PANEL DESCRIPTIONS/PARTICIPANTS

(M) = Moderator

1. Welcome to Hawaii/ History of Hawaii: Learn about the history of these beautiful Hawaiian Islands and the true meaning of the Aloha Spirit.
Maile Melrose

2. Welcome to Hawaii/ Land and Nature: Discover the diversity of our host islands, rich in myths and legends and alive with geologic, plant, bird and insect wonders.
Robert Pacheco

3. Welcome to Hawaii/ Hawaiian Rescue: Hawaiian safety teams have challenges unlike rescue personnel in any other location. From lava flows to surf rescues, come discover the heart-pounding secrets of Hawaiian Rescue.
Chris Stelfox

4. LCC Welcome/Intro Getting the Most out of LCC: Whether this is your first Left Coast Crime membership or your tenth, come say hello and learn how to get the most out of the next five days.
Toby Gottfried, Janet Rudolph

5. Not Another Straight White Guy: Enough with the traditonal straight, white male cop and private eye models! Today's crime fiction shows diversity, and boy does it look fine.
Dianne Emley (M), Pat Brown, J.J. Lamb, Neil Plakcy, Alice Wilson-Fried

6. The Other Guy Did It: Authors Recommending Others' Books Find out who your favorite authors are reading, and who they think you should discover, too.
Rae Helmsworth (M), Daniel Hale, Laurie King, Bette Lamb, Nadia Gordon, Tim Wohlforth

7. Plotting the Perfect Murder: Learn the secrets to keeping readers interested. From plot points and arcs to suspense and misdirection... here's how you keep readers coming back for more.
J. Madison Davis (M), Donna Andrews, Twist Phelan, David Sundstrand, Simon Wood

8. Peril in Paradise: Mysteries Set in Hawaii A beautiful setting doesn't mean that murder is off the menu. Come meet your Hawaiian-author hosts and discover a whole new place for crime fiction.
Deborah Turrell Atkinson (M), Baron Birtcher, Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, Neil Plakcy, John Madinger

9. The History of the Mystery: Kate Stine gives us a fascinating look back at the history of the crime fiction genre.

10. Muller & Pronzini: Grand Masters in Converstion: How do you beat a presentation by a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master? Have two of them, that's how. Our honored LCC guests are husband-and-wife team and Grand Masters Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller, in conversation with moderator J.J. Lamb.

11. Gaslit Alleys and Cobbled Streets: European lecturer and crime fiction expert Eleonore Biber discusses the masters of Victorian mystery.

12. Book Club: Lee Goldberg's Diagnosis Murder: The Death Merchant: Discuss Lee Goldberg's book with other interested readers, then have a chance to ask the author himself about Diagnosis Murder: the Death Merchant.
Cecelia Runkle (M), Lee Goldberg

13. Things That Make Me Stop Reading: Sometimes there's a point where a book no longer holds your interest. Sometimes its something the author did that makes you want to throw it against the wall. We've all got a list of things that make us stop reading. Let's dish.
Mysti Berry (M), Hallie Ephron, Rae Helmsworth, Kate Stine, Sue Trowbridge

14. Two Lethal Ladies from Sweden: Award winning authors Inger Frimansson and Helene Tursten discuss the passion and peculiarity of writing Swedish crime fiction.

15. Vampires Galore: Vampires, ghosts and supernatural beings run rampant in crime fiction. But how do you incorporate these ethereal villains in a story set in the rational, high tech world of the 21st century?
Tim Maleeny (M), Kate Armstrong, Jan Burke, Dianne Emley, Peggy Lucke, Mary Stanton

16. What Do You Owe Your Readers? Of the reader and writer, author Paul Auster says "[the] novel... is the only place in the world where two strangers can meet on terms of absolute intimacy." But what are the rules of that relationship? Do you owe your readers the same kind of book they've grown to love from you? And do you owe them a glimpse of the real you, not just the authorial voice?
Daniel Hale (M), Eleonore Biber, Janet Dawson, Denise Hamilton, Tim Maleeny

17. Hawaii Five-O Finalists: And the nominees for "Best law enforcement or police procedural" are...
Tom O'Day (M), Baron Bircher, Neil Plakcy, G.M. Malliet, Sandy Sechrest for Kate Flora, Stephen Buehler for Asa Larsson, Shirley McLan for Karin Slaughter

18. Funny Bones: Using Humor in Mysteries: Somehow these folks manage to make us laugh, even when there's murder involved. A discussion of the role of humor in crime fiction.
Donna Andrews (M), Anthony Bidulka, Denise Dietz, Lee Goldberg, Parnell Hall

19. Fresh Blood I (Debut Authors Panel): Be the first to discover a blazing new talent. Here's the first of our two debut author panels.
Mike Befeler (M), Barry Broad, Sunny Frazier, Victoria Kneubuhl, John Madinger, Alice Wilson-Fried, G.M. Malliet

20. Book Club: Earl Derr Biggers' House Without a Key: Hal Glatzer will lead a discussion of the Earl Derr Biggers book and the challenge of translating that work to a stage play.

