I've been to every single Crime Bake, 15 and counting. The first was one day, held in a college lecture hall with maybe 100 attendees. The first Guest of Honor was the late great Jeremiah Healy and the Jungle Red Writers hadn't been invented.
This year we packed a suburban Hilton with about 300 attendees for three days. As usual, the conference sold out in a few weeks. Guest of Honor was William Kent Krueger. Hank and Lucy and I represented the Reds. Conference chairs were Sharon Daynard and Ray Daniel.
Highlight for me was Kent's Saturday keynote. He talked about being miserable at his day job and yearning to be a writer -- correction, not just any writer, yearning to be Ernest Hemingway. It wasn't until he gave up on that goal and settled for being his own writer that he found success. And what a formidable success it's been.
It was a message for all of us aspiring writers: Don't reach for someone else's stars, reach for your own.
Here's me and Kent in our plaids and caps. Lucy a reindeer and Hank a moose (Bullwinkle -- Jonathan, Hank's husband, came as Rocky.)
Of course we signed books. Hank signed a gazillion of her hot-off-the-presses SAY NO MORE.
My favorite thing is when someone brings me a copy of my mystery writing book to sign, and it looks like this:
Biggest challenge: The Wheel of Why. The nefarious Julie Hennrikus devised a diabolical challenge. Hank and I were on TEAM THRILLER. Competing against TEAM POLICE PROCEDURAL and TEAM COZY. Given two character names (Fred and Ginger), four clues (lizard, umbrella, and two I've conveniently forgotten), and a motive (lust), in three minutes we had to come up with a thriller plot.
Can I just say that for a challenge like that, you want Hank on your team. She had me at: "Fred and Ginger... not their real names..."
Join us next year, but register early or you'll be shut out!
Who else was there? Share your highlights.
And what are your favorite events to hang out with readers and writers?
This sounds like an amazing conference . . . thanks for sharing with us. Love the pictures!
ReplyDeleteIt was a blast, as always, and an intense bubble away from the "real" world - something many of us needed this weekend in particular (and are still having trouble coming back to). It's great to see everybody, meet folks who come from all over to join us, and learn about things like podcasting and canine searches.
ReplyDeleteIf I might offer a quick cross-post, the Wicked Cozy Authors today are thanking our mentors - and there are a couple of Jungle Red names in there! https://wickedcozyauthors.com/2016/11/16/wicked-wednesday-grateful-for-our-mentors/
Edith, going over to Wicked Cozy's right now to read...
ReplyDeleteI love love love the Crimebake, because the creativity just spills out everywhere. And it's small enough not to be overwhelming. For new writers, there are tons of opportunities to meet agents, and more experienced writers to show you the way.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Kent was fantastic. If you haven't started his Cork O'Connor series, put it on your TBR list pronto!
Crimebake is on my list of conferences I must attend at some point. Maybe next year is the year. When do they reveal the next Guest of Honor?
ReplyDeleteWe were shut out AGAIN. Hopefully next year. Sounds like everyone had a blast including bullwinkle
ReplyDeleteAline, even if it's waitlisted, next time register... a LOT of people get off the waitlist.
ReplyDeleteKristopher, next year's GOH is usually announced on Sunday of the conference. 2017 GOH is Lisa Gardner.
It was a wonderful Crime Bake indeed. As Edith says, perfect timing to gather with writer friends and immerse ourselves in murder and mayhem of the imaginary sort.
ReplyDeleteI have my own report up at Maine Crime Writers today, with some photos taken off FB of some of the Reds. Hop on over to see: http://mainecrimewriters.com/uncategorized/crime-bake-report
I really must get there one of these years. You all look like you're having sooo much fun!!!
ReplyDeleteI've seen the photos and it looks fabulous. If I only had the funds to go to every conference, every year...
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I love Lisa Gardner. I'm putting this on my calendar for next year.
ReplyDeleteI went to 2 Crime Bakes more than 10 years ago when it was a much smaller gathering. No banquet or dressing up in costumes, and certainly not 3 days in length. Looks like you all had so much fun! I will consider going to another Crime Bake in the future!
ReplyDeleteOh this sounds like fun and in driving distance. We were talking only last night about how much fun we had at Left Coast Crime. We won't make it to Hawaii, just too far, but Reno is a definite for 2018. And we're going to Bouchercon in Toronto in September.
