July 2007 Left Coast Crime 2008 Volume 1, Issue 2

Denver, Colorado March 6-9, 2008

LCC 2008 Quick Updates

· WILL be in attendance!

· Surveillance exercise added – see page 4 for The View from a Mile High

details! Greetings from , old hotel or two, to a will be limited in size but · LCC2008 Yahoo where summer – and the spooky museum, see what huge on fun. group added! key tourist season - is in full she suggests in this month’s Things to do in Denver And finally, a s authors, or Contact Pari swing. The hikers, mountain- lovers of great characters, I bikers, kayakers, campers, when your DEAD column. Noskin Taichert at know, KNOW, you all are as and other sight-seers have ptaichert@comca guilty of loving to people- ascended the mountains to Next, what is the magic st.net for details. that is LCC? Discover what watch as I am. So check enjoy the blue skies and draws LCC fans like Maddy out this month’s top ten list Registration: $165 Full, mild temps. So you’re Van Hertbruggen, Sally which offers some great $115 Light, $55 Associate probably wondering what Cadigan, and Sylvia Ulan places to see the quirkier www.leftcoastcrime.org/2008 other activities you can plan here when you arrive back to LCC conferences sides of life at a Mile High. again and again in this Hotel: Adam’s Mark Denver for LCC next March. I hope you’re looking $139 single/double $14 9 + month’s feature interview. forward to LCC2008! www.adamsmark.com/denver This month D.A. Davenport Also, get a preview of what dishes up some haunting is sure to be a fan favorite options for you. From a complete tour of ghostly at LCC2008 – R.T. Lawton’s Lori Lacefield Denver sites, to a visit of an Surveillance exercise which

Things to do in Denver when you’re DEAD (dehydrated, emaciated, or just in need of distraction!) Ghosts, Grand Old Hotels, and stopping at a couple of The Brown Palace has Individual Highlights Tours in the Denver area haunted saloons and ends ghosts as well. Plenty of by D.A. Davenport View from a Mile High 1 with the superb Oxford specters haunt that grand Hotel, one of the many pet- dame of a hotel! Denver is a great town and Things to do in Denver friendly hotels in Denver. Unfortunately, no access to she loves her ghosts. And the when your DEAD 1 This two and a half hour the tunnels under Denver is Lodo area, the historic tour sounds perfect for LCC allowed. See downtown area of Denver Q&A with LCC Fans 3 2008, and while LCC2008 is www.brownpalace.com. near where the LCC 2008 still working with the local Denver Top Ten 4 hotel, Adam’s Mark, sits, is a MWA and others to Now for a day trip. I suggest prime place to start. See arrange tours, this one Estes Park to see the The Game’s Afoot 4 www.lodo.org/ and sounds promising no matter Stanley Hotel. Remember www.adamsmark.com/denver what. Why not pick up the Overlook in Stephen local history and warm up King’s The Shining? This is Walter, the man who runs those spooky chills with a the real deal, and where Denver’s Haunted Tours says nice scotch or two along the ABC mini-series was they have a fabulous tour that the way? For more info, see filmed. You can have a combines Lodo’s best haunts www.denverhauntedtours. drink at their lovely bar and with a pub crawl along the com and then, if you’re so inclined, way. It starts with Union Station, www.theoxfordhotel.com. even take a midnight swing

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Things to do in Denver (cont.)

on the hotel’s grounds. There are also wonderful ways, Trail Ridge Road WILL Stephen King actually shops, fab Christmas stores still be closed in March due wrote half of The Shining in open year-round and a to massive amounts of room 217, but insiders say terrific glass-blowing studio snowfall. To look into 418 is the most haunted. In where you can purchase booking your day trip or fact, besides the bar and some lovely tree ornaments long romantic weekend parlor, where the piano has after watching the artists (several resorts offer special been known to play itself, fashion stunning art-glass. packages) see the entire fourth floor – the Also, dinner at Dunraven’s – www.stanleyhotel.com and former servants quarters - is located in the Stanley – is a www.rocky.mountain.natio the place with the most MUST. The place is wall- nal-park.com. reported ghostly activity. paper in wildly decorated one dollar bills. Bring felt-tip Don’t forget the Molly Estes Park is also THE pens and add one of your Brown House Museum back own. The food is wonderful place to elk-watch since in Denver. Molly Brown, the town is packed with too. Estes Park is at the foot famed Denver socialite these magnificent animals of Rocky Mountain National and philanthropist, is best and luckily, winter is prime Park, and while you could known outside Denver for wildlife watching season. probably drive into it a little surviving the Titanic.

Did you know? Stephen King wrote half of The Shining in room 217 of The Stanley Hotel. Redrum, Redrum, Redruuuuum!

However, Brown was far more than that. She was a nurse, a pursuer of women’s rights, and ran for Senate even before women were given the right to vote. The house, all 7600 square feet of it, is now a museum, and will be Redrum! open during LCC2008. The museum is haunted as well and a great place to tour. For more information, see Redrum! www.mollybrown.org. Ghosts, goblins and crime fans, a perfect combination. Don’t miss a single bit of it. Tell your friends to register today for LCC2008! www.leftcoastcrime.org/

When the Carpathia docked on pier 54 in New York, reporters surrounded Molly Brown. “What do you attribute to your survival they asked? “Typical Brown luck”, she replied. “We’re unsinkable.”

