OMG! On a panel with Charlaine Harris!

Are my feet touching the ground? Not hardly! I was lucky enough to draw a panel assignment with my friend Tj O'Connor and my writing idol Charlaine Harris. We were talking about paranormal mysteries at Malice Domestic today.

Holy Cow. I'm still grinning like a crazy woman. First, let me say that Charlaine is the Most Gracious, Most Charming, and Most Personable person in the world. It was hard not to be tongue-tied sitting beside her. But I took one for the team because due to the small size of our panel being in the middle often means that the moderator, in our case the capable Eileen Watkins, starts at one end or the other of the panel. Having that buffer of time helps me to collect my thoughts or sneak a peek at my notes so that I don't babble and ramble.

Before I ever thought I'd write paranormal mysteries, I read in the genre, and Charlaine's books were my favorites, especially her Sookie Stackhouse series. So I did my best to sound coherent, to look like I was paying attention to everyone, and to try not to let my  fan girl crush on Charlaine turn me into a blithering idiot.

We had a lively time because the topic and the panelists were all so fun, and the attendees seemed to really hang on our every word, even mine.  It was a MOMENT for me, an honest to goodness life moment. I'm still saying to myself: I was on a panel with Charlaine Harris. I sat next to her. She knows my name. She kindly posed for pictures before and after the program. I got to talk shop with her. She laughed (in a good way) at the humor In Bubba Done It I used as an illustration to answer a panel question.

Thank you, Malice Domestic, for making my dream come true.

Maggie Toussaint
http://www.maggietoussaint.com

Malice and the Stew Pot

Whenever I make stew, I'm guilty of not following a recipe. I brown the meat, then submerge it in broth with some Vidalia onions and whatever veggies I have on hand. Then I simmer it until done and serve the thickened comfort food over wheat toast, brown rice, or grits.

I thought of stew as I was casting about for my blog title this week. I have different and diverse topics to include, so I hope you find these tidbits something yummy to digest!

The first item in the stewpot, so to speak, are my pictures of Malice. I didn't take a surfeit of photos this year. In fact, only 4 survived the cutting room floor, and one of those wasn't as crisp as I liked.

I'm shown here during a conference break with three of my dearest writing pals. I'm all the way left with my fabric "Guppy" boa still wrapped around my neck. Sitting beside me is author Nancy J Cohen who is a fellow member of Booklover's Bench. To her right is author Barbara Graham. Barbara is a great roommate and we enjoy going to conferences together, even though she lives in Wyoming and I'm in Georgia. And to the far right is my best-ever critique partner, Polly Iyer. She always looks like a million dollars.

I attended Nancy's panel on Saturday morning. Moderator Debra Goldstein did a great job of keeping everyone on the topic of social issues. Nancy spoke about using the Prepper Movement in her book. Preppers are the group of people that think the end is near so they encourage stockpiling necessities.

Barb's panel was interesting too. It was about a business related to the sleuth, and in her series, the business is a quilt shop. Barb has mystery quilts in each of her books - all part of her devious plan to get us to read every page of every book!

Barb and I slipped away from the conference on Thursday afternoon. We're shown here out and about on the Mall - see the faint Washington Monument between us? We walked the length of the Mall, after touring an art museum, and got swept up in a deportation rally. Glad the protest was peaceful. And hey, I took a selfie!

I should have snapped more pics at the conference, but in truth, I forgot! I didn't take my camera along this year, and I wasn't in the mindset of taking pics with my phone, which is how these few shots were taken. I missed everything on Friday due to being under the weather, but I rallied for the Saturday and Sunday sessions.

I also attended the Banquet (very fun) and the Poison Lady's talk. I found out a good bit about native and not so native plants and toxicity. Definite material for a future book!

The panel I was on (no pic here, but I've shared one on my FB page from Nancy's camera.) was all about paranormal sleuths. Everyone else on the panel had a ghost for a sleuth. My sleuth saw ghosts, which was different, but no one seemed to hold that against me. Several people from the packed room said the panel discussion was very entertaining, and I am happy to have been a small part of that. And I thank author Carolyn Hart for being a big name and drawing such a crowd to our session!

In other news, reviews are coming in for GONE AND DONE IT. One of the latest is from Romantic Times, which stated the mystery was multi-layered and wildly exciting. Yes! I love reviews like that. If you've read GONE AND DONE IT, I'd be honored to have you post a review online.

Available at Amazon in print and ebook and in print at Barnes and Noble

Here's a snip of a recent review from MyShelf reviewer Linda Morelli:  "Gone and Done It is the best mystery I've read in a long time. The paranormal aspects were realistic and Maggie Toussaint’s plot was engrossing, with plenty of twists and surprises to keep me hooked. I definitely want to know who – or what – the secret watcher is and can't wait to read the next release to find out." Read the full review: http://www.myshelf.com/mystery/14/goneanddoneit.htm

And its official. My next book, romantic suspense ROUGH WATERS, will release August 29 from The Wild Rose Press. Yay! I have a release date. Now I need to find some advance readers. Anyone listening? I have electronic arcs to send out as the time approaches.

