17 Oct Heading West
Yesterday’s forecast called for ‘a chance of snow’. I’m not on board.
Today, I’ll be taking part in the biggest mystery event ever to take place in Ottawa and you are invited. It’ll be at the Jack Purcell Community Centre from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. It’s a chance to meet authors and get a start on holiday shopping or stock up on some winter reading. I’m also scheduled to do a reading at 2:20.
I had a frustrating week with the Word program on my new laptop not working properly and my old laptop sliding off the table onto the floor and not working at all. A trip to Staples where I bought both and no help given so yesterday I drove to the Apple Store in Bayshore. I lucked out with the most amiable young man who fixed all the programs on my new laptop with enough patience to calm my frazzled self. I lost the urge to pitch the machine at a wall and now can get back to working on my manuscript. Needless to say, I got no writing done this week.
My Coles Carlingwood signing last Saturday went amazingly well since it was Thanksgiving weekend and the mall was quiet. Once again, I met some really nice people who were willing to give my books a try. I also met some who had read most of my books and they bought ones they hadn’t purchased yet. All very encouraging.
So come Wednesday, I’ll be flying out to Calgary with Katherine Hobbs and Barbara Fradkin to Bouchercon. This is the biggest mystery book conference around with one to two thousand readers and authors gathering for five days of panels and events. My panel is Thursday, Oct. 22 from 10:15 to 11:00 and we’ll be discussing domestic violence in crime fiction. On Friday morning at 11:30, I’ll be part of an event in the media room introducing the A Capital Mystery anthologies (1 and 2). Saturday, you’ll find me at the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) table from 9-10:30 a.m. and that evening, I’ll be one of three authors (with Anthony Bidulka and Cathy Ace) at the CWC pub night where there are going to be a ton of prize giveaways. I won’t be blogging next Saturday, but I’ll give an update on Calgary and the conference two Saturdays from now.
Time to have that second cup of coffee, before getting myself organized and out the door as I head downtown to Jack Purcell. I hope you can come by – going to be a fun time!
