The Sacramento 2012 Left Coast Crime Conference went as smooth as butter, and I know something about churning. Before I took an early retirement from Stanford U. to write - and every year it gets earlier; I now claim to have been fifteen years old - I managed the Office of Faculty Recruiting for the Graduate School of Business.
I may not have pushed six-hundred people in and out of events at the same time the way Cindy and Robin did, but I've shoved enough VIPs around to know it ain't easy. These ladies excelled at what they did. Even with all the help from willing volunteers, it was a remarkable job.
I have to say, though, authors and fans alike wanted to have a good time. And we did. We schmoozed, we learned, we laughed, we ate, and we drank. We shared experiences, created new memories, made new friends, and we ate and we drank. Oh, wait a minute. I said that last part.
I think the thing which impressed me the most was the camaraderie. Authors big and small, well-known or just beginning, were equals there. Fans and writers shared ideas and had many a one-on-one. It was unique. It was exhilarating. It was exhausting.
This exhaustion never seemed to hit Cindy and Robin, though. And I wondered how they did it. I mean, just how caffeined up were they? At the end of each conference day, not only were they still standing, but every hair was in place and they looked terrific. I would have needed a medic, a gurney, and Valium fed to me intravenously.
But not much phased these two fine, fine writers. However, I'm thinking they were so busy keeping LCC's Mining for Murder going, they didn't have the opportunity to think about their own work. So I've decided to take a moment and do a little promoting for them. They deserve it.
Robin Burcell - An FBI-trained forensic artist, has worked in law enforcement for over two decades as a police officer, detective and hostage negotiator. She is the author of the Anthony Award winning SFPD Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie novels and the Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick series. The Bone Chamber is a thrill. Just be sure to lock your doors before you read it. Here's Robin's webpage, a very classy bit of business, I might add, and just like the lady herself: http://www.robinburcell.com/robin.html
Cindy Sample - A degree in History and a stint as CEO of a nationwide company somehow led to her first novel, Dying for a Date, released by L&L Dreamspell in June, 2010. This humorous novel combines bad dates, real estate, a few dead bodies, and plenty of giggles. Dying for a Date was voted #1 in Romance in the 2010 P&E Readers Poll. The sequel, Dying for a Dance, was released to rave reviews in October 2011.
Cindy's website, like her, is charming, funny, and inviting: http://cindysamplebooks.com/
You can't go wrong with either or both of these ladies' books. Great reads. And they run one helluva conference, too.
7 comments:
Having worked with Cindy & Robin for 2 years (!) on LCC, I can attest to the fact that these women put in approximately one zillion hours (give or take a few) to make sure the conference was a big success. They were always quick to respond to emails and smoothly handled everyone's questions and concerns. Thanks for writing this well deserved tribute!
--Sue Trowbridge
Sue - It's only what they deserved. They were great!
What a lovely tribute. They really did work very hard on this convention, and it looked seamless. That's the goal. Great comments. Fans and authors all loved it!
Thanks, Heather. Of course we love the compliments and I'm thrilled to know my hair stayed in place even though I'm fairly certain I exceeded the speed limit on the stairway occasionally. But the camaraderie of this particular convention truly makes it special for all the attendees. The cozy atmosphere of the Sheraton was a huge asset. It's no surprise to anyone that the bar was the first thing Robin and I checked out. We had our priorities!
Heather,
Thank you so much for the lovely write-up! It seems all that hard work by everyone on our team truly paid off. And we're very glad to know that you enjoyed yourself.
Robin and Cindy, you both are amazing. Thank you so much for commenting. Two such talented and versatile women deserve a little kudos now and then.
It was clear a lot of intention and expertise went into this event: great panels, very author/reader friendly, and a stair workout to make up for all those snacks consumed in the hospitality suite. You guys thought of everything:) Hope you can catch up on some sleep now.
Post a Comment