Yup --- I had to look up pictures but in the end Giles Blunt looks just enough like Colin that I picked him. It was tough - I like Robert Fate and there are a couple of others but I had not read them.

Ooh Sandra, tell me about your love affair with the UK. what started you off. with me it was history. just saw ann boleyn's home (after 30 years of wanting to see it)--two weeks ago. It was beautiful. the grounds, everything. all the best.

Hi Sandra - the UK info looks interesting - hope to see your thoughts on it. Haven't been there, though ancestors all originated from there, so hope to go sometime and find the name engraved where the Mayflower sailed off - no it wasn't the married name! I went from a family who regularly donated family artifacts to museums and belonged to the Daughters of the American Revolution, to my married family who's lived in Alaska most of their lives and knows little about their family - even grandparents, aunts, or uncles! It's a different life! Anyway, I did know you cancelled B'con - I'm doing the program book and so had to move your bio photo and book jackets into the slush pile (grin)... I am not deleting, I learned with Ken Bruen that once you cancel, you can come back! He registered again! Do you know how many book jackets he had? Because I've been having to convert all graphics for 4-color printing and high resolution, etc., it took me hours to do his book covers, literally hours and hours! Then got them all ready, placed in the program, and he temporarily cancelled! Deleted them all! Then he was back... so now I am back to converting his book jackets again. When you cancelled, I was wiser (ha!). I made a slush pile. If someone makes a comeback, they'll get out of the slush pile. Then the work's not lost to those gremlins Carole Gill and I have been griping about (smile).

Hi Sandra.. it's me Rog (Nubs) from the BTZ!

Just found out about this site... looks far better than MySpace! So many people from the USA and everywhere... so many new friends to make!

Speak soon!

Roger

Oh and by the way... really like the profile picture!

Roger

Hi Sandra, actually I like both of them, I was intrigued by the fact you'd used a different one for this site. I think you look very nice!!

Thanks, Sandra! I am thinking I'll have to post a picture of my cat Musetta soon. She is, well, the model for the cat Musetta in my Theda Krakow mysteries. A nd no, not a zombie cat detective. A cat ghost.... more as the book gets written.

Hi Sandra
Glad to have found this site via Chel. (I'm not stalking you - honestly!)

Sandra, Whistler probably has too many bears. If you come and spend a few days up here, especially at this time of year, you are pretty much guaranteed to see one.

Good to see a fellow Canuck here :)

Sandra, I just wanted to say I enjoyed your comments on the forum regarding criticism. We are all learners and it takes courage to admit that. Thanks for the post.

Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author, has been blogging quite a bit about reviews and their impact on authors at her blog: http://tessgerritsen.com/blog/ It's been interesting to find out that even bestselling authors feel the pain of a bad review. But we do need to sometimes step back, get out of our tunnel vision from being too close to our projects, and take other opinions into account. There is value to that.

ONly the little black one is mine. I was housesitting the other two. My own dog was skunked on Wednesday. Ug.

I see a comment below about bears. The Nelson CIty police had to shoot a black bear just the other day as it was hanging around a school area. Sad. I saw lots of bears on my trip to Tofino, and I've seen several here (near Nelson).

Thanks so much for the invite Sandra; and I'm very much looking forward to reading "Suspicious Circumstances."

Hello Sandra, some months ago I began the process of creating my account, got distracted, but have finally finished setting it all up. Thank you for your earlier welcome, it was sometime ago, perhaps you have forgotten, by now.

As a member of 4MA, who has lurked for some months, your posts in particular I always enjoyed reading,

Happy to be here, Sandra!

Betty's doesn't know what she is missing, does she? I'm currently reading The Corner by D. Simon and E. Burns - very interesting read - and of course, I love The Wire! What I didn't know until recently was that Laura Lippman is David Simon's wife!

Hi Sandra - just stopping by (with my cold which I really won't share, honest) to say Hello! I am so far behind it is not funny. Time to try to catch up a tiny bit.

Catching up slowly - please don't kill off Evil Kev, okay? Know what you mean there too though.

Okay, now I am laughing. That is good for colds right? No. You cannot kill off Evil Kev. At least not today. Maybe next week if he is really bad....

I haven't read Laura yet, although I plan to - she was so lovely at Harrogate.

Thanks, Sandra! It's a nice picture, isn't it? It's from an old Finnish crime digest. Haven't read the story, though. I don't believe for a minute it would hold up against the cover...