Also, the Booklover's Bench May contest continues until May 18. Click on over to enter the contest, where a $25 gift card, ebooks, and a chance to have a character in a book named after you are up for grabs. http://www.bookloversbench.com/contest/ 

Please join me on Wednesday, May 14 at http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/ for a look at how I came to write a ghost story.


Thanks for joining me in sampling my Stew Pot of tasty news.

Maggie Toussaint
Have you LIKED me on Facebook? http://www.facebook.com/MaggieToussaintAuthor

Maggie does Malice

Maggie, left, with Barbara Graham

This was my second year of attending Malice Domestic as a published author. For those who aren't familiar with this event, it's a mystery fan conference, which is a great treat for mystery writers.

Canadians RJ Harlick and Vicki Delany

Like 2011, the conference was held at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland. For intrepid travelers, it was a stop off the DC Metro. For the rest of us, it was a shuttle ride from the airport or a threading-the-Beltway adventure by automobile.

My roommate Barbara Graham shares the same publisher, Five Star Cengage with me, and we're both members of Sisters in Crime and members of our respective Mystery Writers of America chapters. You might think a gal from Cody, Wyoming would have little in common with a gal from Darien, Georgia, but we both speak "writer" so all was good.

From our breakfast with the Canadians and a very nice fan named Lexa, to the popular Malice Go Round, Friday morning passed in a blur. The ladies from breakfast became familiar faces that we would meet and dine with throughout the conference.

Barbara Graham, center

Malice Go Round is a speed-dating format where authors get two minutes to pitch their book to tables of fans. There were 20 tables and 40 authors, so it was an intense hour and some change. I partnered with Barbara, and by the midway point I could have pitched her Murder by Music and she could have hit all the high points of my Death, Island Style.

We went right from Malice Go Round to the Guppy lunch over at Booeymongers. How fun to connect with this group of friends from the Guppy chapter of SINC.

Erika Chase, Janet Bolin, Maggie, and Barbara

There was all kind of stuff going on at the conference in the afternoon, but I was toast. Being on grandma duty for the two weeks prior to the conference had taken a toll on my energy reserves. I emerged for dinner, but I wasn't good for much else that day.

Saturday was an easy day for me because my panel wasn't until the next day. We went to the new authors breakfast and enjoyed hearing about their books. I spent the morning and part of the afternoon chatting with authors, shopping in the bookstore, and enjoying the author panels. Barbara earned a gold star for doing everything, including donating an item for the charity raffle and staying all the way through the Agatha Tea on Sunday.

Guppies - Maggie and Liz Zelvin

The conference offered box lunches on Saturday. Barbara and I grabbed ours and joined the throng listening to the Poison Lady. She offered insider knowledge on ways to kill people - in books. The astonishing thing is that she was able to purchase an item at the dollar store for under $2 that would have been enough liquid to wipe out more than a dozen people. Because I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about this, I'm not mentioning the item. Suffice it to say that this was an eye-opening session.

We enjoyed a nice walk outside prior to the banquet. Luckily, we wore our rain jackets because it started raining during our walk.

Lisa Wysocky, Maggie, Nancy Cohen

The banquet was lovely. We enjoyed the company of Canada's RJ Harlick, who sponsored our table. She handed out favors, and I was lucky enough to receive a dreamcatcher, which I've added to the pull of my office ceiling fan. Award winners on this night included Chris Grabenstein, Best YA; Dana Cameron, Best Short Story; Leslie Budewitz, Best nonfiction; Rhys Bowen, Best Historical Mystery; Sara Henry, Best first novel; and Margaret Maron, Best Novel.

Sunday morning I realized I'd forgotten to sign up for the SINC breakfast, so it was breakfast on my own, panels, and networking. Right before my 11:10 a.m. panel, I realized I needed a snack. Lisa Wysocky had the same idea. We were eating and chatting and I lost track of the time, dashing off to my panel at the last minute.

"Down the Shore" panel at Malice 2012 - I'm second from left!

I was so rattled. The entire panel was assembled and there I was, dead last! Fortunately our moderator for "Down the Shore," Trish Carrico, had sent her questions ahead of time, so I had written out my answers in very large print, which I placed on the table before me.

Maggie, Michelle L. Johnson, Trish Carrico

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to sound coherent when you're rattled? I had 100 proof adrenaline surging through my veins and no telling what was coming out my mouth. Thank goodness for my speaking notes or I would have gotten completely off track.

I was especially nervous about the special question Trish had planned for each of us. Through time I've realized I don't do "unplugged" very well, and I approached this question with all the enthusiasm one has for a pop quiz.

But my fears were soon alleviated. Trish asked me about my stream of consciousness style of writing for MaryBeth, my protagonist in Death, Island Style. She said how engaging that style of writing was to her. I was elated that I knew the answer. Even better, people in the crowd nodded their heads in understanding. Thank you, Trish, for being so kind.

