L. C.'s Ramblings

6-1-07 issue #2

Why Casey Had to Die and the Agatha

 

As you may know, my latest mystery release, Why Casey Had to Die, was an Agatha Nominee for Best Novel. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this award, it is named after Agatha Christie and is a fan-based award. Readers nominate up to five of their favorite books published the year before. The books which receive the most nominations become the finalist. Why Casey Had to Die was one of the five. Awards are handed out at Malice Domestic in Arlington, VA, the first weekend of May. Each person attending Malice Domestic is handed a ballot and chooses his favorite book out of the five. No one knows who wins until awards night.

The Agatha went to Nancy Pickard for The Virgin of Small Plains which is an excellent book. But even if I didn’t win, I had a blast being treated like hot stuff because my novel was one of the five finalists. I have a real nice certificate honoring Why Casey Had to Die as one of the top five mysteries of 2006.

The convention’s festivities ended with a hat contest. I took a straw hat, put crime scene tape on it, put a gun (getting that on the airplane to Washington D. C. proved to be a very interesting experience!), a knife, a sheriff’s badge, a batten, a magnifying glass, an FBI patch, and other crime-related items and dangled them from the hat. I won for the most creative hat.

Okay, so I didn’t bring home the Agatha, but I brought home the Hat—and lots of good memories. Who can ask for anything more?

 

In this issue:

Why Casey Had to Die and the Agatha

Signing schedule

Murder Must Air Schedule

This issue’s Special Offer

How to Stop Subscription

READER’S GROUP INVITATION

If you belong to a reading group and would like to discuss my book, I will be glad to send you a set of questions and background material that relates to the book. If at all possible, I’d like to visit your reader’s group. If you have ideas that will help make my books more accessible and interesting to your group, I’d love to hear your ideas.

HOW TO STOP RECEIVING L.C.’S RUMBLINGS

If for any reason you want to stop receiving this newsletter, all you need to do is contact me at lchauthor@yahoo.com and put on the subject line, CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION. I will cry a river, refuse to eat for a month, and go sleepless, but I’ll still like you!

If, on the other hand, you know someone who would like to start receiving this, let me know and I’ll add them to my list.

MURDER MUST AIR SCHEDULE

Mystery Writers of America has asked me to host their monthly talk show that airs live. To listen, all you need is a phone. Check out my website for details or email me at ontheair@mystery.writers.org

June 5: my topic will be getting to know and supporting the folks at the independent bookstores. My special guests will include Ray Hengst from San Antonio’s Remember the Alibi, David Thompson from Houston’s Murder by the Book, and Richard Goldman from Oakmont’s, PA (Pittsburgh) Mystery Lovers Bookshop.

July 10: my guests will be Jon and Ruth Jordan, editors and publishers for Crimespree Magazine. We will focus on how the magazines can help us and we can help them.

SIGNING AND SPEAKING SCHEDULE
Here’s my signing schedule. If at all possible, I’d love to meet you if you’re in the area.

June 7: signing and speaking about geocaching, Rediscovered Books, Boise, Idaho, 7 pm

June 8: group signing at B&N in Boise, Idaho, 7 pm. Refreshments served.

June 9: guest speaker for Murder on the Grove, a mystery convention in Boise, Idaho

June 23: B&N signing, El Paso, TX, 2 pm

First week of July: signing and speaking in Sprinfield, IL. Final arrangements pending. Please check my website for details: http://lchayden.freeservers.com

July 14: Arts Festival, El Paso Public Library, west side, 2 pm

Sneak preview for Aug: I’ve been invited to be the Author in Residence at the Princess Regal sailing for a sixteen day cruise to Hawaii. I’ll be giving eight presentations during days at sea. Come cruise with me!

I will also be doing book signings in CA before and after the cruise. Schedule is still pending. Also pending is the schedule for the Maine tour that begins late July and finishes up early Aug.

NEWSLETTER’S OFFER

Would you like to be a character in the book I’m currently writing? If so, go to my website:
lchayden.freeservers.com. After you hit enter, you’ll see a cup of coffee—it has to be coffee as Bronson, my character, is addicted to coffee. The coffee bag (okay, it’s a tea bag) has something unusual. Tell me what it is (lchauthor@yahoo.com) and I’ll put all correct entries in a box and draw a name out. I’ll run this offer for a while so you’ll have plenty of time to check it out.

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HAVE A SUPER DUPER DAY!