Bouchercon Report!

I'm back from Bouchercon for twenty-four hours, long enough to get groceries, cook, clean, do four loads of laundry, shuttle Junior around, and oh yeah, work on the book!

Did I have a marvelous time? Why, yes, of course I did. This was my fifth Bouchercon, if you can believe it. Four years ago, in Anchorage, I met Juliet Blackwell, and for the past few years she's been my conference roommate and travel buddy and all-around partner in crime. So grateful! And this year, my brother Mike - who's got a book coming out this spring - was in attendance as well. I could hardly ask for more.

By the time I arrived in St. Louis - a couple of hours from the central Missouri town where I grew up - I had a long list of people I hoped to visit with. I wish I could say there was time to spend with them all. But despite burning every candle in sight at both ends, I returned home having missed a few.


Signing at the Crimespree booth with Julie and Brad Parks

I bowled a spectacularly poor game with my team, the Minotaur Marauders - but we won the "Best Shirts" prize!

My brother Mike Cooper with Pam Callow

with Hillary Davidson - before her Anthony win!

with my agent Barbara Poelle. I am not actually twice her size though every photo of us together makes it seem so!

Room Party! - with darling Johnnie from MurderByTheBook in Houston

One of my two favorite roommates, Nicole Peeler, adorably snuggled in for the night

Other highlights:

spending some time with Maddee, web designer extraordinaire and dear friend

seeing Sarah and the whole St. Martins crew

attending my first Noir At The Bar

meeting Chris and Katerina Holm for the first time

seeing old friend and mentor and all-around great guy Craig Macdonald

shaking hands, for the second year in a row, with idol Daniel Woodrell

having coffee and a chat with Oline Cogdill

Having a 10:00 AM (yes that's AM, folks) shot and beer with a mystery writer friend who I shall not name, whose talent is matched only by his stories

On The Stands This Month - More Than Usual of Me

In a lovely, strange confluence of events, I am in not one but two magazines this month: the October issues of both Writer's Digest and Psychology Today!

In the former I wrote an essay for an article called "What an Agent Can Really Do For You," in which I assiduously avoid the question and ramble on about how Barbara and I are basically industry Glamour-Don'ts.



In Psychology Today, my brother and I were in this article called "Talent Dynasties: When Siblings Share the Spotlight." In the car today Junior said dubiously, "I wouldn't exactly call you and Uncle Mike a 'dynasty'" and changed the subject, so it seems doubtful that fame will ensue. It was a lot of fun, but after taking ten billion photos of us, they picked the one where Mike looks scowly, as if he's thinking "ha, Franzen, I don't see your literary ass in here!" and I look tentative and bland, not at all like a writer of apocalypses and bondage gear. They did airbrush out my cellulite, however, so I am not complaining.

BANISHED giveaway winners!

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday! Thanks to all who followed/tweeted/liked for me last week. I'm happy to be sending signed copies of BANISHEd to five of you! If you could, please email me sophie@sophielittlefield.com with your snail mail address and the name you'd like the book signed to, if any.

BANISHED is suitable for readers age 13 and older. If you like it, please be on the lookout for UNFORSAKEN, the companion novel, due out October 11.

Winners:
Melissa - @MelLHay on twitter
Eileen Hutson - @madjon51 on twitter
Trisha Ziegenhorn
Shelley Romano
Jeri Smith-Ready

Win BANISHED !

The paperback version of my first young adult novel, BANISHED, will hit the stands in a couple of weeks, but I'm giving away five signed copies now to celebrate!

Lots of ways to qualify for the drawing - you can:

"like" my Facebook fan page...

follow me on Twitter...

RT or tweet this drawing on Twitter...

mention it on your blog (I'll put you in the drawing three times for that!)...

...or just post a comment here if you're already following/liking/whatever-ing me. (glad we're friends. :)

Winners posted early next week.

More Audiobooks!!

I spoke too soon: I have, not three, but FIVE audiobooks out, which makes me feel indescribably happy.
Click here for the first two in the AFTERTIME series - you can hear a free sample at Audible:

AFTERTIME

REBIRTH

Thank you to Steve Feldberg of Audible.com, for taking on the project; Ellen Archer (at right) for providing the excellent narration; and Jayme Mattler at OutLoud audio for the meticulous read she gave the project. What a team!