Category Archives: conferences

Malice Domestic

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Malice is one of my favorite conferences. This year was no exception. I had a great time in the Malice Go Round. Twenty tables, eight people and two minutes at each table to describe my books. )No pictures from that. A participant barely has time to breathe.) A shout out to my wonderful tablemate – Jacqueline Bouldin.

I also moderated a panel on the importance of setting. ( am on a Saturday morning, ugh.) But quite a few brave souls attended.

My wonderful panel consisted of Heather Weidner,, Cathi Stoler, Judy Murray and Paula Charles.

Since these are all funny ladies, we had a great time.

We all signed afterwards. Very pleased to see several people from the panel audience and from Malice Go Round turn up and ask me to sign some books.

I also attended the panels for all the nominees. I have not read everything – but I will.

I have already signed up for next year!

Giveaways and More

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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

Murderous March

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On March 8, the Mavens of Mayhem will host Murderous March, a conference for both readers and writers.

I will be on the first panel on Saturday: Creating the Reluctant sleuth, with several other authors.

Panel 1
Panel 2 – Female PIs
Finding an agent of a publisher -query letters and your pitch.
Impact of setting
The title says it all.

Registration information will come out soon. Typically, the Mavens also schedule Master classes that pinpoint a particular writing issue, taught by a well-known author or expert. More about the Master classes in a few weeks.

Notes from Bouchercon

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As Bouchercon 2023 winds down, I wanted to mention some highlights.

We were met by the Book Room where we were allowed to select FREE BOOKS! I chose an Arc by Jason Pinter as well as some titles by new authors. I will have a lot of reading ahead since I bought quite a few books and I always try to read books by all of the authors I’ve met, seen on panels, and sometimes only heard about. Whew!

There were so many special moments, some of which I will address in future posts. West interviews with Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera series and its spin off Shetland, with Jimmy Perez; Jacqueline Winspear, author of the Maisie Dobbs series, and C.J. Box, author of the Joe Pickett series as well as many stand alone. My husband was beyond excited to meet and have Box’s new book signed.

So very happy to begin attending in-person events once again. I am already looking forward to Bouchercon 2024 in Nashville.

Bouchercon 2023

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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 2022

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I urge everyone to attend Malice Domestic. It is not just for writers but for fans as well. Here, fans can meet their favorite authors and have their books signed.

A wonderful feature of Malice is the panels.I did not the pictures of all the panels I attended; I thought of it too late. But I do have a few.

The above is from The role of Cozies in a non Cosy World. Delightful!

One of the panels, on the Role of Identity in your characters, sourced quite dry. But it turned out to be fascinating.

Malice 2023 will be held in late April in North Bethesda, Maryland.

Currently Reading – April 17

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Although I spent this past weekend in North Bethesda, MD for Malice Domestic, I still managed to read two books. The first was Ninja’s Blade by Tori Eldridge, the second in her Lily Wong series. The second was a book I bought at Malice. Murder in First Position, by Lori Robbins, features a ballerina as the main protagonist/detective.

Ninja’s Blade is even more exciting than Ninja’s Daughter.

Lily Wong is hired to find a young woman, Emma, who was rescued from the streets and prostitution. While Lily is searching, she becomes aware of the trafficking of minors. Dolla is a recruiter for Manolo, a really terrifying pimp. Lily struggles to find out what she needs to know and finally goes undercover as a streetwalker to rescue the girls. Exciting and gritty. Highly recommended but Not for the faint of heart.

The second mystery was Murder in First Position.

Leah Siderova is coming back from a serious knee injury. She is in competition for a lead role but when her rival is found stabbed with a pair of scissors, she goes from ballerina to murder suspect. Former friends and fellow dancers treat her like a pariah. When the police are poised to arrest her, Leah goes on the run. She finds new friends in a band of ladies on their way to Atlantic City. Leah’s sister plays decoy and in a final scene at the theater the murderer is finally revealed.

What an interesting, albeit disheartening, view of the ballet world. Rivalry, backstabbing, out and out cruelty. And the ballerina’s struggles to stay at ninety pounds certainly put my diet struggles in perspective. Recommended.

Malice Domestic 2022

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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.

Malice Domestic 2022

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I am happy and excited to announce Malice Domestic 2022. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, this will be an in-person conference.

I will be moderating a panel on Historical mysteries, naturally, on Friday, April 22. My panel consists to Frances McNamara (the Emily Cabot mysteries) Death on the Homefront; Julie Bates – The Innocent’s Cry, Marlie Wasserman – The Murderess must Die, and finally R.J. Koreto – Death at the Emerald.

The honored guests are Rhys Bowen and Julia Spencer-Fleming. Lifetime Achievement Awards will be given to Ellen Hart and Walter Mosley.

I am so looking forward to this.

March 5 Two conferences

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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.