And so it ends....

... sailing off over the wine-dark sea, or at least taking the ferry from Victoria over the deep blue Strait of Georgia

Into the sunset... (or rather away from it since the ferry is actually going east).

...back to Alberta where the sky is wider and the land flatter but the authors and publishers as expert at their craft as any in the country.

With thanks to:

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts for funding support and encouragement to give away as many books by Alberta authors and from Alberta publishers as humanly possible;

Mystery Writers Ink for sponsoring the Writing the Open Range panel;

The following publishers who donated books:

University of Calgary Press
University of Alberta Press
Folklore Publishing
Lone Pine Publishing
Cormorant Books
Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
TouchWood Editions/Brindle & Glass Publishing

And authors Garry Ryan, Sharon Wildwind, Joan Donaldson-Yarmey, Susan Calder, and Anthony Bidulka who donated books and items to the prize basket and promoted the panel, and were all-round good ambassadors for Alberta's many fine writers.

We had a wonderful time at Bloody Words 2011. Thanks for allowing us to represent Alberta authors and publishers

Sincere Best Wishes from

Jayne Barnard & Anne Jayne

And yet more delighted conference-goers taking home Alberta books!

And yet more delighted conference-goers taking home Alberta books!

 

The most horrifying author in Canada, Bloody Words 2011's Canadian Guest of Honour Michael Slade, is riding for a Deadly Fall.

Cheryl Freedman, ex-HQ of Crime Writers of Canada and nigh-permanent chair of Bloody Words (along with author Caro Soles), seized Marty Chan's Mystery of the Cyber Bully at the first opportunity.

Pam Barnsley, coordinator of Bloody Words' extremely impressive program book, carried off Gangs in Canada by Jeff Pearce, donated to the cause by Quagmire/Folklore Publishing.

Lovely Lauren, a devoted mystery reader from the dining room, couldn't wait for a Date with a Sheesha

After the Bloody Words Banquet, it was One Careless Moment

Kate Derie, better known as Cluelass, and as editor of the Deadly Directory series, got a a warm smile when presented with a copy of  One Careless Moment by Alberta author Dave Hugelschaffer, courtesy of Dave's publisher, Cormorant Books.

Later that evening, Jim Bottomley jumped on the same title, provided by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

And the following morning, there was no stopping Dave Olsen from Kamloops getting his fingers into the fire!

Cormorant donated additional copies which went to eager readers from Gibsons, Saskatoon and Victoria.

Saturday giveaways - sorry they're late!

More books into the hands of eager readers before the June 4th Bloody Words banquet:

Janet Costello and Jessica Simon, respectively, chose Sharon Wildwind's Some Welcome Home, a novel about recently returned Vietnam war soldiers who get tangled up with a dead press officer, and Last Moments: Sentenced to Death in Canada  by Dale Brawn, an examination of the more than 700 official executions in Canadian history.

 Cathy Schultz of Kelowna is fascinated by Canadian history and was delighted to receive 'The Rumrunners' by Frank Anderson.

Retired chemist Gail Nickerson was curious about Joan Donaldson-Yarmey's second Elizabeth Oliver novel, The Only Shadow on the House.

Cathy Schultz got in a second time later on Saturday, collecting Sharon Wildwind's Some Welcome Home while her tablemate, Sue Holmes-McDonald from Nanaimo, dived eagerly into Linda Kupecek's debut mystery, "Deadly Dues".

Illegally Dead - Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

Illegally Dead
Joan Donaldson-Yarmey
Sumach Press


This isn't the first time travel-writer Elizabeth Oliver finds herself smack in the middle of a murder investigation. Crime seems to follow her around as closely as her cockapoo companion Chevy.

Determined to focus entirely on her work this trip, she sets out to explore the length of Alberta's Crowsnest Highway to research a new travel article. But no sooner has she settled into travel-writing mode than she is flagged down at a roadside crime scene. Human bones have just been discovered in an old septic tank on a property slated to be used for a new hog barn development.

Resisting the temptation to get involved, she arrives at her B&B only to find that her hostess' mother Peggy used to own the septic tank property, and may know more about the situation than she's letting on.



Copies of this book were handed out courtesy of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Owl's Nest Books.

