pictures and reviews and (hopefully) some new interviews lined up! We will also have Week 22 of the Six-Word Memoirs. If you're going to be at Bouchercon, I'll see you this weekend! Happy, happy reading everyone!!

Thunder Bay- William Kent Krueger

When Cork O'Connon is called to the bedside of his elderly friend Henry Meloux, it seems as though he may be dying. Henry wants Cork to find his son, a son he's never even seen. Henry, an Ojibwe medicine man, sense that he has a son and that his son needs him.

Henry gives Cork a woman's name, and soon Cork O'Connor finds himself headed to Canada to find a famous recluse by the name of Henry Wellington. People who are reclusive, don't want to be found, and neither did Henry Wellington. By the time Cork and Henry Meloux finish the journey of locating Wellington, Henry Meloux's story emerges.

I listened to Thunder Bay on audio book. It is the seventh book in the Cork O'Connor series. Normally I don't start at this point in a series, but I couldn't obtain any of the earlier books on audio from my library. The audio was read by Buck Schirner, and I enjoyed listening to it.

What I found with this book was that there wasn't anything in either extreme for me. There wasn't anything that stood out as magnificent and nothing that stood out as bad. It was simply an enjoyable book. I didn't make any great connections with any of the characters, but they were decent characters. I'm not sure if this is a case where I would have had more connection had I started reading earlier in the series.

I think the subplot with Cork's daughter probably could have been eliminated altogether. It seemed to be more of a distraction from the main plot than adding to it. The main plot tended to be a bit on the predictable side and this is definitely a slower plot. The action is not edge-of-your-seat-type action. I mean, we're dealing with a 90ish year old medicine man and his 70ish year old son here. Not a lot of speed at those ages.

I'll definitely follow up with this series, but it won't be one I have to read immediately.