Where will Hailey be??

Well...all over, actually...
you can always check here to see if I have added more appearances, but for now, this is what I have booked.

April 28, Saturday -- Los Angeles Times Festival of Books: I will be at the Mysterious Galaxy (booth #614) —11-12 noon and at Book ‘Em (booth #441) —1-2 pm; at UCLA

May 3-6, Friday to Sunday -- Malice Domestic Conference, Arlington, VA; I will be at a Meet the Authors breakfast on Saturday, May 5th at 9:00 am in Salon III.

May 12, Saturday: I’ll join Joel and Christy Harris for the Grand Opening of their new bookstore, Clayton Books : 5433 D Clayton Road , Clayton, CA 94517, (925) 673-3325

May 22, Tuesday at 7:30 pm, I will be at Castro Valley Library with Camille Minichino: 20055 Redwood Rd.Castro Valley, CA 94546; 510-670-6280.

June 7-10, Thursday to Sunday -- Murder in the Grove Conference, Boise, ID:Boise Centre on the Grove, 850 Front Street; more information to come.

June 30, Saturday at 2pm -- I will be at the Kensington Library with Diane Chambers, Priscilla Royal, and Mark Coggins: 61 Arlington Avenue, Kensington, CA 94707; 510-524-3043.

JULY 3RD -- BRUSH WITH DEATH HITS THE BOOKSTORES!!

July 11, Wednesday at 6:30 pm -- I will be speaking at the Rose Garden Branch of the San Jose Library with Vinnie Hansen: 1580 Naglee Ave., San José, CA 95126; (408) 808-3070.

July 13, Friday from 7-10 pm m-- release party for Brush with Death at the Oakland Columbarium! Full details to come... check out the preliminary details here.

July 26, Thursday at 7 pm -- I will participate in a Sisters in Crime panel at the Lafayette Library with Camille Minichino, Ann Parker, and Peggy Dulle: 952 Moraga Road, Lafayette, CA 94549; (925) 283-3872.

July 28, Saturday at 2 pm, I will participate in a Sisters in Crime panel at the San Jose Cambrian Library: 1780 Hillsdale Ave., San José, CA 95124; (408) 808-3080

August, B&N Book Fair, Dublin, details TBA

October 13, Northern California Sisters in Crime Writing Conference, All Day event, Stockton, CA. Further details TBA

Never fear, I will remind you as we get closer to these dates!!

Famous Forgers Part I

Han Van Megeeren:
Imprisoned and accused of selling a Vermeer to Goering under Hitler’s reign –which amounted to treason—Van Megeeren produced an exquisite forgery while in jail to prove that he had sold Goering one of his own copies. The charges were commuted to forgery.Elmyr de Hory:
A prolific and versatile forger, de Hory claims that ninety percent of his fakes have gone undetected and hang on museum walls.
You can learn more about Elmyr de Hory in Clifford Irving's book, Fake. Speaking of Irving, the movie detailing his HOAX will be out April 13th, and if you need an excuse to see Richard Gere looking fabulous, well, there's one for you!

More famous forgers to come...happy weekend!

SAVE THE DATE

I am working on putting together the Release Party for BOOK 3: Brush with Death... ( available for pre-order at Powell's).

Here's what I know so far... July 13th (Friday the 13th) at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland. We are hoping everyone will get a chance investigate the place. Maybe we can set up a tour of some of the key action spots from Brush with Death.

You may recall I participated in the Ghost Walk with Sisters in Crime there last October. We are having the book release party at a resting place for the dearly departed, and beautiful architectural treasure, because it is a major CHARACTER in Brush with Death.

You can read a teaser for Brush with Death.

We had a blast at the last release party at Varnish. I hope you will mark your calendar and join us to celebrate the release of Brush with Death! I will post more details as I get them.

For Art Crime Lovers

March was full of author panels! Many of the people who came to the panels were aspiring writers. Invariably, one of the questions is how do we research for our mystery writing.

So, I thought I would share with you some of the places I go to find out about art crime. Here are a few of my faves.

The FBI Art Squad and their list of the Top Ten Art Crimes

Interpol’s art site, with their own Most Wanted List!

For updates on thefts, forgery, and antiquities trade, plus plenty of resources regarding forgery and theft, the Museum Security network can’t be beat this.

