I’m becoming president today.

Not, thank goodness, of our country, but of Sisters in Crime. After our board meeting in Baltimore today, where I am attending Bouchercon, the annual international mystery conference, we have a special luncheon in which I will accept the seal of office. This is, in actuality, a stuffed animal seal, as the real one – legend goes – got lost in transit somewhere along the line.

Why, do you ask, am I taking on this responsibility? I’ve asked myself the same thing. Not only do I have two deadlines to meet within the next three months, as well as one hundred fifty pages due to an agent, but I’ve got two kids, a husband, four cats, and a house to take care of.

I agree. It’s crazy.

At the same time, I’m excited. Being a part of the organization means working with other people who love mysteries, getting to know lots and lots of other writers, and doing what I can to help our genre grow and flourish. I have an enthusiastic and wise board to surround me, and a large membership dedicated to writing crime fiction. We may not be able to change the world in one year, but we can certainly do our part in our little corner of it.

As for Bouchercon itself, it’s always a wonderful time to connect with old friends, make new ones, get a feel for what other writers are doing, and have a chance to submerge myself in the world of mysteries. I, as my colleagues, spend the majority of my days alone with my computer. It’s a welcome change to get out in the world for a few days and remind myself that other people do exist!

If you love mysteries but haven’t attended a mystery conference, I encourage you to. There are lots of great ones to attend. You can check them out at Mystery News.

Hope to see you at one of them!