AUTHOR EVENTS - Joanne McLaughlin

December 13: The Doylestown Bookshop Local Author Expo, Bucks County, PA

The Doylestown Bookshop in Bucks County, PA, featured me and six other writers at its December 13 Local Author Expo, two hours in which we chatted with buyers about what was on their reading and gift-giving lists.

November 30: Oldwick Book & Christmas Craft Fair, Hunterdon County, NJ

On November 30, I read an excerpt from A Poetic Puzzle and sold my novels along with other writers at the first Oldwick Book & Christmas Craft Fair in Hunterdon County, NJ

November 22: Philcon 2025- The Philadelphia Science Fiction Society Convention, Cherry Hill, NJ

Philcon 2025-the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society Convention in Cherry Hill, NJ, on Nov. 22 marked the launch of the Celestial Echo Press anthology, Behind the Revolving Door, Volume 1. Here I am reading an excerpt from my short story “The Strangeness of the Story.”
Celestial Echo Press, which published my novel A Poetic Puzzle earlier in the year, featured the cover as the icing on this cake at the Philcon festivities.

November 8: Bucks County Free Library’s Local Authors Fair, Doylestown, PA

Fellow novelist/former Philadelphia Inquirer colleague Dianna Sinovic and I were two of many writers and publishers offering works for sale at the Bucks County Free Library's Local Authors Fair in Doylestown, PA, on November 8.

October 11: Celestial Echo Press Author Event at Juan Pistolas, Philadelphia, PA

On October 11, I joined several writers for a Celestial Echo Press author event at Juan Pistolas, in the Shops at Liberty Place in Center City Philadelphia. I read my story “Way, Way Out of the Building,” from the anthology Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel, Volume 1.

October 4: Collingswood Book Fair, Collingswood, NJ

The 2025 Collingswood Book Festival on October 4th saw me join a half-dozen colleagues from the Delaware Valley Chapter of Sisters in Crime under the tents on Haddon Avenue. From left: sisters and misters Amy M. Reade, Carla Conti, me, Michael Bradley, James McCrone, Joel Turner, and Sheryl C.D. Ickes.
This was my fourth Collingswood festival. I offered five novels and a short story anthology this year, as opposed to the lonely vampire novel I hoped to sell that first rainy festival day in October 2016.

September 6: Arts and Crafts for a Cause

On September 6, I joined Ann Stolinsky (right) of Celestial Echo Press at Arts and Crafts for a Cause, whose proceeds benefited the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County.

August 9: Lititz Arts and Crafts Festival, Lancaster County, PA

I traveled to Lancaster County, PA, for the Lititz Arts and Crafts Festival on Aug. 9, which saw fabulous weather, great crowds, and brisk sales. That's me in the white shirt in front of the poster for A Poetic Puzzle. I also had Chasing Ashes and my "Vampires of the Court of Cruelty" trilogy with me.

August, 2025: Book Signing, Bryn Mawr, PA

The afternoon of Aug. 2 saw me signing copies of A Poetic Puzzle at the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr, PA.

July, 2025: Meet and Greet at The Next Chapter Bookstore, Sellersville, PA

My "Meet and Greet" event at The Next Chapter Bookstore in Sellersville, Pa., on July 19 was great fun. I read a short excerpt of my cozy mystery A Poetic Puzzle, answered audience questions, and talked about how the book (and its cover) came to be. The shop's proprietors, Jess (left) and Helen Ward, made it all possible
Rebecca Felten, the very patient editor of my work when I was a young newspaper reporter, stopped by The Next Chapter to chat.

April, 2025: Malice Domestic Conference, Bethesda, MD

The very colorful swag bag from the annual Malice Domestic conference, where mystery writers and mystery fans convened April 25-27 in Bethesda, Md. Mine came home filled with books, business cards, bookmarks, and some very good chocolate.
At Malice Go Round, a "speed-dating" event of sorts, authors partner up and get two minutes each to pitch their books to a roomful of readers. Twenty tables later, my partner, Rachele Baker, and I were thirsty and a little dazed.
Fellow Delaware Valley Sisters in Crime members Erin Fagan (left) and Jane Kelly join me at the group's table outside the book sale room.
Malice Domestic closed with its annual Agatha Tea. I shared finger sandwiches, fruit, and scones with clotted cream with this wonderful group of writers and readers.

April, 2025: Skippack Book Festival

Sunday, April 13, dawned dry but cold and blustery. Visitors to the Skippack Book Fest in Montgomery County, Pa., took home copies of all my novels, and also got to see authors' tents do battle with the wind. (None made it to the Land of Oz, as far as I could tell.)

April, 2025: Booked, Chestnut Hill

The weather was rainy and cool Saturday, April 12 (note my trench coat on the chair). But it was nice and warm at Booked, a cozy bookshop in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood. "A Poetic Puzzle," my new romantic cozy mystery, went home with a half-dozen readers.

March, 2025: Plymouth Meeting Barnes & Noble

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

March, 2025: Inkwood Books

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

December, 2024: Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel Local Authors Book Fair

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

October, 2024: Collingswood Book Fest

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…

September, 2024: C3 (Creatures, Crime and Creativity) conference in Columbia, Md.

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.

July, 2024: Author showcase at the Appoquinimink Community Library

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.

July, 2024: Sisters in Crime gathering at Hilltop Books

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.

April, 2024: Cheshire Brewing Co. event

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.

February, 2024: Hilltop Books Book Fair

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.

December, 2023: Inkwood Books

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)

December, 2023: Fund-raiser in Willow Grove for the Make-A-Wish Foundation

"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.)

December, 2023: Barnes & Noble Event, Center City

"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.

November, 2023: Philcon

"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.

October, 2023: Collingswood Book Festival

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.

October, 2023: Noir at a Bar

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.

September, 2023: C3 (Creatures, Crime & Creativity) Conference

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 Video Crew

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.