Back from Bouchercon

Carol Higgins Clark, Deborah Lacy and Mary Higgins Clark

I'm back from the Bouchercon Mystery Convention that was held in Cleveland last week. More than 1500 crime fiction fans and authors took over the Renaissance downtown for five days of mayhem and murder.

Highlights included a fabulous party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, sponsored by Thomas & Mercer (including access to the exhibits), the Criminal Element Social Hour (more on that here), sightings of all my favorite authors (Elizabeth George, Lee Child, Michael Connolly, Mary Higgins Clark, Robin Cook, Laurie R. King, the list goes on and on) fabulous panels including one on character with Charlaine Harris, Elizabeth George, Brad Parks and Daniel Palmer, among others and catching up with great friends (Kim, Kerry, Trina, Rebecca, Clare, Laura, Terrie, and Catriona just to name a few).

One of the best reasons to go to Bouchercon is there are 1499 people in the same hotel who love mysteries as much as you do.

Lee Child and Heather Graham

Elizabeth George, Les Roberts and Carol Higgins Clark

Catriona McPherson wins the Sue Feder Memorial Macavity Award

Criminal Element is hosting a contest where you can win a book from each of the Bouchercon Guests of Honor: Elizabeth George, Mary Higgins Clark, Robin Cook, John Connolly and Les Roberts. All you have to do is list something you overheard at Bouchercon or anywhere else in the comments section. You can enter the contest here.

Here's a roundup of Bouchercon coverage, just click on the links:

From Ellery Queen Magazine, they not only cover the show but delve in the history of the conference.

From Jordan Foster at Publisher's Weekly gives a great run down on the awards given.

TV coverage from The local Cleveland ABC affiliate including interviews from several authors who attended including Reed Farrell Coleman.

From Joe Myers a great take on panels and the bar scene.

There are also photos from the event on the Bouchercon 2012 Facebook page. If you went, don't forget to go through them and tag yourself and send in any you would like posted.

The opening ceremonies were at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Next year Bouchercon is in Albany, New York, the theme is in a New York State of Crime. Guests of honor include: Sue Grafton, P.C. Doherty, Tess Gerritsen, and Steve Hamilton. You can find 
out more at http://www.bcon2013.com. 

I have always wanted to meet P.C. Doherty...

Headed for Bouchercon

Crime scene tape for the Criminal Element party.

So I'm off for Cleveland today to go to Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention. The American guest of honor is Elizabeth George, one of my favorite authors.

Friday at 10:15 am, I'll be on a panel called Mystery Blogs and Bloggers with five other mystery mavens:

• Rae Helmsworth - moderator
• Laura K. Curtis - Women of Mystery and Criminal Element
• Lesa Holstein - Lesa's Book Critiques
• Molly Weston - Meritorious Mysteries
• Chantelle Osmon - Sirens of Suspense

Come see us and ask us lots of questions.  

There's a rumor that we will be giving stuff away. Yes, I know it's a cheap trick, but it works.

Here's what else I am looking forward to, besides catching up with friends:

On Thursday, we get to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the Opening Ceremonies (sponsored by Thomas & Mercer).

Friday - Saturday there will be a great craft room where authors will lead crafting clases and talk about their books. Each session will run for approximately one hour from 10am to 3pm. 

The short story panel at 2:45pm on Friday called Nuggets of Mystery with Laura K. Curtis, Terrie Farley Moran, Shelley Costa, John Floyd, and Janet Hutchings.

And that night, Criminal Element is hosting a Social Hour from 6-7pm with a fun photo booth of mystery props.

On Saturday, there will be a panel on the online mystery community with Clare Toohey from Criminal Element, Oline Cogdill from Mystery Scene, Janet Rudolph from Mystery Fan Fare, Joe Meyers, Michael Kovaks and Jordan Foster.

You can see the whole panel schedule here. 

