I am so excited to be attending
Bouchercon 2017 (the World Mystery Convention) in Toronto in just a few days! I will be speaking on a panel about young writers on Saturday, October 14th. So, for any of you mystery fans who might be attending, feel free to stop by and listen to us discuss the way being millennials impacts our work. What a strange generation we are!
I will also be signing books after the panel. Please don't be shy to say hello if you see me! In case you are wondering what I even look like, I have extremely long hair that is currently reddish-brown. Here I am enjoying the shockingly hot autumn weather in an apple orchard this past weekend:
It pains me to take a few days off writing, because I am enjoying working on something really special, but it will be totally worth it to get out and meet some readers and fellow authors! In fact some authors I truly admire will be at the convention this week, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to stalk-- er, meet them and listen to them speak on panels.
The unique thing for me about
Bouchercon 2017: Passport to Murder compared to the other events I've attended, is that it will be in my city! It's easy to get into conference mode when I travel on a plane for hours and stay at a hotel in a strange city, but I won't even have to leave my house for this one. I usually wake up every day and go to work in my pajamas, so it will be an adjustment to have to put on real clothes and drive to downtown Toronto in brutal rush hour traffic, like all the other poor commuters.
Since being able to choose my own hours, I almost only drive downtown around 3-4 AM when the roads are clear. I am not looking forward to experiencing the misery of daytime Toronto traffic and baking in the sun in my car, but there are also advantages to being at home. Instead of being limited to the very few items packed into my carry-on suitcase, I have a full walk-in closet of outfits to choose from, and dozens of shoes! =) It will also be nice to sleep in my own bed, with my kitten curled up beside me. He doesn't like planes.
I hope that all the other readers and writers attending will get a chance to enjoy my beautiful city. Although it might not sound like it, I do love Toronto and I am very proud to call it home. The weather should be beautiful this week, and I am expecting it to be a wonderful experience!
Except for the traffic, of course.
