WHAT TO DO NOW?

Now that you have gotten your taxes out of the way, what to do now?

Now, you sign up for those fall conferences to make sure that you get on panels or are able to speak or moderate.

Why now?

When you sign up early, you are almost guaranteed a spot on a panel, to be a moderator and may even be asked to give a keynote speech.

What could be better than being a speaker and being able to sell your novel or your works while doing something that you didn't think you could do.

I'm just getting back into the swing of things but my conference schedule includes the Creatures, Crimes and Creativity conference in Columbia, Maryland.

If you need to see what I am talking about; please follow this link. #MDC3Con is the hashtag that paid registrations can use to be entered in a chance to win a fabulous prize. They also have the opportunity for authors to raise money for the literacy program in Howard County Md.

How? By asking authors to put together a 'reader basket" that all attendees can buy tickets for and win some great prizes.

Yes, we do more than just write; we also give back to our community.

Are you signed up yet? Gasp, you're not? Well it's not to late. 

Meet me there and I promise we can share a drink, some stories and you will get a look at my newest novel.

WOW...LOOK WHAT I FOUND

So, I recently just saw that none of my 'scheduled' posts had posted. So here is one that I wrote right before Halloween.

In the days leading up to Halloween, what kind of inspiration do you get for your writing.

I don't like scary movies but I love reality police shows. I watch The First 48 every day.

Sometimes all day. Lifetime and A&E channels run marathons on Monday, Wednesdays and Thursday with the NEW episode on Thursday night.

I love this show and find myself thinking about the detectives on that show.

My favorite is Carolyn Mason. She is a weave wearing, high heel wearing, gun toting black woman who will make a grown man cry and a teenager ask for his momma.

She is the kind of heroine I need in my stories and well; she is my inspiration for The Stiletto Stalker.

I've been working on this book for two years and finally its done. 

Since its my first murder mystery, I am very hesitant to submit it because; well I'm an author and I don't want it to be bad. (please don't let it be bad)

So for now; it sits in my drawer and on my computer...waiting for the day that I am ready to 'give birth' .

So, what inspiration do you take from Halloween?

MONTH OF LOVE

So its the first week in February and what is it about this month that you LOVE?

I love that I get to go on vacation for a week but I also love that this is the week that LOVE IS MURDER happens.

If you have been following me for the past three years, than you know that I attend the Love Is Murder conference every year.

I get to meet up with old friends, make some new friends and get to congratulate the LOVEY award winners.

This year, my publisher Intrigue Publishing, has two more nominees up for the LOVEY. Last year CA Verstraete won for best horror/zombie novel and this year +Jeff Markowitz  and Annie Alexander are up for best Thriller and Mystery in their categories.

I hope we bring home both!

So even though this is the month of LOVE...I love that I get to go to such a great conference.

What do you love about this month?

Conferences, my new best friend

When Chocolate and flowers aren't enough...



February 1-3, 2013. That is one of the best weekends I have had this month. Oh, did you think I was going to say this year? See, every year I travel with another author, Austin S. Camacho to Rosemont, IL to the LOVE IS MURDER conference. Every year I look forward to seeing Hanley Kanar and Luisa Buehler and the rest of the gang that put on the conference. When chocolate and flowers aren't enough...that is the slogan. Pretty cool, don't you think?

Although the conference is always on the Super Bowl weekend, it is always over by noon and I am back at our friend Cyndi's home in Ohio by 5pm, plenty of time to get those Super Bowl snacks ready to watch the commericals. You didn't think I really cared about the game, espeically since Dallas wasn't in it, now did you?

This year was no different. Well in a way it was. I convinced another author, Deliah Lawrence to travel to Rosemont, IL to the conference and she did and she and I and Austin had a wonderful time. We had the time of our lives! We met Lee Goldberg, sat and had lunch with Shane Gericke.

We sat on panels and discussed everything from having the perfect pitch for an agent to writing in the post 50 Shades aftermath. How did you miss all of that? Well if you don't attend conferences, that is how you miss it.

Now next year, we plan to be there again, are we going to see you there? If not, I will sit and have dinner with Heather Graham and Shane Gericke...while you sit at home and get ready for the Super Bowl.

I'm Off....

No...it is not what you think.

I'm off...to St. Davids Writer's Conference. I'm excited and a little scared. There, I said it.

I've never been to this kind of conference before and let's face it, what I write is not something I would read in church. However, this isn't about my writing. It's about how to make my writing better.

Isn't that what it is about. I will never NOT go to something because it wasn't in my genre. That would be like me never walking in a mall because they don't have a shoe store. A mall with no shoe store...(I had a moment where I felt faint) I think I'm OK now.

Back to my post; so I will always go to where other writer's are. I will make new friends and possibly meet up with old friends. How many of you have been to a conference this year? Did you raise your hand because I didn't see it and I will say it; shame on you. I've been to four conferences already and some of you have been to zero. Shame, shame. Writers; just like doctor's, need to keep their skills up. They need to rejuvenate and get better at what they do. They need to become master's of writing. This is why I attend conferences. I was shocked last week when someone wrote: "I don't go to conferences because I'm to busy writing and don't have time to attend a glad handing, back slapping event." I felt shocked and saddened by this statement.
Obviously this person has had a bad experience and thinks all conferences are like this. I wanted to scream, "This is about networking and making us better writers." but I didn't because he would not hear that. His mind is made up but I would challenge him to find a conferences, geared to his genre,then come back and tell me what he learned because that is what it is about. It's about LEARNING how to be better.
I want to hear from more of you. What do you get out of conferences? but I also want to hear from those of you that don't go to conferences. Why don't you go?
I am eagerly awaiting your comments.

