Most of you know five of the six Wickeds spent last week in New Orleans at Bouchercon, the huge all-genre annual mystery and crime fiction convention (which changes locale every year: last year Raleigh, next year Toronto). 
Here are some of our pictorial highlights!
First a dinner with Barb and her husband Bill, Sherry, Julie, and Edith at Commander’s 
Palace. The food amazing, the company better, and the restaurant beautiful!
Wednesday morning was about getting registered and heading into the book room to select six books. That was like being a kid in a candy store — so many wonderful books to choose from!
Wednesday afternoon Barb, Edith, Julie and Sherry attended the Sisters In Crime SinC into Great Writing event on diversity. Speakers included Walter Mosley, Greg Herron, Cindy Brown, Linda Rodriquez, and Frankie Bailey, with Terri Bischoff in the wrap-up discussion. Each of the speakers gave a wonderful (and different) perspective on a wide range of topics.
Thursday Barb, Edith, Liz, and Sherry attended the Librarian and Booksellers Tea sponsored by Kensington. Edith and Barb read. It was great fun to meet new people!
On Thursday the Wickeds with Kensington Publishing got to meet our editors! Gary Goldstein on the left edits Sherry and John Scognamiglio (don’t pronounce the Gs) edits Edith, Barb, and Liz.
Friday was the Cozy and Proud meet up!
Friday was also the Second Line parade, closing down Canal Street for a grand musical march with guests of honor in floats, and Sisters in Crime founder/goddess Sara Paretsky posing with the woman on stilts. 
Then there were panels — so many great panels to choose from!
Visiting friends is always a huge part of going to any conference!
Saturday brought the Sisters in Crime breakfast. Outgoing president Leslie Budewitz
summed up the year’s considerable accomplishments and handed the seal of office (named Celine) to incoming prez Diane Vallere. Then we toasted 30 years of this fabulous organization with champagne!
And then the sights of New Orleans!
And the fabulous beignets at the Cafe du Monde!
Readers: Have you been to New Orleans? Do you have a favorite spot?
Cafe du Monde without question. It definitely lived up to its reputation for me. Great coffee and showers of powdered sugar!!!!
Yes!
Double yes! (I went twice.)
There are several satellite Cafe du Mondes in the Nola metro area. But none of them have the atmosphere of the French Quarter. So it never feels like the real thing.
It was definitely an experience, and one I’m glad I got to share with you all. What I want to know is: am I the only one having a hard time getting back to real life???
No! I was in a daze yesterday, and managed to read proofs but did nothing creative. Plus a nap…
I’d have killed for a nap yesterday, Edith! Note to self: do not schedule speaking events the day after returning from Bouchercon.
Annette, It will take a long time for me to get back to real life. I’m still star struck from having met so many of my favorite authors.
Thanks so much for sharing this! Bouchercon 2018 will be here in Florida–St. Pete Beach–in my neck of the woods and I’m looking forward to seeing all the Wickeds at that one. Traveled to New Orleans occasionally in my Travel Writer days and remember fondly breakfast at Mother’s. Also love cafe du Monde.
I look forward to St. Pete, too, Carol. Never been there!
It looks lke such a wonderful time! Thanks for sharing all the memories!
We missed you!
I was there, but I didn’t see ALL THOSE wonderful people and places. Thanks for sharing, Edith.
Marilyn (aka cj petterson)
I’m so sorry I missed you, Marilyn!
Oh, it was fun! So good to be part of this mystery community, and to count the Wickeds as my good friends!
And thank you SO much, Leslie, for your year of leading us so ably!
It was wonderful meeting all of you.
It was an amazing experience–even though I was usually torn between going to a panel or seeing more of the city. So much good talk! So much good food! (Did I get that order right?)
In NOLO fashion, I’m just going to say, “Which ever order works for you, hon.”
I was thrilled to meet you Sheila and so happy you enjoyed Nola.
The closest I’ve come to New Orleans is New Orleans Square in Disneyland. Not the same thing at all, I know. I wanted to go to this Bouchercon because of where it was, but it was a long shot. Those pictures are making me wish I’d been there for sure.
Highly recommend if you get a chance to go in future, Mark.
Guess I’m just a big kid. Got to hang out with RL Stine Chris Gaberstine + other YA mystery authors at NOLA lib Sat event. Loved the jazz on Frenchman St real treat tapping to the beat at various clubs.
That works, Gerald! I only saw RL Stine (whose Ghostbuster books my young son loved) on his Second Line parade float.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and wonderful pictures, Edith. My favorite New Orleans places are Cafe du Monde, Commander’s Palace and a Chinese take-out place in the French Quarter called “Takee Outee!”
I almost forgot – love, love, love Napoleon House!
Me, too!
Edith, Thanks for this great recap of Bouchercon, 2016. Your photos are fabulous! This was my first Bouchercon. I thought I would be a bit shy or tongue tied around all of you authors I admire so much. That never happened. Everyone was so very nice and friendly. I felt perfectly at ease with all you FAMOUS authors. 💜💛❤️💚💙
I felt like I was among friends.
And you were! I was delighted to get to know you and see your enthusiasm for our genre, Annette. Hope we get a chance to repeat the experience soon. (You really should come to Bethesda at the end of April. Tell Ramona to bring you again – it’s ALL cozy and traditional mysteries.)
This post is from all of us, though!
Thanks for the virtual trip to NOLA, Edith. I threw out my back and then came down with the flu so I enjoyed Boucheron via FB posts. Looks like you all had a fabulous time!
Oh, no! Hope you’re feeling better now. This post is from all of us.
I visited New Orleans once and would love to go back to spend more time. I loved Cafe du Monde. And, although I’m not a big party person, I love all the small clubs in the French Quarter with all the great music.
Such an awesome place, isn’t it?
I haven’t been for a long time, so it may not still be there, but a friend told me about a place on a side street that was EVEN better than Cafe du Monde, but I can NOT remember the name of it. They were both good, I thought! Thanks for the trip!
CDM was so fine, and out in the fresh air, I can barely imagine matching it!
You might be thinking of Cafe Beignet on Royal Street. Alton Brown swears by it, and I loved every bite. It was my first Bouchercon. I went because it was in New Orleans, and I’m already looking forward to Toronto. I’m the reader on the left in the photo with Sherry at the tea. My favorite places this trip were Commander’s Palace for the 25 cent martinis, Cafe Beignet, Palace Cafe, Willie’s Chicken Shack, and the Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone.
I loved every minute of Bouchercon and already started my first book on the plane (House of the Hanging Jade). Can’t wait to dig into the authentic mac salad I made tonight in honor of the book – as well as all the books I brought home with me in my groaning suitcases. Reader tip: fly Southwest and check your rolling carry-on on the way home.
YES, that’s it! I’m glad to read that name again.
How I love New Orleans, how I love spending time with like minded authors, what a magically inspiring week that must have been for all of you!
It was!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recap! Family stuff kept me home this time but I’m planning on Toronto for sure. I have several favorite places in NO, but the most fun was the Spotted Cat Music Club. It’s a hole in the wall bar on Frenchman St. Fabulous live music and swing dancers in 40s clothes were there, giving the whole night a cool stepping back in time feel.
It must be hard to get back to the real world after all that fun!
It was wonderful seeing you all there! I just got home last night so I’m just now catching up on my emails and blog posts, but just wanted to say thanks for hosting the cozy meetup. It was great fun!
Thanks for coming by to the cozy meetup! It was great to see you! And some lucky fan will have your autograph!