So here we are in Bethesda, Maryland, for the 28th annual Malice Domestic conference. It's a chance to get together with 500 of our closest friends to talk about traditional mysteries - the kind written by, say, Agatha Christie. Saturday night, we'll see the annual Agatha Awards handed out for some of the best mystery writing of 2015.
My wife and I always try to come to these events a day or so early. It's a chance to get together with old friends and catch up on the events of our lives. We just spent a few hours stuffing 500 book bags - 500 of them! - with books and magazines that will be given free to every registered attendee. This year, every book bag has six or seven free books, plus a couple of magazines, all generously donated by many of the publishers who specialize in mysteries. There are books by many of the authors at the conference - and many more who aren't here except through their books. Don't like the ones in your randomly-selected bookbag? Bring the books you don't want to the swap table and take back different ones that sound intriguing.
There will be panels on every facet of mystery reading and mystery writing. There's a banquet. There will be interviews with major authors. There is likely to be a fair amount of drinking and socializing at the hotel bar. It's going to be a fun weekend. And if you're attending, please make it a point to stop me in the halls and say hello. I'll keep you posted...
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