Reading in the Rain
Left Coast Crime Convention
February 1-4, Seattle, WA

I'm taking a little break in my intense "catching up" after a wonderful trip to Seattle. Left Coast is a nice convention. Not on the same scale as Bouchercon, but big enough for a lot of fun, and for me to drop more than a few quarters on books. Ahem.

Here is a group of DAPA-EM members (past and present) with whom I had dinner on night #1. Left to right we've got Thom Walls, Ted Fitzgerald, Bryan Barrett, and Cap'n Bob Napier. As I looked around the table, I noted that all five of us had beards. After taking our drink orders, our waiter asked if we were, by any chance, here for the mystery convention. We were surprised. The restaurant was way downtown from the convention hotel. Were we that transparent? It turned out that the waiter, Bruce Fergusson, was himself a novelist. (And we thought they were all struggling actors). Back in 1999 he had written The Piper's Sons to positive reviews.

Cap'n Bob did a short presentation about the Plot Genii, a book and spinner device used to concoct mystery plotlines. The usefullness of the device is dubious, but the presentation was entertaining. Afterwards several DAPA-EM members (and Chris Aldrich) posed with Bob. Pictured are Roger Sobin, Cap'n Bob (kneeling), Kate Derie, Ted Fitzgerald, Chris Aldrich, and myself. Maggie Mason escaped before the picture was taken. [NOTE: it was pointed out to me that I look especially fat in this picture. I could stand to loose a few pounds, but this is honestly bad posture and/or bad lighting.]
Here, a very busy DAPA-mEMber, Janet Rudolph, shares her infectious smile with authors Steve Brewer and Colin Campbell.

Friday evening the NW chapter of Mystery Writers of America co-hosted a reception at Doc Maynard's, a gold-rush era saloon in Pioneer Square. The reception included a tour of Underground Seattle with a particularly adult bent. We learned quite a bit about prostitution in the late 19th century. Pictured here are Meg Chittenden and Con Lehane, enjoying drinks at the Doc Maynard bar. (Con, being the author of a series featuring bartender-sleuth Brian McNulty, knows his way around a bar).
At the "Lefty" banquet, I enjoyed dinner with fellow DAPA-mEMbers Ted Fitzgerald and Roger Sobin, along with Roger's wife Genie. Also at our table were Rick Blechta, Diana Chambers, and Charles Benoit (pictured left to right in photo below), all who participated in brilliant panel on mysteries in remote locales. Charles regaled us with amusing stories of his days in the Army as part of the Presidential Guard. (Charles' website is a stitch - give it a visit).

Genie and Roger Sobin and me. Roger was having bizarre luck at the dinner. One waiter clocked him right on the bridge of his nose with a salad plate. Then an hour later a different waiter poured coffee down his back. He didn't do anything to deserve it! Just wrong place, wrong time.

Finally, here are a few of us enjoying cocktails at the bar. That's Ted again on the left, a woman whose name I think is Betsy, [CORRECTION: Her name is Emily. Thanks Ted and Maggie] then Meg Chittenden, and myself.