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Q&A with LCC Fans Maddy Van Hertbruggen, Sally Cadigan, and Sylvia Ulan

Q: How did you first hear of LCC and where was your first years, but the exposure to everyone there was conference? awesome. was a guest of honor and Harlan Cobin was also honored. From that point on I Maddy: I first heard about LCC from one of the mystery was hooked, and have attended every LCC since publications. My first LCC was in 1998 which was held in San except Bristol in 2006. Diego. That convention is still one of my favorites – the weather was wonderful and the organizing committee ran Q: What other conferences/conventions do you attend things perfectly. I still remember sitting outside with a box and how does LCC compare? lunch, looking at the bay and chatting with what felt like hundreds of new friends! Maddy: I’ve been to Bouchercon a few times, but the sheer size of that intimidates me. I much prefer LCC, Sally: My friends, Cae Carter and Billie Laney from Killeen, Tx, which has a more manageable number of people. went to LCC in Seattle in 1997 and thought it was so much That makes it more intimate for me. fun that they encouraged me to go the next year. My first LCC conference was in 1998 in . I’ve only missed Sally: I’ve been to several other conferences including one since then. the two Eyecons, several Bouchercons, and Magna cum Murders and they are all good in different ways Sylvia: Chris Acevedo of Clues Unlimited advised me that but LCC is my “not to miss” favorite. LCC would be here in Tucson in 2000. My first LCC was mind-boggling to me. I have been a mystery reader for Sylvia: I must say that LCC has become a family tradition. My daughter, sister, and niece have attended

different LCCS, including universally friendly. You Maddy: I moderate on admire and chatting with Monterey, El Paso, and never need to be alone; online mystery discussion them is certainly one of the Seattle. My daughter and I you can strike up a great group. The first time that best points. I did win a raffle attended Bouchercon in Las conversation with just members of that group in Portland, am a character Vegas but found parts of it about everyone, whether attended LCC en masse in an L.C. Hayden book, and difficult. We also attend sitting next to you while was at LCC Portland. It was my daughter won a attending a panel, in the Poisoned Pen events. wonderful to see them breakfast with Phil Margolin. hallway, or in the restroom! experiencing LCC for the Q: What do you like best first time and falling in love Q: What new authors have Sally: First of all, I like the about LCC? with it just as I have. Since you discovered as a result of LCC locations because I that time, our group’s LCC? can travel to the west of Maddy: To me, LCC is the attendance has increased the US and the west of perfect size for a every year. There were Maddy: I discover several England with lots of friends. convention. It’s nice to meet several dozen of us from authors every time that I The size of the con is people, and know and that group at the latest attend. I may find them as a perfect: large enough to know that you are likely to LCC. result of a panel or have attract a variety of authors run into them a few times chatted with them in the but small enough to over the course of the Sally: I guess one would be bar. manage panels and visit conference. I love the meeting Ian Rankin who is with friends or authors. composition of the a long time favorite of Sally: The ones who come to attendees. It’s not just an mine, another would be mind quickly are Steve Sylvia: I think the size of LCC author’s convention; there’s when I was on a panel in Hamilton, Ann Cleeves, and is one of its pluses, large a good mix of authors, fans, Pasadena, and finally the Cath Staincliffe. enough to have a nice and other people Bristol con because it was variety but not associated with the crime such a good combination Slyvia: Cara Black, Sharon overwhelming. I love the fiction community. And the of authors from many Newman, Denise Hamilton, accessibility of the authors authors that attend places. Libby Fisher Hellman, Valerie after panels and signings. represent all parts of the Wolzien, Jonnie Jacobs, Lee

genre, from cozy to noir and Sylvia: It’s hard to think of Harris, Matt Witten, Paula Q: What’s your most everything in between. I’ve one memorable moment. Woods, Judith Smith-Levin, memorable LCC moment also found that the Meeting writers whom I and more! or moments to date? attendees are almost

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Top Ten Places to People Watch Take a short walk to Civic Center Upon arriving, check out the Park on the weekend. Be wary of traveling public at Denver offers or “deals” of any kind. International Airport. Go with a group to Colfax Ave. After checking in, take a walk It’s the seedy district. If your down the 16 th street mall. After name is John, don’t mention it. CEOS, there aren’t enough acronyms to cover this crowd. Shop in Cherry Creek north or Cherry Creek Mall. Play guess the Stop at Union Station. The trains plastic surgery game. are interesting too. Denver Rescue Mission. They Take a ride on Light Rail from save the homeless and other lost downtown to Broadway and souls. back. Yes, that is their real hair. Children’s hospital. After this visit, Grocery shop at King Soopers on everything else in your life will 9th & Corona. The locals have seem insignificant. another name for it.

The Games Afoot…

divided into eight teams and Oh sure, you’ve watched a TV given a photo of a “rabbit” and show where the good guys a starting location to find their follow the criminal to whatever rabbit. Then, the games afoot for critical location he’s going. And one hour on the streets of you’ve seen the movie where Denver on the 16th Street Mall. our well trained protagonist spy manages to spot and identify all A subsequent debriefing of the members of the totalitarian teams and rabbits will be police or opposition spy ring who conducted at the MWA are tailing him. But were you ever Hospitality Suite. All conference curious as to what really goes attendees get to hear what into surveillance? And, did you happened on the streets. And, ever wonder if YOU could oh yeah, I should p robably conduct surveillance on a mention that the “rabbits” will be moving subject and not get chosen from some of your caught? celebrity authors. More details to Photos courtesy of Denver Chamber of Commerce follow, so sign up soon! Well, here’s your chance! Forty- eight attendees of the 2008 Left Coast Crime Conference in R.T. Lawton Denver will receive a one hour lecture from a retired federal agent on how to conduct surveillance. They will then be