Love is Murder

Where else can you attend a cocktail party with the theme "Love is Murder"? This was just one of the thrilling events put on by the International Thriller Writers organization at this year's ThrillerFest. Okay, cocktail parties aren't usually of the thrilling variety, but this year's TF was amazing as always. (And I did get some awesome orbs in my pictures at the party.)

"Love is Murder" is the name of the latest Thriller Anthology.  It was edited by Sandra Brown and includes stories by Heather Graham, Lee Child, Allison Brennan, Brenda Novak, Carla Neggers, Mariah Stewart, and many others.

The Love is Murder authors were signing at the party. Here is Heather Graham with a fan.

I snagged Allison Brennan in the hallway.

The ITW event includes CraftFest, two days of writing classes taught by authors and industry professionals. This year's instructors included Sophie Littlefield, Lee Child, John Sandford, Heather Graham, Lisa Gardner, David Hewson, Catherine Coulter, Steven James, and Ann Rule.

John Sandford

Catherine Coulter

Lee Child

Steven James

Needless to say, I learned a lot. Not just at CraftFest but also at ThrillerFest. Although I finally attended a TF (my sixth) with a completed manuscript, I realized that maybe my opus-in-progress was not so complete after all. Most of us aspiring authors out there, and many established authors I am sure, never think we're done even when we write 'The End'. It could always be better. This time it was different though. I didn't come to the conclusion that I was not done because of doubts, although trust me, I have huge doubts, including whether or not I have any sort of talent at this writing thing. There was something just at the edge of my thought process bugging me, and while sitting in one of the classes it hit me. And now I am fixing it, with more confidence than I had before that this will make my work in progress much better.

One of the most thought-provoking things I heard was from Lee Child, the master of thrills brought to us via Jack Reacher. He gave a class on breaking the rules. We have all heard the rules, show, don't tell, don't start with the weather, etc. I personally struggle with show don't tell. It's been drilled into my head so far in that I feel slightly guilty when I tell. When the words flow and seem to work and you go back and think that you are doing it all wrong and try to fix it and it no longer flows, well, it makes you second guess your ability to even do this writing thing. Lee Child told a packed room that it's okay to tell. The exact quote was:

"Liberate yourself from show not tell. It ties you up in little knots."

When he said that I thought, yes, I know exactly what he means. He went on to say that we are storytellers, not story showers. Now, I do know that all tell and no show makes for a lousy book, but hearing a master storyteller say it's okay to break that rule (with exceptions of course) made me feel better.

Another interesting thing I heard was from Ann Rule. She is very entertaining in spite of the subject matter she writes about. I would expect that retaining your sense of humor when dealing with the horrible side of humanity is necessary. She told us that the people she writes about all have one thing in common. They are all ordinary people until their paths cross with another ordinary person and somehow they both become combustible. It made me wonder about the extraordinary what ifs of life. Sometimes the answer can be pretty scary.

The panel discussions were fun. Gayle Lynds interviewed Catherine Coulter. They were both surrounded by fans when the interview ended.

The big name publishers were also represented.

Every year I am also on a mission to get books signed by authors I love and authors I have just discovered. The book-signing area is so calm and peaceful (aka empty) one minute, and utterly delightful chaos the next.

One the authors signing is from my hometown area, Joseph Finder.

We even had an actor in our midst this year. Eriq La Salle was there promoting his new book.

Jeffrey Deaver stopped by for the pre-banquet cocktail party. Here are he and John Gilstrap looking dapper.

And since I am a writer of ghost stories, I have to include these orb pictures that showed up on my camera. Okay, I took them but ... 

The first one is from a panel on the existence of evil. The author whose head is being stalked by the orb is Peter James.

These orbs appeared in pictures taken at the Love is Murder cocktail party. (The pictures were taken without flash.)

The bookstore is run by Barnes & Noble under the watchful eye of Patrick. Words cannot express how awesome Patrick is. Here he is with Dennis Kennett, the TF registration guy.

Patrick makes sure the bookstore stays well-stocked.

Here are two of Patrick's lovely assistants.

I love going to ThrillerFest. I am surrounded by people who do what I aspire to do. I meet old friends and we talk until the wee hours of the morning (okay, 2 a.m. may not be wee to some people but it is to me), I see people on the debut author panel who were pitching to agents alongside me in previous years and feel hope, I meet new authors who prompt me to expand my always growing library of books. And I learn new things that are making me a better writer.