Bcon, Baby!

By Cornelia

Here is what I feel like most of the year:




Unless school is out, and I feel like this:



(except for having two daughters instead of four sons and a dog, and of course NOT being married to David Niven)

And here is what my house looks like:


Sometimes I make contact with the outside world on an actual telephone, rather than by email:

But those moments are pretty rare.

Annually for the last three years, however, I have taken off for a distant city to hang out with all these other groovy crime-bookish type persons at a wonderful thing called Bouchercon.

The prospect always makes me feel like this:

One of the coolest things about going to Bouchercon is that I get to stay in a hotel room, which contains towels and sheets and stuff that I did not have to personally launder.



Well, okay, the first year I stayed in the youth hostel in Toronto, so I got one sheet to make my bed with and had to bring my own towel, but it was painted really groovy colors (actual photo of actual hostel interior):



which pretty much made up for the towel thing.

Although if you ever stay in a youth hostel once you are forty-plus years old, I recommend earplugs and an eyeshade, even if you get the single room:



Because you are not allowed to tell your fellow guests to be quiet, since they are Other People's Children.

Last year, though, I got to room with my secret twin Andi Shechter in more grownup accomodations.



This year we will be doing the same.

The only problem is that we talk too much and don't sleep a whole lot. But here is one thing we don't have time for at Bcon:



And we will also have a gathering of three members of our band, the Sad Anoraks, because Louise Ure will be there too:




But we will miss our fourth member Shaz Wheeler:



Sandra Ruttan and I have threatened to get tattoos:


I already have one-and-a-half myself, but I think she will chicken out.

And I get to be on a panel:



(Only it will be with Ken Bruen, Alafaire Burke, Laura Lippman, and Zoe Sharp {in alphabetical order} at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning--and I bet we won't have to wear masks)

This is the first time I will be at Bouchercon as an actually published person:



Which still feels like I'm hallucinating, even though I am trying to finish editing my SECOND book:



SO if you're reading this and will be in Madison for Bcon, please come up and say hey, and we should hoist a few:



And party like cheesy ersatz bohemians:




Dudes, I am SO STOKED!!!