Fall from Grace - Wayne Arthurson

WAYNE ARTHURSON, like his protagonist Leo Desroches, is the son of Cree and French Canadian parents. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, a drummer in a rock band, and as a freelance journalist. He was born in and lives in Edmonton, Canada. Fall From Grace is his first novel.


This title was given to an interested reader at Bloody Words thanks to funding from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Hummingbird Dance - Garry Ryan

A Hummingbird Dance begins with a disappearance connected to an unsolved murder.  When Detectives Lane and Harper investigate the death of a sixteen-year-old First Nations man, they begin to unravel a series of killings. They must also deal with complex family issues while risking their lives to uncover the truth behind the killings.

More on this book and Garry Ryan


This book was given away to a mystery reader at Bloody Words thanks to funding support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Grizzly Lies - Eileen Coughlan

Grizzly Lies - Eileen Coughlan
Sumach Press

Hellie MacConnell retreats from a troubled relationship in Toronto to the quiet town of Banff, Alberta where life is peaceful and nature abounds. But when her landlord turns up dead and her bear-loving neighbour Arthur Elliott disappears, Hellie finds herself at the heart of a murder investigation. Is Arthur a dangerous extremist who will do anything to protect 'his' grizzly bears? Is someone lurking in wait for Hellie, too? And what dark history is shared between Arthur and a visiting Texan hunter. A truly Canadian mystery set in spectacular Banff, Grizzly Lies charms with small-town legend and chills with dark secrets. As Hellie delves deeper into the mystery of her landlord's death, she learns to listen to stories of others, heal herself and let go of the past.


Copies of this book were given out courtesy of the author and of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Amuse Bouch - Anthony Bidulka

Amuse Bouch - Anthony Bidulka

2003 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel Finalist
2003 ReLit Award shortlist

A gay wedding gone bad. A missing groom. An unsullied reputation at risk. Enter Russell Quant, cute, gay and a rookie private detective. With a nose for good wine and bad lies, Quant is off to France on his first big case. 


This book was given out thanks to the generous support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Only Shadow on the House - Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

The Only Shadow on the House
Joan Donaldson-Yarmey


In this fast-paced sequel to Illegally Dead, Edmonton travel writer Elizabeth Oliver is excited to get back on the open road to research a new article when, suddenly, an unexpected romance leads to a new murder mystery!
Though she is determined to stay focused on her writing, Elizabeth can't ignore the familiar goose bumps she feels when handsome wheelchair basketball coach Jared asks for her help to find out the truth about his mother's death. 
Purchased through the generosity of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Some Welcome Home - Sharon Wildwind

First book in the Elizabeth Pepperhawk/Avivah Rosen Viet Nam veteran mystery series.

Captain Elizabeth Pepperhawk survived Vietnam, but will she survive Fort Bragg? Whoever dressed a body in a World War II uniform, and put it in her bed at Normandy House, wants to shorten not only her military career, but her life.

Copies of this book were given away courtesy of the author and of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

And the Grizzly goes to....

Joan Donaldson-Yarmey chose this novel by her fellow Sumach Press author, Eileen Coughlan.

Review of Grizzly Lies here

Copies of this title were provided to the Bloody Words promotional team by the author and with funding provided by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Lucky Elephant Restaurant - Garry Ryan

The Lucky Elephant Restaurant
Garry Ryan
NeWest Press

Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail (Canadian Crime Books):
"Ryan’s forte is Calgary, and it shows in his precise descriptions and great images. Lane and Harper are fine characters who deserve a series."



Copies of this book were given away with funding support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Mystery of the Frozen Brains - Marty Chan

A Chinese boy growing up in a prairie town believes his family are aliens because they don't look like all the other people in town. He teams up with a school friend to expose his parents as outer space visitors and find their flying saucer. Instead, they find frozen brains in the freezer and believe they are the only two warriors against an impending alien invasion.

Book gift thanks to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

 Marty Chan is a nationally known dramatist, screenwriter, and author. His juvenile novel, The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, won the Edmonton Book Prize, and was also listed as one of the Best Books of 2004 for grades three to six by Resource Links magazine. The second book in the Chan Mystery Series, The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, was short listed for the 2007 SYRCA Young Readers’ Choice Diamond Willow Award, the 2007 Golden Eagle Children’s Choice Book Award, and the 2007 Arthur Ellis Crime Writers of Canada Award in the Best Juvenile category. Marty Chan lives in Edmonton, Alberta

Canadian Spies and Spies in Canada - Peter Boer

 Author Peter Boer exposes some of Canada's best-hidden security threats.

