Donovan and Marcus

Marcus Lattimore and Donovan Craft

What great looking guys! On the right is my good friend, Donovan Craft, son of wonderful author and my bestest buddy Susan F. Craft. Standing beside him is Marcus Lattimore, now a running back for the San Francisco 49ers, but from 2010 through 2012 a star player for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks and coach Steve Spurrier. On October 27, 2012, when Lattimore sustained an injury to his right leg while playing against the Tennessee Volunteers, the crowd gave him a standing ovation and both teams joined together to wish him well. Two truly gifted athletes and honorable men.

Left Coast Crime

Best wishes to authors and fans attending Left Coast Crime in Monterey, California. This annual mystery convention is held during the first quarter of the calendar year in Western North America, as defined by the Mountain Time Zone and all time zones westward to Hawaii. It recognizes outstanding achievement for the best humorous mystery novel (the Lefty); the Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award (for novels set before 1960); best U.S. mystery (the Squid); and best mystery set outside the U.S. (the Calamari). First held in San Francisco in 1991, this conference will take place in Portland, Oregon next year.

A Malice Domestic Panel

This May, I’ll be moderating a panel at Malice Domestic, a conference for fans of traditional, Agatha Christie-style mysteries. I’ve attended Malice for ten years, but this will be my first time participating on a panel. Called “Three Heads Are Better Than One: Sleuths Who Work Together,” it features authors Sally Goldenbaum, Liz Stauffer, B.K.(Bonnie) Stevens, and Wendy Tyson, and considers sleuths working in ensembles, some amateurs (Sally and Liz’s) and others private investigators (B.K. and Wendy’s). The panel takes place at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 3rd. Thanks to Barb Goffman, Malice’s program coordinator, for making this wonderful assignment!

Mary Helen Okes

I’m remembering my aunt Mary Helen Okes’ legacy on the anniversary of her birth. After 38 years, she retired as postmaster of the one-person office in Blue Jay, WV. A lifelong Raleigh County resident and member of Blue Jay United Methodist Church, she let children stay in the warm post office until the school doors opened and never betrayed a confidence. If asked to reveal a secret, she replied, “I really couldn’t say.” If someone were mad about something, she said, “They have the same shoes to get glad in.” She loved jokes, puzzles, gospel music, and sharing with others.