Congratulations!!!Three cheers for JRW's own Hank who was awarded the coveted Malice Domestic teapot this weekend for Best First Mystery. Hurray!!!
RO: This week is the equivalent of Oscars week in the mystery community. We couldn't be more thrilled for our own Hank who faced tough competition from Deanna Raybourn, Beth Groundwater, and Charles Finch but snagged the Agatha for Prime Time!
Malice Domestic has just wrapped up, Mary Alice Gorman's Festival of Mystery is tonight and by the time my driving buddy, Liz Zelvin, and I roll into New York it will be time for the Edgars.
Malice will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first mystery convention and they say you never forget your first. Typical New Yorker, I went to breakfast on Friday with my Ipod and a newspaper - which I never read or listened to because of the chatty Pari Noskin Taichert who was sitting next to me and must have thought I looked lonely so she decided to introduce me to Patsy from Remember the Alibi and a few other folks who stopped by to say hello and then moved on. If you haven't been, Malice is that kind of show - lots of friendly people, fun panels, and yes, there's the bar. No men in g-strings or chaps like the Romance show (uh, at least I didn't see any...Hank?) but maybe we can talk to the organizers about that for next year!
Malice will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first mystery convention and they say you never forget your first. Typical New Yorker, I went to breakfast on Friday with my Ipod and a newspaper - which I never read or listened to because of the chatty Pari Noskin Taichert who was sitting next to me and must have thought I looked lonely so she decided to introduce me to Patsy from Remember the Alibi and a few other folks who stopped by to say hello and then moved on. If you haven't been, Malice is that kind of show - lots of friendly people, fun panels, and yes, there's the bar. No men in g-strings or chaps like the Romance show (uh, at least I didn't see any...Hank?) but maybe we can talk to the organizers about that for next year!
HALLIE: Today I'm at the wonderful Mystery Lovers Bookshop's 13th! (a lucky number in the mystery world) annual Festival of Mystery. It's one of my all time favorite events ever, and Mary Alice Gorman and Richard Goldman are THE BEST FRIENDS of the mystery writing community.
My first mystery event was the big enchilada, Bouchercon in Denver back in...could it be 2001? I took a van to the hotel from the airport and shared it with two delightful librarians from Wisconsin. I still remember the huge red rolling suitcases they had--they told me it was filled with books they were going to get signed. I knew then that I'd died and gone to heaven.
My first mystery event was the big enchilada, Bouchercon in Denver back in...could it be 2001? I took a van to the hotel from the airport and shared it with two delightful librarians from Wisconsin. I still remember the huge red rolling suitcases they had--they told me it was filled with books they were going to get signed. I knew then that I'd died and gone to heaven.
ROBERTA: I am JUST back from Malice. I think my first appearance there was in 2000, before I was published. It's so much more fun now--full of meeting with old friends, making new ones, and Sisters in Crime business. We were so thrilled to see Hank accept her teapot for best first mystery!!! A perfect conclusion...
Ro: Jan...we MISSED you, Hallie, see you later and Hank....way to go!
Congratulations Hank!
ReplyDeleteThat's a heckuva win. Congrats, congrats and well done!
Wow, Hank!!!! Awesome!! The dress looks fab too.
ReplyDeletelove,b
We were all so proud! And by the way, the handsome guy is Hank's husband Jonathan. Sorry my photo cut half of the coveted teapot off, but I'm sure there will be more to come:).
ReplyDeleteRoberta
It's too early for tears, but here they come. I'm beyond ecstatic for you, Hank. All of your tremendous success is well-deserved. Thank you for bringing Charlie into my life. Your readers adore her almost as much as you. Here's to more recognition for you!!!
ReplyDeleteCogratulations Hank!!!
ReplyDeleteTheresa N
weceno@yahoo.com
Yay Hank!!!
ReplyDeleteToni
I was at the wonderful Mad Anthony Writers Conference without computer or working cell phone when Hank won, but the ripples of excitement were palpable as far as OHIO. I'm SO PLEASED for you, Hank -- HUZZAH, HUZZAH, and HUZZAH AGAIN for a smart, sassy writer with a great future in this nutty biz!! And I can say I knew you when...
ReplyDeleteHallie
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteAs of last night, I am delighted to have met all of you except Jan - which I hope will be remedied sometime soon.
Congrats, Hank - now you've won in both aisles!
It was great to meet Hallie and Rosemary last night at the Lucky 13th Annual Festival of Mystery - we sold a whole SUV full of books (that's my measure, because we took three full ones down yesterday morning, and at the end of the night, when we loaded the remaining books to take them back to the store, mine was empty!) and I think everyone had a great time.
Patty, Roberta and Hank - can't believe you guys are still on the road.
Have fun at the Edgars.
xo
Kathy Sweeney
Ah, yes. It's beyond amazing. It brings tears to my eyes, no matter what the fabulous and soon to be famous Amy says, to think about all that's happened in the last, what, three years?
ReplyDeleteSusannah C, now a pal and soulmate? I'd never heard tell of you three years ago.
Toni: a person whose name I'd only seen in bookstores...now we share panels and signings.
Theresa: the absolute proof that a book can change your entire life...
Becky--you had a wonderful book from an agent I coveted..now we're colleagues and agent-sisters.
Roberta: I could hardly imagine talking to you, you with the successful golf mysteries *I* had dreamed of writing--
and Hallie, my teacher and a star in the pantheon (can that be?) of top-notch writers. Now--both blog sisters, who I talk with on line every day. And am still learning from. (From whom I am still learning?)
And as for you, Kathy--the hilarious charmer who I just found out was...well, you have to read the Lipstick Chronicles to find out. But now we've been through the wars--I mena, the interviews and the signings and the conventions together, with many more to come.
Gosh. Thank you. Thank you thank you.
(more photos to come!)
No one deserves it more!
ReplyDeleteSo, Hank, can you actually make tea in that pot? Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteMo