THE EARLY BIRD GETS

THIS BLOG ENTRY IS PROVIDED BY:
Sandra Bowman Marketing Director of Intrigue Publishing

Well, normally it would be the worm but for this years early bird registrants to the #MdC3Conference, they got $40 off the normal registration fee.

Many of you took advantage of the lower cost and registered and for those of you we say Thank You.

Now the work really begins.

We are now gearing up for a huge push for registrations and we want to top the number (101) from last year.

Do you think we can do it? We think we can!

In fact we have an entire team who has dedicated themselves to making sure that we get fans, authors and sponsors to come along and have the best time in Baltimore this year.

+Juli Monroe +Dee Lawrence +Cynthia Lauth +Austin Camacho +B Swangin Webster +LarryMatthews
+Ann Arbaugh and +Denise Camacho have given endless hours to make sure that this conference is going to be a success.

Have you registered yet? What? You haven't heard about it. Well I'm going to make it easy for you to find out all you ever wanted to know about Creatures, Crimes and Creativity 2014.

All you have to do is click right here---->#MdC3Conference and you will find out about the conference, the board members and you will also see those people that registered during the early bird registration period.

Now if you don't see your name, that's because we are waiting for you to sign up, pay and email us. When you do, you get to post a blog here...yep, right here and tell us what made you want to come along for the ride.

Trust me, it's going to be a ride you will never forget!

Hopefully I will see you October 10. 11. and 12 in Hunt Valley Maryland...See I made it easier for you by telling you when and where.

A PINCH OF THIS...A DASH OF THAT!

Guest blog by Kathryn Johnson (aka Mary Hart Perry)

       Perhaps it’s because I love to cook—buttery popovers, succulent roast chicken, sweet and moistly rich red-velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing (really, whatever suits my mood)—that I often think of novel writing in the same way. I start with a hunger for a particular mix of story elements, grab my ingredients, and get to work. The desire to experiment and create is something we all share—whether that means baking, writing, or tinkering with car engines. If, like me, your reading tastes are eclectic—and you also enjoy writing fiction—you, too, might consider mixing genres not only in your to-be-read pile but also in your to-be-written file.

         Here’s where it starts for many of us. . . One lazy Saturday you’re in the mood for an edge-of-the-chair thriller. Another evening you long to mellow out with a moving love story. Still another day your brain cells call out for challenging mystery or a mind-blowing adventure set in an exotic locale. There certainly are a great many exciting thrillers, romances, and adventure stories being written by talented authors today. But I guess I’m a little greedy. I want it all. All in one book, that is.

And that—pure selfishness—is the raison d’être for the series I’ve been working on for the past few years. If I were to apply a label to these novels—three published, so far—I’d call them romantic Victorian thrillers. The ingredients are drawn from my favorite genres: mystery, romance, and historical fiction. And the recipe is this: Each novel, so far, is based on real events surrounding Queen Victoria’s family and features one of the little queen’s three daughters as the protagonist. Based in fact and the Victorian era, I’m able to satisfy my love of history. But then the creative writer takes over—after all, I’m not penning a biography or history text—and I develop an interesting mystery with quickly paced thriller element to challenge my royal protagonist. Only then, when the first two elements are locked down, do I allow myself to give my hero and heroine a romance. Because, after all, what is life without a little love?

I’ve had such fun with these stories. If you get a chance to read any of my Mary Hart Perry novels, I hope you’ll let me know what you think of the mix. What genres or elements of fiction would you include in your own creative story blend?

Meanwhile, here’s just a tiny bit about each of the Mary Hart Perry novels. . .The Wild Princess: Princess Louise, considered the wild-child of the royal family because she wishes to become—Gasp!—an artist, struggles to protect the queen from an assassination attempt by Irish separatists who are bombing London. When a mysterious American borrowed by the Queen’s Secret Service steps in to chase down the culprits, he sets his heart on capturing more than the dynamiteers.

           Seducing the Princess: Beatrice, youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, is expected to shun all men and devote herself entirely to her widowed mother, “unto the grave”. But when the Bea finally falls in love, the Queen is horrified to find her daughter has not one but two suitors. Will they sort out which one truly loves her, and which one is a spy secretly planted at the palace by the ruthless heir to Germany’s throne?

              The Shadow Princess: The year 1888 brings tragedy to Crown Princess Vicky, Queen Victoria’s eldest child. Empress of Germany for just 3 months before her husband died, Vicky is now without a “job”, since her adopted country’s throne has gone to Willy, her mad son. When news of Jack-the-Ripper’s shocking murders in London reaches her—and she learns that nephew Eddie is at the top of the list of suspects, she must rush home to clear the family name. It’s there that Vicky tangles with an intriguing Whitechapel detective, who is as intent on catching the Ripper as he is on avoiding romantic entanglements with a lovely royal.

