Energized by Magna Cum Murder

I just returned home from Magna Cum Murder and I’m so excited to get started on my fifth Mitch Malone novel. November is National Novel Writing Month and I enjoy trying to pound out the very rough draft in a month. It works for me. But back to Magna, it was a great group of other writers and readers who love mysteries. It was heaven to talk about writing and mysteries nonstop Friday through Sunday. I met and talked with so many great people! Best of all some even brought my books. I’m eternally grateful to them!

Friday night I competed in a game show with Parnell Hall, Ruth Dudley Edwards, Les Edgerton, Con Lehane. The World’s Best Detective show is the brainchild of Austin Lugar who serves as MC. Two detectives are pitted against each other to solve a murder suggested by the audience. Parnell is a very funny guy and I was worried about being able to keep up with his quick wit. I didn’t know the other contestants. The show was funny and we all played off each other well. As for Parnell and I…we didn’t agree on most of the pairings and bantered back and forth. Harry Bosch (created by Michael Connelly) defeated Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, whose name I could never pronounce correctly.

Saturday I could relax and enjoy the sessions and then moderated a panel on Sunday morning on “It’s not a vacation, it’s research.” Not sure why I was tapped to do this because I live in Michigan and my books are set in Michigan put the panelists had books set in Washington D.C., England, Thailand, and Vancouver. They had great stories about their research trips.

Kudos to Kathryn Kennison, Magna Director, her crew and Ball State University for sponsoring this great weekend of Mystery.

Day 11 of 12 Days of Christmas Good Friends and Good Reads - John Desjarlais

John is a recent addition to my friends list. I met him in Muncie, Indiana, at Magna Cum Murder He has been helping me find myself ever since and I don’t even think he knows it. John is involved with the Catholic Writers Guild. I hadn’t realized it at the time we met but I had asked to do a guest chat months before. After the conference he invited me to the group and I felt instantly at home. John then sent me an email about helping him publicize his newest book out this spring and wanted to know if I would be okay with talking about secular issues.

To this point as an author, I’ve tried to stay bland on any stand, least I offend a potential buyer. So far that hasn’t work so well for me. (I have a lot more to say on that but this isn’t the place.) John has pushed a few buttons and made me think about who and what I am as a person and as an author.


John writes thrillers that swirl around Catholic churches and their doctrines. I haven’t read one yet but am looking forward to them. He has received some fantastic reviews. His current book, Bleeder, is about a priest who bleeds to death in front of his congregation on Good Friday and his friend who is the prime suspect. The sequel to Bleeder, Viper, will be out in March and brings back fiery Latina insurance agent Selena De La Cruz. Working against time, prejudice, and her own Latino community’s suspicions, Selena reluctantly re-joins her old DEA colleagues to hunt a deadly drug dealer who is out of jail and systematically killing everyone who ever crossed him.

John, thank you for making me think about who I am and what I want to be and opening some doors I didn’t even know existed!

http://www.johndesjarlais.com

Day 6 of 12 Days of Christmat Great Reads and Great Authors - Becke Martin

I met Becke Martin at Bouchercon in Indianapolis in 2009. When we first met we talked and talked about books, publishing and the conference. We would probably still be talking if she hadn’t had a dinner date with an old friend of her family. We’ve kept in touch and met again at Magna Cum Murder in October. Becke was under the weather and you could tell because the spark that just oozes from her wasn’t there. It was back by Sunday and she is one person who warms a room just when she enters.

Becke has a unique way of making everyone feel welcome and wanted. That is part of the reason she has such a great group of followers on the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club and Gardening Book Club. She is the moderator and always finds the greatest photos to make everyone feel at home. She also is passionate about supporting mystery writers and their books. She has done so much to help me get my work out in front of people. I appreciate being a guest on the Book Club but have treasured her warm nature much more.

Becke is an author as well. She has a host of gardening books and should soon have a fiction book out. Check out her books at her website: http://www.beckemartin.com
Thank you Becke! You are one in a million!