Thoughts on Bouchercon.

RHYS BOWEN:  This year I did not go to Bouchercon.  In case you don't know, this is the world mystery convention, the biggest assembly of all things mystery. This year it felt too close to my trip to Europe in early September and already I'm regretting not going. I see the pictures of my friends having fun and I wish I could have been there.

I've been attending Bouchercons since 1998. That first time I knew two people. I was going to meet one of them for dinner when the other included me in a group that was chatting. They were going to dinner. "Are you coming?" one of the men asked. I told him I was meeting someone else. As I left my friend muttered, "I can't believe you turned down Jeffrey Deaver."  I was clueless at the time!

Since then I've become part of the mystery world and enjoyed every moment of it. I love hanging out with friends at these conventions, especially meeting up with the other Reds.  The last time we were all together was in Dallas in 2019.

All of our Jungle Red game shows have been a hoot. They are always the highlight of any convention.

Other fun memories are, of course, my event with Louise Penny and Debs, where we are billed as Conversation with Three Goddesses. That's pretty cool, isn't it? They put three chairs on the stage and we just sat and chatted, unscripted. It was amazing how easy it was and how everyone loved it. ( wish we could have coordinated our outfit choices!)

We repeated this several times at subsequent Bouchercons.

Other fond memories are the time I was part of an anthology called the THE MERRY BAND OF MURDERERS. We wrote or used a piece of music and the story to go with it. Fabulous cast of characters, and at Bouchercon we ended our panel with Val McDermid singing Long Black Veil, with me and two others as her back-up group. Let me say it brought the house down!

As well as meeting Reds and friends it is a time to meet up with fans. It's always exciting to see a big audience of excited people, and lovely to meet up with our Reds family as we did last year at the San Diego Bouchercon.

I don't have any really bad memories although some hotels have not bee the best. (remember Bouchercon in Las Vegas in a hotel about to be imploded. The only seating was in the casino, the bar was in a gent's clothing store and they had a receptacle for used needles in my hotel room) The only things that's weird for me is when I'm waiting in line for the ladies toilet and someone yells out, "Oh, there's Rhys Bowen." And all I want to do is pee!

So what are your happpiest (or scariest) convention memories? Who went to Bouchercon this year?

Bouchercon '15 and Reds in Raleigh

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: The other night I was watching a television show, and a woman was packing for a trip. Or, rather, her maid was doing the packing, carefully laying the woman's garments in lavender-scented tissue paper, before placing them in the (gorgeous) luggage.

That, ahem, is not how my suitcase gets packed.

Raleigh, NC

As Bouchercon 2015 in Raleigh, NC, approaches (yay!), I'm starting to think of packing. And after a few years of author travel, I think I have a better idea of what's needed. For example, for my first Bouchercon, I wore really pretty shoes. Did I mention they were pretty? Soooo pretty. And painful. Seriously painful. I actually lost a toenail from my insistence on pretty shoes in Albany.

So, lesson learned — comfy shoes. (Hank can get away with high heels, I'm still not sure how she does this, but witchery and sacrifices to Anna Wintour come to mind...)

I'm tired of figuring out what to pack, clothes-wise. So I've decided to embrace my New Yorker identity and wear only (well, mostly) black. It's great. Everything matches! 

And this year — workout clothes. Yes, after four rounds of pneumonia, I'm taking my health seriously. So yoga pants and sneakers, for sure.

I'll also be multitasking — just got the edits of Maggie Hope, #6, THE QUEEN'S CONSPIRATOR, and they're due in early November. So I'm bringing the laptop and notes. Maybe I can get some work done in the early morning? We'll see....

Reds, what have you learned to pack — or not to pack — after years on the road? And who will be at Bouchercon this year? What panels will you be on? Where can folks find you to say hi?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Oh, the tyranny of the shoes!  Yes, how did you know about the sacrificial offerings (burning  issues of Harpers and other competitors of Anna) ?

Anyway, yes, actually I am so used to heels after all these years that I can get away with it longer than usual..but I have to admit I always carry little fold-up flats with me, so if I have to walk long distances, I just change shoes.

