Friday, May 29, 2009: Catherine Maiorisi (L) and Liz Zelvin (R) are two talented writers and sister members of Sisters in Crime and The Guppies, who were wonderful to meet me 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. (This expo was probably my 8th since 1996, back when the book industry's huge annual trade show was known as the ABA and sponsored by the American Booksellers Association.)

I want everyone 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 has been nominated for the David Award for Best Mystery/Thriller of 2008. The winner will be announced at the Deadly Ink conference July 27, 2009. The cover of Death Will Get You Sober has been nominated 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, will be released in October 2009, and I plan to get a copy as soon as it's available.

Catherine Maiorisi chairs the 2008-2009 Mentor Committee of the New York chapter of Mystery Writers of America and also serves as Secretary of the New York/Tri-State chapter of Sisters in Crime. I look forward to reading Catherine's writing in the near future.