all your Reads in Here

Saturday was a full day at Bouchercon, going into the evening. I had said I'd volunteer at the Left Coast Crime booth in the morning. First, though, I had to find it. So, I asked John Purcell for directions. He was a dedicated volunteer and spent most of the conference working the Anthony Award voting table, but he still sent me off in the right direction. With John Purcell Janet Rudolph didn't need me at the booth, but she was willing to pose for a picture with author Clea Simon. Clea Simon and Janet Rudolph In the break before a panel, I ran into Maddee James and author Gigi Pandian. Maddee is the web designer who originally helped me with this blog. I'm grateful for everything she did to get me started. Maddee James and Gigi Pandian The Liars Panel was fun, moderated by Lori Rader-Day with Lee Matthew Goldberg, Johnathan Lethem, Alex Marwoord, Laura Lippman and Jess Lourey. The next panel was More Than Magnum - The PI in Fiction. When the moderator was a half hour late, ...

So much Bouchercon, so much to try to remember so I can share it with you. I know I'm going to miss a lot, but I'll at least try to share pictures. Bouchercon was at the historic Vinoy Renaissance Resort in St. Petersburg. Beautiful, restored historic hotel, but quite a maze. I flew in on Thursday, and arrived at 5 PM. By Sunday morning, I could end up in the right place without getting lost. Before dinner, HarperCollins had a reception in which a number of their authors signed books. Everyone knows I'm crazy about Glen Erik Hamilton's Van Shaw novels. I had him sign the paperback of his third one, Every Day Above Ground . And, I had a chance to say hi to Tim Dorsey, who appeared regularly at the Lee County Reading Festival when I was in Florida. Glen Erik Hamilton After the reception, about 10 of us went to dinner at Paul's Landing, a restaurant in the resort. Aubrey Hamilton made the arrangements. First chance to see authors Neil Plakcy and Terry Shames. It was a ...

2018 DAVID THOMPSON SPECIAL SERVICE AWARD:  Lesa Holstine Bouchercon (The World Mystery Convention) Board of Directors is proud to announce that Lesa Holstine is the recipient of the 2018 David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award for her contributions to the mystery community. The David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award was created by the Bouchercon Board to honor the memory and contributions to the crime fiction community by David Thompson, a beloved Houston bookseller who passed away in 2010. Recipients are recognized for their “extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field.” The David Thompson Award will be presented during the Anthony Awards ceremony on September 8, 2018 at Bouchercon in St. Petersburg, Florida. Lesa Holstine has been sharing her passion for books—especially mysteries—with readers since 2005. Her blog, Lesa’s Book Critiques, is a go-to destination for readers. Her reviews now appear in  Mystery Readers Journal ,  Reade...