Killer Nashville - Part 1

Ack! It's Monday evening and I'm just getting to the post that was supposed to go up this morning.  I'm blaming my dad, who popped in for an overnight visit yesterday.  Yeah, that's it - I was distracted.  (Hi, Dad.)

There was so much good stuff going on at Killer Nashville, I don't want to tell about it in a rushed post so I'm going to save it until Friday (remember, Wednesday is reserved for Happy Hump Day funnies).

But I can share this... It happened in the parking garage.  Right in our hotel!  At a mystery writers' conference!  What a coincidence!

WARNING.  THE PICTURES BELOW MAY BE TOO GRAPHIC FOR THE SQUEEMISH.

MURDER at Killer Nashville! 

And we were all called in to help solve the case. We surveyed the crime scene, read the statements, examined the evidence, decided what items should be collected and what tests should be run.  And came up with our own theories as to what happened.

Here's fellow author Kay C. Burns (hi, Cindy).  Is that brain matter?  Our vic was shot in the head.

What do you make of the splatter pattern?  The drag marks?  The partial shoe prints? Do you want to hear about the ski mask and the tire iron and the cell phone we found at the scene?

Well, how did you spend your weekend?

Groaner of the Day:  He was a mediocre conductor of a mediocre orchestra. He especially had problems with the basses; who were known to have a drink or two before a concert.

It was the last performance of the season, Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which had an important bass part near the end.  Just as he was about to cue the basses, the conductor knocked over his music stand. The sheet music scattered.  As he stood in front of his orchestra, his worst fear was realized...

 it was the bottom of the 9th, no score, and the basses were loaded.

Alas, Poor Yorick...

I'm baaaaack.  Did you miss me?  (Someone please lie and say yes.)

I have so much I'd like to share it's hard to know where to begin.  First, a news flash:

I've finished my first draft on my WIP and started re-writes and edits.  Okay, it's nowhere near finished - lots of additions and changes to do - but I did get to type those beautiful words: The End.  Can I get a Woo Woo?

Next, I'd like to back up a bit and say a few words about the Public Safety Writers Association conference I attended last month.  It was great. In addition to some excellent sessions on writing, we learned about fires, forensics, police psychology, going undercover, and "How TV and Movies Get It Wrong."  Love NCIS?  Sorry, in reality there is no Ducky or Abby - NCIS doesn't have it's own morgue or lab.  (I was crushed.)

I'm going to devote a few posts later to sharing some of what I learned there but for now, I'd like to introduce a new friend.

In one of our sessions we got to examine this skull which was found thirty years ago in the desert.  What can we learn from a well-dried skull?  You'd be surprised.  This one had three bullet holes in it.  I guessed it was probably a homicide.  (I'm so bright.)

I'm also starting blog-following again but I've got a lot of catching up to do so please forgive me if I don't do any commenting for a bit.

I've missed you all.  It's good to be back.

I'm currently enjoying:  Just finished The Ballad of Johnny Madigan by John A. Bray

Groaner of the Day: A young man had been working as a bag boy in a supermarket for several years.

One day the supermarket got new orange juice machines.

The bag boy was excited and asked the manager if he could work the juice machines.

The manager turned him down.

The bag boy said, "But I've been working here for five years. Why can't I run the juice machines?"

The manager said, "I'm sorry, but baggers can't be juicers."

(Now see how you've missed me.)