Lots of information about art crimes, forensic art, illegal antiquities trade here.

Let me know if you turn up anything I should include in book FOUR!

The latest Spielberg thriller: Art Theft?

The FBI recently disclosed that Steven Spielberg had a stolen Norman Rockwell painting hanging on his wall, in plain sight. Apparently Spielberg bought Rockwell’s "Russian Schoolroom" in 1989 from an art dealer he assumed to be legitimate.

How was he to know it had been stolen?

The word on the street is caveat emptor – “beware, buyer”. These days missing and stolen art is tracked by a variety of on-line services, including the Missing Art Registry. In fact, Spielberg realized he was holding ill-gotten gains when an employee checked the FBI Web site last month, and discovered that the painting had been listed as stolen from a gallery in 1973.Though Spielberg won’t be charged with wrongdoing– it was determined he knew nothing of the theft when he bought the piece – he has to surrender the painting to its original owners. He is one of the many unfortunate collectors who have been burned intransactions that appeared to be legitimate.

Authorities say the higher online visibility of missing and stolen art is not only resulting in artwork being turned in, but also has inspired more people to come forward to claim title to the works. This is especially true in the case of artwork lost during World War II under the Nazis. For example, last year, the FBI recovered three works by 19th century painter Heinrich Burkel that disappeared from a German air raid shelter during the closing days of World War II. The paintings' rightful owner contacted authorities after seeing the works offered for sale on the Web by a dealer from Pennsylvania. It turned out that a New Jersey man had bought them in the 1960s. They were kept in the family with no idea that they were stolen until they were put up to auction. They were subsequently returned to the museum in Germany, from whence they came.

For more on Norman Rockwell and his art, visit his museum website.

A love of libraries…and librarians!

Lately I’ve been lucky enough to be spending time in libraries…and remembering how much I love them. There’s something about the unmistakable scent of thousands of books; kids sprawled on the floor, reading; adults milling about, searching, and dreaming. Whether learning English, looking for a good novel, or researching tax laws, the library is a hushed hermitage, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.

It is too easy to assume that with the advent of our new millennium, the old style library is no longer vibrant and necessary. We hear of one county after another slashing library budgets, or threatening to cut off funding altogether. One of my best friends is a teen librarian in Princeton, New Jersey. She sees the library as one of the last true community spaces – and in particular, an alternative locale for teenagers to gather not only for homework help and research, but also to socialize in a safe, sane, fun setting.

Libraries have changed a lot since I spent much of my own childhood haunting their shelves – especially memorable are long, sweaty summer afternoons where the cool library offered a special sanctuary. These days access to the internet is a big draw, and there’s a tendency for book-lovers like me to look upon the infernal computer terminals as the end of civilization as we know it…and yet, a computer can be a great democratizing tool. Despite numerous obvious drawbacks, the internet has made it virtually impossible to stifle access to information.

Ultimately, that is a great thing.

The other day I was on a “Sisters in Crime” panel at the South Branch of the Berkeley Library, and it was heartening to see the little building packed with people of all ages and ethnicities on a summery Thursday evening. A couple of weeks ago I led a discussion of Sue Grafton at the South San Francisco Library, and there was a great turn out of Friends of the Library as well as others interested in mystery writing and reading in general.

My upcoming book, Brush with Death (July 3, 2007) has a special dedication to librarians and schoolteachers, who do so much to better the world. And it is now my personal mission to get my books onto the shelves of libraries across the nation. If anyone knows of libraries hungry for books, please tell them to contact me. I am happy to donate signed copies of the Agatha-Award nominated Feint of Art and bestselling Shooting Gallery to any public libraries who are willing and able to add them to their catalogued collection.

I would also love to hear your library stories.

Triple the Suspense in San Leandro

THREE MYSTERY WRITERS =
TRIPLE THE SUSPENSE!
March 31, 2007 at 2:00 PM
At the Main Library
300 Estudillo Ave, San Leandro
For more information, call (510) 577-3971

Three local authors (two former San Leandro residents) will discuss their latest exciting novels - all filled with intrigue, plot twists, and suspense.

At this free program, they will entertain you with insider stories about the publishing industry (things you wouldn't believe!), and their experiences of the research and writing processes. They encourage a lively discussion and welcome lots of questions and interaction with the audience.

