Into the Bear's Den(ver)
This week I’ll be headed to Denver for Left Coast Crime. I’ve never visited the city before, though I’ve come within spitting distance on a cross-country road trip. (Still missing you, Fort Collins!)
If you know Denver and have any recommendations — especially for any bookstores or cool, weird historical landmarks — I’m all ears. All I know is two of my favorite musicians had a list of things to do in Denver, with the caveat being you had to be… dead. John Cale suggested keeping your gun in your pocket and your tongue in your mouth:
And the late, great Mr. Warren Zevon a slightly different take on the topic:
(Always wondered what was up with these two songs. Did Miramax solicit a bunch of songs for the 1995 Gary Fleder film? And did only Mr. Cale and Mr. Zevon show up with their homework in hand?)
If you’re attending LCC, here’s where you can find me:
Thursday (3/13), 9 to 11 a.m.: Speed dating! In which two authors attempt to charm 144 lovely readers with two-minute pitches about their latest book. My partner in crime will be my SoCal neighbor Anne Louise Bannon, talking about Death of a Drunkard, the latest in her Old Los Angeles series. I’ll be talking about California Bear, and giving out some surprise bear-related swag.
Friday (3/14), 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: The Lefty Best Novel Nominees panel, hosted by the wonderful Wendall Thomas. Stop by and watch me duke it out with Claire Booth, Margot Douaihy, Rob Hart Leslie Karst and James L’Etoile, Thuderdome-style! Okay, fine, that’s not how the Lefty Awards work. But with a panel packed with these talented folks, I guarantee an excellent time.
Also Friday afternoon, I’ll be doing one of those Author-Reader Connections, where you team up with a small group of fellow mystery lovers and… plot a murder or something. You think I’m kidding, but that’s actually what I proposed. MURDER 101 (WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT) is sold out, but I’ll let you know how it goes.
Saturday (3/14), 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.: The Craft of Writing panel with Ellen Byron, Rob Hart, Nina Simon and Your Humble Polish Narrator, hosted by Margaret “Get” Lucke. Come armed with questions! We are prepared to answer them all.
Also Saturday, at 7 p.m. is the Lefty Awards Banquet. I’ll be co-hosting a table with my friend Lina Chern, author of Play the Fool — one of the breakout debuts of 2023 and winner of the 2024 Mary Higgins Clark Award! The table will be full of tarot-themed (Lina) and more bear-themed (me) swag and gifts. We tried to hire a fortune-telling grizzly, but his talent agent was kind of being a jerk, so you’ll be stuck with just the two of us.
And be sure to hit the book room, where Author, Author! (based in Colorado Springs) will have plenty of copies of California Bear on hand, along with a handful of Secret Dead Men (the new-ish Titan edition).
Otherwise, I’ll be attending panels, lurking in the halls or wandering the streets of Denver. Say hello if you see me! I’ll give you a bear or Gleeful Mayhem sticker, like we’re in kindergarten, or something.