Love is Murder

Love Is Murder.

Have you ever considered attending a crime fiction conference or event? Did you know there are several amazing conferences where readers, authors and mystery fans gather every year? I love these weekend gatherings. Local law enforcement, private detectives, doctors and amateur sleuths spend three or four days talking about every aspect of murder from plotting to execution to cover up. The food is great. The company is even better and the authors are hilarious. Maybe this shouldn’t sound so exciting to me, but I have to admit, crime fiction lovers are my kind of people!

In February, I had the pleasure of attending the Love is Murder conference in Chicago. I took my husband as a “plus one” and we had a blast. I went to sign books and ended up buying far more than I sold. I read something new every night until I conked out in the big comfy bed I didn’t have to make the next day. A woman’s dream come true.

I made the most of my time away from home, taking selfies and collecting autographs from my favorite authors. I met smart, sassy librarians from around the country and made a few new private detective friends too. The event wasn’t a “writer’s conference” though there were certainly plenty of opportunities to learn about the craft. Instead, readers of mystery and crime fiction were the honored guests and treated as such. The conference coordinators did an amazing job bringing us all together. There were equal chances throughout the weekend for me to fangirl on Heather Grahmn and then participate on panels as well as sign post cards for my new release, Murder Comes Ashore.

I was shocked and honored to learn Murder by the Seaside was nominated for the conference’s Lovey Award. The awards were distributed during a ceremony and the authors are recognized for their work. It’s quite an honor to be nominated. It’s especially exciting to know I had a hand in voting for the winners.

As a bonus to attending and participating as a panelist and author, I met my Merit Press editor, Jacqueline Mitchard (a brilliant author who everyone adores), got the call from my agent that she sold another of my manuscripts AND met a Harlequin representative who let me know my cozy ebook series at Carina was selected for the Harlequin book club! Best. Weekend. EVER.

Love is Murder is one of many annual crime fiction conferences. Bouchercon moves from city to city each year. The East Coast Crime Bake happens in Massachusetts. Killer Nashville occurs every summer in Tennessee. Thrillerfest happens every July in New York City. I’m sure there are many more. If you’re thinking of attending an event like this, I hope you’ll look into it. It’s a weekend you won’t soon forget and you’re likely to make friends that last a lifetime. Hey, if you do register at one, let me know. Maybe we can meet!

Murder Comes Ashore

Patience Price is just settling into her new life as resident counselor on Chincoteague Island when things take a sudden turn for the worse. A collection of body parts have washed up on shore and suddenly nothing feels safe on the quaint island.

Patience instinctively turns to current crush and FBI special agent Sebastian for help, but former flame Adrian is also on the case, hoping that solving the grisly crime will land him a win in the upcoming mayoral election.

When the body count rises and Patience's parents are brought in as suspects, Patience is spurred to begin her own investigation. It's not long before she starts receiving terrifying threats from the killer, and though she's determined to clear her family's name, it seems the closer Patience gets to finding answers, the closer she comes to being the killer's next victim.

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