It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Bouchercon time! Every fall, crime writers and readers gather for Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. Last year’s Bouchercon took place in St. Petersburg, Florida, and this year we’ve traveled to Dallas, Texas for the festival’s 50th Anniversary convention! I went to college in Texas, so I’m particularly excited to be back down south for this year’s convention. As an added bonus, this year marks Bouchercon’s 50th Anniversary—it’s going to be a very special convention, filled with big-name author appearances, parties, awards, and a whole lot more. I’m here in Dallas, Texas, ready for the convention fun to begin, and I can’t 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 Fængslet, 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 couldn’t 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! I’m heading on the road from Copenhagen to Horsens later today, and can’t 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, I’ll 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 “real life”; I was still a relatively new blogger, and, to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into. Well, to make a long story short, it was the absolute best thing I could’ve 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, I’m more than ready to pack my bags and head back to Reykjavik for Iceland Noir 2018! I’ve 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 can’t 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 can’t believe you haven’t read yet? That’s how I feel about Lisa Unger. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Lisa at a number of crime fiction conferences now; I’ve heard her speak on panels, I’ve read glowing reviews of her books, and I’ve listened to some of my best bookish friends rave about her work, too. So when I discovered that Lisa would also be at this year’s Bouchercon conference, I knew it was the perfect time to learn a bit more about her work—and 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 I’m so excited to share our conversation with CBTB readers today. If you haven’t yet read Lisa Unger, consider this your “Lisa Unger 101” - and if you’re already one of Lisa’s myriad fans, consider this your chance to get a little behind-the-scenes glimpse into the writing life of one of America’s foremost female crime writers.
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