by Marlyn Beebe
When I first heard that Left Coast Crime 2013 would be in Colorado (in March!) I decided I wasn't going to go.
Never mind that it would be at the lovely Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Having grown up in Canada, I've had enough winter to last me a lifetime. That's why I live in Southern California, and never visit my family at Christmas.
But the members of Crime Fiction Collective had the opportunity to do a panel together, which was a real draw. And, I reasoned with myself, I wouldn't have to leave the hotel if the weather was inclement.
In the month or so before the convention, I checked the weather forecasts obsessively. The week before, it was sunny and 60ish. When I left for the airport on Wednesday afternoon, the forecast was positive. But by Thursday morning, I was hearing muttering about predicted snow, and The Weather Channel confirmed the rumours. And yes, I had to go outdoors to get from my room to the conference area.
Here's the view from my window on Saturday morning:
But I had a marvelous time. Our panel went very well. As the moderator, I had the easiest job. (If you're interested, you can purchase a recording here.)
Some of the wonderful panels I attended were Gritty Details: The Forensics of Crime Writing, (with Robin Burcell, J.T. Ellison, and CFC's own L.J. Sellers, moderated by Jan Burke)
and The Woman With a Gun (guest of honor Laura Lippman interviewed by Twist Phelan).
Awards were presented at the banquet on Saturday night. The winners were:
The Lefty (best humorous mystery) : Brad Parks, The Girl Next Door
Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery: Catriona McPherson, Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder
The Rocky (best mystery Novel set in the LCC geographical region): Craig Johnson, As the Crow Flies
The Watson ( mystery novel with the best sidekick): Rochelle Staab, Bruja Brouhaha
I'm looking forward to Left Coast Crime 2014, in Monterey, California where it seldom snows.
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| My duck and I are ready for Calamari Crime! |
Sorry you had to deal with our snow. You'll be happy to know that it all melted quickly and LoML was able to play quite a bit of golf last week. I call this time of year our Teasin' Season because we pretty much bounce back and forth between winter and summer for a couple of weeks. Same thing from summer to winter in a few months.
ReplyDeleteI had a great time at LCC, and thanks for being such a wonderful moderator!
I like "Teasin' Season"!
DeleteIt was so great to see you again, Peg!
I had a fantastic time at LCC, reconnecting with you and most of our other CFC cohorts, Marlyn. And our panel was a lot of fun! (How could it not be, with this group?!) Thanks for doing such a great job as moderator. And coming from Canada, the snow didn't bother me, especially since I had so many stimulating and fun activities to stuff to keep me in the fabulous Cheyenne Mountain lodge! See you next year in sunny Monterey!
ReplyDeleteYes the venue was fantastic, wasn't it, Jodie!
DeleteYou may have been cold, but we loved seeing you, Marlyn!
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see you again, too, Gayle. Let me know when you want to go up to Monrovia.
DeleteNice post, Marlyn. I wish I could have made it. I don't mind a bit of snow and the mountain resort looks lovely. See you in LA later this month
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenny. I'm looking forward to the LA Times Festival of Books!
DeleteConsider the snow as a gift to you to remind you how much you love SoCal. Glad you and so many others ventured our way. For Colorado in March, it could have been so much worse, and Lou Diamond Phillips made it, anyway!
ReplyDelete