Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Fun on the road





I'm in Scottsdale right now. Relaxing on the lounge chair in our hotel garden room. Lovely. Left Coast Crime was just great. Really well organized and in a spectacular setting to boot. The La Fonda Hotel is a historic old hotel and was a wonderful place for the conference even if it was difficult to find some of the rooms at times. We arrived a day early and went to Taos which was just fabulous. Loved poking around Santa Fe and buying jewellry and eating great meals.

Then it was on to Phoenix. We decided to drive rather than fly and see the sites. What there is of them. We spent the night in Holbrook, Arizona "the town too tough for women and churches." About all I can say if the women left Holbrook it was because it's so darned boring. We had an expensive, yet dreadful dinner, and stayed in a second-rate hotel. Oh, well, all part of the experience. The next day we stopped at a state park outside of Winslow and had a wonderful tour of the ruins. You know what Winslow, Arizona is famous for, right? Take it easy.

In Scottsdale we're staying at the Hotel Valley Ho, which is definately not second-rate. It's more like a resort than a city hotel. We've been relaxing around the pool with rum and pineapple drinks.

Last night I was at the Poisoned Pen with R.J. Harlick and Wayne Arthurson for a enjoyable discussion with Barbara Peters and this afternoon we're off to Glendale to the Velma Teague Library to visit with Lesa Holstine and tonight I'm speaking to the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers at the Chaparell Suites hotel.

As a reminder: The Poisoned Pen got copies of Among the Departed five weeks before release date. So if you want a signed copy: sales@poisonedpen.com

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Spring Travels

One of the things I like best about being a writer is the travel. I love to go to new places to attend conferences and meet readers and fellow-authors and to go back to the places that I’ve enjoyed before.

This spring I have quite a bit of both lined up. I have a couple of people coming to house sit when I’m away, so hopefully there won’t be too, too much gardening for me when I finally settle back down.

I’ll be in New Mexico next week for Left Coast Crime. I’ve never been to New Mexico, but I’ve always wanted to and when I heard that one of my favourite conferences was going to be held in Santa Fe I jumped at the chance.

And, as long as I’m in New Mexico, might as well pop over to Scottsdale to visit the Poisoned Pen. I’ll be there, along with Canadian writers R.J. Harlick and Wayne Arthurson, on Tuesday March 29. The next day, Wednesday, R.J. and I are going to be visiting Lesa Holstine at the Teague Library in Glendale. I always love getting together with Lesa and talking books.

That evening I have the honour to be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers. I’ll be talking about the Simple Writer’s Life and how I’ve achieved it. (That’s the simple life of a writer, not the life of a simple writer).

I’ll barely be back from the South West when it’s time to get on the road again to join Mary Jane Maffini and Elizabeth Duncan in a road trip to North Carolina, to Maryland for Malice Domestic, and Pittsburgh for the Festival of Mystery which is definitely a must-do for me every year.

Back to Ontario with scarcely enough time to get the new house-sitter settled in, wash some laundry, and then I’m going to Ottawa for the launch party of Among the Departed on Monday May 9th and from there it’s points west ending in Victoria for Bloody Words.

All the details of my stops are on Book Tour, so if you’re in the neighbourhood, be sure and drop in and say hi.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Murder at Lost Dog Lake by Vicki Delany


Have a Kindle or other e-reader? I've taken an old book of mine titled Murder at Lost Dog Lake and converted it to Kindle. Then I put it up on Amazon and am offering it for $2.99. I wanted to charge .99 but they wouldn't allow that. Here's the blurb:

2004 EPPIE finalist for best mystery.

Leanne Aimes, ex-cop, bitter single mother, private investigator, really needs a vacation. And the wilderness of Algonquin Park seems like just the place where she can relax and forget her troubles. A guided canoe trip is exactly what she needs. But it isn't long before her companions beginning fighting amongst themselves. When a storm of unprecedented ferocity descends, the group is trapped on a remote island in the center of Lost Dog Lake. And Leanne comes to realize that someone in their small group is a murderer.

"A delightful read with a twist ending. A story that will hold your interest and one with lots of surprises. ... the reader feels like they are a third party in a two-man canoe. All you need is an oar." Anne K. Edwards, Blether Book Reviews
.

Click here to order for Kindle: Amazon. If you like the book, I'd appreciate a quick review on Amazon. It will be available for Smashwords, Sony, and Kobo in the next day or so.

Vicki Delany's Spring Book Tour

I've posted the details of my events this spring at Booktour. Take a peek and come out to chat if you're going to be in the area. In March it's Santa Fe for Left Coast Crime and then onto Phoenix and Scottsdale. I'll be at Poisoned Pen and at Teague Libary with Robin Harlick. Then in April it's North Carolina with Mary Jane Maffini and Elizabeth Duncan and then Malice Domestic and Festival of Mystery. And in May I'm off on a cross-Canada tour ending in Victoria for Bloody Words. www.booktour.com/authors/vicki_delany . I have a feeling that I'm going to have a very neglected garden this year.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Police Training

I spent two days this week at police in-service training school. Really interesting stuff. They were doing vehicle stops, high risk takedowns, and Immediate Rapid Deployment in a high-target envirement. All I do is watch, and try to stay out of the way. I don't even get to play the victim. I learned so much and its highly unlikey much of this stuff will find its way into the Constable Molly Smith books. I don't write techno thrillers, so I'm not really interesting in putting weaponry and tactics into these books. But I am interested in how the police officers must be feeling as they enter, say, a school occupied by a shooter. Are they scared? Focused? Determined? I want to know how they work as a team and they co-ordinate amongst themselves. That might well find it's way into Molly Smith and John Winters lives some day.

They also viewed video taken of traffic stops that turned bad. We saw a couple of officers, and cars, taken out by traffic speeding by on the highway. Not nice at all. So here's a tip for all you drivers out there: If you see those flashing red and blue lights up ahead pulled over to the side of the highway - move over. Please.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

New Releases


Poisoned Pen Press is going to re-release my first two books from them, Scare the Light Away, and Burden of Memory, this spring. I'm really pleased. That means that they think the books deserve a second go around. As well as new covers, they will be featured in the press's catelogue. Here's a first glimpse of the propsed new covers. These are still in development, so might not be the finished product. Let me know what you think.













And, if you haven't read Scare the Light Away and/or Burden of Memory you don't need to wait until spring. They are in print and widely availabe. Including in all electronic formats.

Many indepentent bookstores are now selling e-books. Why not see if your favourite store has them?
Kindle
Kobo
Sony
Nook