Appearances   On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Minnesota Crime Wave interviewed me on their excellent cable show, MCW Presents. I'm in episode 11 doing my best "ventriloquist's dummy" impression. Despite my lack of facial expression (personality much?), I had a great time! Thursday, July 16, I will be accepting the "Distinguished Alumi" honor in Paynesville, Minnesota, my hometown. I don't know if the event is open to the public, but if not, you should consider crashing it so my mom and dad have company in the audience. If you can't make it but know where I could get my hands on a gently-used "Distinguished Alumni Acceptance Speech," I can respect that, too. Make "Speech 4U" the subject line to the email so I don't accidentally delete it. Tuesday, August 4, you'll find me at the Wausau Barnes & Noble, one of the most supportive stores I've ever visited. I'll be signing books for the general public at 6:00 (September Fair may even be available by then!) and speaking to the mystery group at 7:00. They'll be reading August Moon, and if you're in the area and interested in mysteries, join us! September 30, at 7:00, I'll be speaking at the Dakota County Library in Burnsville as part of their Minnesota Mosaic series. Join me in November at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis for the first annual two-day Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Festival aimed at aspiring and established writers as well as fans of the genre! More detail to come, but I will be presenting "Writing a Series with Legs" at 3:30 on Saturday, November 14.