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So Many Writers’ Events, So Little Time!

May 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston, Writing Conferences tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Pets, Silhouette Nocturne

April was especially busy with events relating to books–partly, but not entirely, because of the publication of my seventh Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery NEVER SAY STY. I did some signings for STY and also gave a talk at the Writers of Kern.

More recently, I attended both days of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, signing at a couple of booths and also sitting at the Mystery Writers of America booth to promote the organization.

I also attended the Melody of Words, an event at a local high school to encourage students and members of the community to read… and write. It was a lot of fun, too.

I usually attend Malice Domestic around now, an event celebrating cozy mysteries thatâ€™s held in Washington, D.C., followed by an event hosted by the Mystery Lovers Bookstore near Pittsburgh, PA, where I grew up. However, this year my older son and daughter-in-law were visiting L.A. from Chicago on the same weekend, and since RWA National is also in D.C. this year I didnâ€™t necessarily need two visits there so close together. So, I stayed home and had a great time with family.

Next month, the local chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime are co-hosting the California Crime Writers Conference, which Iâ€™m looking forward to.

And I of course love to attend OCC meetings! Iâ€™ve had to miss some lately because of some signings and other events–and the June meeting does, unfortunately, conflict with the California Crime Writers Conference.

Youâ€™d think I wouldnâ€™t have time to write with all these meetings and events going on… But somehow I manage!

What are your favorite writersâ€™ events?

Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

Linda O. Johnston is the author of 15 romance novels and several novellas, including a current Nocturne Bites, with 2 more Nocturnes upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.

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Anticipation

April 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Pet, Silhouette Nocturne

My next Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mystery, NEVER SAY STY, is officially published tomorrow! Yes, its lay-down date is April 7. A few stores put it out on the shelves before the official date, but all the ones that will carry it will most likely have it out tomorrow.

This is the seventh book in my Kendra series. NEVER SAY STY will be my twenty-second published novel. Iâ€™m also looking forward to my next Silhouette Nocturne, BACK TO LIFE, which will be published in June.

Do I ever get blasÃ© about the publication of a new book? Never!

So… as of tomorrow, welcome to NEVER SAY STY!

What exciting event are you currently anticipating?

Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

Linda O. Johnston is the author of 15 romance novels and several novellas, including a current Nocturne Bites, with 2 more Nocturnes upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.

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So Many Choices

March 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Silhouette Nocturne

by Linda O. Johnston

There are a lot of conferences for writers every year. I always try to attend at
least a couple. My recent favorites have been RWA National and Malice Domestic. But this year, with the economy as it is, I had to think about what to do and where to go.

My son and daughter-in-law made one decision easy. They live in Chicago but will be visiting LA the same weekend as Malice. As a result, Iâ€™m staying home!

Instead, Iâ€™ll attend the brand new California Crime Writers Conference in June. It is a joint conference by the Mystery Writers of America SoCal chapter and the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles chapter, and itâ€™s local to LA.

And I will attend RWA National in Washington, DC, this year. Looking forward to it!

How about you? How do you decide which conferences to attend?

Visit Linda at http://www.lindaojohnston.com/ or http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

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Internet Blues

February 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Pets, Romance and Lots of Suspense

By Linda O Johnston

As you can see from my signature info below, I also blog elsewhere–weekly, on KillerHobbies. I posted something about research on the Internet yesterday and got some interesting responses.

I’m fascinated with the Internet–and also frustrated by it. I think it consumes too much of my writing time, since I constantly check e-mails, and instantly check stuff I need to research, rather than waiting till later. I also use it for letting people know about my books, and that, though fun, also uses up time.

I can remember doing research before the Internet was so integral to our daily lives. I read more books, dug more phone numbers from telephone books, and called and talked to more people. Well, heck, that was time consuming, too.

I had problems with my Internet server earlier this week and immediately went into panic mode. Fortunately, it was worked out soon… this time. I certainly sighed in relief when I once again was able to get into my e-mail.

I admit I’m not especially technologically savvy, but I’ve learned to use what I need to. And one thing thatÂ¢s now essential in my life, writing and otherwise, is… the Internet!

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Welcome 2009!

January 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston

Itâ€™s a new year! Where did the old one go? Did you accomplish everything you set out to do last January? I didnâ€™t, and yet I did accomplish a lot.

One of my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries was published in June 2008: DOUBLE DOG DARE. I also wrote the next one, NEVER SAY STY, which will be an April 2009 release, and Iâ€™ve been working on the next–the eighth in the series.

I also worked on several Silhouette Nocturnes. The first, ALPHA WOLF, is out right now, a January 2009 release. Plus, I also have a Nocturne Bites available starting this month: CLAWS OF THE LYNX. They both feature members of Alpha Force, a super-secret military unit composed mostly of shapeshifters. In addition, BACK TO LIFE, another Nocturne, will be a June 2009 release. Its heroine has Valkyrie powers and can bring the dying back to life… including the hero.

I additionally held a part-time â€œtemporaryâ€ law job in 2008, but it finally ended after two years. I enjoy practicing law, so despite all my looming writing deadlines Iâ€™m looking for more law work.

The year 2008 also held other memories for me, both good and bad. We had a death in the family late in the year. But on a much, much happier note, my older son married a really sweet and beautiful young lady. And we also acquired Mystie, another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, so Lexie could form a mini-pack once more.

So what else do I anticipate in 2009 besides–delightfully–having a bunch of books coming out? Who knows? I just hope itâ€™s happy and healthy for everyone in my family… and also for you and yours.

Linda O. Johnston is the author of 14 romance novels as well as the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime–and has 3 Silhouette Nocturnes and a Nocturne Bites upcoming!

www.LindaOJohnston.com
www.KillerHobbies.blogspot.com

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