I love my t-shirt from LCC! I loved being there, too. If you've seen pictures posted by other attendees that include me, you'll see a big, silly grin on my face. I couldn't get over the fabulous feeling that I was at a mystery confab as a legitimate mystery book writer for the first time.
(The mighty Agamemnon likes the t-shirt too.)
I know, I've been a published short story writer for a few years, as others have pointed out, and even got an Agatha nomination last year for a story dear to my heart. But a "book" writer is a different person. Some people envy those of us who don't have as hard a time with a short story as we do with a novel, but, believe me, we short writers envy the long ones just as much!
This gathering was in Santa Fe, in the Land of Enchantment, and took place in the historic La Fonda Hotel. My family has vacationed in Santa Fe often, and we've eaten at La Fonda (back when the central restaurant was outdoors), and I've envied those who could afford to stay there (our family usually camped on vacation with all the kids), but this was my opportunity to get all the way inside the place. And I love it!
From the auction (where someone bought my basket!)
to the panels (where people laughed, and came up afterward and said they liked them),
to the Guppy lunch (what a great gang!)
to the banquet (where I bravely hosted a table and people signed up and sat with me)--it was all amazing.
I didn't get the names of two of my table mates and I'd like very much for them to email me! Here I am with Gigi Pandian.
Below, Gigi again and Michael Dymmoch (who took half these pictures)//(don't know the names of 2) & Pat Gulley
Pat and her friend again, and Jeanne Munn Bracken form DL (who brought me a DL pin)
Cae and Billie from Killeen TX//and the other gal I don't know
I'm seriously thinking about doing LCC in Sacramento next year.
