Bouchercon 2007: Anybody going?

[Harry Hunsicker]

Who's planning to make the trek to Anchorage for B-Con this year? It's a seven-hour, $700 flight from Dallas. I imagine there will be a heavy contigent from the West Coast, but what about from the rest of the Lower 48?

[Sandra Parshall]

Easier to get on panels, but will anybody be in the audience??

[Louisa Christy]

There are direct flights from Gatwick and Heathrow and frequently there are specials for less than 200 pounds.

[Jennifer Jordan]

Bound for Alaska and dragging my innocent and well read mother with me. Ruth (Jordan) will also attend but, alas!, Jon Jordan shall be at home with his television and other non-attendees.

[Stuart MacBride]

Why isn't Jon's television going?

[Jennifer Jordan]

It is massive and the gastric by-pass just did not work. Jon shall stay by it's side, fondling the remotes and and caressing the screen to help boost it's morale.

[Stephen Blackmoore]

I'll be skipping this one. I'm hitting Thrillerfest in Manhattan and, well, I've had to sell body parts just to pay for that. Not my own body parts, mind.

[Sandra Ruttan]

Fuck Stephen, when are you going to go to a con I'M going to be at?

[Stephen Blackmoore]

Well, I'm planning on hitting Baltimore next year. And if you tell me you're not going to be at that one people are going to wonder if maybe we're the same person. After all, no one's ever seen us together.

Of course, by that logic, I could just as easily be Abe Lincoln, Charo or Herve Villechaise.

[Jordan Dane]

That's Ape Lincoln to you, Blackmoore.

[J.D. Rhoades]

Kewl. See you and your parts there.

[Sean Chercover]

Damn! I'm so torn about B'con this year. Have hotel reservations, but haven't registered for the con or booked a flight. It's damn expensive and I've been doing a lot to promote my book and, frankly, I'm running a little low on cash.

And the Great Lakes Booksellers Association tradeshow is on at the same time, in Chicago. No hotel expenses, no travel (beyond the $2 it costs to ride the El).

But I really want to go to B'con. Ugh. I probably will pass.

I've already registered for Baltimore, and will be there with bells on! And I'll be at ThrillerFest in NYC this summer.

[Brian Thornton]

Aww c'mon Chercover. A card shark like you ought to make back at the poker table more than enough to break you even on the cost of flying to Alaska and stuff.

Everybody'll think you're cool if you do...

Seriously, I understand it. Traveling halfway across the continent is prohibitively expensive, and there's only so much con money to go around in most folks' budgets.

Which is why I'm skipping Thrillerfest (at least for this year). Two cons is enough in one year.

I do plan on being at both LCC in Denver and Bouchercon in Baltmore next year, though.