Travel, taken to the extreme, I'm afraid

All I did in April was travel! I'm taking the title of this blog a little too seriously. All fun stuff--very fun stuff--but I came home exhausted and with a cold that has now nicely settled into bronchitis, complete with my usual horrid sounding cough.

The cough is temporary, the memories of my trips are forever. My first trip was Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe. I managed to deliver a blog to you on that one (http://travelswithkaye.blogspot.com/2011/04/left-coast-crime-or-chile-con-carnage.html).

I made a quick trip to Chicago to see my niece's new baby (a belated trip because I hadn't seen his older brother yet!) I don't post family or children pictures here, but you can be assured the babies are over-the-top precious.

Next, Malice Domestic, held in Bethesda this year. I owe you a report on that one, in fact I may be the last attendee to blog on it. I've read many nice renditions of the convention, but, of course, I have my own pictures. :)

I attended this conference as a completed published author, with my novel in the book dealer room and everything! I can't describe the thrill. People I don't even know bought it. Amazing! The new Guppy anthology, FISH TALES, was also for sale and I must have autographed my story (page 121) 15-20 times, also for complete strangers in some cases. More amazing!

Here are some scenes taken by others:

 

The table for our anthology publisher, Wildside Press

A fun dinner a few blocks away at Guapo's

Some Guppy friends pre-banquet

(I wish I could figure out how to wrap text around these!)

Elizabeth Zelvin, second from the left in the pre-banquet picture took that one, but I've lost track of who took the other two.

I took the ones below, hence the lesser quality.

The Best First panel: Avery Aames (who won!), Laura Alden, Amanda Flower, Sasscer Hill, and honorary Guppy Alan Orloff (the Guppies swept this category--after we added Alan)

The Best Novel panel: Nancy Pickard, Louise Penney (winner), moderator Harriet Sackler, Hank Phillippi ryan, Heather Webber, and Donna Andrews.

The California group, Men of Mystery, with Guppy Tammy Kaehler co-presenter, on the right.

Maggie Toussaint and me on our panel about family in mysteries.

The rest of the panel, Kris Neri, Kay Finch, and moderator Joan Boswell. The lights weren't working the the floor lamps that the hotel crew brought in added an air of, well, hominess? Pretty funny.

Sandra Parshall moderating Tales with Tails.

Verena Rose moderating the guests of honor, Sue Grafton, Carole Nelson Douglas, and Donna Andrews.

After Malice, I spend a few days with my daughter's family and their baby ran a little temp, his first (he's eight months old). I got to go to the doctor with them, and brought home a souvenir cold. Totally worth it, though!