A couple of weeks ago I was informed by one of the wonderful volunteers running Bouchercon that I had been given a slot in their 20 on the 20 Spotlight Sessions. For those of you who might not know, Bouchercon is a world mystery convention, held in a different city every year, where writers, readers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers and, especially, fans of crime and mystery fiction come together for almost a week of panels, classes, book signings and programs.
I’ve been looking forward to attending Bouchercon this year, excited that it’s being held in Toronto, which is right in Buffalo’s backyard. Last I heard, there were over 1,700 people expected to show up this year. Am I nervous about attending? Yes! As a brand new author whose book doesn’t come out until February, I know that I still have a lot to learn about writing and the publishing business. Thankfully, one look at the program they posted online assured me that almost every topic I have questions about are covered. Want to know about Urban Noir? There’s a panel for that! How about Heroes and Anti-Heroes? There’s a panel for that! And now, if you happen to be attending Bouchercon, you can come and listen to me talk about my experiences on the Bike Path Killer Task Force on Thursday, October 12, from 4:40-500 P.M. in the VIP room at the Toronto Sheridan.
Am I nervous about speaking at Bouchercon? Of course. The roster of attending authors reads like a who’s who of the mystery writing world, so I am also humbled and honored. As much as I am an author, I am also a fan of so many of these writers. Hopefully, I can absorb inspiration by just being in the same space as them.
Talking about my real life experiences as a cold case detective and how it affects my writing should be easy for me. And if it’s not, I’ll just go over to Write What You Know on Friday morning. There’s a panel for that!