Itβs the most wonderful time of the year: Bouchercon time! Every fall, crime writers and readers gather for Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. Last yearβs Bouchercon took place in St. Petersburg, Florida, and this year weβve traveled to Dallas, Texas for the festivalβs 50th Anniversary convention! I went to college in Texas, so Iβm particularly excited to be back down south for this yearβs convention. As an added bonus, this year marks Boucherconβs 50th Anniversaryβitβs going to be a very special convention, filled with big-name author appearances, parties, awards, and a whole lot more. Iβm here in Dallas, Texas, ready for the convention fun to begin, and I canβt wait to take you along for the adventure with me!
Read MoreCrime Festival Preview: Krimimessen Horsens 2019
What an absolute thrill it is to be back in Denmark for the annual crime book festival Krimimessen! This exceptional festival is held every year at FΓ¦ngslet, the Old State Penitentiary in Horsens. Bringing thousands of readers together with authors from Scandinavia and from around the world, Krimimessen is a vibrant and hugely exciting festival for any fan of Nordic Noir and crime fiction as a whole. Scandinavian crime fiction is, naturally, a focus of the festival, but readers are also treated to appearances by some of the biggest names in crime writing from all over the globe at Krimimessen; particular highlights include appearances by Camilla Lackberg, Sara Blaedel, Jussi Adler-Olsen, Clare Mackintosh, Lisa Jewell, Elly Griffiths, and many more! Bonus: the backdrop to this festival - an old prison - simply couldnβt be better for a crime-loving crowd. This will be my second year attending Krimimessen, and I am beyond excited for the crime fiction fun this weekend will have in store! Iβm heading on the road from Copenhagen to Horsens later today, and canβt wait to take you along with me for Krimimessen Horsens 2019.
Read MoreCrime Festival Journal: Iceland Noir 2018
This past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Reykjavik, Iceland for Iceland Noir 2018 - a crime fiction festival that takes place in Iceland's capital city every other year. And what an incredible trip it was! In this blog post, Iβll be sharing a day-by-day recap of my time in Iceland, including panel notes, book recommendations, lots of photos, and a whole lot more. A huge thanks to the entire Iceland Noir team for organizing such a memorable festival!
Read MoreCrime Festival Preview: Iceland Noir 2018
Two years ago, I went on my very first solo international trip to Reykjavik for Iceland Noir 2016. I had never met anyone at the conference in βreal lifeβ; I was still a relatively new blogger, and, to be honest, I wasnβt quite sure what I was getting into. Well, to make a long story short, it was the absolute best thing I couldβve done for myself and for the development of CBTB. I made great friends, learned about tons of new crime books, and fell head over heels in love with the beauty and magic of Iceland. Now, two years later, Iβm more than ready to pack my bags and head back to Reykjavik for Iceland Noir 2018! Iβve been to quite a few crime festivals all around the world now, and I can honestly say that Iceland Noir remains my favorite festival yet. I canβt wait to see what Iceland Noir 2018 has in store for me!
Read MoreBouchercon Author Interview: Lisa Unger
Are there any authors on your TBR that you just canβt believe you havenβt read yet? Thatβs how I feel about Lisa Unger. Iβve been fortunate enough to meet Lisa at a number of crime fiction conferences now; Iβve heard her speak on panels, Iβve read glowing reviews of her books, and Iβve listened to some of my best bookish friends rave about her work, too. So when I discovered that Lisa would also be at this yearβs Bouchercon conference, I knew it was the perfect time to learn a bit more about her workβand to finally put one of her books on my fall reading list, too! I had an absolute blast chatting with Lisa about all things crime writing at Bouchercon, and Iβm so excited to share our conversation with CBTB readers today. If you havenβt yet read Lisa Unger, consider this your βLisa Unger 101β - and if youβre already one of Lisaβs myriad fans, consider this your chance to get a little behind-the-scenes glimpse into the writing life of one of Americaβs foremost female crime writers.
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