Featured Authors:

Hailey Lind
Shooting Gallery is Hailey's newest mystery. New Mystery Reader calls her series "Delightfully different...Annie Kincaid is a fun and fascinating new sleuth...a series to watch." Hailey's first novel, Feint of Art, has been nominated for an Agatha for best first novel. The latest in the Art Lover's Mystery Series, Brush with Death, will be in bookstores in July.

Camille Minichino
The Oxygen Murder is the eighth novel in her periodic table mystery series. With 111 elements, she has a long way to go. Booklist Says "plenty of humor enlivens an engrossing story."

Ann Parker
Ann's Silver Rush series, beginning with Silver Lies, has received parise from national reviewers. Publisher's Weekly called her newest, Iron Ties, "outstanding" and notes "many nice twists in this appealing adventure."

Sisters in Crime Panel -- BERKELEY, CA

On Thursday, March 15, at 6:00 pm, I'll be speaking on a panel with three other local authors at the South Branch of the Berkeley Public Library.

1901 Russel Street (at Martin Luther King Jr)
510-981-6260

Hailey Lind is an artist as will as a writer and brings this experience to Shooting Gallery, her new book that explores the world of art fakes. Her first book, Feint of Art, has been nominated for an Agatha best first novel award!

Here are some details on the other authors:
Diana R. Chambers is the author of the topical thriller, Stinger, involving a CIA officer, a daring journalist and an elusive Afghan chief.

Peggy Dulle's new book, Death is Clowning Around, was inspired by the strange behavior of her computer at work.

Priscilla Royal has a degree in world literature where she discovered the beauty of medieval literature. Her medieval mysteries included Sorrow Without End, Tyrant of the Mind, and Wine of Violence. Her newest, Favas Can Be Fatal, take on modern life in the restaurant business.

Hope some of you can make it.

Panels, Signings and Sightings

Hailey Lind will be out there reading, signing, and hopefully, selling some books this month!!
You can always find details on upcoming events at the website. I will post more details on each appearance here and on myspace blog, so check back for more info...

AAUW Authors Panel and Fundraiser -- Pleasant Hill

I will be joining the Pleasant Hill Branch of the American Association of University Women for an Author's Panel and Fundraiser on Saturday, March 10th, at 7 p.m., Hillcrest Congregational Church, 404 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, 94523.

Fellow Sisters in Crime authors FRAN WOJNAR and PEGGY DULLE will also be there!

The Pleasant Hill Branch of Am. Assoc. of University Women is celebrating the Branch's 50th anniversary in the fall of 2007. This event is a fundraiser for the AAUW Educational Foundation in Washington, DC. This year, 2006-2007, we (the Foundation) have given grants of over 3.3 million to women for graduate study and community grants. The Pleasant Hill Branch sent in $6,000 toward this wonderful opportunity for women.

Hope you will join us to support a great cause and some local Bay Area authors.

The Agatha

Wow...we just got notice that Feint of Art has been nominated for an Agatha best first novel award.

You will remember a while back, we posted about attending the Malice Domestic Conference in Arlington, VA in May. Well, the Agatha is presented at this conference.

It is quite an honor to be nominated, but, of course, we do want to win! You can join us there or become a Friend of Malice.

Find out more about the Agatha here. Here's the complete slate of nominees for the best first novel, best novel, best non-fiction, best short story and best young adult novel.

You can see the entire list of nominees on Lesa Holstine's blog as well. Thank you, Lesa, for your congratulations and support!

Radio Sugar

I don't know if any of you were listening to Sarah and No Name on 97.3 RadioAlice this morning, but we got a special shout out.

Ah networking, what a wonderful thing. Honestly, you just never know what it will do for you.

Remember back in November I attended a Sisters in Crime conference in Hollywood? Well, I met an author, well actually many authors, on that trip named A H Ream. She writes mysteries based in Los Angeles. I told her about my series based in San Francisco/Oakland. She decided to send a set of my books to her best friend who lives in San Francisco. [Why yes, they do make a great gift for your friends!]

Her friend, Janice, read the books, and loved them! Janice noticed that I mentioned the radio show Sarah and No Name. She wrote the radio station an email and today they read it on the air!

Thanks to Janice, AH Ream and Sarah and No Name for the shout out! It's nice to be appreciated.

So, if you get a chance, check out AH Ream's blog and share your thoughts with your favorite radio station.

