"THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY" CELEBRATES AGATHA CHRISTIE'S 120th BIRTHDAY on SEPTEMBER 15

If you live in the Chicago area, you won't want to miss "The Body in the Library", a free Love is Murder preview celebrating the birthday of the grand…

Lesa Zonsius of ZonCom, a photography company specializing in portraits, will be available at Love Is Murder 2011 to take headshots of authors and fans attending LIM. Appointments can be made before (call 815-676-5275) or during the conference.

Following is some advice from Lesa on preparing for your headshot. For more information, or to consult with Lesa re prices, please call…

Would you love to see your short story published in Crimespree? Well, it's a definite possibility if you enter Love Is Murder 2011's short story contest. Jon Jordan, publisher of Crimespree, is committed to printing the winning entry in the February, 2011 issue of his fine magazine, and that could be yours! But hurry! The deadline for entries is September 1, 2010. Contest rules can be found at www.loveismurder.net under "Events".

Good…

If you haven't seen it - check it out!

www.loveismurder.net

BIGGER! BETTER! BACK!

Happy Valentine's Day! I must say that while I do have a romantic and thoughtful husband it is our four year old who brings out the real joy in holidays like this one. He insisted on printing his name on his 30+ valentines for his preschool friends which took over an hour. He goes crazy for decorated baked goods, cards, little tokens of affection with hearts on them. It gets my husband and I geared up too.

This makes me think of my attitude towards writing. I have a friend who told me…

Did you enjoy yourself at LIM? I don't know how you could not, from great panels to a crimescene program with two savvy police officers, great meals, master classes, evening entertainment, self defense tips and more!

Those of you who heard me speak know I did indeed talk up teen literature to anyone who would listen. I really enjoyed my young adult panel with Harriette Robinet and Kim Sullivan on Friday. Harriette is always so smart and interesting with her Edgar judging and school…

Are you ready for Love is Murder?

If you are traveling, prepare for cold. Chicago + Jan/Feb = extreme cold. Possibly snow as an added treat.

Is this your first time? Prepare to have fun, but you may want to bring:

-notebook to jot down book titles, names, websites to check out at home

-business cards or a handout about your writing

-Printed out schedule marked with things you want to do. You'll get an updated version there, but be thinking ahead, as there are…

Echelon Press has been a sponsor for LIM for a few years now, and President Karen Syed also hears pitches from writers at the conference. Independent presses are a great place for new writers to get a foot in the door, and promoting that dream for many is Karen's goal.

In December,…

Which of your writing goals did you make this year? I got one short story published, in The Heat of the Moment anthology for Echelon Press, benefitting victims of the San Diego, CA, wildfires through the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County.I even got to participate in a signing. Those things were so cool I didn't even think to put something that good on my goals!

Also, I signed with an agent, and a publisher is considering my YA novel.

So a pretty good writing year, yet I'm…

What are you reading? Writing? LIM is less than two months away!

Yep, it's definitely been a while since I last blogged. My family went to Disney World for a great vacation the week after all those deadlines with the many books, and then various family illnesses and events came up. A colleague did try to add some posts but ran into technical difficulties.

Whenever I have finished a lot of reviewing as I did in November, I go through a phase where I can read whatever I want and…

I have 45 books near my bed right now. I don't say nightstand, as that is long since covered with books. Some are know on a dresser, and on the floor. I have one review due Monday, a column due in two weeks of 7 -8 reviews, and a couple other mystery titles that I need to review in two weeks as well.

In one of the other blogs I read, there was a discussion about whether or not it is smart marketing for authors to court libraries and librarians. There are of course, many many good…

I am working on my 6th draft of a short story for an anthology for which I was asked to contribute. While I am pretty new to the fiction writing world, I was surprised at how much harder it is to write a short story than it was to write my YA mystery novel or even my non-fiction librarian books.

Perhaps it is because I do not read that many short stories. I read anthologies by Chicago mystery writers, or edited by writers I like and know. I also read and review some…

You still have a couple days to get your panel ideas in to the LIM Board! Go to the site by November 1 and submit your panel and presenting ideas. There have been more than a few times at LIM where I've heard someone speak then I've gone to get a couple of their books and then had them signed. Speaking on a panel is great for marketing. It can also be fun.

Fellow librarians and Readers Advisory experts Marlene Leonardi from the Palatine PL and Susan Gibberman from Schaumburg Twp.…