Living With Your Kids Is Murder is a finalist for the Lefty Award at the Left Coast Crime Conference

I just received some exciting news. My novel, Living With Your Kids Is Murder, is a finalist for the Lefty Award at the Left Coast Crime Conference, taking place in March. The Lefty is given to the best humorous novel published in 2009. I'm in great company. The other finalists are:
Donna Andrews Swan for the Money
Denise Dietz Strangle a Loaf of Italian Bread
Rita Lakin Getting Old Is a Disaster
Kris Neri High Crimes on the Magical Plane

Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America

I’ve just been elected vice-president of Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America. As president, Mario Acevedo, says we’re the largest and smallest MWA chapter—largest in geography and smallest in number of members. It’s a great group of people, and we have monthly meetings at the Denver Press Club, the second Thursday of the month (except for June through August) which feature fascinating speakers and dinner. This last Thursday Dr. Joe Gentile, Forensic Odontologist, spoke on solving crimes through dental identification. Next month Lieutenant Sanchez of the Denver Police Department’s vice and narcotics unit will speak about the seamy and dangerous business of prostitution. In October Silvia Pettem will describe the Boulder Jane Doe case from 1954, and in November Detective Chuck Heidel will recount the Tantra Rapist case that was solved after eleven years of persistence. In December we’ll all be going to the Adams Mystery Dinner Playhouse for our holiday party. Anyone who is in the Denver area is invited to join the meetings. Visit http://www.rmmwa.org.

Aging and Other Minor Inconveniences

In conjunction with my writing, I’ve been giving a presentation titled, Aging and Other Minor Inconveniences, to organizations around the Colorado Front Range. Yesterday I gave a talk to a great group of people, the Boulder chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). The Colorado Federation President, Frank Impinna, also attended to initiate the new officers of the Boulder chapter. I enjoyed his presentation, and he shared several indicators of how you know you’re getting older. You know you’re getting older when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes and you’re barefoot. You know you’re getting older when getting lucky means finding your car in the parking lot. You know you’re getting older when a little action means taking fiber. You know you’re getting older when your sweetie says let’s go upstairs and go to bed and you answer, pick one.

Writing During the Holidays - 2

I try to write everyday and have been pretty good about it during most of the holidays. Over the Thanksgiving week when we were in Los Angeles, I only wrote two days. Too many activities with family scheduled. I have a set of priorities I follow: top priority is family emergencies, then work (writing) emergencies, then normal family activities, then normal work (writing) activities. I set my schedule when I’m at home and can stay with it pretty well, but on the road I’m either at a conference and spending time with other people or with family and spending time with them. Still, I got in a lot of writing time over the last month. I completed the rough draft for a thriller and am now in editing mode.

Writing During the Holidays

This time of year isn’t the easiest to find time to write with everything going on. Still, I’ve been able to carve out some time in the mornings to work on the thriller I’m writing. Our daughter is visiting and she and my wife like to stay up late and sleep in. Being a morning person, I’m up and ready to go in the morning so that’s my writing time before everyone else wakes up. I’ve also been researching Nikola Tesla. He’s a fascinating character—an incredible inventor of alternating current engines, the first remote control device, wireless before Marconi as well as weapon systems. He also had a wealth of personal quirks including not wanting to be touched, doing things such as swimming laps in multiples of three and being afraid of germs even though he fed pigeons in his hotel room in New York before his death in 1943. Tesla provides a great background for a story I’m wiorking on.

Speaking at Retirement Communitis

When speaking at retirement communities I always meet such interesting people. I gave a talk this afternoon and the audience stayed engaged, laughed at my jokes and asked great questions. People also share their stories. On the sad side, one woman described being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in her fifties, took medication for seven years and then another doctor determined she did not have Alzheimer’s. In the meantime the medication took a toll on her and she had to quit her job. She had been through a lot of suffering and had a very unhappy expression on her face. She told me she hoped to be able to smile again. On the positive side, a man spoke up about how much he enjoyed living in the retirement home. He was a widower and was delighted at all the attentions he was receiving from the ladies.

State of the Book Business

A lot of changes lately in the book business. In addition to the consolidation of companies and cut backs due to economic conditions, Kirkus Review is going out of business. This was one of the premier sources of reviews for new books, and I hate to see them disappear (especially since they are known as tough reviewers and gave my second Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery, Living With Your Kids Is Murder, a good review). Also, the recent announcement of Harlequin starting a vanity press subsidiary has Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America up in arms. Harlequin has been disinvited from RWA’s annual conference and Harlequin has been placed on the list of non-recognized publisher by MWA. For me as a writer, I’m plugging away, half way through the first draft of a thriller. I had one signing snowed out last Sunday and participated in another signing yesterday at a Barnes and Noble in Denver. The best part of that was spending time with fellow authors Carol Berg and Deb Stover. I have several presentations scheduled at retirement communities later this month and then I’ll be ready for the new year.