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.

Stacey Kondla captured this photo at the AB Negative launch Tuesday night, at Owl’s nest bookstore. I look kind of goofy, but the picture doesn’t lie when it shows me having fun during my reading.

In today’s Calgary Herald, Eric Volmers wrote a great piece about AB Negative, the new Alberta Crime Anthology that will be launched this Tuesday at Owl’s Nest Bookstore. There’s even a line in it about me. I hope to see you at Owl’s Nest this week.

On Tuesday, August 4, 7:00 PM, I’ll be at Owl’s Nest Bookstore in Calgary to help celebrate the launch of the new Canadian crime anthology AB Negative (Coffin Hop Press). Alberta crime short stories by Alberta authors. Joining me will be contributing writers Jayne Barnard, Robert Bose, Axel Howerton, Brent Nichols and Randy McCharles. I’m thrilled to be part of the pack.

Owl’s Nest Bookstore, 815A 49th Avenue SW (Britannia Shopping Plaza), Calgary. Tues, August 4, 7:00 PM. For more information, phone Owl’s Nest: 403-287-9557 or email: owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca. Free. Everyone welcome.

I’m so happy to have my short story included in AB Negative, an anthology of Alberta crime writing. The book will be available August 6th and featured at Calgary’s When Words Collide writing conference.

What a brilliant title and cover for crime stories by and about Albertans.

In this week’s post about author John Ballem’s story featuring the Stampede parade, Shaun Hunter makes a connection to a former Canadian prime minister. On Friday, I enjoyed the parade in shady comfort despite the heat. With a federal election coming up this fall, all the leaders of the major parties are in town. If any rode in the parade, I missed them.

Shaun Hunter’s post about Katherine Govier writing about Calgary makes me look forward to the sky ride at next week’s Calgary Stampede. While riding up high, I always enjoy counting the construction cranes.

Shaun Hunter’s post on writers writing about Calgary is, appropriately, about the Stampede parade that takes place here in two weeks. I’ll be there with my hat on – no boots yet.

Check out my friend Shaun Hunter’s new blog series about Calgary through the eyes of writers.

This blog post by author Gordon Cope made me want to fly to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, to attend their writers’ conference that’s been going strong for ten years.