I’m home from the 2018 Left Coast Crime conference, held this year in a casino in Sparks, Nevada. I had a good time despite the pervasive cigarette smoke, and enjoyed meeting lots of mystery writers and readers. Also came home with a whole new To Be Read (TBR) pile. Good reasons to think about going next year!

One of my favorites from the trip was this bronze testament to the hearty Basque sheepherders and their sheepdogs, who settled the high Sierra in the mid-nineteenth century. So excited to find a statue of a devoted sheepdog!

Turns out, the casino we met in was founded by a descendant of those same sheepherders.

I was reminded of several hikes in the Sierra where we’ve run across one hundred-year-old blazes in the aspen groves left by sheepherders. This one, near Tahoe, includes bear scars as well.

In addition to the many interesting panels, informal book chats, and awards ceremonies, there was also a large room full of books for sale. You are never going to guess what I found there:

Yep, that beloved story from my childhood that I discussed in my last post! Now guess how much $$$ the bookseller wanted for it.

$500! Oh well, it was a thrill just to see it again. How many times have you wished you hadn’t let something go?

If you are local,  this Saturday, April 21st, I will be on a panel for the Capitol Crimes chapter of Sisters in Crime at the Rancho Cordova library from 1-3. Join us for the two-hour panel on how to market books, or drop by about 2:45 to buy books and have them signed. Watch this space for other upcoming local events.

In breaking news, the ebook version of Iced Tee will be downloadable for free from May 1st to the 8th. Now would be a great time to tell your friends to read the first in the series, Fire at Will’s, so they’ll be ready to grab Iced Tee when it goes free in two weeks.

Now would also be the perfect time to post your review of the most recent in the series, The Boy Who Bought It.

Thank you, as always, for your support and encouragement!