Killer Nashville 2015

Michael Rubin, Robert Rotstein, Douglas Jones,PGB

At Killer Nashville, I enjoyed participating in two great panels. “Ask an Attorney: Belly up to the Bar and Ask your Questions about Legal Procedure” featured Douglas Jones, Robert Rotstein, and Michael Rubin. Our topics included courtroom procedure, copyright, defamation, and planning for your literary estate.

Linda Fisher, Rae James, PGB, Earl Fisher, Joseph Terrell

In “Double-Duty Dialogue: How to Write Dialogue That’s More Than Just Talk,” Earl G. Fisher, Linda Fisher, Rae James, Joseph Terrell, and I launched into a rousing discussion with our audience about what to include and exclude from dialogue exchanges, and how to use dialogue for multiple purposes, particularly advancing plot and developing character.

Seeing a Special Friend in Nashville

Sandra Brannan, PGB

Sandra Brannan lives in South Dakota’s Black Hills; works with relatives in the mining business; has a husband, four sons, and three grandchildren; and, writes the thrilling Liv Bergen mystery series about a mine manager who investigates murders, becomes involved with an FBI agent, and eventually joins the FBI herself. Since I met Sandra at Malice Domestic, she has been tremendously supportive of me and my writing. I was so delighted when she came to the SC Book Festival and enjoyed seeing her at Killer Nashville, where I met her son. She is a lovely person and wonderful writer.

Conceived in Nashville

Sara York, Lisa Jackson, PGB, Mary Burton, Jenna Bennett

At Killer Nashville, I was privileged to moderate the “Sex Scenes in Crime Fiction” panel with bestselling authors Jenna Bennett/Jennie Bentley, Mary Burton, Lisa Jackson, and Sara York. I began by explaining that I was uniquely qualified to be the moderator (although my mother would hate my telling this reason) because I was conceived in Nashville. Then, each author shared excellent information about writing scenes integral to the plot that advance the action and help develop characters. They also told about readers' notes about how their books had affected lives. Thanks to KN and these wonderful authors for the opportunity!

KN's Short Story Panel

PGB, Robert Mangeot, Debra Goldstein, Warren Bull, Kaye George

Our short story panel at Killer Nashville gathered together friends Warren Bull, Kaye George, and Debra Goldstein for a lively discussion of shorter crime fiction. Robert Mangeot, our excellent panel leader, has published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and this year’s MWA’s Ice Cold Anthology. Debra is celebrating acceptance of her story to The Killer Wore Cranberry 4; Kaye’s Fat Cat series, that she has written as Janet Cantrell, debuts in September; and Warren and I, both Writers Who Kill contributing bloggers, met for the first time in person. We had a wonderful, receptive audience and thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Enjoying Killer Nashville

Stacy Allen, Riley Miller, Kay Kendall

My family and I have special connections with Nashville. Those were enhanced by my first trip to Killer Nashville, a conference for mystery and thriller readers. Riley Miller, an 11th grade teacher and excellent writer, invited me to travel and room with her. We had a wonderful journey and hated to see it end on Sunday night. Here she is in the lobby of the Omni hotel, as we were preparing to leave, posing with Stacy Allen, whose debut novel Expedition Indigo was released on August 18th, and Kay Kendall, author of Desolation Row and working on Rainy Day Women.