MAYHEM IN THE MIDLANDS 2007

I flew back to NYC from Omaha yesterday, after attending my second consecutive "Mayhem in the Midlands" conference. I thought last year was great, and this year was better. I have to qualify my reason: this year I was on two panels, and I read an excerpt from my recently completed novel. I met up with writers I've hung out with before at various conferences or readings: Anthony Neil Smith, Sean Doolittle, Chris Everheart, Gary Bush and Craig Johnson. I got to meet several terrific, established writers for the first time: Karen E. Olson, Lori Armstrong, Carl Brookins, Thomas J. Keevers, Trey Barker, Chris Grabenstein. The panels were fun, thought provoking, and (thankfully) well-attended. Neil rocked, and Sean still has me contemplating issues he brought up. Craig is one smooth moderator, even without the cowboy hat. I always enjoy talking to cops, or former cops, and Thomas Keevers's take on hardboiled fiction has me scrambling to add his books to my TBR pile. Carl Brookins was a generous moderator. I read from my novel FURY at my conversation slot time on Friday afternoon, and it was nice to see Chris and Gary in attendance. They're both formidable writers and it's good to get feedback from guys like that. Of course, there was the usual hanging out to be done in Old Market. And it was done. If you are ever in Omaha (okay: stop the jokes), do yourself a favor and go to Jobbers Canyon to eat, and have the Black and Bleu burger. You will not go wrong. I'm a fan of Nebraska (my book is set there), and it was tranquil to sit by the Missouri River at Rick's Cafe for dinner one night, with Kimberly and Amanda and James Marsh. I had the pleasure to eat lunch on Saturday with Scott Montgomery, who knows a hell of a lot about crime fiction. The Embassy Suites hotel rocked, but they need to up that one-free-drink-per-guest limit. The conversation with Lori, Trey, Karen, Scott, Craig, Judy, Chris, Kimberly, Gary, Sean, Neil, Et Al on Saturday night -- which went for hours -- was what it's all about. Good times with awfully good writers.