Today we are giving away goodies from Crime Bake! It includes a Crime Bake tote bag, a filled out bingo ice breaker card (with author and attendee signatures), a folder with tablet and pen, a copy of The Writer magazine, a Crime Bake survival kit, and a moose tea candle holder (our table won it in the limerick contest — William Kent Krueger picked the winner!) Here’s our winning limerick:
At Crime Bake having a ball
We met a strange moose named Saul
We thought he was dead
From the hole in his head
But 🎹 he’s going to make it after all🎹 (we sang the last line to the tune of the Mary Tyler Moore show theme song). Leave a comment for a chance to win.
Ginger Smith was the winner of our Fan On A Stick contest and here are some of her adventures:
Ginger arrives at Crime Bake!
Ginger happens by the bar and meets Barb, Lea Wait, Edith, and Kate Cone. Then she spots Julie and Sheila. But wait there’s more — there’s Toni L.P. Kelner and Sid!
Ginger takes a break and goes up to her room. What a view!
Back downstairs Ginger runs into the Wickeds again and author Ray Daniel.
Then it’s time for the banquet Let Loose With The Moose at the Pinewood Broiler — a salute to William Kent Krueger’s books and Minnesota.
There’s even a dinosaur (Rhonda Lane)! 
Ginger finds Sherry and author Shari Randall wearing their plaid. But who is that? It’s Rocky and Bullwinkle aka Hank Phillippi Ryan and her husband Jonathan!
Ginger out on the dance floor with Hallie Ephron and Lucy Burdette. She bumps in to author Marian Stanley and agent Paula Munier. Then finds authors Eleanor Carwood Jones and Diane Vallere. And oh my there is William Kent Krueger and his lovely wife!
After a wonderful day and evening Ginger is all tuckered out!
Thanks for joining us, Ginger!
Readers: Do you have a favorite event that you attend? Leave a comment for a chance to win the Crime Bake swag!
You kids are so cute!
Awwww, shucks!
It was so fun to have Ginger along for the ride!
It was!
It looks like Ginger had a ball at Crime Bake. I hope all of you did too.
I’m still tired — the price of fun!
Glad Ginger had a good time at Crime Bake. I enjoy Malice Domestic every year.
Malice is so much fun and it’s always great to see you!
It looks as if Ginger had more fun than anyone. The Wickeds have many smiles too!!!
We had fun with Ginger!
What a fun event! I loved the limerick! I am from MN, so the MTM reference is easy to bounce thru my head. Perhaps for Krueger too!? I haven’t attended an event like that, but our family reunions are always a ball. Less swag, of course! 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win!
I think the MTM reference is what did it for us. Plus, Julie had the great idea that while we sang the last line that we should toss a hat up in the air! It put us over the top.
That was so great!! Really enjoyed looking at all of the pictures.
I can’t say I have a favorite event that I attend each year, but I have fun going to RV and car shows, and of course any event where books are involved.
Both of those sound great — and book events are always fun!
I had a fabulous time being the guest on a stick! I met so many favorite authors — and a few creatures, too, it appears. Thanks for making certain I attended all the fun events, relaxed in the bar, and got my beauty sleep. Thanks for a fun weekend! Where to next?!?
You were one busy woman! Our next big event is Malice Domestic at the end of April!
Such a fun blog post today! I love looking at the pics and videos from author events. It’s like Where’s Waldo but instead of looking for Waldo I’m looking for Wickeds! My favorite was the video someone had posted from the Bouchercon NOLA parade! Everyone dancing down the street! So great! Seems like Ginger had a blast and met some fabulous people! Lucky her! And lucky whoever wins today’s giveaway prize!! Maybe it will be me! Fingers crossed! Thanks for all you do and sharing your fun at Crime Bake!
I love the Where’s Waldo analogy — so cute! Good luck!
That looked like a lot of fun! I haven’t attended enough events to have a favorite but I should would like too! 🙂
Crime Bake is part reunion, part fun, and part learning. A great event!
You guys look like you’re having so much fun! 🙂
We did! Thanks!
Ginger on a stick was so sweet.. I’m glad she had such a good time.
She was a lot of fun!
One of these days I will make it to Crime Bake. For now, I shall console myself with Malice Domestic and Bouchercon. I really can’t complain. 😉
They are all great conferences!
It looks like a lot of fun!
It is fun!
What fun at Crime Bake with Ginger!
Every year our family attends a fall and a summer event at our local library. One is a Harry Potter and the other is a Star Wars themed event. The whole staff gets dressed up and there’s a ton of activities, potion making, stories with Darth Vader… We even had Billy Dee Williams come out this year.