Book given courtesy of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Mystery of the Cyber Bully - Marty Chan

Marty Chan is a nationally known dramatist, screenwriter, and author. His juvenile novel, The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, won the Edmonton Book Prize, and was also listed as one of the Best Books of 2004 for grades three to six by Resource Links magazine. The second book in the Chan Mystery Series, The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, was short listed for the 2007 SYRCA Young Readers’ Choice Diamond Willow Award, the 2007 Golden Eagle Children’s Choice Book Award, and the 2007 Arthur Ellis Crime Writers of Canada Award in the Best Juvenile category. Marty Chan lives in Edmonton, Alberta

 How do you find a bully who lurks on the internet and lashes out at helpless victims? Intrepid kid detectives Marty, Remi and Trina must answer that question if they’re to stop a cyber bully targeting their classmates.

Book gift thanks to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

One Careless Moment - Dave Hugelschaffer

 
One Careless Moment - Dave Hugelschaffer

A Porter Cassel Mystery

When a small fire starts to creep through the underbrush deep within a Montana forest valley, Porter Cassel is brought in to organize the firefighters charged with containing it. The fire moves quickly from bad to worse, rapidly scaling the forest canopy and killing one of Cassel’s men. Removed from command, Cassel takes the fire investigation into his own hands, discovering that the fire was not just a random flare-up, but the work of an arsonist. 



Dave Hugelschaffer lives in Edson, Alberta. His publisher, Cormorant Books, graciously donated copies of this book for us to hand out to interested mystery readers at the Bloody Words Canadian Crime Writers Convention in Victoria, BC.

Deadly Dues - Linda Kupecek

Deadly Dues (TouchWood Editions, 2010)
The first in a series of lighthearted Lulu Malone mysteries

Linda Kupecek
Linda Kupecek is the author of the bestselling Rebel Women: Achievements Beyond the Ordinary, The Rebel Cook: Entertaining Advice for the Clueless, and Fiction and Folly for the Festive Season. She was a columnist with The Hollywood Reporter for ten years, and her writing has been published in numerous magazines including City Palate, TV Guide and Country Collectibles. After graduating from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama, Linda began her professional career as an actor, appearing in regional theatre, and in classic films such as McCabe and Mrs. Miller, the Robert Altman revisionist western, in which she had a supporting role, appearing onscreen with Julie Christie and Warren Beatty. She has survived children’s tours, regional theatre, costumes falling off onstage, big budget films, low budget films, low budget fees, and is still here to write about it. Born in Calgary, Alberta she has lived in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Linda now lives in Calgary. Deadly Dues is the first mystery in the Lulu Malone Mystery series.

Linda says:  I love being able to write from the prairies. Calgary, in particular, has a special combination of rural history, and glossy buildings. Ranchers, oil, feminists, philanthropists and cultural resources like the Glenbow – all in one handy location for inspiration! Although I have set my Lulu Malone mysteries in an unnamed city, I have used the geography of Calgary as a basis, combining real and fictional street names as Lulu roars around the city, looking for her missing sheepdog, Horatio (and a murderer or two).


Books provided by TouchWood Editions and
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Driven to Kill - J. Peter Rothe

Driven to Kill – Vehicles as Weapons
J. Peter Rothe
University of Alberta Press





In Driven to Kill, J. Peter Rothe unflinchingly examines the use of vehicles in cases of assault, abduction, rape, gang warfare, terrorism, suicide, and murder. How can a car be such an enabling force for the gamut of society’s most heinous crimes? Rothe offers a trove of unprecedented research for sociologists, criminologists, policy makers, police, as well as public health, injury prevention, and traffic safety professionals, but his accessible style speaks to our fascination with car culture and true crime stories.

Deadly Fall - Susan Calder

Paula Savard’s life has stalled. Her lukewarm love life, job as an insurance adjuster and grownup children are more frustrating than exciting. However, she gets more than she asked for when her once best friend, Callie, is murdered while jogging to Paula’s inner-city Calgary home. Paula’s suspicions zero in on Callie’s new husband, Sam.

Book gifts thanks to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.