Giveaways and More

I am giving away five copies of In the Shadow of the Bull on both Goodreads (sign up here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/384416-in-the-shadow-of-the-bull) and on Fresh Fiction (sign up here: https://gleam.io/iwKi2/eleanor-kuhns-march

I am celebrating the release of the second book in the series – On the Horns of Death, which will be released April 2nd. Look for another giveaway at the end of March for the second book.

Last call to attend the all online conference Murderous March on Saturday (March 9.) Yes, I will be on the first panel on Saturday morning but there are plenty of other great panels and our featured speaker :
EDGAR AWARD-WINNING AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR
NAOMI HIRAHARA

If you are in Suffolk, I invite you to the Mystery Festival on Saturday, March 16. All day. This is one of my favorite events. Participants have a chance to meet many different mystery writers, attend panels, and, of course, buy books. Contact them here: Telephone: 757-514-4130

Bouchercon 2023

I will not be blogging on Monday, September 4. I’ll be in San Diego, for Bouchercon. Bouchercon is on of my favorite conferences and I try to make as many as I can. I also try to sign up for a panel. I’ve met other authors, some bestsellers, and many mystery readers that way.

This year, Ann Cleeves, one of my favorite authors, is a featured speaker. I can hardly wait.

I’m already planning to attend next year’s conference, in Nashville.

I’ve been to quite a few – all over the country. My first was in Cleveland and one of the events was held in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Very special. One was in New Orleans, not too long after Katrina. People were so grateful we were there. And New Orleans is such a wonderful city. Very exotic. One of the things I’ve learned is that every city has something special to offer.

This year’s conference is in San Diego with probably one of the best zoos, if not the best, in the country. My only fear is that the flooding from Hilary will cause problems!

Malice Domestic 2022

The full program for this year’s conference has been posted on their website – malicedomestic.org. More about this later.

They are also offering day passes. So, if you are in North Bethesda any day from April 21 to 24, the conference is being held at the Marriott.

Readers, and attendees at Malice, vote on the Agatha Awards. This year’s nominees are:

The 2021 Agatha Award Nominees

Best Contemporary Novel
Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
Watch Her by Edwin Hill (Kensington)
The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
Her Perfect Life by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge)
Symphony Road by Gabriel Valjan (Level Best Books)

Best Historical Novel
Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge (Kensington)
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara (Soho Crime)
The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (HarperCollins)
The Devil’s Music by Gabriel Valjan (Winter Goose Publishing)

Best First Novel
The Turncoat’s Widow by Mally Becker (Level Best Books)
A Dead Man’s Eyes by Lori Duffy Foster (Level Best Books)
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Berkley)
Murder in the Master by Judy L. Murray (Level Best Books)
Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes (Crooked Lane Books)

Best Short Story
“A Family Matter” by Barb Goffman (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Jan/Feb 2021)
“A Tale of Two Sisters” by Barb Goffman in Murder on the Beach (Destination Murders)
“Doc’s at Midnight” by Richie Narvaez in Midnight Hour (Crooked Lane Books)
“The Locked Room Library” by Gigi Pandian (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July/Aug 2021)
“Bay of Reckoning” by Shawn Reilly Simmons in Murder on the Beach (Destination Murders)

Best Non-Fiction
The Combat Zone: Murder, Race, and Boston’s Struggle for Justice by Jan Brogan (Bright Leaf Press)
Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter by Chris Chan (Level Best Books)
The Irish Assassins: Conspiracy, Revenge, and the Phoenix Park Murders that Stunned Victorian England by Julie Kavanaugh (Atlantic Monthly Press)
How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America by MWA with editors Lee Child and Laurie R. King (Simon & Schuster)

Best Children’s/YA Mystery
​Cold-Blooded Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin Young Readers)
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur (Fiewel and Friends/Macmillan)
I Play One on TV by Alan Orloff (Down & Out Books)
Leisha’s Song by Lynn Slaughter (Fire and Ice/Melange Books)
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)

I’ve read several of these books and the nominations are well deserved.

March 5 Two conferences

I will be involved in two conferences on Saturday March 5, These conferences are open to writers and readers both.

Suffolk Mystery Festival

I will be on a panel from 2 – 3 : Mining the Past for Great Historical Fiction

This conference is FREE but you do have to Register.

I will also be attending Murderous March (remotely). The cost for the Saturday panels, pitching, and more. My panel: Villains, the characters we love to hate, will run from 4:45 – 5:00. Taking the Master Classes with Hank Phillipi Ryan or Caterina McPherson costs 40.00 each.

Murderous March 2021

The conference begins tomorrow at 1 pm. Free but registration is required.

FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021

(Note: All times are Eastern)

1.00 – 2.00 pm

Pitch Workshop – moderator Jenny Milchman *

What Agents Want & How to Give It to Them
Figuring out how to woo an agent or small press editor can be as puzzling as a good mystery. In this informal session, writers will receive an overview of the publishing process today, learn how to describe their book and themselves as writers, and discover the secret to a difficult-to-turn-down pitch.

