I feel a little like I've made it. I was invited to Janet Rudolph's Literary Salon. Janet is the head honcho for the Mystery Reader's Journal. Many mystery readers read her journal for articles by mystery authors and if they are lucky enough to live in the Berkeley, CA area, they can come to her literary salons held in her home and meet them.
Janet had a spread of sweets, savory, and wine. Just what book buffs need. There were eleven in attendance in her charming home in the winding hills above Berkeley, and I gave my usual spiel, which entails my getting up and swinging weapons about. It's a crowd pleaser. I answered questions about Crispin, about me, about writing, about publishing and everyone seemed to have a jolly good time.
But what was also a highlight of this part of our trip, was meeting--in the flesh!--one of my online critique buddies. This is a group I've been with almost since day one, some five or six years. We got together from Sisters in Crime online and only communicated through email or through snail mail, but never in person and never even on the phone. Well, I finally met one of them for the literary salon: Ana Brazil (below). One of three great ladies without whom I could not get my manuscripts in shape. Thank you guys! It was good to meet you, Ana! At last!
I appear to be holding court at the salon. And that's Guppy Gigi there first on the left.
Ana Brazil--critiquer extraordinaire--and me.
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