It never ceases to amaze me that so many mystery authors seem to be on a level playing field.
Stephen J. Cannell
By that I mean that no matter their level of success, most authors are approachable both to fans, other writers and, yes, even a few critics. Meet one author and he or she is sure to introduce you to another, whose books you’ll also enjoy.
Regardless of whether an author’s novels are always on the best-sellers lists or the writer is just starting out; the mystery genre seems to have some of the nicest people. Oh, sure, there are a few, rare exceptions. (And we all know who they are!)
Of course, I don’t know what the authors say behind our backs, but their attitude usually seems genuine.
It was brought home to me again during a recent interview with producer, screenwriter and author Stephen J. Cannell.
Cannell has been responsible for many of TV’s most iconic series, including The Rockford Files, The A-Team, Baretta, The Commish, 21 Jump Street and Adam-12. His latest novel is The Pallbearers.
I was only supposed to have a half-hour telephone interview with Cannell, due to his busy schedule. We ended up talking for nearly an hour and never once did I get a hint that he needed to go or was tired of the questions.
He was a pleasure to talk with and a fountain of information.
I am sure that Cannell will bring the same nice-guy attitude when he is one of the guests of honors during this year’s Sleuthfest, the annual writers’ conference sponsored by the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. The fun and games begin Feb. 26-28 at the Deerfield Beach Hilton in Deerfield Beach, Florida. That’s a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, for those of you unfamiliar with South Florida.
As in the past couple of years, Sleuthfest will feature two guests of honor: David Morrell on Friday and Stephen J. Cannell on Saturday. Morrell has written more than 25 thrillers and numerous nonfiction books, starting with his 1972 novel First Blood. Many know the film version – a little flick called Rambo with Sylvester Stallone.
Sleuthfest is one of the best conferences and one of the few devoted to writers instead of fans. If you’re interested in writing, this is the conference to attend.
In addition to Morrell and Cannell, Sleuthfest also brings in many published authors from across the country to discuss writing techniques and agents and editors to discuss publishing.
Mystery authors scheduled to be at Sleuthfest include James W. Hall, Charles Todd, Peter Robinson, Paul Levine, William Dietrich, James Grippando, P.J. Parrish, Barry Eisler, Lisa Black, Elaine Viets, James O. Born, Neil Plakcy, Les Standiford, Christine Kling, Jonothon King, Jeremiah Healy. Samdra Balzo and Joanna Campbell.
And, yes, there are more but I just ran out of space!
Sleuthfest registration, which includes some meals, is $235 for members; $255 for nonmembers. There are still openings, so come on down.
As an incentive, the weather is darned nice!
Contact Linda Hengerer at SleuthFestLinda@gmail.com or verowriter@gmail.com. The Web site is www.sleuthfest.com.
HOLIDAY ISSUE #107
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008Hi everyone,
Once again we’ve searched high and low for items for the annual Mystery Scene Gift Guide. In fact, Kevin Burton Smith found so many great gifts that we couldn’t fit them all in. You’ll see a couple of ideas on this page and there will be even more on our blog in the coming weeks. Feel free to post suggestions! And we’d love to hear your thoughts on the first ever color section in Mystery Scene.
Left: Dust jackets are at the intersection of the literary and visual arts and Diane Plumley’s engaging jewelry proclaims your love of both. Prices range from $10.00-18.00 for pins, necklaces, earrings, and tie tacks. Visit picture-perfect-designs.com to see more offerings.
Reading the financial news these days is more horrifying than anything Stephen King ever dreamed up. Don’t you wish that someone as competent as John Putnam Thatcher of the Sloan Guaranty Trust were in charge? Jim Huang is a long-time fan of Thatcher’s creator, Emma Lathen, and in his timely article, “Right on the Money,” makes a convincing case that you should be, too.
As the hometown of our next president, Chicago is also in the news. Sean Chercover gives a rousing tour of “the ultimate insider town” in his well-reviewed sophomore effort, Trigger City. In this issue, he talks to Oline Cogdill about writing, politics, and his ongoing love affair with the Windy City.
After you read the news, you’ll need some cheering up. May we recommend Donna Andrews? Her funny, sweet-tempered mysteries are just the thing to get you back on the sunny side of the street.
It’s not only criminals who are crafty these days. “The Arts & Crafts of Crime” takes a look at a variety of sleuths who interrupt their knitting, pot-throwing, doll-making, home-canning, and quilting to catch bad guys.
Brian’s hands-down favorite article this issue is “Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered,” Scott Ratner’s look at puzzle mystery films from the 1930s. Also in this issue, we’ll look at the intriguing Baroness Orczy of Scarlet Pimpernel fame, check in on Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan who is crossing boundaries yet again, and find out what happened to Erle Stanley Gardner’s missing “Fiction Factory.”
This coming March, Brian and I will be travelling to Left Coast Crime, our first ever trip to this conference as well as to Hawaii. (Hmm, coincidence? I think not.) Mystery Scene is sponsoring a “Meet the New Authors” Breakfast and a “History of Mystery” lecture showcasing fantastic art from the Mystery Scene archives. Hope to see some of you there!
Best wishes from all of us for a happy, healthy, and highly entertaining New Year.
Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief
Posted in Announcements, Commentary, David Morrell, Donna Andrews, Emma Lathen, Erle Stanley Gardner, Gift Guide, Laura Lippman, Scarlet Pimpernel, Sean Chercover | 1,079 Comments »