The World's Largest Mystery Convention

The World's Largest Mystery fan convention, called Bouchercon, is happening this October 4-7 in Cleveland. It's an annual convention named for renowned mystery (and sci-fi) writer, Anthony Boucher and about 1500 mystery lovers are expected to attend.

I haven't been to Cleveland as an adult but I am looking forward to catching up with my mystery loving friends and going to the opening ceremony party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The museum will be open to anyone who attends the opening ceremony.

A few friends and I have volunteered to help with the event (it's all volunteer) and I can tell you there are a lot of fun things planned -- including a social hour with Criminal Element, a craft room, basketball with S.J. Rozan and special appearances by Linda Fairstein, Karin Slaughter, Lee Child, Michael Connolly, Elizabeth George, Mary Higgins Clark, Val McDermid and Robin Cook.

Hank Phillippi Ryan will also be at Bouchercon. Don't forget to enter here to win a signed copy of THE OTHER WOMAN.

You can register and learn more about the convention here at the 2012 website, and here http://www.facebook.com/Bouchercon2012 and on Twitter @Bouchercon2012. You can learn more about future Bouchercons and the organization itself here.

Win A Signed Copy of THE OTHER WOMAN from Hank Phillippi Ryan

We are giving away a SIGNED copy of the new hardcover, THE OTHER WOMAN, by Hank Phillippi Ryan.  It's an engaging, fast-paced, fun-read.  All you have to do is sign up to receive Mystery Playground by e-mail in the box to the right. Winners will be chosen at random. The contest ends September 15th. 

Here's the synopsis of THE OTHER WOMAN:

Jane Ryland was a rising star in television news—until she refused to reveal a source and lost everything. Now a disgraced newspaper reporter, Jane isn’t content to work on her assigned puff pieces, and finds herself tracking down a candidate’s secret mistress just days before a pivotal Senate election.

Detective Jake Brogan is investigating a possible serial killer. Twice, bodies of unidentified women have been found by a bridge, and Jake is plagued by a media swarm beginning to buzz about a  “bridge killer” hurting the young women of Boston.

As the body count rises and election day looms, it becomes clear to Jane and Jake that their investigations are connected…and that they may be facing a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to silence a sandal.

With its dirty politics, dirty tricks, and a barrage of final twists, THE OTHER WOMAN is the first in an explosive new series. Seduction, betrayal and murder—it’ll take a lot more than votes to win this election!

As one character warns: You can choose your sin, but you cannot choose your consequences.

Emmy-winning (she's won 27 total Emmys) author Hank Phillippi Ryan talks about THE OTHER WOMAN in the trailer below.

You can read a review of THE OTHER WOMAN here at Criminal Element.

Hank Phillippi Ryan at work at Channel 7 Boston

Have you registered to attend Bouchercon? 

Bouchercon is the world's largest mystery fan convention and it's happening in Cleveland, October 4-7. Hank Phillippi Ryan will be there as will Michael Connolly, Elizabeth George, Lee Child, Linda Fairstein and Karin Slaughter. You can learn more about Bouchercon 2012 here. 

Here's a photo of Hank and Lee Child. There's an interview of the two of them in the audio version of THE OTHER WOMAN. 

Crime Fiction Comes to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Imagine an entire conference filled with mystery fans and authors for four days of crime fiction awesomeness. Well, that's Bouchercon and it's happening October 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio. I haven't been to Cleveland since I was a kid, but I am headed to Ohio for this event. The opening ceremonies will take place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - in fact, we'll have the whole place to ourselves. What a great place for a party.

The Guests of Honor include one of my all time favorite authors, Elizabeth George, and one of my mother's, Mary Higgins Clark. I'm also looking forward to meeting Toastmaster, John Connolly.  There will be author filled panels on subjects ranging from everything from short stories to writing about exotic locations in thrillers to where authors get their ideas. Other authors attending include Karin Slaughter, Robin Cook, Val McDermid, Michael Connolly, Lee Child, Lisa Black, Catriona McPherson, Kate Brady and Linda Fairstein.