(I keep saying to myself: NO ONE CARES.)

I use tissue paper to pack and I really believe in it. I pack my carry-on suitcase, and what I can fit in there goes, and what doesn't, doesn't.  

Yes, Susan, we will be twins in black. And I am also planning to hide a bit, I must say, I have SO much to do. And I am thinking that everyone will think (if they care!) that I am somewhere else.  

My panels are amazing! I am moderating Koryta, Housewright, Gaylin and Lawrence Block on Saturday AM, and then at the librarians tea, I am moderating  Slaughter, John Hart, Maron and Reichs. SO I have a LOT of prep work to do!

And TRUTH BE TOLD is up for an Anthony!

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Congratulations on your nomination, Hank! We're all rooting for you!

LUCY BURDETTE: Oh boo-hoo, I'm not headed to Bouchercon this time. I will miss schmoozing with the Reds and many other friends. I don't wear high heels anymore either. Can't do it with my chronic plantar fasciitis. And I am big on black mix and match too, though not tissue paper LOL. Totally agree Hank, if it doesn't fit into the carry-on and my small backpack, it doesn't go. Good luck ladies and have a wonderful time!

RHYS BOWEN: I've become quite good at packing, after years of bringing the wrong things... like going to New York wearing pastels and feeling like a creature from another planet. But I don't wear black unless I really have to (editor and marketing meeting in NY) because with my Celtic skintone I look like a zombie in black. And high heels? Never. Can't do it. Am amazed and totally impressed by Hank and her four inch heels. The most I manage is a neat little two inch wedge on comfortable sandals. Or boots. I have boots with a nifty little heel but I figure Raleigh is too warm for boots. 

I do know how to pack really lightly with just a carry on and one basic color and scarves and jewelry to change up the look. However this time I am travelling with my dear husband who always takes enough to accompany Marco Polo. And he never wears half of it. So I'll be fuming by the luggage carousel waiting for his suitcase.

My panels? Not so much. A strange one on protagonists and antagonists... what do I know about antagonists? And one of cozy mysteries being comfort reads. I really miss my Jungle Red game show! Next year in New Orleans or Malice???

DEBORAH CROMBIE: No heels here, either, but I've found some great flats from Clark's and I swear I'm going to buy them in all four color options! And, yes, I'm going to Raleigh! But not packed. I always have such good intentions... Although I have made a list of all my activities to help me figure out what to take. We'll see how well that works... Hank, tissue paper, really? I just roll stuff, and try not to pack things that wrinkle.

Really looking forward to see those REDS who can make it, but the schedule is bonkers. We need some kind of a plan. And, Rhys, yes, miss our JRW game show panel!

HALLIE EPHRON: I am so sorry to be missing Bouchercon, too. Cheering from the sidelines!

I'm just back from a weekend giving a writing workshop for the Heart of Denver Romance Writers (waving!) and it took me 30 seconds to unpack, as I've learned to bring less and less... 1 pair of walking shoes and 1 pair of presenting shoes (flat), black dress, black skirt, yoga pants and a t-shirt, and something to travel in (pants and a top). And that's it. The underwear takes up more room than the clothes. I keep travel cosmetics packed.

I just applied to TSA for pre-check, which will speed my travel even further.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I have the same standards lots of you do - two pairs of shoes, one flat and comfy, one low-heeled and comfy (ish.) I layer and roll my clothes in the rollerboard and I never check (unless it's at the gate.) Like Rhys, I'm a big believer in accessories (scarves and high-impact necklaces) to dress up simple outfits. 

I don't usually do all-black; also of Anglo-celtic descent, too much around my face makes me look like I've been improperly embalmed. Instead, my clothing secret it to take two or three colors that mix and match: Brown, beige and red, say, or Black, white and gray.
  
Another thing I've been doing for the past few years is Rent The Runway! I love this service for events where I have a big dress-up night: the Edgars, the Agatha Awards, a high-value cocktail party. They have designer dresses in every size from 0 to 22, and jewelry and clutches and wraps. You get two sizes of the dress you want with your rental (the back-up size is free) and shipping both ways is included.

