The BCon Pregame Special Begins

It’s three days to BCon, and already some folks from across the Atlantic are slowly making their way to the Windy City. And several of you fine folks have chimed in with your reasons for excitement, trepidation and anticipation.

From Eric Stone, author of THE LIVING ROOM OF THE DEAD:

The most important thing about Bouchercon is the drinking. Really. For us writers, it’s the closest thing we’ve got to an Odd Fellows encampment.

Anybody who’s ever emailled one of us writers in the middle of the day knows we’ll email you back almost immediately. Then you’ll email us back. Then we’ll email you. Next thing you know we’ve pissed away an hour exchanging witticisms. Any excuse not to write. Any excuse for human contact.

At Bouchercon you don’t need to feel guilty about toing and froing with other people via email when you really ought to be working. Because you are working.

Some people there will buy my book/s. And they’ll get to know me so that they’ll buy my next book. And the bookstore people will get to know me so that when my next book comes out they’ll put it in the window or on a front table rather than stuffed into a back shelf. And the editors will get to know me so that they’ll return my calls. And maybe, if I’m lucky, there will be some people there who will have read my books and liked them – FANS! (I suppose groupies are too much to hope for.) It’s not like I don’t require a little stroking of my ego from time to time.

And this year it’s in Chicago. And I love Chicago. I see great carnitas and at least one night at a good blues club in my near future.

From Rae Helmsworth:

As far as your invitation to tell you about why I go to Bouchercon, and what goals I may have:  I started reading crime fiction again a couple of years ago after being away from it for more than a decade.  When I discovered that I could have conversations about the books on the internet, and maybe make a couple of cyber-pals along the way, well, that was just great.  And when I further discovered that there was an opportunity, via Bouchercon, to meet some of my new pals face to face, and hang out with a bunch of people who share my interest in and love of crime fiction, that was even better.   So my reason and my goal for attending is to hang out with my pals, attend a few panels, and just generally relax around a group of people who, by virtue of being avid readers, are much cooler than the average humanoid.  Last year was my first Bouchercon, so I’m very interested to see if I love this one as much as I loved the last one.

From I.J. Parker, author of THE DRAGON SCROLL:

My first and only Bouchercon was so stressful that I was up every night for  three nights with vicious migraines. I was there pretty much against my will because my agent thought I should be promoting my new book.  I used the nights to write a short story (later published in AHMM and subsequently the basis for a new novel).  So you may say it wasn’t a complete wash-out. Still, I hated it.

So why am I going back?  My first reason is business.  I like my new publisher (Penguin) and hope to do a bit of promotion to please them.  They even offered to pick up part of my expenses though I won’t take them up on that. The other reason is that this time there will actually be some people there who have expressed a wish to meet me. Astonishing, but very soothing to my lacerated ego. So I’ll be looking for John R., Bryon, Otis, Jim Fusilli, and a few other folks from other websites. Perhaps I’ll even make some new friends.  And I’m going to try very hard to have some fun for a change.

And from Steve Miller, MYSTERY NEWS reviewer and columnist:

My biggest goal for this year’s Bouchercon is to moderate my panel without any horrible gaffes or awkward silences.

Why do I attend — I could cite the usual reasons (hear and see who’s hot and new, learn interesting things, drink to excess), but what it ultimately comes down to is that it recharges my battery.  I always come away excited about the state of crime fiction.  There’s so much energy pulsating through the place, and everyone is so friendly and generous, it just lifts me.

More will be posted tomorrow at this time as I get them.