October 31, 2005
I spent this last weekend at the mystery convention held every year in Muncie, Indiana called Magna cum Murder. It was my second time. I'm a little swamped trying to catch back up on this week's work, so I'm going to split this up. Here's a brief schedule of my first day, Friday, October 28.

I'm up at 6:30. Get kids off to school, check e-mail, take dog for a walk. Leave house at 9:20 AM. Stop at CVS Pharmacy to pick up travel shaving cream and travel toothpaste and a bottle of caffeinated beverage for the road. Head out of town for Muncie, Indiana. I'm listening to a taped version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

11:00. Stop at the Big Boy in Chelsea, Michigan for lunch. 11:30, back on the road.
3:15. Hit Muncie. Check into the Roberts Hotel. I was originally going to stay at the Signature Inn, but Dennis Collins had booked another room as a favor to Kelly Montee, half of the writing duo PJ Parrish, but Kelly couldn't make it, possibly because Hurricane Wilma paid a visit to her hometown of Fort Lauderdale the week before. It's a little more expensive, about $100 a night, but it's at the site of the conference, so I decide to go for convenience. I probably won't if I go again, more about that later.

Check in to hotel, run into author Al Bell, chat with him a minute, then run into an old friend and her mother-in-law also checking in, Cathy Akers-Jordan and Ginger Jordan. Cathy and I went to high school together and she and Ginger are regulars at Magna. We chat a minute, then I check in and hit the room. Call my wife at home, hunt down some Tylenol, unpack a few things, then check into the conference. Back to the room to lay down for a bit, waiting for the Tylenol to kick in.

Check out the booksellers, talk to Tom and Enid Schantz, who will be on a panel about book reviewing that I'm moderating on Saturday. Wander around a bit more. Caught a talk by Shelly Reuben, who runs a private investigation office specializing in forensic arson investigation. I get scheduled for a PBS interview the following morning, which is cool. Run into Harlen Coben, the guest of honor. Chatted briefly. I had interviewed him for an author profile/review of The Innocent last spring and he seemed to remember it. Very tall, deep voice, a hell of a nice guy. I chat with Shelly Reuben on the way to the restaurant. She's a sweety.

6:00. Author dinner at a local restaurant. Food was so-so and it's a VERY loud room. Sat at a table with Chester Campbell and his wife, Suzanne Barr (who was also on Saturday's panel) and her husband, and Beverle Graves Myers and her husband. My apologies to the spouses for not always catching their names. I had at least as interesting conversations with the various spouses as I did with the authors.

7:15 or so, head back to the hotel. I chat with Carl Brookins on the way back. He's also on my panel the next day. Catch a panel at 7:30 titled Past and Present? How the past shapes character and story with Michael Allen Dymmoch, Harlan Coben, Mary Anna Evans and Terence Faherty. I'm pretty fried afterwards, so I pass on seeing the Agatha Christie movie, head back to my room, read for a bit and fall asleep. It's 10:00 on the clock, but due to the time difference between Michigan and IN, it's 11:00 and I'm beat.

Best,
Mark Terry