ReplyDeleteCrime Bank is on the list for next year. Note to self: google this and register. Thank you, Hallie my love, for telling me about this.
Anyone else frantically proofing reading her own posts now for grammar, punctuation -- all that and a bag of chips? I'm terrified of the mistakes I have made and shall continue to make, and I ask you my sisters, and all the saints and angels, to forgive me.
I love Crime Bake and this was my 7th!! Although I don't write fiction, I find it fascinating to listen to writers reveal their thoughts and secrets...the "peek" behind the curtain so to speak. Add in the wonderful people and the (usuallly) great fall NE weather, well what could be better?
ReplyDeleteIt was so great to see Reds Hallie, Hank and Lucy at Crime Bake. Miss you all now that we're back in the real world.
ReplyDeleteBeing in AZ, I've only been to one New England Crime Bake (2010, I think), but I made friends there that I have kept to this day. Added bonus, I met Charlaine Harris, who was just lovely and when she asked me what I was working on and I listed my multiple series, she looked at me and in her sweet Southern drawl said, "Oh, honey, you need to calm down." LOL! It really is one of the best conferences for getting to meet people.
ReplyDeleteYou three are adorable in your antlers!! And isn't Kent Kreuger just the best?
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to Crimebake but I would love to go. Next year, however, I have a book due about that time...
I do love Left Coast, although I haven't been a regular. But these smaller conferences are so warm and welcoming and you do get a chance to make great friends.
Now heading over to Wicked Cozy!
Ohhh, sounds like so much fun. Next year - fingers, knees, toes, and eyes crossed. Oh, and I was known as Rocky forever! My best friend in grade school was named Bernadette. She was 5'9" in the fifth grade--guess who was nominated for Bullwinkle.
ReplyDeleteLOVE Crimebake--so many pals!
ReplyDeleteKAit, that's so funny...and yes, please come!
Jenn--calm down! I can just hear her saying that...
Edith, aw. Thank you!
And yes, Lisa Gardner. what a perfect choice. She's wonderful, and so talented, and hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing photos of the crime bake!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite events so far: Book Passage Writing Conference and Malice Domestic. It was so fun meeting authors at both events.
At Malice, I remember meeting a new author. she was so excited to show off her sign language :-) Turns out that she was a speech therapist then a journalist before writing her two series. I think she was a guest author on JRW a while ago. Kate Seeley Dyer / Ellie Alexaner. And I saw Ellen Byron, Cheryl Hollon and several other authors at the next table. I met Hank, who mentioned that there was a clue in her short story.
At BPMWC, I chatted with Rhys Bowen about Princess Alice of Battenberg. I chatted with Isabel Allende about languages. I chatted with Jacqueline Winspear about England.
Diana
Thanks for giving us a taste of the fun. Kent's talk sounds so interesting -- is there anywhere I could find either a transcript or a summary? Or even more about it?
ReplyDeleteCrimebake is a wonderful conference. Being West Coast based, I've only gone once, the year Sue Grafton was its keynote. I got to hang out with her a little bit because we'd met briefly at B'con a few weeks prior and she knew very few people at Crimebake. She actually asked to sit with me at the bar. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo Crimebake will always be special to me, even if I don't get to attend that often.
I enjoyed following the FB posts about Crimebake, especially you, Hallie, Lucy, and Hank. Your banquet attire was delightful, and I do believe that Hank and her husband won the best costume prize. As I watched the activities of some others on FB visiting around the area, it struck me that this was a gathering I'd really like to attend. I'm not sure when I will get to, but it's definitely on my list now.
ReplyDeleteNefarious? Moi? So grateful to you and Hank (and Sheila, Jane, Kent and Bruce) for being great sports. I love this conference. It has become a family reunion of sorts.
ReplyDeleteDiana, seconding your enthusiasm for Book Passage Mystery Writing Conference -- it's seriously focused on writing with terrific faculty like Cara Black and David Corbett. I think it's the first place I meet Rhys. I'll be going back this summer!
ReplyDeleteKathy Reel! PLEASE come to Crimebake! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI look forward to this convention all year, and every year I'm astounded by how fast it goes by.
ReplyDelete