You can find out more about these books, sign up for a newsletter, or contact me, through these links. Happy reading and writing! Kathryn Johnson (aka Mary Hart Perry)

www.WriteByYou.com

www.MaryHartPerry.com

Facebook:  on.fb.me/Kj7hzU

Twitter: @Mary_Hart_Perry

www.Goodreads.com/Mary_Hart_Perry

Email: Kathryn@WriteByYou.com

WORKING HARD BUT HAVING FUN

THIS BLOG IS SUBMITTED BY SANDRA BOWMAN (aka Skype Mistress)

On Sunday the #MDC3Conference board met to discuss the upcoming event.

Sandra, Juli, Denise, Cindy, Dee
Austin, Ann (not pictured, Larry)

Since we all live a distance away from each other we decided to do SKYPE and boy did we have a ball. First on the 'test' call, everyone could see +B Swangin Webster but she could see nothing but the avatar or a blank screen. Not to worry, she would fix that in the twenty minutes before the call. +Ann Arbaugh couldn't connect to SKYPE so we called her on +Denise Camacho cellphone and had her on speaker. Everything is set, right?


Wrong, Wrong and Wrong.

The call started with everyone announcing themselves and the rule of only one person talking at a time was established. Great...we started off with Larry giving his update and then Juli and then +Austin Camacho and then it happened. It went something like this.

"Hello, Larry, I didn't hear what you said...are you there...Larry...Larry...LARRY...I THINK WE LOST LARRY! LARRY!"  (ok, maybe it wasn't that dramatic)

+Dee Lawrence was still on the line and said, "I can still see him connected" and so did I. Even +Juli Monroe could see he was still on the line and after a harrowing five minutes Larry called back!

Excited I tried connecting him but then something happened...Dee and Juli were now on hold! What! Hello! Hello! Hold on Larry, I think I need to reconnect...I 'resume the call' with Dee and Juli but now, Larry is on hold! oh wait! now what the Sam Hell is going on! Hold on Larry"....hey what's that noise....Ann said she needed to go into another room and now, suddenly there is the sound of rushing water! Oh no! Is Ann drowning...'Ann! Ann! are you there! Ann, are you OK?

Good lord, I think she's drowning!" Austin said (I think he was panicked but he won't admit it)

Flustered I said, "Lawd, Ann's drowning, Larry's lost....look, I think I need to redo this...everyone hang up and I'll call back."

Ann said, "ok" We (Austin, Denise and Sandra) yelled "Noooooooooo, not you Ann; just Skype"

I called everyone back, except Ann who by now should have had on a life vest; and the call continued without problem. After the call, Ann posted to Facebook and gasp! clutch the pearls, we forgot to add +CindyLauth to the call! Forgive us for we know not what we do.

See, although we were working hard, we still had fun! Miles away and we still find a way to cut up! Don't worry Larry, you will get used to it; Just ask Austin.

Until next month...I wonder what will happen then?

IF LOVING VILLAINS IS WRONG...I DON'T WANT TO WRITE!

This week's blog comes to us from one of the attendees of C3 conference this year. 

Sharon Buchbinder is an accomplished author of the novel Obsession ,. She is also the 2014 EPIC eBOOK Awards Finalist, Romantic Suspense 2nd Place 

Like many women of my generation, I grew up reading Nancy Drew, moved on to Agatha Christie, and then the darker realms of Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz. With Nancy Drew, we had Ned and his roadster for romantic interest. Surprisingly, I found more romance in King and Koontz’s works than in Christie’s. However, I wanted more romance in my reading and my writing. After turning my hand at horror, science fiction, and mystery, I moved under the generous umbrella of romance which could accommodate my fascination with genre crossing.

And villains.

To read more, go to http://bit.ly/1bnEvhQ

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT CONFERENCES

This blog was submitted by one of the attendees: Bill Fietzer


What I like best about writers' conferences and this one in particular are the interesting people one meets. Not only the headliners like Jeffrey Deaver and Allison Leotta (See my blog page on the conference at: http://williamfietzer.com/2013/10/27/a-lesson-repeated-at-the-creatures-crimes-and-creativity-conference/ but the attendees I rubbed elbows or broke bread with at the breakfasts, luncheons, and after-hours soirees all had interesting stories to tell.

