RCPL @ PLA 2016

Mystery Authors Revealed

My 10:45 session was a toss up between Mystery Authors Revealed and Networking for Wallflowers. I thought the networking session would be the smart professional choice. But, it being a highly interactive program was a little daunting today (I know, my own program is VERY interactive, like 70% interactive!). So, I went with the fun choice. And, fun it indeed turned out to be.
The first author, and my favorite to listen to, was CJ Box, who showed up in a cowboy hat fresh from his drive down from Cheyenne. He told us how before he started writing (first published at 40) he liked to go into libraries and see where his books would be one day. Now, he likes to not see his books in libraries (because they are checked out). He told us two funny stories. One time he told a man in an airport "You're reading my book." The man possessively guarded his book and said "No, I bought this book in Denver!"
The story that got a lot of laughs was when he was in Idaho (ILA) and there was one librarian scowling and seemingly unhappy with him. Someone asked her "don't you have his books in your library?" Her response was that she didn't want to read books about a gay Mormon. He writes about a GAME WARDEN.
I picked up one of his books and am going to make my parents rather jealous.
William Kent Kreuger gave us this joking advice: Always read something that, if you die in the middle of reading it, will make you look good. I think, rather, I'll just have impressive books staged and stick with the books I love, whether they impress you or not.
Alison Gaylin got into mysteries and crime novels after she picked up Helter Skelter, thinking it was about the Beatles. That book, plus In Cold Blood, revealed to her a new dark world and a dark side to Hollywood. Interestingly, she crashed Fred Savage's bar mitzvah and got kicked out of David Hasselhoff's wedding while a young writer for Star Magazine.
Also speaking were Stephanie Barron and Heather Gudenkauf.
One last note, WKK advised us to Go Forth! Become the people you want to become, encourage our readers to become the people they want to become, turn off your phones and computers and read for at least one hour a day. We need the quiet. We hunger for the quiet.