Hello, Wicked People. Susannah here, back from Malice Domestic and ready to catch up with you…
This was my first ever Malice Domestic. I’ve been to large conferences before, RWA (Romance Writers of America) Nationals, for example, but this was my first reader-centric conference. And it was super fun! I loved meeting so many readers who are as crazy about cozies as I am. And I met lots of writers as well. Win-win, all around.
So today I thought I’d give you my Top Ten Things I Learned at Malice, in no particular order:
- Everybody knows (and loves) Dru Ann, and it was an honor to be able to give her a hug and say thank you in person for all she does.
- It is worth publishing a book with Berkley Prime Crime just to be able to attend the publisher’s dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Seriously, great company, and that pecan-topped sweet potato casserole, and it’s a wonder I even went back to the hotel instead of setting up camp and waiting for next May to roll around.
- I could listen to Catriona McPherson’s fabulous Scottish burr all day long. And I discovered that she and I share a love of shopping at Dress Barn!
- A very nice hotel room all to one’s self for a few days is a luxury I hope everyone can manage at some point in their lives.
- The women of the Wicked Cozies are, well, Wicked Fun to hang out with. Okay, I knew that already. But it bears repeating. Come find us at a conference and you’ll see what I mean.
- Next year, I’ll take some time and explore outside the hotel a bit more. Bethesda, Maryland, where the conference is held, has some very fun-looking restaurants and stores, including a chocolate shop I meant to go back to and didn’t. Drat!
- I still haven’t unpacked my bag of conference swag. I wonder what’s in there? That will be something I learn after the conference.
- Next year, I will bring more swag of my own. I didn’t realize how much I’d need or that people would actually want it, so I hardly had anything to hand out. Readers, I’m not cheap. Just clueless.
- Coffee–don’t drink so much of it at future conferences. I was up half the night. On second thought, maybe it was okay, since I got to enjoy that solo hotel room for that many more waking hours.
- Malice has been added to my list of Must-Go conferences. See you next year!
What conferences are on your Must-Go list?