Allied with this is the serendipity factor. Though Baltimore is something of an outer-ring satellite of Washington, D.C., I never expected to meet the mother of a son who works for the U.S. Foreign Service. Turns out that Lane Stone and I both have sons in the diplomatic corps working in the Far East, hers in Beijing and mine in Osaka. Such a small, intimate, intriguing world globalization has created for us!

The other thing I enjoyed about the conference was the opportunity to explore the Baltimore area via the light rail line. At other conventions such as in Atlanta and San Antonio, taking the light rail or bus lines permits me the opportunity to get a feel of the city, if only through a window as a passing traveler. Never having been to Baltimore before, the hour and a half trip provided ample opportunity to witness the magnitude of Baltimore Harbor, the location of the Baltimore Orioles stadium, the rebuilding historic downtown, and the extensive sub-urbanization of many industries and manufacturing plants that reach almost to the Pennsylvania state line.

The trip also revealed that a two-story high berm or bridge need not be the environmental eyesore that opponents of one of the proposed local spurs to the light rail line in Minneapolis claim it could be. All politics, they say (whoever "they" are), are local, and the anecdotal evidence gleaned from my ride to and from the airport showed that an elevated rail track is not the odious monster some locals claim is sufficient reason for stalling a multi-million dollar transportation project.

The link to my Facebook photo album of C3 highlights is: https://www.facebook.com/william.fietzer/media_set?set=a.4645617317360.1073741829.1800969976&type=3
I'm looking forward to an even more provocative, inspirational time at next year's event.

CASUAL, INCLUSIVE AND FUN

This blog was submitted by Lane Stone:

Panels at C3 reflected the casual, inclusive spirit of the conference.  By way of follow up, I thought I’d inflict the notes I had prepared for my panels on you now.

Here are the bullet points from my remarks in the “What’s so funny about…?”  

According to my informal survey people preferred the first Sex in the City movie to the second.  In the follow on, there was too much ‘set up for a joke, joke.’  Humor in your novel should be organic to the plot and the characters. Next, consider your genre.  In mysteries, you can use humor to give your readers a break from the tension you've created.  Whereas, in romance, including romantic suspense, editors tend prefer your heroine have very few funny lines. Her best friend can cracks jokes all the time.  Last, and you’ll have to trust me on this, after you read your funny lines a couple of hundred times you’ll question them.  Rely on your critique partner. 

“The morals of heroes & heroines.”   

 In this post-Breaking Bad world, we need to think of our protagonist’s moral code, rather than his or her morals.  In my Tiara Investigations series, the three sleuths start a detective agency and don’t tell their husbands, which forces them to meet clients at a local Cracker Barrel.  Sure, this deceit might look immoral to some, but it is consistent with their code of sisterhood.   Consistency is key – until it’s not.  Again, consider your genre.  In romantic suspense, characters are expected to change. They work their way through some internal conflict and are different by the end of the book, so they can – you guessed it – love again.  In cozy mysteries, the sleuth changes very little.  Think Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.  Your sleuth’s life might change (or not) but not her moral code.  And remember, show don’t tell your hero or heroines moral code.  

Loved the conference! 

LaneStone

WORKING HARD ON NEXT YEAR

The Board members of the C3 conference have already started working on next year.

They added a new member and they have their duties. Larry Matthews has been a friend for a while and after attending the C3 conference, he asked if he could be a part of this small group of zany, crazy people. I personally think it was because +Austin Camacho was the lone man on the group and after the passionate speech that Austin gave at the opening ceremony, Larry felt sorry for him. We like to think it was because the women on the board are so irresistible or maybe he just wanted to be the first to see what shoes one board member would have for next year.

C3 Conference Board Members (left-right)
Sandra, Juli, Denise, Cyndi, Deliah
Austin, Ann

Either way, we are glad to have him on the team and the work has begun. Marketing never stops and Sandra has been working hard; well we don't think she ever stopped and except for interchanging a just signed author with an author that she has been trying to forget. Austin has been contacting potential guests and finding out that not everyone reads email every day. Denise has been trying to keep the website updated but with the many changes that occur; it's almost a full time job in itself. Cyndi is out of state so she doesn't have to worry about the long meetings but she has the task of keeping all emails/registrations and payments (which have already started rolling in)Ann, Juli and Deliah have all waited so patiently for their new duties that they may run and hide when they find out what it is that they will be doing. (Deliah...don't worry, your job duties are exactly the same) That leaves Larry; poor, unsuspecting, Larry. Well he will find out soon enough why we meet at an eatery that serves plenty of coffee!

The laughs that will be shared, the coffee that will be drank and the ideas, suggestions that will be shared will be the best memories that we all will make
.

Welcome aboard and welcome back. The work has just begun!