Friday, May 29, 2009: Catherine Maiorisi (L) and
Liz Zelvin (R) -- two talented writers and sister
members of Sisters in Crime and The Guppies --
were wonderful to meet Pat and I for dinner and help celebrate
my book's awards. Here we are at the Hudson Yards
Cafe, a busy, noisy pub with good food only a block's
walk from the Javits Center and Book Expo America.
That's where Pat (who's taking this photo) and I
had spent the day. The 2009 expo was probably my 8th
since 1996, back when the book industry's huge annual
trade show was known as the ABA because it used to be sponsored by
the American Booksellers Association.
I'd like every reader and writer of mysteries to know about the excellent work
Elizabeth Zelvin has had published. An addiction
counselor and therapist, Liz is a witty writer who
introduces 3 endearing characters in Death Will Get
You Sober: a pair of "literate ex-drunks and
one raging co-dependent." This well-written
first novel in a new mystery series won
the David Award for Best Mystery/Thriller of
2008, presented at the Deadly
Ink conference July 27, 2009. The cover of Death
Will Get You Sober also received a nomination for an Anthony
Award.
Preceding that was her short story, "Death
Will Clean Your Closet" (in the anthology Murder
New York Style). It was nominated for the Agatha
Award for Best Short Story, and I use excerpts from
both the short story and the first novel as effective
examples of key writing techniques in Don't Sabotage
Your Submission. The second of the series, Death Will Help You Leave
Him, was released in October 2009, and I enjoyed reading it as well.
Catherine Maiorisi chaired the 2008-2009 Mentor Committee
of the New York chapter of Mystery Writers of America
and also served as Secretary of the New York/Tri-State
chapter of Sisters in Crime. I look forward to reading
Catherine's writing.
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