Countdown to Bouchercon--Three Weeks

The second Bouchercon I attended was 2012 in Cleveland, an easy drive for those of us here in the Pittsburgh area. Let me just say, although I have grown up with the bitter football rivalry between the Browns and the Steelers, I discovered I LOVE Cleveland. It's a beautiful city.

It helped that I had excellent hotel room karma that trip. Somehow I ended up on one of the concierge floors (I had to swipe my room key in the elevator to access that level. You can bet I was on the receiving end of some raised eyebrows as convention goers wondered who I was!) While my friends had views of other buildings, I had a view of the lake!

And the room itself was HUGE. We could have held a dance in there!

Since my room mate was 8 1/2 months pregnant, she didn't stay the entire time, so my room became the designated "crash" space for when my Pittsburgh buddies needed to put their feet up a while.

We took several nice strolls outside...

...especially once we discovered The Chocolate Bar a few blocks away. Reese's Cup Chocolate Martini. Oh. My. God. I had a picture of  me enjoying one of those entirely too much, but it seems to have been lost. Heh.

Anyway, here's a picture of some of the Pittsburgh contingent at the Sisters in Crime Breakfast. My very pregnant roomie Jennifer Little Fleck, me, and Martha Reed.

Incoming Sisters in Crime president Hank Phillippi Ryan takes over the reins from outgoing president Frankie Bailey.

There was singing.

And there were panels. This one was moderated by Pittsburgh friend, the Fab Nancy Martin.


More Pittsburgh pals--Laurie Stephens, who was at that time the owner of Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Martha, my current critique buddy Mary Sutton (to whom I lent my shoes...you'll have to ask one of us to tell you that story), and me.

The incomparable Mary Higgins Clark was the Guest of Honor.

I had the good luck to share the elevator with her on the final day. She was so gracious and I was such a fan girl. So was Mary Sutton. Another story you'll have to ask us about when you see us.

It was yet another fabulously fun Bouchercon. And only three more weeks until the next one!





Comments

Liz Milliron said…
Omigosh - that room! You definitely had good room karma. And the Chocolate Bar. How many times did we go there?

Don't worry. I've only planned to bring Clarks flats to NOLA, so your shoes are safe!
Annette said…
I have no idea how many times I walked to the Chocolate Bar. The first trip was just me and Karen from Ohio. After that, we kept grabbing new people. "You HAVE to try this place!"

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