Since the world is going to end this year (I know, if I keep gently teasing the Fates it may happen so I should probably not) this may be the last year I attend Bouchercon (aka the World Mystery Convention). Bouchercon is a lot of fun. I attended my first Bouchercon in 2008. It was held in Baltimore, Maryland and I went solo. I am not exactly a wallflower but plopping myself into a convention full of fans, and authors I love and admire, intimidated even me. It turned out to be awesome. My now husband showed up and surprised me (awww). I went on a ghost tour of Fell's Point (spooky and informative). I met lots of readers and got introduced to new-to-me authors among them Kelli Stanley, Andrew Grant, Tasha Alexander, and Bill Cameron (and too many more awesome writers to list!). I got to hang out with the wonderful Heather Graham and the very cool Alexandra Sokoloff (I love those ladies and their books!). I visited Edgar Allan Poe's grave (no words available to express that moment) and spent some quality time at the Inner Harbor (magical in spite of being stalked by a nefarious no-good-doer).
Bouchercon is held in a different city every year, and in 2013 it happens to be in my backyard. In fact, I could walk to the location from work. And I am sure you've guessed this already - I will be writing more about it in future posts.
This year it will be in Cleveland, complete with opening ceremonies at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guest of Honor will be Elizabeth George, a fantastic author I stumbled upon one day purely by chance. I love to read, and when I find an author I like I have to read everything that author wrote and then begin the torturous wait for their next book while discovering another. I was in a (now sadly defunct) bookstore looking for books to take on an overseas trip, and I overheard a clerk recommending Elizabeth George to another customer. I decided to steal that advice, checked her out, and liked what I saw. I bought the first two of her books and packed them in my carry-on.
By the time the plane landed I had read the first one and started the second. By the time I returned home ten days later I had bought the rest of her books and read them all.
When I decided that it was time for me to try my hand at writing a book I picked up a few books on writing (no future pun intended). One was Stephen King's On Writing and the other was Elizabeth George's Write Away. In 2006 I took the train to NYC to attend a talk by Ms. George, who would be the first of my many favorite authors I would meet. She was inspiring, and I eagerly lined up to have her sign Write Away and her latest, Careless in Red.
She asked me if I was a writer. I said I wanted to be, and had just started working on a project. Through the course of conversation she learned that I was also working on buying my first house, and she laughed and said it may be awhile before I got that book underway. She was so right. And then I bought a second house (long story, again no pun intended), lost both parents, and got married. (The book is finally underway, and in the final stages of revisions.)
So, the moral of this story is that I am over the moon because I will once again have the pleasure of listening to Ms. George speak, and if I am lucky get her autograph on more of her fantastic books.
Elizabeth George is a mystery novelist whose books are set in Great Britain. Having been across the pond a few times I can attest to their authenticity of atmosphere. I was very surprised when I discovered that Ms. George is as American as apple pie. (Her novels have also been adapted a television series by the BBC. Check out The Inspector Lynley Mysteries)
If you have not read her, you should. She rocks, just like Cleveland will in October.
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