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Saturday, October 11, 2008

BOUCHERCON CRIME FICTION FESTIVAL 2008

Well, what can I say? Greetings from Baltimore! I arrived here on Wednesday or Thursday, I honestly cannot remember now, and I have been overwhelmed by the tremendous reception I have received. Mingling with such stellar luminaries as Harlan Coben, George Pelecanos, Larry Block, attending the Barry Awards, and last night the Shamus Awards banquet followed by a guided tour of the Westminster Hall catacombs and Edgar Allan Poe's grave... It has been a whirlwind of meetings and greetings and panels and author interviews, all of them fascinating and informative. To really appreciate the enthusiasm with which crime fiction is met here, I can only say that at 8.30 am you appear at a panel and find that there are two or three hundred people there right with you!
I travelled with my long-time companion and great friend Ali Karim. Ali, I know, will be posting extensive reports on Shots when he returns to the UK along with a gallery of great photographs he has taken. He will forward a good number to me and I shall add them to the gallery on this site. I shall post a report on the outcome of the week when I get home. I am in Leeds at the Morley Literary Festival the day after my return to the UK, and then I have events in Guildford and numerous other places, so bear with me. I'll get it done as fast as I can!
There has been a great deal of interest about A Simple Act of Violence here. My good friend Steve Warne brought over three boxes of the hardbacks, all of which I sat and dutifully signed the day I arrived, and they have pretty much sold out along with every copy of the previous books that he brought with him. I have conducted meetings with agents, have two more such meetings today, and I'll keep you posted on anything that happens regarding a US publishing deal. Meanwhile, Germany has just bought A Simple Act of Violence and the new book for 2009, so things continue to move forward.
I shall sign off now, but I just wanted you to know that things are good here, that it's been a most excellent trip thus far, and we'll speak soon.
Best, as always,
Roger.

11 comments:

mand said...

80)

Kerrie said...

I have a few spies at Bouchercon Roger. If Maddy from 4MA gets an award for the Special Services category you are hereby allowed to congratulate her and say that Kerrie from Oz sends her congratulations.

R J Ellory said...

Absolutely I will do that Kerrie...and by the way, I dropped a copy of Simple Act in the mail to you just before I left for Baltimore so you should have that imminently. Hope all's well with you!

R J Ellory said...

Mand...cute face! He kinda looks how I feel - bug-eyed and a stupid grin!

Unknown said...

Just finished ASAOV : AWESOME. You can read what I thought about it in more detail at 'the usual place'!

Wishing you luck in securing a long-overdue US business deal.

Wish you'd do a signing in Essex!

Kerrie said...

many thanks RJ

R J Ellory said...

One-eyed Jack... I am in Essex at the end of October delivering a writers' workshop. It is being run by a lady I met throug the internet, and I am going to ask her (when I get back home) whether or not the group she is running can have a few outsiders attending. If so, then I shall e-mail you and we could meet there. I saw your review of ASAOV and I am - as always - extraordinarily indebted for your tremendous generosity. Speak when I get home!

R J Ellory said...

Kerri...I have not yet seen Maddy, but I just met with Peter Rozovsky from 'Detectives Beyond Borders' and he asked me to say 'Hi!' and wishes you all the very best.

Kerrie said...

Simple Act has arrived Roger. Many thanks

Kerrie said...

P.S. I'm glad you and PeterBB met up. He told me he had emt you - see I have spies everywhere :-)

R J Ellory said...

Kerrie...glad the book arrived, and as far as your other comment is concerned, now you have me worried...
Hope you like ASAOV. By the way, I was stopped and questioned four times by armed border patrol officials on the way here - both in Charlotte and Baltimore - and I am wondering whether they got a 'heads up' on me being the guy who wrote the badass CIA book you now have in your hands!
You'll have to drop me a line when you've read it and let me know whether you think I have a cause to feel paranoid...