A Giveaway and (maybe) a Short Story Coming Up

As Janet Cantrell, my other writing name, I’m giving away 15 copies of FAT CAT SPREADS OUT on Goodreads. The giveaway started on the 15th and will go through midnight on the 31st. You still have time, but don’t delay too long!

If you want a sure thing, you can pre-order this very minute. Preorders count for a lot with my publisher, and preorders on the second book are crucial for continuing the series. If you’d like to see the Fat Cat series keep going after the third book (which will come out in March, 2016), a preorder would help out.

Amazon

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Books A Million

I had the great honor of being asked to write a short story! This has happened in the past, but it’s been a while since the last time. This short is for a Killer Nashville anthology. They’ve contracted with Diversion Books for a series of anthologies. The first will appear in October. If my story is accepted, it will appear in a volume where it fits the theme. The general instruction was to have a twist at the end and that’s something I always love to write! People who have attended Killer Nashville were asked to contribute. Some of the proceeds will go to Killer Nashville charities. My fingers are crossed that I’ll make it into one of them!

My Tardy Report on Malice

(This is cross-posted at http://janetcantrell.blogspot.com/)

I packed in at lot at Malice this year! And still managed to miss a bunch of stuff I would have liked to attend.

I arrived 5 minutes too late to register Thursday night, checked in, and schmoozed in the bar for a bit. Friday I hit the ground running!

A picture by my daughter, Jessica, of the nice themed display by the hotel.

I did Malice Go Round as Janet Cantrell. 

 

Here’s Robin Templeton’s picture of the whole group.

Also from Robin, me and my MGR partner, Maria Hudgins. No comment on our expressions, please. We were being expressive.

Right after Malice Go Round was the Guppy lunch. These are from Susan Van Kirk's Malice report: http://susanvankirk.com/malice-domestic-27-photos/

 I rushed back to attend part of the New Kids on the Block panel of the Best First Novel Nominees (Annette Dashofy, Sherry Harris, Susan O’Brien, Terrie Farley Moran, and Tracy Weber). I also got to a bit of the Historical Nominees panel. This panel was exactly the same as when I was on it, except for the addition of D. E. Ireland (Meg Mims and Sharon Pisacreta) where I sat. The others were Rhys Bowen, Victoria Thompson and Charles Todd (mother and son).

After that, I needed to go stick my bookmarks in the green room. I wanted to hear a 4:00 panel, but decided to take a small break and get ready for the dinner at Ruth’s Chris that Berkley Prime Crime treated us to. After the dinner there was a short meeting of the people on our panel for the next day.

Fell into bed exhausted.

Up for the 7:30 Sisters in Crime Breakfast, where the Guppies all wore our boas, or facsimiles thereof. Mine was a green net scarf. Here’s Kathy Waller with her version.

Kathy, I think, had just taken this shot of me.

Short meeting of the Chapter Presidents afterward where I sat in for the Guppy president, who couldn’t be at Malice this year.

At 11:30 I met my agent, Kim Lionetti, to talk about my project(s) with them. Always a pleasure!

Then I thought I had better get in my vote for the nominees before the voting ended at 1:00.

I had a sandwich from the bar that didn’t agree with me, but the hotel shop, luckily, carried a tiny bottle of Pepto. I got the last one!

The interview of Sara Paretsky by Parnell Hall was a hoot, but also informative. That was over at about 2, then our panel was at 3.

The panel, The Paws that Refresh, consisted of writers who have pets in their mysteries. The day before, Carole Nelson Douglas emailed that she was having problems with a medication and wouldn’t make it. Our moderator, Laura Morrigan, got Liz Mugavero to step in at the last minute. She joined me, John Clement, and Linda O. Johnston, and we pulled it off, I think!

After my signing it got crazy. The Guppy Steering Committee sort of and sort of didn’t meet before the banquet. I was delighted that my husband and daughter were able to sit with me at one of the Berkley tables.

Jessica took a panorama of the table. She has a cool camera. The people who moved look odd, though.

Here’s the dessert! These pictures are from Jessica again.

Fell into bed exhausted.

I missed getting up in time for the New Authors breakfast, which I regret. But I did get to the 9:30 meeting with my Berkley editor, Michelle Vega. She presented me with a copy of Fat Cat Spreads Out, even though it’s not being released until June 2nd!

Somewhere in there, I was able to visit the Wildside table and see our anthology, Murder on Wheels, by the Austin Mystery Writers. Three of us were attending, me, Laura Oles, and Kathy Waller.

Me and Laura Oles

Our good friend and supporter, Nancy West, bought a copy of Murder on Wheels!

LynDee Walker, me, Nancy West with our book and with Larissa Reinhart on a stick

Went to our daughter’s on Sunday to stay for a few days and flew home Wednesday.

Fell into bed exhausted.