Diane and I enjoyed the panels that Bill Crider was a part of: STILL SHE CRIES (Lousy reviews and the lost people of Amazon) and ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND (A Chat with Mystery Scene). Dick Lochte gave me some great suggestions for audio books. Megan Abbott’s panel (SHADOWS RISING: Movies for the Crime Fiction Fan) was my favorite panel. I now have a list of movies I need to find and watch. The Renaissance Grand Hotel was indeed grand. The meeting rooms were spacious. Books in abundance! Plenty of our friends were in attendance: Art Scott, the Criders, Beth Feydn, the Meyersons, the Abbotts, Ted Hertel, Maggie Mason, Steve Steinbock, Steve Stilwell, the Smiths, the Fitzgeralds, and Roger Sobin. St. Louis hosted a wonderful Bouchercon!
A really grand hotel would have wifi in the rooms, but other than that, I agree.
I feel the same way, Bill.
Glad you liked Megan’s panel.
Wish I had actually talked to you there.
No expensive hotels ever provide free wifi. They think we are all on expense accounts.
WordPress ate my post!
Now that one went through.
I was saying that if you guys had only been Platinum like Jackie you’d have had free wifi.
😉
The panel with the four Guests of Honor (Val McDermid, Colin Cotterill, Charlaine Harris, Bob Crais) was my favorite, but the best times were hanging out and going to dinner with our DAPA-EM friends of 30 years standing.
No doubt, Jeff! Our room had a connector, but it wasn’t compatible with the iPad. The whole hotel should have free Wi-Fi!
Hmmm, I don’t recognize any of those names except Megan Abbott and Dick Lochte, who used to be the mystery reviewer for the Los Angeles times way back when before he wrote Laughing Dog. I guess you have to be one of the “in crowd” to know who those other people are. There was a sort of mini-Bouchercon here in Portland with myself, Bob Napier, Dave Lewis and a guy named Brian whose las name I missed, who is a book dealer here. We spent an afternoon here at the house talking books, browsing my shelves – such as they are – and assuming everyone in St. Louis would be jealous as hell if only they knew what we were up to. Heh. Glad you had a good time. Was there a DAPA suite or gathering place?
Most of those names were DAPA-EM members, Rick. We had a gathering place in the Lobby. A good time was had by all!
Brian’s last name is Trainer. He’s not a book dealer, but a guitarist in Rock Residue and The Moops. He did co-own a book store in Portland back in the ’80s, though.
Plenty of people asked about you, Bob. You were missed at BOUCHERCON.
Thanks, Bob, I stand corrected. Appreciate the information.
Rick, we mostly gathered off the lobby, commandeering a seating area a couple of nights. The last day we discovered the mezzanine had a couch and chairs and the ten or so of us still around on Sunday hung out there.
Oh, THAT Art Scott, the Criders, Beth Feydn, the Meyersons, the Abbotts, Ted Hertel, Maggie Mason, Steve Steinbock, Steve Stilwell, the Smiths, the Fitzgeralds, and Roger Sobin. Now I know who you mean!
If I hadn’t gone to Vegas in August and plan to hit Arizona in November, I would have gone. Thanks for saying the gang asked about me.
Your BOUCHERCON legends persist, Bob. Plus, there was dancing courtesy of Max Allan Collins and The Cruze. I remember your twinkle-toes routine when Max and his band played at the Milwaukee BOUCHERCON.
Enjoyed meeting you, George.
Boucheron was great fun! nice to be able to put faces with all those we know through the electronic world and spend some time in conversation wit fellow oar-pullers.
Rick Robinson was at Boucheron in spirit as several in attendees brought up his name to me.
Tom Roberts
Black Dog Books
Trust me, Tom, if Rick Robinson had visited your table he would have bought one of EVERYTHING! It was great meeting you. I’m sure we’ll be doing business in the future. You publish great books!