Tennessee charity auction--Mystery critique

[kaitie]

Hi guys. I don't write mystery or crime, but I know quite a few of us here do. Thought I'd post this for anyone who hasn't seen it. The auctions have all been far too rich for my blood (and sadly I didn't win the lottery :tongue)

http://dothewritethingfornashville.blogspot.com/2010/05/day-8-item-13.html

[kaitie]

Oh there were a couple I reaaaally wanted. I'd love to have gotten the full manuscript critique and phone call from Janet Reid, but I just don't have a thousand dollars I could spend on that. If it was two hundred or so, maybe, but even that's pushing it for me. I just don't have throw away money at the moment, especially with everything coming up this summer and the fact that I'm probably going to spend close to five hundred dollars at the post office on Monday.

They do also have a direct donation area if you still want to support the cause, though.

[SJ Gordon]

I am spoiled. :rolleyes My husband wanted me to bid on it anyway. It's a great prize, though, and I very much doubt the bidding will stay at this level.

For my sake, I'd like it to stay where it is. For the sake of the people who will benefit from this really terrific effort, I hope it goes through the roof.

[kaitie]

Oh yeah, totally. It's definitely great for the people who need it when it goes high. :) Good luck, anyway!

[alleycat]

At least my cat has just about dried out.

;-)

[SJ Gordon]

Oh my goodness! That's good to hear. You know how cats feel about being wet. :(

Are things okay for you? The pictures we were seeing on the news were quite awful.

[alleycat]

Oh my goodness! That's good to hear. You know how cats feel about being wet. :(

Are things okay for you? The pictures we were seeing on the news were quite awful.
It was pretty bad all around Nashville and Middle Tennessee. I was okay for the most part, but I had friends whose houses were heavily damaged and one friend lost both cars (you can see videos of her street by going to YouTube and searching for Harpeth Bend Drive). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmtbyPlDc9I&feature=related

Right now the whole area is in cleanup mode. We're making a lot of progress, but there is a lot still left to do. You can drive down some streets and it's like driving through a dump; people have put everything they owned out to the curb to be carted away.

Thanks for your concerns, but don't worried about us too much. We're all helping one another and working to put things back to where they were as much as possible. Give us six months and you won't know there was a 1000-year flood here.

My community (Bellevue) is holding the annual community picnic tomorrow despite the floods. It was decided that the devastation wasn't going to keep us from living our lives (and eating barbecue and potato salad ;-). http://bellevuepicnic.com/index.html

[SJ Gordon]

I really admire the positive approach. Please scarf down some barbeque and potato salad for me. :)

Even with the video images, it's hard for people in my area to really grasp the scope of the damage. We are, after all, the desert where floods are 'flash floods' and devastating enough, but nothing, NOTHING like what you've been experiencing.

[kaitie]

Alleycat, I'm glad you're doing okay. I lived near Houston back when we had the tropical storm a few years back that flooded everything, and I remember how devastating that was. I'll be saying prayers for the people who have lost everything.

[kaitie]

Lunch with Miss Snark! MISS SNARK!!!! That wasn't nearly big enough. You have no idea how much I want that. Unfortunately, I'd have to start a fundraiser of my own just to raise enough money for it.

[jeseymour]

I've met Miss Snark and she is not a nice person. She comes to our local mystery conference every year. I did a pitch with her, and she jumped right down my throat that my premise was ridiculous, that it would never happen. She considers herself an expert on the mob. Not that I'm an expert on the mob, myself. Anyway, I'm not sure I'd want to have lunch with her. :scared:

[kaitie]

Haha, really? Mostly I'm just curious to see who it is. I've heard some speculation, but don't actually know.

Anyway, that's good to know. :tongue

[SJ Gordon]

I've read her blog, of course, but that's as close as I ever expect to come. :P I can imagine she would be intimidating. I guess that can be seen as a good thing but being considered nice and approachable has some advantages, too, I'm sure.

[jeseymour]

Haha, really? Mostly I'm just curious to see who it is. I've heard some speculation, but don't actually know.

Anyway, that's good to know. :tongue

Janet Reid.

[kaitie]

That's been the speculation I'd heard as well, but no one knew if it was actually true. It was just based on similar writing styles. Interesting, in any case.

Isn't there a writer's conference sometime in Boston or something this fall people have mentioned? Yeah, I'm derailing my own thread. I'm gonna go visit my bro sometime and I'm wondering when it is. Not sure if I'd go, but I'm toying with the idea. :)

[jeseymour]

That's been the speculation I'd heard as well, but no one knew if it was actually true. It was just based on similar writing styles. Interesting, in any case.

Isn't there a writer's conference sometime in Boston or something this fall people have mentioned? Yeah, I'm derailing my own thread. I'm gonna go visit my bro sometime and I'm wondering when it is. Not sure if I'd go, but I'm toying with the idea. :)

I was sitting with Janet Reid, doing a pitch, and I asked her outright if she was Miss Snark. She said she had no idea what I was talking about, but she winked when she said it.

You're thinking of Crime Bake - http://www.crimebake.org

I'll be there.

[kaitie]

I might be able to make it out there. Even if I don't do the conference, I bet I can find a way to meet up with some other AWers there. That'd be awesome. :)

[HistorySleuth]

I would love to be able to go to Crime Bake. Tough call. November has been pretty good in NY. But it is always a toss up to drive in November. Guess I could fly. I've only doe it once, and I don't think I would do it alone. I would probably get lost 5 minutes after the plane landed. :D

[jeseymour]

History Sleuth, if you fly in, I will pick you up at the airport. Either Manchester, NH, or Logan. Not Providence, that's the wrong direction. You can also take the train into Boston, and Amtrak has a stop right near the conference hotel.

[SJ Gordon]

I would love to go to a conference this year but I have my doubts about it. Airfare. Yikes! :scared:

Buchecon is more possible seeing as it is, at least, on this end of the country. Even that is awkward. The Husband would have to take time off work to look after The Son which is hard on everyone. Of course, if The Grandparents are in town at the time of a conference, we might be talking business. My husband is more than willing to take on my share of things for a few days while I go to a con, but I know it's difficult (as well as expensive), so I hesitate.

However, if anyone goes, I would love to hear a post-game wrap up and see pictures!

[kaitie]

I'm thinking I probably won't make the conference itself, but I'm going to see who all's going. Maybe we can all meet up for dinner somewhere?

[jeseymour]

I'm thinking I probably won't make the conference itself, but I'm going to see who all's going. Maybe we can all meet up for dinner somewhere?

Serious thread drift here. The conference goes until 12:30 on Sunday. Maybe all of us in the area can meet somewhere for lunch at 1 or so?

my email is joy@jeseymour.com Feel free to take this to email, or start a new thread.

[kaitie]

Oooh, that's a good idea. I might start a new thread tomorrow. I'm time pressed at the moment, but clever idea, that. ;)