2020

LEFT COAST CRIME

Coming up fast, on March 28-31 - Left Coast Crime is being held at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver this year.

I will be on the Vancouver Noir panel at 9 am on Friday, March 29 with other contributors to the Vancouver Noir Anthology which released this year (see Short Stories tab)

Sam Wiebe will be the moderator, and with me in no particular order will be Dietrich Kaltais, S.G. Wong, Timothy Taylor, Linda L. Richards, Robin Spano .... I think I got them all.

LAUNCHLESS LAUNCH:

Flights & Falls released March 16, 2019

The day-job got in the way this year and I couldn't get a launch togethr for Flights & Falls, released March 16, 2019. But my crime writing pal Judy Toews (JG Toews) is helping me put together a party at her place in April for an informal launch with friends, and I will be introducing it in May at the Noir @ the Bar in Vancouver (Shebeen). More on that to come.

Though I haven't stood at a podium, I've been on social media to announce the new book and written a guest blog for Dundurn, and already have gotten a lot of encouragements and feedback.

Awesome!  Here's the link to the blog if you'd like to know a bit more about the making of the Book 4: https://www.dundurn.com/news/Flying-and-Falling

I have been invited to the one-of-a-kind "Women Killing It" crime writing festival in Picton, Ontario at the end of August. It will be an adventure in more ways than one. First I will be doing the classic planes, trains and automobiles thing (what can possibly go wrong?) travelling from way over here in BC to way over there in Prince Edward Country, Ontario.

BC is shrouded in wildfire smoke right now, however, and with so many flights being cancelled, I'm worried I'll be stuck in Kelowna at midnight without wings, and my panel will have to go one woman short. 

BUT if all goes well, I'll be there alongside: Catherine Astolfo, Gail Bowen, Vicki Delany, Janet Kellough, Y.S. Lee, Kim Moritsugu, Laurie Scott, Caro Soles, and Linda Wiken for the three day event. On my Saturday night panel will be Gail, Janet, and Kim, with Vicki Delaney moderating -- and the theme will be most provocative.

If I get back in one piece, I'll be touring the Kootenays through September and October with crime writer Judy Toews, whose debut Give Out Creek was released this spring. We plan to stop and invite readers into the conversation in Trail, Castlegar, Salmo, Creston, Kaslo, and our home city of Nelson.  

Meanwhile, I've completed Book IV in the series, Flights and Falls, due out in the spring -- and am currently happily submerged in Book V, with a working title "River of Lies".

2018 - Noir in the Bar/CREEP launch, exploring the Island, a Whiskey Library in North Vancouver and crazy Scottish music

Photo op at the Shebeen; we were told to look grim. We tried.

In May I read at the Shebeen NOIR IN THE BAR once again. It was a great crowd and I did an exemplary job. I considered this my CREEP launch, since I didn't have a formal one this year.   

Group shot at the Whiskey Library in North Vancouver

After Noir I travelled around the Island for a week, footloose fashion. Back on the mainland, I attended A WHISKEY LIBRARY fundraiser in North Vancouver, where I read from my current WIP. That was great, but what was really superb about this night came afterwards, tagging along after Todd Wong to the Black Bear Pub next door. I thought we'd sit and have a beer or two and leave, but not at all. He and his band, the Black Bear Rebels, who had played live music for the fundraiser, played more live music, but this time really let loose. Hooboy, of all the live concerts I've been to, this night of Scottish music was the very best. Partly because it was an impromptu non-concert, so an unexpected gift, and I was right there in their midst.  The perfect way to end the adventure that these ten days had become.

2018 - CWC event, shortlist announcements 

At Owl's Nest Books in Calgary - an evening with Bill Deverell along with the Arthur Ellis shortlist announcements

18 April - an ARTHUR ELLIS shortlist event and an evening with BILL DEVERELL at Owl's Nest Books in Calgary. Along with David Poulsen, Jayne Barnard, Susan Calder, and Dwayne Clayden, I got to announce some of this years short listings.