After the booksigning time, we had lunch at la Madelaine, and it was time for me to go. I said goodbye to my roommate and good friend, and headed to my daughter's house to see that precious grandbaby again before the long trek back to Georgia.

You know what? I'm already looking forward to next year.

Maggie Toussaint
like my Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/MaggieToussaintAuthor#

Fun at Malice Domestic



Maggie Toussaint at Malice Domestic!

Gracious sakes! What an adventure I had at Malice Domestic. I roomed with fellow Five Star author Barbara Graham from Cody, WY, and we had the best time together. Both of us are brand new grandmothers, both have been married for about the same number of years, both have two grown kids, and both have two mysteries out now from Five Star. We had an unending supply of material to talk about!

The night before the conference we went walking about Bethesda with Barbara's best friend's daughter, who took us to a Mussel Bar for dinner. We were part of an urban scene - go figure! All I was missing were tall boots, a size 4 waist, and long hair. Well and maybe a year eraser so that I was a twenty-something again. We laughed and talked and greatly enjoyed the ambiance.

Let's see - the conference! Malice Domestic is a fan conference for mystery readers. Seemed like there was upwards of 300 people there, swelling to 400-ish with spouses etc for the Saturday night banquet. I met so many people and the names and faces are already a  colorful blur. Mostly I remember everyone being so very keen about mysteries, which is a huge ego boost to every author there.

Malice Go Round is a great event. There were 20 tables of fans waiting anxiously to hear about our new books. Two authors had 4 minutes total at each table to pitch their work and give a handout of some type, and then they moved on to the next table. The room was a-buzz with such excited chatter. Photographers roamed and would snap your picture at the craziest times. My pitch varied wildly, and I think at one point I forgot my name! But my touring buddy, author JL Wilson, kept me on track. One time she even reminded me that the car was the murder weapon in On The Nickel. Talk about losing it! My only regret is that I forgot to take my camera to Malice Go Round and didn't snap a pic of me with JL. Next year, JL, if you'll have me for a touring buddy.

New authors I met that I have photos of include Michael Mallory and Amanda Flower, both Five Star authors. I also have pictures of Barbara and myself with Peggy Ehrhart, another Five Star author I met in Maine several years ago. Other authors I met included Leslie Wheeler (a Five Star author!) and Nancy Means Wright who co-hosted the banquet table where I sat on Saturday night. I ate dinner with Beth Groundwater and several fans one night. Deborah Sharp was there with her "Mama" wedding veil. She graciously supported me by coming to my panel - thanks Deborah! I met other authors and fans, but I admit to being so starstruck that most of the names and faces blew in one ear and out the other.

Sue Grafton was there. (I ate dinner in the same room as Sue Grafton. Imagine that!) And I saw many of my friends from the Mid-Atlantic MWA. It was a joy to see Verna Suit again, along with Donna Andrews, Marcia Talley, and Trish Carrico. I met Avery Ames, a fellow Guppy who won first place with her novel - cool! She was so gracious, friendly, and fun. There were tons on SINC members there, and so many Guppies, I can't begin to name them all. Thank goodness I remembered my Guppy name tag. It was like I was in a secret club or something.

I had a blast on my Malice panel with Kaye George, Kris Neri, Kay Finch, and moderator Joan Boswell. We had quite the time in a dimly lit room at 8:45 in the morning. Hotel staff slunk in like the Pink Panther bearing floor lamps, making me silly with laughter. Everyone soldiered on as if nothing was happening, but I couldn't help commenting on it as we spoke about murder staying all in the family. Afterwards, people lined up for me to sign my books. What fun!

Roommate Barbara Graham and I took a jaunt on the Metro down to DC. Peggy Ehrhart caught the same train and went elsewhere in DC, but it was nice that our paths crossed so randomly! I admitted to being hopeless with maps and directions, so intrepid Barbara set us out on a course to see the Post Office Museum. Both of us had been to numerous Smithsonians, so this was quite a lark. We ended up a bit far from the Museum, metro-stop wise, so we spent the afternoon strolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, talking and gawking. We phoned Wyoming for directions and soon were on the right track. Eventually, we found the museum and we were impressed with the number of exhibits. Everything from wagons and planes and trains to mail bags and Pony Express riders and stamps galore. Lots of history in that place. Then it was back to the Metro to Bethesda, where I met a New Orleans gal attending Howard University, and Barbara met a young man from Wyoming who she tried to matchmake with her best friend's daughter, also living in DC.

More pics below. I'm getting my sea legs back under me today, then its off to Killer Nashville in August!

  

Five Star trio! Maggie, Michael Mallory, & Barbara Graham



Five Star and Guppy quartet! from left Peggy Ehrhart, Amanda Flower, Barbara Graham, and Maggie Toussaint












The Post Office Museum in DC



Maggie at the Post Office Museum
















Malice is already on my calendar for next year - see you there!

Maggie Toussaint
http://www.maggietoussaint.com/