My First RavenCon...

I had the pleasure of presenting "Adding Mystery to Your Writing" with Mary Miley this weekend at RavenCon in Richmond, VA.

This was my first Con. I enjoyed talking to a variety of people about their writing and reading interests. And the vendors had anything you could imagine from the fantasy, science fiction, and horror worlds.

#PoeGirl, Kris Mehigan, did a panel on the Raven Society at the University of Virginia and the Poe Toaster. And afterwards Chris Semtner, from the Poe Museum in Richmond, joined the conversation.

Sadly, I didn't have more time to attend the Klingon party or the costumed event on Saturday evening. It was a lot of fun, and many thanks to the fans who welcomed a group of mystery writers to their event.

SinC Author Tina Glassneck

I'm with Karen McCullough and Kris Mehigan.

What's on Your Playlist? Murderous Songs for Mystery Writers

I love Train's "50 Ways to Say Goodbye." It's great for mystery writers. It's full of lots of ideas for bumping off characters.

So here's a playlist of other songs with murderous lyrics if you need inspiration for writing your next mystery:

• Dixie Chicks - "Goodbye, Earl"
• Bob Marley - "I Shot the Sheriff"
• Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody"
• Foster the People - "Pumped up Kicks"
• R. Dean Taylor - "Indiana Wants Me"
• Johnny Cash - "The Long, Black Veil"
• Kenny Rogers - "Coward of the County"
• Bobby Darrin - "Mack the Knife"
• Georgie Fame "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde"
• Jim Croce - "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
• The Police - "Murder by Numbers"
• Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer"
• The Beatles - "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
• Garth Brooks - "Papa Loved Mama"

Maggie King's MURDER AT THE BOOK GROUP

Maggie King's Murder at the Book Group isn't your sweet, cozy. Her debut novel, set in and around Richmond, Virginia is made up of a quirky group of book lovers. When one of the organizers dies at a meeting at her home, members of the group start looking at each other and pointing fingers. And that's when the gloves come off and the secrets come out. What appears to be a middle-aged tea-and-book-loving group turns into political rifts and sexcapades. No one's tawdry secrets are safe.

Her protagonist, romance writer, Hazel Rose, works with her cousin Lucy and a former police detective to put all of the pieces together and uncover the murderer.

I love the tagline on the cover, "Someone's about to turn the last page."

Check out Maggie's new novel. I look forward to seeing where her characters go in the next novel.

l-r: Maggie King, Fiona Quinn, Rosemary Shomaker, Jayne Omereod, and Heather Weidner at the MURDER AT THE BOOK GROUP launch party.

More Book Events. . .

I had the pleasure of being a part of the Virginia is for Mysteries panel at the Poe Birthday Bash and the Poe Museum on January 17. It's located in the Old Stone House in Richmond, Virginia. We enjoyed talking with mystery and Poe fans. And the Embalmers were on stage after us. We enjoyed signing books to their retro 60s surf sounds.

I also had fun signing Virginia is for Mysteries at Barnes and Noble Short Pump with the Lethal Ladies of Sisters in Crime Central Virginia. Maggie King signed her debut novel, Murder at the Book Group. Mary Miley signed The Impersonator and Silent Murders from her 1920s series set in Hollywood. And Ellery Adams signed books from her Book Retreat Mysteries and her Books by the Bay series.

What I've Been Reading Lately

My sister gave me a subscription to Oyster for Christmas. I'm having so much fun. It's like my own personal library.

This week, I've read Writes of Passage, edited by Hank Phillipi Ryan. This is great for writers. It helps to know that others have the same problems and fears.

I also read Susan McBride's To Helen Back. This is a cozy series that she writes about seniors in a small Illinois town. Here character has Miss Marple qualities. This is a fun, quick read. I like McBride's Deb series best.

I hope you're snuggled up with a good book this week! Happy reading.

Suffolk Mystery Authors' Festival - Nov. 8

Join the Virginia is for Mysteries authors at the workshops at the Suffolk Mystery Authors' Festival on Saturday, November 8 from 11-7 at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. I'm doing a workshop on the History of the Mystery with Teresa Inge and Maggie King.