I went
I read
The morning of this event I was a bag of raw nerves. I’d spoken publicly before but it was generally for business. I may have owned the project but everything else was owned by the company I worked for.
This time it all belonged to me. How would it be received?
Now I should tell you that the crime fiction fans and writers who attend N@TB are very supportive especially to debut authors and newcomers like me who’ve had the occasional story published. So there is no fear of being run out of the room.
No, my fears were about flubbing lines, losing my place, and generally not doing a good job of presenting my work so that the audience could feel what I was reading.
Seemingly, these fears were all for naught (and I think I looked quite relaxed in this pic snapped by Tanis.) Several people commented positively on my work. The best remark was presented by an editor sitting with a group of women at a table.
Apparently they all wanted to know more about the protagonist. That “tell me more,” request feels great and something every writer strives for.
Of course the evening wasn’t all about me (really?) The pictures by Brian Baker show only a part of the fun.
It was great to meet-up with Rosemary McCracken (pictured right) again. Her book Raven Lake has just been released.
“Murder, jealousy, fraud, deceit—welcome to cottage country!
Financial planner Pat Tierney’s dream vacation in cottage country turns into a nightmare when the body of an elderly woman is discovered in a storage locker. Pat’s friend, Bruce Stohl, is the murdered woman’s son, and when he is pegged by police as their prime suspect, Pat rallies to find his mother’s killer.
Meanwhile, a con artist has targeted cottages in the area, and vacationers are arriving, only to learn they are victims of a rental scam. When disgruntled renters show up at her door, Pat fears for her family’s safety.
Now she must navigate treacherous waters to protect those who are dear to her.”
As a huge fan of Giles Blunt (pictured left) and his John Cardinal series it was very special for me to participate at the same event. He read from his stand-alone book Hesitation Cut.
“Master crime novelist Giles Blunt is back with a standalone novel of penetrating psychological suspense. Turning the screw tighter on every page, he delivers an intricately plotted story of jealousy and obsession that rivals the best of Patricia Highsmith and Gillian Flynn.
Nothing could be more serene than the life of Brother William, a young Benedictine monk who had turned his back on the world ten years earlier to retreat to a monastery in upstate New York. But then Lauren Wolfe, a troubled young poet, comes to use the library to research a book on Heloise and Abelard; one sight of the faint scars from a failed suicide attempt on Lauren’s wrist is enough to turn the monk’s life upside down. Every suppressed romantic impulse rises to the surface: his desire to rescue and soothe her trumps his vows of obedience, poverty and chastity. Soon he is simply Peter, a gentle young man who has followed his beloved to New York City because he needs to look out for her, as sincerely as he once pursued his calling…”
Books read by the other crime fiction authors: Dietrich Kalteis – Trigger Fish, John McFetridge – A Little More Free, Dee Wilson – A Keeper’s Truth, and Peter McGarvey – Hair Trigger.
Much appreciation goes out to Tanis Mallow and Rob Brunet who host N@TB with great style. They also read from a work in progress and a short story (consecutively.) Thanks to you both for inviting me read.
Rob has written about pulling it all together for an author event for International Thrill Writers so have a peek and read what it takes.
~ June Lorraine
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