This coming weekend, I'll be signing over at the Barnes & Noble in Torrance again. It's one of my favorite stores, as it brings in such a wide variety of readers every day. But more than this, I'm looking forward to the weekend after, when I'll be joining my publisher, Molly Lewis, to discuss women in the book industry - especially in the writing of crime fiction. As a past board member of Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles - an organization dedicated to equality among mystery authors - I've been paying attention to the status of women in the writing community for several years. Many of you have heard me on numerous Sisters in Crime panels, discussing everything from the development of my own series to the state of the industry as a whole.
The event on March 5th is hosted by the Ovitt Family Community Library in Ontario, CA. I'm looking forward to it for a number of reasons - because book sales from the event will benefit the library itself, and because the author discussions every Saturday during the month of March will highlight women writers from all parts of the industry. Please feel free to join me and my publisher in just over a week, but also mark your calendars for the other events that month, from debut novelist Jenny Bellington to seasoned mystery and literary fiction writer, Michele Scott, as well as my good friend Teresa Burrell. Their books will be on sale at every event, which should give everyone plenty of opportunities to support the library with the profits on every sale.
Events like this are also exciting because they give book clubs, reading groups, and writers' organizations a chance to take a fresh look at literature in a focused setting. So spread the word, and I'll see you there!