2.15 – 3.45 pm

Master Class I – Sujata Massey (Guest of Honor) *

A Journalistic Approach to Writing a Novel: How to Add the Right Details Without Becoming an Encyclopedia
Sujata will break down the journalism techniques she uses for creating pictures on the page, weaving real facts with the fictitious. She’ll also give tips on how to cultivate valuable sources in government and academia and the importance of sensitive representation of characters with different cultural backgrounds.

4.00 – 5.30 pm

Master Class II – Alison Gaylin (Special Guest)

Creating Lead Characters: Series versus Standalone
From hardboiled crime-solvers to noir antiheroes to the unreliable narrators of psychological suspense, compelling lead characters are a key element in crime fiction. We’ll discuss how to create protagonists that are multi-faceted, surprising and real – whether they’re driving one story or an ongoing series.

6.00 – 7.00 pm

Meet-the-Authors Cocktail Hour
Authors will introduce their series or latest book and present a brief reading. Bring your favorite drink!

Saturday, begins 10 am EST.

10.00 am                     Welcome and Conference Overview by Frankie Y. Bailey, President,  Mavens of Mayhem

10.30 – 11.30 am         Historical Mysteries Panel – Shakers, Quakers, Revolutionaries, and Depression-era cops. Journey with us to exciting mysteries of the past

11.45 am – 12.45 pm      Short Stories and Other Shorts Panel – No matter where you are on your writing journey, short fiction presents an opportunity to try something new, refine your craft, and have the satisfaction of writing “the end” after just 10,000 words. Tune in as these authors share their insights and inspirations behind writing short fiction, and tips on getting started and where to submit.

1.00 – 2.00 pm              A Conversation with our special guests Sujata Massey and Alison Gaylin 

Don’t miss this lively and informative chat with our honored guests.     Moderator – Elaine Viets *

2.15 – 3.15 pm             Gothic Romance and Romantic Suspense Panel – Step away from the comfort of your armchair and flirt with danger as this panel delves into the darkly alluring genres of Gothic Romance and Romantic Suspense.

3.30 – 4.30 pm             Police Procedurals: Fact or Fiction Panel – Ripped from the headlines!  Go behind the scenes and learn how to turn your police procedurals into page-turners as four experts from the field talk about how murder is handled in real life.

4.45 – 5.45 pm             Pathways to Publication Roundtable – This isn’t your grandmother’s publishing world! Getting a book published has changed drastically over the past decades.  Join this panel as they discuss the variety of paths to publication available to authors today.

5.45 pm                       Wrap-up

PITCHES

Publisher Harriette Sackler (Level Best Books) and agent Josh Getzler (HG Literary) will take pitches at a time and date TBA. Indicate on your registration form if you wish to pitch your manuscript. You will be contacted.

Malice 2019

I attended Malice this past weekend and what a great conference – from Victoria Thompson to Parnell Hall to the panels.

I have to give a shout out to my great panel mates. This was truly one of the best I have been on.

 

panel

From left to right: Maureen Jennings, Verena Rose, Mariah Fredericks, S.C.  Perkins, me, Jess Montgomery.

All very insightful and articulate ladies.

I also really enjoyed my conversation with Maureen Jennings at the signings.

maureen jennings

Murderous March

Spent a wonderful weekend participating in the Mavens of Mayhem Mystery convention. I am currently president here (for my second time.) The Mavens are a chapter of Sisters in Crime and this was their second annual mystery convention.

 

20190316_100946

Setting up.

 

IMG_7838

Vickie Delaney

carol

In order: Raffle table, Bob Knightley, Carol Pouliot, Edwin Hill and Kate Laity, the panel speaking and me, moderating the panel.

Wonderful, fun and exhausting.

 

 

Bouchercon 2017

Well, another Bouchercon is over. What a fun one this one was. Besides the usual interesting panels, it was held in Toronto. What a fabulous city.

Susanna Calkins was our wonderful moderator with really thought provoking questions. And the panel: Lois Gresh, Jonathan Putman, Andrea Penrose and Beverly Todd were all fascinating speakers. You can see from the photo how intently I’m listening.

On to St. Petersburg next year!

Mechanicsburg Mystery Festival

The Saturday after the Suffolk Mystery Festival, I attended the Mechanicsburg Mystery Festival. And how lovely it was too. Like the Suffolk Festival, I met several new authors. I am always on the lookout for new authors and will read something by every one. Debbie Beamer was really nice and the readers – oh the readers – so pleasant and so book oriented. Definitely a wonderful experience.

The only fly in the ointment: the traffic for both. Coming home from the Suffolk festival we ran into heavy traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike. A semi flipped and the highway was closed for hours. We saw the spot. At least a mile of crushed guard rail and blackened pavement.

Traveling in the summer can be a real challenge!

Author’s Festival, Suffolk Virginia

It has been a busy two weeks. July 31 my husband and I left for a Danube River Cruise and it was awesome! Definitely the way to travel. I will share pictures next week.

We came home on Thursday and on Friday we left for an author’s festival in Suffolk Virginia. Wow, it was fun. Got to speak to the featured authors, who were all lovely, and to many aspiring authors as well. And of course I got to do my favorite thing: talk about my books.

Next week I go to Mechanicsburg for another author event. It is connected to the Mystery bookshop there but will be held in a local church. 9:30 – 2:00.