Love Is Murder

Love is Murder is over and what a great time I had!

I learned so much from David Morrell and Hank Phillippi Ryan; who I might add loved my shoes. Hank, not David. Oh, you thought Hank was a guy. No, she a very beautiful woman with the prettiest salt and pepper shoulder length hair. She is an investigative reporter for Channel 7 in Boston and she is also a lover of shoes. Oh, but I am totally off topic.

Love is Murder is run by some very dedicated volunteers. Yes I said volunteers. These women and men dedicate themselves for the rest of us. The meals,the cocktail hour and the mass book signing and even the one act play is all done by the little worker bees scurrying behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Hanley is the cutest woman ever! She made sure that everyone was having a nice time and she also came to the rescue when the computers went down and no one could register into their room so no one had a place to 'freshen' up before the panel discussions began. She offered her room up to a few of us and we were able to face 'our' public with a renewed spirit.

The staff was excellent and the service was impeccable! The food was incredible and the volunteers of LIM did a fantastic job. Who knew that scrambled eggs with roasted tomato and asparagus made a good breakfast?

I met some great people and made great friends I can't wait until next year. Yes, it's definite. I will be there every year from now on.

One size DOES fit all

What a wonderful weekend it was! I attended the LIM conference. Love Is Murder is an annual conference held over the super bowl weekend and it was a blast!

I met some wonderful people but that will be a different blog, different day.

What I wanted to tell you was that one size DOES fit all. There was a vendor who sold shoes. Imagine my giddiness but then imagine my disappointment as shoe after shoe after boot was "not available in your size".

What! What! I could hardly breathe. I'm not sure, but I think I blacked out for a second. She went behind her 'magical' curtain to see if she had more in 'stock' but she peeked her little blond head out after almost two minutes and said, "can you wear a 10?"

I wanted to scream! NO, now find me a 9 in that red/black stiletto or at the very least in the red ruffle topped boot! After five LONG minutes she finally came out and said. "Sorry hun, we only have an eight."

She then told me, "well come back in ten minutes, I'll check my stock and see what I have in a nine." Armed with that, I went to my next panel discussion; apatly titled, how to lift fingerprints; which might have come in handy. Or at the very least show me what NOT to touch. I walked happily back to the 'vendor' room and looked for the little blond haired woman, who I might add was wearing the red ruffled topped boots that I wanted. She looked at me sympathically and said, "Sorry Hun, I don't have any size nines."

It all became a blur. My eyes went crossed, my breathing quickend and I believe I was in a state of shock.

What! What! What the heck has happened to all the little feet people? Have they all grown a size larger? I used to find size nine all day, every day and now you are telling me that a size nine in your 'traveling' shoe store is 'not available." At that moment, I became a mystery author. Plotting how I could get my hands on those size nines. I innocently asked, "well do you know who bought the last size nine?" Imagine my surprise when she told me,his name and room number; "because he bought them for his wife."

Hey we are at a mystery conference, what better way to end it, than with a TRUE mystery?
Who killed the man in room 211 with a stiletto shoe to the back? Perfect crime, right? Well it would have been had I not announced, "Well, I think I can take him." Yeah, I doubt if I would have made it to the lobby with my new red/black stiletto shoes.

So I guess the saying IS true, one size DOES fit all. Much to my chagrin, but there is ALWAYS next year...

LOVE IS MURDER--or is it?

This week I will travel to the Love is Murder conference in Chicago. This conference is held every year and I have known about it for at least a couple of years. It is held on Feb. 2-5 this year and yes the super bowl is being played, but there are televisions there.
This year I finally decided, you know; I'm going and boy am I glad that I decided that. As soon as my registration was paid for I received a phone call from one of the organizers, Hanley (and yes,her name is as unique as mine)and she was so bubbly. Imagine my shock when she asked me to be on a panel and possibly a moderator. Now here is the sad part. Hanley said, "you know we are not that well attended by the African American writers". What? Are you serious? I know there are THOUSANDS of us out here and yet this conference, has literally a handful, yes her words, of African American authors attending.
Well, I will do my best to change that. I know there are some great mystery writers, romance writers and thriller writers that are African American; why aren't you attending. Is it because you think because you can't, or do you limit yourself to genre specific events. Let me tell you, she will always see my face from now on. During the first week in February, you can believe I will be in Chicago, rubbing elbows with publicists, NY best selling authors and the best that the publishing industry has to offer. How many of you will be there next year?

Upcoming conferences-Are you going?

Today I will talk to you about conferences you should attend; even if you don't write in that particular genre. Why would you want to attend a conference that doesn't pertain to your particular writing style?
Simple answer: The more you get to know about other writing styles, the more you can incorporate them into your writing style.
Love is Murder is a conference held in Chicago every year and it is geared towards the mystery writers. I have never gone, but in February of 2012, I will attend. I am so excited to be a part of that it is well worth the cost.
Thrillerfest will be held in New York in July of 2012 and although I went this year, I am doubly excited to attend again next year. This conference is geared towards mystery and thriller writers. Although I am neither of the two; I will proudly network with all of the authors there.
After all, networking as an author is THE main reason to go to such conferences. You not only get to learn about other authors but you also get to 'hang' out with NY best selling authors. Where else would you get to be in the same room as R.L. Stine and Karen Slaughter?
I hope to see you at one of the many upcoming conferences in the new year. If you see me, come up and say hello; after all; I love to talk about writing.
Happy Writing!