Book Fodder??

Perusing the local paper online today, I came across some interesting developments in the Bay Area art scene.

This definitely sounds like an inside job. Well, at least, it doesn't have the Michael fingerprint. He would have left some forgeries in their stead, and it would have been a while before it was discovered!

Any ideas on how to incorporate this amateur lifting into the series??

50 Ways to Catch a Killer

Another fabulous opportunity from Sisters in Crime!

Those of you who love forensic science books and shows, and writers who want to learn more about forensic science and police procedure have a terrific opportunity to hear from experts, thanks to Sisters in Crime.

The St. Louis Chapter is organizing the first Sisters in Crime Forensic University of St. Louis, "50 Ways to Catch a Killer," which will be held November 1-4, 2007.

The event will provide many hours of presentations on forensic science and police procedure, cover both the basics and give you choices for programs on a wide range of specialized topics -- and it will be a lot fun, too! You'll also get a useful handbook that will provide additional information and resources. We've already got some fantastic speakers lined up, including one of the best medical examiners in the country and a top-notch forensic anthropologist.

The event is at the St. Louis Airport Hilton; the size of the conference is limited to 200. Register quickly as the spaces are limited. Check the website for more details.

MY Favorite Things

Oprah's not the only one with favorite things. My favorite things end up all over the books... here are a few.


"He snorted in a most un-Mr.-Darcy-like fashion."


"Flor de Cana rum really packed a punch."


"Humming to myself, I took the whistling kettle from the stove and poured boiling water over a coneful of freshly ground Peet's French Roast coffee."


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY -- I hope it's full of your favorite things!

Oakland, aka HOME to Annie

Hopping into my truck, I drove across the Bay Bridge to Oakland, exited at Grand Avenue, and veered right toward Lake Merritt.
The meandering lake was highlighted by a necklace of romantic white lights, and even at this hour its two-mile path was crowded with energetic joggers, strolling lovers, and cranky Canada geese.

MALICE

Still recovering from the Left Coast Crime Conference, but already preparing for MALICE DOMESTIC in Arlington, Virginia in May.This is a great place for mystery readers to meet mystery writers...and of course, for authors to meet and hopefully woo new readers!

Here's what the conference planners say:

Malice Domestic is a fan based convention so programming is selected to enhance the fans' experience with new authors, favorite authors, and the mystery genre exemplified by cozy mysteries in the style of Agatha Christie.

If you have always wanted to visit Arlington, already live there, and/or love mysteries, please join us! I would love to meet you.

Pre-Valentine's Day

Joan Swan needs a tagline for her latest book, and she's willing to repay someone's ingenuity and wit with CHOCOLATE.

I was browsing Romance Worth Killing For, an industry blog that Joan shares with four other writers, when I found her contest.

Here are some of the details from Joan's post:

Here are a few kernals of direction from the class:"...your brand expands outward to encompass what you write. Your genre, your character types, etc. For example someone who writes about redemption through love is not sticking to their brand when they say all relationships are painful during an interview. You are trying to point to the things that redemption brings: hope, trust, love, etc. and hopefully show how you support those things. When Christina Skye says to people "Life is an adventure" she's conveying not only support for the genre in which her books are slotted (romantic suspense), but also to the very core of her brand being about the need to discover the inner potential in all of us or,
boiled down, discover sustains us. "
So, here are some parameters:
-I write romantic suspense -- about 50/50
-My heros are from law enforcement backgrounds
-My heroines are intelligent and strong with a soft core
-My plots involve murder (sometimes multiple murders)
-My theme always seems to involve trust as a core issue with one or both characters
Messages I want to convey to my reader about my work: Unique, rich characters, deep intruigue, sexy sex, sexual tension, emotional, satisfying
And, I'm planning on (someday over the rainbow) expanding my heros and heroines into firefighting careers

Sisters in Crime Survey

Mystery lovers (readers and writers) have your say.

Sisters in Crime, with the help of Zoomerang, is conducting a survey about mystery readers. This link will take you directly to the survey.

Book Discussion - South San Francisco

Saturday, February 24th, 12noon, South San Francisco Library: Women of Mystery discussion of Sue Grafton. This is part of So. San Francisco Library’s Women of Mystery Program.

South San Francisco Library is located at 840 West Orange Avenue, So. San Francisco, 94080.