Monday, October 16, 2017

BOUCHERCON 2017 - Passport to Murder

Two years of anticipation and it’s over in a flash!

Pam and I registered back in 2015 and were confident we’d be published authors by the time the conference rolled around. We were excited to be attending a book conference of this calibre and weren’t disappointed. We also determined that we'd have the first draft of the sequel to "The Silk Shroud" done before Bouchercon and that's also been accomplished.

About 700 authors and nearly twice as many readers, aspiring, and nearly-published writers were in attendance. The Sheraton Hotel on Queen St in Toronto provided comfortable accommodations and all the space required to showcase so many participants. We won’t mention the day we had two fire alarms, shhhh! 

The view from our 34th floor room provided a vista of downtown Toronto, and beyond, that I haven’t seen in a while.





















Authors and books and panels, oh my! 
The bookseller’s room held thousands of books for sale. What a great opportunity to pick up books and then have them signed by the author!





As debut authors Pam and I were invited to participate in the Debut Author’s Breakfast held Friday morning, along with about three dozen new authors. It was a fun event as we each had a turn to sell our work within just a minute or two. This is when having a writing partner is invaluable for moral support!
Pam, Liz, Lynn McPherson, Jennifer Soosar

We connected with two other Black Opal Books authors – Lynn McPherson and Jennifer Soosar – who have their debut works published this year as well.


We also took turns promoting Crime Writers of Canada on Saturday, when CWC hosted the hospitality suite. A terrific opportunity to meet fans and other writers.
As well the conference provided the opportunity to reconnect with friends we haven’t seen for a while.

Panels were interesting, informative and fun, but my favourite was the intimate chat between Louise Penny, Rhys Bowen and Deborah Crombie. The ballroom may have been standing room only, but yet the three authors obviously share a friendship and ease with each other which made the attendees feel as if we had joined them for a personal visit.

Rhys Bowen, Louise Penny, Deborah Crombie

Standing room only to listen to the three ladies, but Gloria Ferris and Kay Kendall managed to find two of the best seats in the house!


I was so pleased to be able to hear from the likes of Peter Robinson, Ann Cleeves, and Kathy Reichs to name a few. And so many wonderful, and successful, Canadian authors. If I start naming, I’m afraid I will leave some out! Among them Linwood Barclay, Vicki Delaney, Melodie Campbell and so many more!


Pam with Linwood Barclay


Our Genre5 group have come away with memories, tips and advice. For a while, Genre5 turned into the Magnificent7, when we hooked up with good friends Kay Kendall and Lorie Lee Steiner. I never managed to get a photo with all of us. Lorie is missing from this one.
Donna Houghton, Gloria Ferris, Kay Kendall, Pam, Liz, Donna Warner


I came home tired, but energized, with a new focus on writing. But my writing partner, Pam, left the conference and then headed to Edinburgh, Scotland! I hope she was able to catch some sleep on the flight. She’ll be out of the country until early November, and I have to return to the corporate work world tomorrow.

But on Thursday Oct 19, I’ll be joining  Donna Warner, Gloria Ferris, Alison Bruce and Cheryl Cowtan for our workshop “Conjuring Up a Work of Fiction” at the Elora Public Library. Sure to be another good time!

Kudos and much appreciation to Bouchercon Co-Chairs Helen Nelson and Janet Costello. You and your team provided a memorable event.

And now I think I have a book or two to read.

Cheers!

Liz

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