From Feb 2016 to August 2018 - a member of 7 Criminal Minds Blogspot

I was honoured to be invited to join the 7 CRIMINAL MINDS blogspot in February of 2016, and wrote a post every other week until August 2018, adding my voice to nine others to discuss hot topics in the crime writer's world, a rewarding challenge for sure. I would have stayed if I could, but time constraints have forced me to sign off.  I still get to enjoy the site, though. The link is http://7criminalminds.blogspot.com/

2017 - Bouchercon Toronto 

Ann Cleeves, Susan Spenard, Louise Penny

October 12-15 BOUCHERCON 2017 at Toronto. Moderated a most exciting panel, "Northern Crime" with writers from all places cold and forbidding: Antti Tuomainen, Kelley Armstrong, Caro Ramsay, Ragnar Jonasson, and Alex Gray...

Got to many interesting panels, and got to see two of my heroes, Ann Cleeves and Louise Penny.

But the best time I had was talking into the wee hours with readers and writers from all over. 

2017 - Arthur Ellis Awards, BEA 

That's me at the end of the table, Brenda Chapman next to me, best first winner Elle Wild beside Kirk Howard (who owns Dundurn Press)

Attending the ARTHUR ELLIS AWARDS at the Arts & Letters Club in Toronto - Proud that Cold Girl was shortlisted, and at the end of the night Elle Wild's Strange Things Done most deservedly won. Then I had a few days to explore Toronto on my own. I walked everywhere!

Then on to New York for a book signing at BOOK EXPO AMERICA at the Javits Center in New York. Wild! Had some time (not enough) to explore Manhattan.

Was happy to visit my cousin and family in Calgary on way back, got to know that city a bit better too, and finally the drive through the Rockies to Home Sweet Home. What an absolutely amazing week!

2017 - Noir in the Bar, Gastown, Cold Girl shortlisted for AE best first, Strand Magazine blog, Off-the-Cuff

3 May NOIR IN THE BAR at the Shebeen Whiskey Bar in Gastown with Dietrich Kalteis and other writers from the darkside, reading clips from our latest works, slinging back whiskey and having a good time. In fact this one one of the best nights of my life.

20 April - the Arthur Ellis Shortlist Announcements ... COLD GIRL SHORTLISTED! ... for Best First Novel published in 2016.  Learn about the Arthur Ellis and Crime Writers of Canada at www.crimewriterscanada.com.

10 April - STRAND MAGAZINE blog:  In "A Study in Noir" I muse about what is noir? And am I noir enough to read at Noirs in Bars? Dietrich Kalteis, Sam Wiebe, and Harley Mazuk weigh in with their perspectives. Here's the link:  https://strandmag.com/a-study-in-noir/ 

1 April -  OFF-THE-CUFF blogspot with Dietrich Kalteis, where he and S.G. Wong and I talk about ... character! Check it out: http://dietrichkalteis.blogspot.ca  

2017 - UNDERTOW launch & cool teaser video on Instagram

Launching Undertow at Booksmyth Underground

26 March - UNDERTOW BOOK LAUNCH at Booksmyth Underground,  Nelson, B.C. followed by the SPEAKEASY, with readings by writers as Booksmyth launches a new tradition.  

Cool gritty urban Instagram UNDERTOW TEASER posted on Instagram ... RCMP Constable Dion is on the Greyhound back to the bright lights of the city, a homecoming he dreads, but can't resist ...

2016 - Creative Ink, Arthur Ellis Shortlist event 

At the CWC shortlist event in Burnaby with two of the shortlisters right behind me: Judy Toews and JT Siemens

25 APRIL - ARTHUR ELLIS SHORTLIST EVENT... Every year Canadian crime writers are shortlisted -- an exciting, edge-of-the-seat time for all involved -- I can attest to that! This year I and others who have been through the gauntlet talked about our work, answered questions, and crossed our fingers. Held at the Metrotown Branch of the Burnaby Public Library, and on the panel were myself, Cathy Ace, Allan J. Emerson, Don Huaka, Owen Laukkanen, and Debra Purdy Kong.  http://www.crimewriterscanada.com 

2016 - COLD GIRL book launch, CUFFED Vancouver International Crime Fiction Festival

31 March - COLD GIRL BOOK LAUNCH - at the Nelson Public Library.  Yes, I was nervous, but I made it through!