It’s hard to believe it’s time for Bouchercon again. We’ll be in Toronto for the duration of the world mystery convention, packing a lot into each and every day thanks to the wonderful reception Design for Dying has gotten from the crime fiction community.

First, let us mark the occasion by linking to this vintage Edith Head interview with the CBC from 1980. And now, here’s our very busy schedule.

Thursday, October 12

8 – 10 AM – Author Speed Dating

Bouchercon’s kickoff event! 44 authors (well, 45 if you count both of us) and 160 readers!

2:30 – 3:30 PM – Best First Novel Panel

Lucinda Surber moderates a conversation with us and fellow Anthony Award nominees Bill Beverly (Dodgers), Joe Ide (IQ), Nadine Nettmann (Decanting a Murder), and Nick Petrie (The Drifter). Book signing to follow.

5:30 – 6:30 PM – California Scheming Panel

There’s no better place for murder and mayhem than the Golden State! With Maegan Beaumont, James L’Etoile, Nadine Nettmann, and Renee Asher Pickup as moderator. Book signing to follow.

7:30 – 9:30 PM – Opening Ceremony and Reception

Design for Dying is also nominated for the Macavity Award for Best First Novel. Our fellow nominees are Fiona Barton (The Widow), Flynn Berry (Under the Harrow), Bill Beverly (Dodgers), and Joe Ide (IQ). The awards will be presented as part of the opening night festivities. We’ll be the ones standing nervously by the bar. Come say hi!

Friday, October 13

7:30 – 9:30 AM – New Author Breakfast

We had the pleasure of doing this event at last year’s Bouchercon in New Orleans, and figured you can only be a new author once. It turns out a benefit of being nominated for the Best First Novel Anthony Award is you’re invited back—and we never say no to breakfast. It’s a great opportunity to hear about this year’s debut novels.

12:30 – 1:30 PM – Hospitality Suite Signing

Forge authors will be in the hospitality suite all day from noon on, and we’ll be there signing Design for Dying and Dangerous to Know.

Saturday, October 14

4:00 PM – Notorious at Revue Cinema

An off-site event! We’re so excited about this! The wonderful Designing the Movies film series and the Toronto Film Noir Syndicate will be jointly presenting this special matinee screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1946 espionage classic Notorious. We’ll be on hand to introduce the film and talk about the first of many collaborations between Hitch and Edith Head.

Sunday, October 15

11AM – 1PM – Brunch and Anthony Awards

The final event, followed by a book signing with all Anthony Award nominees and guests of honor.

There’ll be no rest for the wicked, because soon after we return home we’ll be participating in this year’s LitCrawl Seattle on Thursday, October 19. We’ll be at Hugo House at 9pm for How to Dress for a Murder, where we’ll be reading from both Lillian & Edith novels as well as providing fashion tips direct from Edith herself.

But wait! There’s more! We have another special event on tap for October, maybe the biggest of all. Look for another post about it later this month—although if you sign up for the Renee Patrick newsletter below, you can find out about it early.

Photo from Edith Head: The Fifty Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Costume Designer, by Jay Jorgensen