AUTHOR EVENTS - Joanne McLaughlin

March 8 found me at Barnes & Noble in Plymouth Meeting, signing "A Poetic Puzzle" and greeting readers as they strolled in the door.

On March 1, I signed "A Poetic Puzzle" in a cozy nook at Inkwood Books in Haddonfield.

Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park hosted fifteen writers, me among them, at its Local Authors Book Fair on Dec. 15.

Here I am, all ready to rock Booth 19 on October 5, at the 22nd annual Collingswood Book Festival.
Lanternfish Books had the booth next to mine along Haddon Avenue at the Collings Avenue end. The tents went on and on…

The crowd in attendance at 2024's Creatures, Crime and Creativity (C3) conference in Columbia, Maryland. (Photo by C3's Susan Henry McBride.)
Here I am at one of the book-signing tables, with my novels and "Ruth and Ann's Guide to Time Travel, Volume 1," the new anthology that includes my story "Way, Way Out of the Building." (Photo by Ann Stolinsky of Celestial Echo Press, which published the anthology and "Chasing Ashes.)
Author Ellen Butler (right) writes mysteries and historical spy fiction. She shot this photo of us with thriller writer Jeffrey James Higgins.
Celestial Echo Press honcho Ann Stolinsky (left) and I talked publishing at length with writer David Cohen.
Talk about kindred spirits: Thriller writer Michael J. McLaughlin snapped this selfie of us. All McLaughlins are related somehow, no doubt.

My novels traveled to Middletown, DE, on July 27 for a 20-author showcase at the Appoquinimink Community Library that was organized by writer/publisher Weldon Burge. (Weldon's photo of the room features my publisher Ann Stolinsky, of Celestial Echo Press, who brought copies of other CEP novels and several anthologies.)
The pink hat set off my sling nicely that day, I think.

Some fellow members of the Delaware Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime gathered at Hilltop Books a few months later, on July 15, to hear our president, political thriller writer James McCrone, and Scottish mystery writer Lin Anderson in conversation about their new novels--Jamie's "Emergency Powers" and Lin's "Whispers of the Dead." From left: Anderson, Jane Kelly, McCrone, A.M. Reade,me, and Carla Conti. Fellow DelVal chapter member Marilyn Paolino organized the event for Hilltop.

June, 2024: Big Blue Marble bookstore

Journalist and author Jane Von Bergen interviewed me about "Chasing Ashes" at Big Blue Marble bookstore in Philadelphia's West Mount Airy neighborhood on June 6 — exactly two weeks after I broke the humerus bone in my left shoulder. Still, good humor (see what I did there?) and good questions prevailed that evening.
Fellow mystery novelist Gwen Florio captured this long view of the crowd up in Big Blue Marble's terrific upstairs reading room.

Celebrating "Chasing Ashes" with readers and friends at Cheshire Brewing Co. in Elkins Park on an April evening that featured a raging thunderstorm until just before the event began. Whew! I read excerpts from the novel and fielded insightful questions from the audience.
The crowd included Jack Patkus (center) and Celestial Echo Press co-CEO Ann Stolinsky (upper right), who as it happens worked together several years ago.
Me with Ruth Littner, Celestial Echo's other co-CEO.
Onetime Philadelphia Inquirer colleagues Jere Downs, Miriam Hill, and Jane M. Von Bergen. Also at this table was Rhonda Dickey, former Inquirer colleague and a longtime beta reader of my work, "Chasing Ashes" included.

Signing a copy of "Chasing Ashes" at the Feb. 23 Hilltop Books Book Fair, which featured 11 authors in all—poets, essayists, memoir writers, and novelists like me. Hilltop's book sales and events benefit the Chesnut Hill branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Getting ready to meet the public at Inkwood Books in Haddonfield, NJ, on Dec. 9. It was great to talk about mysteries with prolific readers, as well as sign so many copies of "Chasing Ashes." (Photo courtesy of Inkwood Books)

"Chasing Ashes" joined my Vampires of the Court of Cruelty trilogy on a vendor's table at a Dec. 18 fund-raiser in Willow Grove for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
With Tony Merlo (left) and fellow writer Kevin M. Smith at the fund-raiser, which was organized by Kevin's wife, Tricia Lampart Smith. (She took this photo.)

"Chasing Ashes" and I were in the Dec. 2 Saturday Spotlight at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Center City. Among the folks who stopped by to chat and buy were two of my former reporters at WHYY News, Emily Rizzo (center) and Kenny Cooper.
Describing the "Chasing Ashes" plot for a bookstore staffer as she helped me get set up at the front of the store.

"Chasing Ashes" was released Nov. 1, 2023. But it made its official debut— complete with cake— on Nov. 18 at Philcon, the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society conference.
In addition to "Chasing Ashes," my three vampire novels were available for sale at Philcon.

My table at the October 2023 Collingswood Book Festival featured my Vampires of the Court of Cruelty trilogy. Note the little bags containing promotional notebooks and pencils and the postcards for "Chasing Ashes," which was less than a month from its Nov. 1 release date.
Me and my partner in book festival set-up, Tony Merlo.

Reading an excerpt from the then-soon-to-be-published "Chasing Ashes" at an October 2023 Noir at a Bar fund-raiser benefiting the Oxford (Chester County) public library.
The event's snazzy program.

Participating in a C3 2023 conference panel on journalists-turned-novelists with Chris Quarembo (left), Rick Pullen, John DeDakis, and panel moderator Ellen Butler.
Reading my short story "Ain't Missing You" at the opening night Noir at the Bar event at September 2023's C3 (Creatures, Crime and Creativity) Conference in Columbia, Md.

The team Haddonfield's Media Friendly PR put together in October 2023 to make a promotional video for "Chasing Ashes." From left: Ashley, Jules, me, Media Friendly CEO Cheryl Squadrito, and Aidan.