I've been reading your stories you offered, I'll be contacting you.

You can always write something nice and sunny and send it over.

Thanks so much for the good wishes, Sandra! The adrenalin of the nomination is helping me through my first week back at work. :)

Alas, I didn't discover anything worth reading while in the throes of the Big P. Just a few films on TCM (namely Ann Southern in the delightful Maisie series) which helped improve my spirits.

Take care ... and a huge thank you for all you're doing for the industry--as writer, editor and Spinetingler founder!

Thanks, Sandra!

Try eating feta every day, you might change your mind about that! Just kidding...nothing beats a greasy souvlaki (giro) from down the street. Yum. But I wouldn't call that Greek cuisine though. Mousaka on the other hand gets close. Nice blog BTW. And I just checked your website. Nice and we share the same birth date, although I'm a few years older. Oh, and go Avalanche!

Thanks, Sandra. Hope you had a great Valentine's Day. :)

We are so hard on ourselves. I was showing the pictures to Colin and he commented on how pretty you are. We both agree you look a bit like a friend of Drew's and no older than her - and she is not 22 yet. I thought you looked better than Ian in that picture, to be honest. And I am still quite jealous.

Three quarters of the good relationships I have seen have had the woman older than the man. In fact, locally, I can think of only one with the man older out of about six at least. Women tend to age better than men too so eventually we get to look much younger anyway.

Hi Sandra
Congratulations on your first book coming out.
Your blog about finding an agent and publisher is right on.
True story: I had an agent call me three and half years after I'd sent the first three chapters of a novel and ask to see the whole manuscript. Which was, by then, a published book.

Congratulations on the release of your book! It sounds like a winner.
Saw your posts on JA Konrath's blog and followed it back to here. Just following the clues to the scene of the crime, as they say.

Well, I wasn't all that worried about this email you were writing, except that now it's been in progress for no less than six hours. The hell are you doing?

Hi Sandra,
I just read your interview in January Magazine - congrats on the new book. I am from Vancouver, and it looks like it is set here, so I can't wait to read it. Keep saying exactly what you want, that is why I always read your comments - I know I am getting the real deal. Take care and I hope the move goes well, look me up the next time you are out this way.

Sandra,
I teach at Algonquin College. Ottawa has its charms. I look forward to reading your book (off to the mystery book store to pick it up this afternoon).

Cheers

Sandra,
did you get my e-mail about the flash stories I might have for you?

Great space, Sandra. Good to meet a fellow Canuck, especially a prairie girl. Just posted a chort story about a small prairie town, if you get a chance to drop by. I'm off to your cyber-party rught now. Congrats on the book!
Donna Carrick
www.donnacarrick.com

Sandra, I really enjoy reading your blog, keep up the good work!

As for your slide show...

Authors! Nothing but authors! Couldn't you have slipped in at least *one* with Deric? ;-)

Hey Sandra - I'm heading to Baltimore Saturday week - any tips on best places to see, eat and drink??

That's brilliant Sandra - I'll check Laura's restaurant guide, definitely want to have some Baltimore seafood!

I am actually going to be there on the 27th (one day only), so I will pop into the Book festival - great timing! Definitely want to see the Baltimore city sights though, so thanks for the tips and any other highlights to tick off that you may suggest.

Speaking of The Wire, I am about to go watch Season 5 at Cinema Curzon Soho here in London including interviews with David Simon and Dominic West - one conducted by Mark Billingham. Can't wait! Might ask David about Baltimore highlights too.

Thanks Sandra!

Thanks, Sandra! It was terrific meeting you, too.

I just saw you're doing Noir at the Bar this Sunday. Congratulations and have a ball.

Greetingz from Kow-Town...

Sendin all the best from Missouri

kwp

Hi Sandra,

been a while... "To Die For" is coming out early next year, just received the illustration for it.

Thanks, Sandra!

Sandra -- Great post today.

Sandra -- Just saw the nominations -- I don't know what to say. Thanks!

Great to hook up as friends. And I promise, I might holler a lot. But I won't bite. I gave up biting and put away my fangs a couple of years ago. However, , , I do howl at the moon on occasion.

tks for your time and I.ve mapped out my own marketing plan when my book hit the shelves

im in the hills before prairies n rockies

Good evening, Sandra. Thought I'd just touch base with you.