In my mind I'm going to Carolina

ROSEMARY: Actually, I'm not just going in my mind, I'm going in an American Airlines big old plane - don't ask what kind, I never know - and I'm going with Stefanie Pintoff and Jane Cleland. We are embarking on Molly Weston's 2011 Ladies on the Lam Tour.

And Molly, who one day will officially be anointed the patron saint of mystery writers, does an amazing job keeping our dance cards full with appearances at libraries, bookstores, cultural centers and women's groups with the occasional side trip to Replacements (more on that tomorrow for the china and tea set lovers) and the wonderful daylily farm that she and her husband own. This year we'll also be visiting the exclusive Carolina Club.

Last year I was lucky enough to be a part of Molly's Unarmed But Dangerous tour with Elaine Viets, Donna Andrews and Meredith Cole. Roberta mentioned that it's good to tour with other people and I've been very fortunate to have toured with some of the most generous, most fun people in the mystery community.

BTW there really is a James Taylor Bridge in North Carolina and apparently the sign keeps getting stolen.

Ladies on the Lam will be an opportunity to speak to hundreds of readers (always good) but even more important it will be an opportunity to bond with other writers, drink sweet tea, eat fried okra and pimento cheese (I'm still not sure what's in it) and talk books. For three years it's been one of the highlights of my book tour - last year's dinner at Margaret Maron's will be hard to top but I know Molly will try!

What have your most memorable tour experiences been? And who would be on your fantasy tour?

My Life With Edgar

ROSEMARY: Today we're visiting with Stefanie Pintoff, whose extraordinary debut novel In The Shadow of Gotham won the Edgar for Best First Novel 2010. Stefanie shares some thoughts on how things have changed - and how they've stayed the same - since winning the mystery community's most prestigious award. STEFANIE: It was a year ago this month that Mystery Writers of America awarded my debut mystery In the Shadow of Gotham an Edgar® Award for Best First Novel. I never expected Edgar himself – a ceramic painted bust of Edgar Allan Poe – to come home with me. But today Edgar sits on the third shelf of my living room bookcase with my name emblazoned on his gold plate. My subsequent books describe me as an “Edgar® award-winning author.” And Edgars night remains the most thrilling moment of my still-in-its-early-stages career. Now that it’s a year later? Sometimes it still doesn’t feel real – but yes, it’s affected my career in ways that are significant. Some call the Edgar the “Oscar” of the mystery awards field. And it began to affect my career the moment my name was announced as a nominee. You see, many bookstores, libraries, and websites feature each year’s nominee books. Avid mystery readers will make a point of trying each and every book nominated. So the nomination alone was a huge attention-getter for my book. My sales went up, as people – both ordinary readers and reviewers – decided to give my writing a chance. The win itself attracted similar attention that otherwise would never have come my way – not to mention establishing additional credibility for me as a writer as I move into future projects. But in other ways, nothing has changed. I like the way I’ve heard fellow Edgar®-winner S.J. Rozan talk in Zen-like terms about the experience of winning an Edgar. Before Edgar: chop wood, carry water. After Edgar: chop wood, carry water. She’s right. The work is the same. The standards are the same. The frame of mind should be the same. Award or no award. Edgar stares at me every day as I write. He reminds me of those who have encouraged my writing efforts in the past – and those who continue to do so. Keep improving. Make each scene, each page, each book better than the last. I’m well aware that some of my favorite authors also launched their careers with a best first Edgar® and went on to have amazing success – Michael Connelly, Steve Hamilton, Laurie King, David Liss, and Jonathan Kellerman among them. But if these past first-novel winners impress us today, it’s not because of that award. It’s because of the way they continued to write, to improve, to get better with each effort. After all, you're only as good as your last book – Edgar or not. Best of luck to all 2011 nominees! Stefanie's new book is Secret of the White Rose and it is just as compelling as her Edgar-winning debut novel. Visit her at http://www.stefaniepintoff.com/author.php