Men of Mystery
Mario here:
I just back from the OC, specifically Irvine, CA (Orange County), a guest of the ninth annual Men of Mystery conference. Thanks much to Joan Hansen for the invitation.
Last year I arrived a day early and the hotel was dead. So this year I brought homework, watercolors, and a sketchbook and expected to spend Friday night in my room. Little did I know that this year, the hotel hosted a huge Halloween bash. Not surprisingly, I stayed in the bar, admiring the workmanship of the costumes. Good thing the weather was warm or all the young women in their skimpy costumes would've caught chest colds. Think a very R-rated (though just barely) Bacchanal.
This was my second Men of Mystery and I was treated like a prince. The king of the conference was the headliner,
Andrew Gross, who co-writes with mega bestseller James Patterson.
(Ladies, Andrew is tall, handsome, and very married.)
I got a chance to again hobnob with fellow writers,
Sean Doolittle,
Mark W Danielson,
Troy Cook,
Sean Chercover, and
Brett Battles.
My table had a drawing for one of the infamous Devil Ducks. Here's my minder, Linda Renner (left) and the winner of the DD, Amy Myers (right).
After the conference, we were graciously treated to a reception and dinner in a nearby condo. Here's the lobby. Very OC.
In other news, check out my article on mystery writer Robin Burcell in this month's
THE BIG THRILL.
If you haven't had enough Halloween treats to satisfy your cultural junk-food fix, click on over to Mark Henry's postings on the
League of Relunctant Adults blob.
Jeanne is officially a Halloween Vampire Queen. Read all about it in the
Examiner.
Finally, my hotel room was especially swanky and this was the first time I've played with a bidet.