Bouchercon and crying - hey, it happens

Terri Bischoff

 

Bouchercon was awesome. Do I need to say more than that? I think it was the best cons I have attended. It was a large convention, I’m not sure of the final number, but I expected things to either be overcrowded or completely chaotic. But it was neither. It was perfect. My only issue was that because there were so many people who attended, I didn’t get a chance to visit with some of the folks I normally do. But that is ok because I also spent time with a bunch of new folks. I left the convention feeling totally physically exhausted, but my heart was swelling with love. That is a big win in my book.

Some of the best things about this particular Bouchercon (in no particular order):

• Beignets
• The Second Line parade
• Spending time with old friends
• Making new friends
• Talking diversity at the Sisters in Crime workshop
• Being a fan girl when I met Rachel Howzell Hall
• More beignets
• All the food! For real, everything I ate in New Orleans was delicious and amazing
• Attending the LGBTQIA panel
• Opening ceremonies - those floats were seriously awesome
• Riding the streetcar though the garden district
• And one not so great thing – taking advil in the middle of the night because your throat is so sore that you wake up in pain when you try to swallow.

Yeah, pretty much everything there was awesome. I didn’t take a lot of pictures this year. I’m not sure why. But scroll through facebook and you will certainly see the highlights.

Right before I left for Bouchercon, I received Stripped Bare by Shannon Baker in the mail. I was excited to see it, but I planned on buying another copy because I didn’t want to break the spine. I flipped to the title page and saw that she had inscribed it to me. That made me happy. I put it on my bookshelf. I even rearranged it so I would see it daily. (A side note: Shannon is a dear friend. Even though her Midnight Ink series is done, I have been so excited to see Shannon’s career take off. She is an incredible friend and I couldn’t be happier for her.)

(yes, that is my happy light. It's a life saver in winter!)

When I got to Bouchercon, Shannon asked me if I opened the book. I confessed that I hadn’t and she hinted that I needed to take a look. For some reason I balked at going to the book room all weekend. I’m not sure why I didn’t want to look there. When I got home on Monday night, my brain was in a complete fog. I was tired (still am!) and my only thoughts were about climbing into bed and sleeping for a week straight. Tuesday morning I overslept of course and raced into work. I hadn’t given the book any thought. When I got home last night, I remembered and tore my apartment apart trying to find the book. I would have bet anyone $100 that I brought home the book before Bouchercon. So I did what any impatient person would do – I bought the ebook. And then the tears came.

I am used to seeing my name in the acknowledgments as a thank you for publishing the book. I always love to see that. And I especially love to show those to my kids who think it’s really incredible to have your name in a book. To me, dedications are different. Most of the time a book is dedicated to a spouse, children, or family members – people who inspire and support the author. To say that I am honored doesn’t even begin to cover it. Thank you, my friend.

Comments

[Ann Mason.]

Wow! What an honor. I'd have cried too.

[Terri Bischoff]

It is an honor. And it was a surprise! I love my job. I love connecting with authors and their stories and then publishing them. The added bonus is when my authors become my friends. :)

[Ruth Nixon]

Shannon Baker really lucked out having you and Catriona on her side. Now I must go and buy this book.

[Lisa Alber]

I love this, Terri! (And, I have that light too. :-))

[Lynne Patrick]

I'm crying with you, Terri. One of 'my' authors dedicated a book to me after she'd moved on; I still tear up when I think about it. Aren't crime writers lovely people?