What fun events! Billy Dee Williams?! I was so in love with him when I was young!
Great little song and I love the fan on a stick idea. I’ve never seen that before. My yearly event I go to is ICE. It is a warehouse filled with 2 million pounds of ice based on a Christmas theme. This years is Charlie Brown. I hope to do a yearly book event someday soon but for now I’ve got Ice in Florida. 🙂
ICE sounds like a lot of fun!
I love going to Christmasfair every year and checking out all the vendors to see what I can buy for Christmas gifts. Looks like Crime Bake was fun!
The Christmasfair sounds like an event I would love!
Oh, what fun you must have all had, especially Ginger on a Stick! Thanks so much for sharing your and Ginger’s enjoyment. About every 5 years, the Toronto-based Arthur Conan Doyle Society has a big to-do get-together (not really a conference or other easily defined event) celebrating some aspect of Sherlock Holmes. I’ve gotten to three of them. A weekend of immersion into a wonderful fantasy world that is treated as if it is real. It’s where the lawyers/doctors/MBAs, etc. take off their regular hats and don deerstalkers. Lots of serious research goes into the papers that are presented, and a lot of silliness is perpetrated as well.
I would love to win the swag from the Crime Bake so I could feel as if I was a participant of that great sounding event, as well.
That sounds like a fabulous event, Ginny!
Since Bouchercon, 2016 is the only writer/reader event I have ever been to, I have to say it was my favorite. But, I look forward to going to more events in the future.
That Bouchercon was epic and it was so nice to meet you!
Wow — looks like Ginger had a blast at Crime Bake! Y’all know how to show someone a really good time, and I know she’ll cherish her Ginger on a Stick, and what great pictures. When I lived in Dallas, I always looked forward to Christmas Bazaars because I had friends selling their wares there. I look forward to one day being able to attend Malice or Boucheron!
Oh, how fun to go to Christmas Bazaars! And be sure to find us when you make it to Bouchercon or Malice!
Congrats on all the fun adventures, Ginger!
You know what it’s like!
That I do. It was a lot of fun last year.
Gee Ginger sure gets around. lol! It’s a blast to see all the fun you all have at these events. My favorite event to attend is at Christmas time. We like to go to see the lights in our neighborhood and travel to see lights.
I love to go look at lights too, Ginger! It’s our Christmas Eve tradition.
It looks like a great time was had by all (especially Ginger!), Hmm I always used to like going to the Knitting and Stitching shows, I wonder if I could hire a wheelchair and persuade my OH to take me (with his credit card lol)
I’ll bet knitting and stitching shows are fantastic!
Thanks for sharing all the photos–it looks like so much fun! I’m partial to knitting conferences, but definitely have mystery/writing events on the calendar for 2017.
Let us know which conferences you will attend!
The Crime Bake looks like so much fun! I would love to go to Boucheron next time.
Bouchercon is a lot of fun!
I’m still trying to get to my first Crime Bake. Maybe next year. I do enjoy Killer Nashville. It’s a great conference and within driving distance for me.
I’ve heard Killer Nashville is amazing! I hope to get there someday!
Loved, loved the pictures. I, too, wish to attend a Boucheron conference.
I hope you make it to Bouchercon!
Ginger was the life of the party! She should rest up now…
Ha! She was!
Too funny! It looked to be a very exhausting day for Ginger! Last image should have been Ginger in bed with eyes closed. 🙂
I think she went to sleep fairly quickly! PS — she’s a great roommate!
Wow looks like lots of fun. Thanks for sharing with your readers. I enjoy reading so much!
I’m glad you enjoyed Ginger’s adventures!
Looks like y’all had fun.
It was fun!
I love the limerick, and Ginger’s adventures. It looks like everyone had a fantastic time. I’ve never been to any signings, but I would love to go to one someday. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I hope you get to go to one some day!
Fave event? Thanksgiving dinner. I guess I have turkey and stuffing on my mind today.
Love it — and it’s been on my mind today too!
I love to go to Davis Ca. Avid Reader when Catriona McPherson is signing her latest. All the local authors attend so get to see 6 or 7 more. John Lescroart is almost always there and I’m so in awe of him I can never get up enough nerve to say anything to him. Hope LLC returns to Sacramento in my life time.
That sounds like a wonderful event, Ruth!
Looks like Crime Bake was so much fun! I would love to attend a writer/reader event if there was one in my area. Thanks for the chance.
I hope you get to attend one some day!
I wish I did but we are more home bodies these days. Works for me though. Love reading about your fun!!
Nothing wrong with staying home — more time to read!
Love your limerick! I did a lot of fun things when my kids were little, but not so much now that I’m retired!
We had a lot of fun with the limerick!