This is our special Maine Crime Wave edition. If technology cooperates, we’ll be adding to this post from the venue in Portland. If it doesn’t, look for more follo
w-up in future posts.
Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by James Hayman (Monday), Barbara Ross (Tuesday), Susan Vaughan (Wednesday), John Clark (Thursday), and Kate Flora (Friday).
In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:
Lea Wait: On Tuesday, April 22, (spring vacation week for Maine’s schools) I’ll be speaking about my latest book for young people, Uncertain Glory, at 3 p.m. in the Wiscasset Library, on High Street in Wiscasset. I’ll be bringing with me some primary sources … and some 19th century kitchen utensils and memories of Wiscasset. Readers of all ages invited, and copies of my books will be available for purchase and signing.
An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.
And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. Contact Kate Flora: kateflora@gmail.com
Kait Carson
Charlene D’Avanzo 
Just back from Maine Crime Wave in Portland, sponsored by Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. It was a huge success! About eighty people attended the panels and workshops. Tess Gerritsen’s keynote address was lively and informative. The panels were interesting (says she who was on two out of the three!) and the workshops offered excellent advice. The one day conference also provided an opportunity for contributors past and present to get together in person, a rare event given the size of the state of Maine. Gerry, Kate, Julia, Paul and I were presenters. John, Jim, Susan, and Lea were among the attendees. For me, personally, it was great to see some writer friends I haven’t run into in ages, and to meet some new folks, too. And, oh, yes, in that other matter important to writers, the food was good. Talk has already begun about doing this again next year.
I second Kaitlyn’s enthusiastic reply. I had a terrific time, got James Hayman to sign a copy of his new book that will go into the HPL collection this weekend, chatted with old friends, made some new ones and came away with three pages of notes of story ideas, the setting for a second book in my planned juvenile mystery series as well as a bunch of plot elements to add to my YA contemporary I’m working on right now. You can’t ask for more from a one day conference.