Calgary’s When Words Collide writing conference is less than a week away. I’ll be sure to get there in time for the keynote addresses on Friday night (August 14th). These are always a great introduction to the conference’s special guests and are sometimes quite creative. If I’m up to it, I’ll stay on for the Noir Bar Evening Social in the hotel’s Boomtown Lounge.

My events are all scheduled for Saturday, August 15th. At noon, I’ll be moderating a panel on Does the Mystery Protagonist Drive the Novel? – my first experience as a panel moderator. At 2:00 PM, I’ll be reading from my short story “Freezer Breakdown” at the book social for the Alberta crime anthology, AB Negative. Then at 3:00 PM, I’m on a panel that will discuss Thrillers vs. Traditional Mysteries. Again, if my energy sustains I’ll attend the Crime Writers Fandango party that evening.

For the rest of the weekend, I’ll be free to chat with people I run into, browse the booksellers’ tables and attend sessions that strike my fancy. I’ve looked at the WWC  program and, as always, it will be hard to choose from the varied and exciting offerings.