Archives - Weekly Update

What a wild week of book adventures this was! Last weekend in DC, I had a wonderful time at the Compleat Biographer Conference. The weekend kicked off with a lovely cocktail party at Kitty Kelley’s home where both the company and the setting were fabulous. The depth and breadth of the biographical subject matter that has been researched and written about by the authors made for lively conversation.

I am writing today on the train to Washington, DC, where I am speaking tomorrow at the Compleat Biographer Conference. Taking the train meant I am toting one very small carry-on bag with me; I am in luggage withdrawal! Tonight I am going to a fundraiser at Kitty Kelly’s house, which seriously sounds cool, gossipy (I mean that in the BEST sense of the word) and fun. Now there is something wonderful for me about this conference that has a back story.

This week we enjoyed what the weatherman called “San Diego-like weather” in New York. Everyone seemed to have a bit more of a spring in their step, and I found myself longing to spend time swinging in the hammock to read instead of being sequestered in the office.

My trip to LA was filled with blue skies, sunny days and lots of time for making memories. Friday night I swung by Skylight Books, which was hosting the Mystery Writers of America’s Southern California soiree for mystery authors; well, swung was the wrong word as rather I crawled there in wicked LA traffic. It was fun to see Brett Battles, Naomi Hirahara, Christine Faust, Linda Brown, Bobby McCue and the rest of the gang, and to again catch up with Dan Kusunoki, the extraordinary graphic novel expert at Skylight, but I found myself feeling very nostalgic for this same event that used to be held at the Mystery Bookstore in Westwood. (They closed in January.)