Bouchercon 2015, Part Two

Art Taylor's Anthony and books

Art Taylor

The joy of attending a writing conference is to celebrate your friends’ successes. Bouchercon certainly offered that opportunity this year. Art Taylor, whose first novel, ON THE ROAD WITH DEL AND LOUISE, was recently released (and sold out in the conference bookstore), also served as editor of the Bouchercon anthology MURDER UNDER THE OAKS (featuring stories by Robert Mangeot, Karen Salyer, and B.K. Stevens). It was delightful to see all these folks. Better still when Art Taylor’s “The Odds Are Against Us,” a Macavity finalist, won the Anthony award for best short story. And, I met Dash, Art’s Mustang-loving son!

Bouchercon 2015, Part One

PGB and Barb Goffman (Photo by Gloria Alden)

As Riley Miller and I left for Raleigh, NC, my home was under an evacuation warning due to the previous weekend’s 1000 year flood event. Fortunately, the dam remained strong. We headed north on I-95 and avoided the area where it had been closed. On Wednesday, we attended the SinC into Great Writing presentation by James Scott Bell, who taught us how to write from the middle. The Guppies met for a Mexican buffet at Twisted Mango the next day. Barb Goffman and I discovered we had the same taste in Halloween attire. Thanks to Gloria Alden for the photo!

City of Oaks

Fayetteville Street, a major thoroughfare in Raleigh, NC, connects the old State Capitol with the Convention Center. It is recognized as the city’s ceremonial center, where parades and seasonal events occur. Oak trees line the street, shedding leaves on the plentiful benches, and reminding visitors that they are in the “City of Oaks.” Columns adorned with silver oak motifs are lighted in the evening. Because it takes place in Raleigh, this year’s Bouchercon has been designated as Murder Under the Oaks. Art Taylor’s edited an anthology, with the same title, featuring stories by the conference’s honored guests and selected contributors.