Writing conferences | Linda Townsdin

The third of my Spirit Lake Mystery series, Blow Up on Murder was published in February! As always, it was hard for me to let go, but it was time to move on.

In March, I attended the Left Coas Blow Up on Murder, Spirit Lake mystery series, Spirit Lake mystery, Linda Townsdin, mystery series, mystery, fiction t Crime Conference in Honolulu, and was thrilled to be on a panel with authors whose series also showcased strong female protagonists. To prepare, I read one of each of their books, and am so glad I did. I now have three new authors whose books I enjoy, and made new friends as well. Check them out: Nancy Silverman, DV Berkom and Corey Fayman. Our wonderful moderator, photographer Robin Templeton, read my latest book and said I got the photographer mindset right—a great compliment coming from her.

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One of the best reasons to attend writers’ conferences is to learn about authors. I’d never read Colin Cotterill, who lives in Southeast Asia and writes the Dr. Siri mystery series. I liked Cotterill’s wry humor and wonderful characters and now have another series to read.

Move over, shave ice!

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After the conference, it was time for R & R and a visit with my daughter and son-in-law, who live on Oahu. My new favorite treat is a visit to Banan, where they use locally grown bananas and other fruits and ingredients to make delicious soft serve desserts. And in the spirit of filling the well, we hardly missed a sunrise or sunset at the beach.

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Filling the Well

I’ve been reading a lot and recently finished Suspect by Robert Crais. I read it twice back to back. The second time because I wanted to know why that story stayed with me when so many others have not. I’ve figured it out, but you’ll have to read it to find out if it has the same effect on you.

I’ve also been binge-watching the Danish TV crime series Dicte. A friend suggested it because the protagonist is a female journalist with similar character traits as Britt. They both have big hearts and a knack for getting themselves into dangerous situations in their quests for the truth. Another similarity is that what makes them excellent at their jobs creates havoc in their relationships with loved ones.

Most recently, my local chapter of Sisters in Crime hosted a writing workshop. I attended a session by a DNA expert and another with business tips for author-publishers. What’s next? I’m looking forward to speaking to a book club in my community, one of my favorite things to do. I love books, book clubs and meeting new readers.

The next book in the Spirit Lake Series is percolating. In the meantime, I hope you’ll read Blow Up on Murder and let me know what you think about Britt’s latest challenge.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

My first blog post was January 31, 2012. The blog was titled, A Writer’s Journey. It was about why I started a blog, and this is part of what I said:

“Over the years I’ve attended writer’s conferences, workshops and countless author readings. I’ve read a library of books and many blogs on the art and craft of writing. Some of the most insightful and helpful ideas about writing have come to me through the generosity of others who shared what they picked up along the way.

I started this blog to continue that tradition and to cast my net in hopes that writers attracted to this site would find something useful that might help with their own journeys.”

I’ve recently published my first book—a good time to take stock of what I now want the blog to be about. It’s still about my journey, and I’m writing book two in the series, but my focus has grown to include the business of self-publishing and promotion. Except the word “business” stopped me in my tracks and made my journey more like an obstacle course of frustration and anxiety.

Yes, it’s a business, I’ve always understood that, but to me, it has to be about the joy of connecting with readers the same way writing is about the joy of writing. And one thing that brings me joy is writing about subjects that help others, either in writing, publishing or promoting.

Tips

In an earlier post, I promised tips on publishing and promoting as I navigated through the process:

My best tip is to attend writers’ conferences whenever possible. I just returned from Left Coast Crime in Monterey, and basked in the spirit of generosity that permeated every interaction with organizers, authors and readers. That trumped everything.

Jane Friedman’s blog, The E-book Market + Big Five Survival, about what’s happening in the publishing world is a must read. The blog doesn’t have answers; it’s all about the questions.