I have the dress (and maybe fancy earrings or a necklace) delivered straight to my hotel. I wear it, I get compliments, then I stuff it into the included UPS bag and drop it at the desk to be mailed on my way out the door. Such a stress-free way to look fabulous. No tissue paper needed!

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Lovely readers, do you pack with tissue-paper or are you more of a throw-stuff-in-the-bag-at-the-last-minute traveler? And will we see you at Bouchercon? I'll be on the panel Political Espionage Thrillers: Pre- and Post-Edward Snowden on Thursday, October 8th, at 2:30 p.m. and would love to see you there!

Please tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Malice Memories--what's yours?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Today, a guest star! Shawn Reilly Simmons is the knower of all knowledge, the organizer extraordinaire (along with the other brilliant devoted and  
legendary Malice Board members...) of Malice Domestic. Heard of it? Never heard of it? That's why we welcome Shawn today!


Shawn Reilly Simmons: Two things happen every spring in the Washington DC area: the national cherry blossoms begin to bloom...



... and Malice Domestic gets underway. Both are time honored, highly anticipated events and both remind us that spring has sprung.

This year is Malice Domestic’s 25^th year and we’ve become a bit nostalgic while planning our Silver Anniversary. It’s amazing to think that 25 years ago less than 100 mystery fans and authors gathered together for the first Malice and honored Barbara Mertz, Robert Barnard, and Agatha Christie in spirit. 

Today we have upwards of 600 attendees who travel from all over the country and far parts of the world to honor the Traditional Mystery in the very same way.

In looking back and to honor this special year, we decided to publish a book complete with essays and memories from fans and authors entitled Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea…An Entertaining History of Malice Domestic. It is being published by Wildside Press and copies are available for pre-order on our site and will be for sale at Malice. It’s been a huge project with so many contributions and fun memories from our fans and authors. We are so excited to have this piece of history available for everyone to enjoy. Some of the memories that our attendees provided were funny, some insightful and some moving.

Malice Domestic is often referred to as a family reunion. The Malice Board really feels that way too and we always have our attendees in mind as we plan the events, assign the panels and select the menus. We meet once a month all year long at the hotel to plan that one long weekend in the spring, a weekend we hope is an exciting and interesting immersion into the traditional mystery genre. We want our attendees to rub elbows with their favorite authors, see old friends and make new ones along the way.

As with any family, we’ve lost some loved ones along the way. Authors, Fans, Supporters, Friends and Board Members. We miss them terribly but it is a comfort for us to come together and see our friends every year and be able to remember them together. Having a special anniversary does tend to remind us of those who we’ve lost but who are with us in spirit as we carry on with our love of Malice.

But it’s not all fond memories and familiar faces. Every year roughly 25% of our attendees are first timers, which we always find so exciting. We regularly have new attendees join us to see a specific author or attend a specific event and then they end up registering onsite for the following year after they have a great experience the first go round.

We are very grateful to be turning 25. We would not be marking this milestone if it weren’t for the support from the traditional mystery community, our authors and fans. Malice is primarily a fan convention. We don’t offer programming on how to write or how to meet an agent, or how to get published (these are very important topics that other conventions cover extremely well). 
Our focus is our love of the authors and their books and the traditional mystery genre modeled after the work of Agatha Christie.

So we’ve asked this question a lot this year: What is your favorite Malice Memory?

I’ll tell you mine (briefly). I was sitting in a panel and Anne Murphy, one of the Faithful Few (those who have attended every Malice since that first one in 1989), and our intrepid Volunteer Chair, turned around and noticed the name on my badge: Shawn Reilly. This was my first Malice 10 years ago and it was all a bit overwhelming, in a great and fun way. She said to me “Reilly! That’s my maiden name! And you spell it correctly….Are you having a nice time and would you like to volunteer next year?”

And the rest, as they say, is history.

To learn more about Malice Domestic, to register or order a copy of Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea… please visit: MaliceDomestic.org

Thanks!

HANK: I'll be there!And Lucy and Rhys..and Julia?  And Hallie? Who else?? And what's your favorite Malice memory?