 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
First of May, 2004
Above, Amberjack checks out the cover of Slip Cue, coming in July from St. Martin's Minotaur. At left, catching up with Sacramento County Supervisor and mystery maven Illa Collin at the 2004 Malice Domestic traditional mystery fan convention. |
|
Left Coast Crime 2004
February 19-22
Monterey, CA
|
I'll sign anything--well, just about! Programs, souvenir tote bags, and of course books! I might draw the line at body parts, however. Above, I finally have the chance for a F2F with Monterey County Herald book reviewer Bob Walch at the end of my panel. As always, Mickey, thanks for the pix! |
Bouchercon 2003
October 16-19
Las Vegas
What the heck is a Bouchercon? Anthony Boucher (1911-1968), a book reviewer for the New York Times during the 1950s and 60s, was the first major reviewer to treat mysteries with respect. He considered the genre to have literary merit, beyond the mass market pulp fiction appeal. One of his last wishes was for a mystery fan convention similar to the "cons" so popular with science fiction fans. Today, Bouchercon is the largest gathering of mystery readers, authors, booksellers and publishers in the world. Let me tell you, after years of attending events like this as a fan and author wanna-be, it was a real thrill to parade around the halls of the Riviera Hotel in Vegas with a name badge with the big red dot indicating that I had joined the ranks of published authors. Is that cool or what?
|
Sharing First Time Tales with panelists, from left: Sam Hill, moi, Pari Noskin Taichert, M. G. Kincaid, Elaine Flinn and Jim Mitchell. |
Well, you gotta love Vegas! And you gotta love loyal friends like Mickey Nowicki, fellow Monterey writer, and my official entourage/helper/paparazzi during Bouchercon. Thanks, Mick! |
|
|
|
No sooner had I arrived back home from Bouchercon than duty called in the form of a speech on the writing and publishing process to the Central Coast Branch of the California Writers Club. A most pleasant duty at that: nice folks and yummy pizza!
Murder Off Mike finishes with a chase scene and unmasking of the villain through the streets of Old Sacramento during the city's famed Jazz Jubilee, so of course I had to make the scene. Memorial Day weekend 2003 was a true Cinderella experience for this first-time author. Thanks to everyone, especially dear and loyal friends, for making it so special!
That's me, about to ride in the Jubilee parade. Yes, that lei around my neck is real. No, I didn't just come back from Hawaii. I simply wanted something colorful and fun to wear.
A friend from way back in my newspaper days turned up for my signing at the Stage Nine store in Old Sacramento. Lyra Halprin was kind enough to bring the flowers while hubby Allen Jackson snapped photos, and both proved to be excellent shills. Thanks, guys!
Sharing the spotlight with Big Mama Sue at a Jubilee warm-up gig at Downtown Plaza was a definite thrill. Sue sang while I signed.
|
I couldn't have done any of this without helpers like Curtis Carroll, (left) Dave Kokus (center), and Allen Chamberlin. Curtis is an old KFBK radio pal who helped distribute my promotional fliers to the Jubilee crowd, and Dave is the owner of the classic '64 Cadillac convertible that served as my version of Cinderella's coach in the parade. As for Allen, what can I say? Overall loyal friend, hard worker, and just a wonderful, wonderful human being.
Practicing my wave as the parade begins. By the way, we're under the approach to the I Street Bridge, the exact scene in Murder Off Mike where Shauna J. says she feels as if she's gone from Disneyland's Main Street to the set of Blade Runner.
The Freeway Gardens concert site plays a role in MOM so it was only fitting that I spend some time there selling and signing books. The fellow in the background is obviously getting into the spirit of the moment!
The Doubleday bookstore in Downtown Plaza was kind enough to make Murder Off Mike one of their staff picks. Thank you, manager Melanie Een and staff member Patricia Muir-Riley. |
Speaking of helpers, thanks to the very cool David Waling for enthusiastically passing out promotional propoganda during my signing at the Freeway Gardens festival site. And did I mention the fabulous Barbara Evans, fellow graduate of the J-school at San Jose State, for donating the printing of said fliers?
I got the receptionist to snap my photo just after being interviewed by weatherdude Dewey Hopper on the KOVR-Channel 13 (CBS affiliate) noon news.
It was especially meaningful to go back to my old station, KFBK Newsradio 1530, and to be interviewed by afternoon news host Kitty O'Neil.
|
More Fun with Joyce
|
My official launch party Saturday afternoon, April 26, 2003, at the legendary Thunderbird Bookshop in Carmel featured the smooth piano stylings of Hugo Gerstl. . . high-power attorney by day, writer and lounge pianist by night. . . |
| Thorn among the roses? Last I checked, there were a handful of autographed copies left at the Thunderbird, so if you're on the Monterey Peninsula, hurry on in. My dear friends from Sacramento, Allen, Joe, David and Bill, not only made the long drive to Carmel, but they also schlepped these lovely roses. Aren't they special? (Friends and flowers!)Photos by David Waling |
|
My very first signing: Bookworks in Pacific Grove April 12, 2003. It rained like crazy, but a few folks still braved the storm. Thanks, guys!Photo by Claudia Ward |
Sniffing around for a good read?: Here's the obligatory author's cat picture. Amberjack is a male Abyssinian, around seven years old, and not a bit spoiled. Oh, sure . . .
|
Legends in our own minds: For a few minutes, there was an actual line of folks waiting to have me sign their copies of Murder Off Mike at the Valley Broadcast Legends meeting up in Sacramento on April 17. Talk about an ego rush! That's me with VL secretary Maxine Carlin and president Harry Warren.Photo by Lou Coppola |
And speaking of ego:Okay, it's not quite as bad as ordering vanity license plates, but I couldn't resist celebrating "going live" with this Web site by treating myself to a customized license plate frame. |
Road tripLong-time radio pal Maxine Carlin and I made the trip to the March 19 quarterly luncheon meeting of the San Francisco Legends of Broadcasting www.broadcastlegends.com. The program was a tribute to a true legend, KSFO's Don Sherwood, the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Disk Jockey." I credit Sherwood with being the one biggest influence for sparking my interest in radio. In fact, my whole life would have been different (and a lot less interesting) had my parents not tuned in the Sherwood show every morning. I was just a small child (just a babe in arms, honest!) when Sherwood was in his prime, and I didn't really understand any of his bits, but that was part of the charm. Listening to his show made me feel as if I had access to the forbidden world of grown-ups. And it damn sure made whole adolescent angst thing a little more bearable just knowing there was someone else out there who could rebel and get away with it. And you know what? If a talent as unique and unconventional as Don Sherwood were to come along today, corporate radio wouldn't have a clue as to what to do with him. Sad. . .
Oh, yeah: Maxine, besides being one-half of the Klod Sisters, is the incredibly talented gal who made me look good in the photo on my dust jacket. Way to go, Max!
Take Me Home
Take Me to the Top