21. Eyewitness and Forensic Artist demo: Ex-cop and former Forensic Artist Robin Burcell introduces her new series with a live demonstration and explanation of the science of forensic artistry.

22. Fresh Blood II (Debut Authors Panel): Part II of our debut author introductions, with hot new talent from across the nation.
Louise Ure (M), Rebecca Cantrell, John Hayes, Sophie Littlefield, Susan Rowse, Kelli Stanley, Jeri Westerson

23. Laughing at the Morgue: Lefty Nominee Panel And the nominees for "Best Humorous Mystery" are...
Doc Macomber (M), Donna Andrews, Rita Lakin, Tim Maleeny, Sue Jaffarian, Cameron Hughes for N.M. Kelby, Sue Trowbridge for Jeffrey Cohen

24.The Big Picture: Writing for Television: Learn the secrets of writing for TV from Lee Goldberg, a master in the genre. He'll teach you how to watch a show the way the pros do, and tips and tricks for how to break into the industry.

25. Stump the Experts: Solving a case on the panel through clues: Rhys Bown has devised a devilish new crime scene. Can she stump the experts or will they be able to figure out "who dunnit?"
Rhys Bowen (M), Jan Burke, Parnell Hall, John Madinger, Twist Phelan, Simon Wood

26. Cool Canadian Characters: "Are you from Canada?" Canadian authors discuss character development in their work, and the importance of Canadian mores and lifestyles in their creation.
Denise Dietz (M), Anthony Bidulka, Pat Brown, Jane Burfield, Vicki Delaney

27. Aging Gracefully: How do you age a character in a series? In real time? Or Sue Grafton-like, just a few months at a time. And what do you do when real life technology or news changes what your readers might expect? Katrina, anyone?
Cheryl Stevens (M), Mike Befeler, Sue Jaffarian, Rita Lakin, Annette Mahon

28. Toast Master Lee Goldberg in conversation with Janet Rudolph: Master of a half dozen series, screenwriter, producer and general bon vivant, our Toast Master sits down with Janet Rudolph to discuss the Hollywood side of crime fiction.

29. Cool Canadian Settings: There's something special about the land above the 49th parallel that calls to mystery writers. Canadian authors discuss the importance of their land's geography and culture in their work.
Sharon Rowse (M), Lou Allin, Robin Harlick, Mary Jane Maffini, Debra Purdy Kong

30. Stand alones: a curse or a blessing? An exploration of the joys and frustrations of writing stand alones instead of a series.
Twist Phelan (M), Michael Dymmoch, Hallie Ephron, Vicki Hendricks, Laurie King, Bette Lamb

31. How Far Do You Go?: Language, sex and violence in mysteries Foul language, sex and violence in crime fiction? The answer might be "why not"? But are there limits? And if you censor your writing, how do you make that decision?
Tim Maleeny (M), Vicki Hendricks, Sophie Littlefield, Susan Arnout Smith, Jason Starr, Simon Wood

32. A Long Way From Home: They've got paradise outside their office window, yet they choose to write about the snowy eastern seaboard, Nazi Germany or 1940's Los Angeles? Meet the Hawaiian authors who choose to write about somewhere else.
Hal Glatzer (M), Rebecca Cantrell, Annette Mahon, Larry Mild, Rosemary Mild, Lono Waiwaiole

33. Readers' Choice: Wish you had a friend who could suggest the perfect book for you? Now you do. A discussion of recommended books by the folks who ought to know: avid readers.
Toby Gottfried (M), Margaret Howland, Nancy Hodges Hughes, Garry Niebuhr, Sue Trowbridge

34. The Root of Evil: Special Agent John Madinger: A seasoned expert talks about drug trafficking, money laundering, and financial crimes.

35. Hot Sex and Cold-Blooded Murder: It used to be called Romantic Suspense, but the lines are blurring and these days there's a lot more romance in mysteries and a lot more mystery in your hottest romance novel.
Sophie Littlefield (M), Mike Befeler, Betty Hechtman, Clare Langley-Hawthorne, Maggie Sefton

36. Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award Nominees: And the nominees for the best historical mystery, covering events before 1950 are...
Mel Hunt (M), Rhys Bowen, Laurie King, Kelli Stanley, Toby Gottfried for Tasha Alexander

37. Forensics with Dept. of Def. Specialist Thomas Holland: Identifying the Long Dead.

38. Book Club: Rhys Bowen's In Like Flynn: Discuss Rhys Bowen's book with other interested readers, then have a chance to ask the author herself about In Like Flynn.
Sally Cadigan (M), Rhys Bowen

39. Beginning Writers Workshop: If you've always wanted to write... even if you've never written a word of fiction before... come learn the secrets to get you started with advice from Meg Chittenden, author of almost three dozen novels and the best-selling How To Write Your Novel.

40. Cozies: Don't Kill the Cat. Really? The do's and don't of the successful traditional mystery, and why it still holds pride of place in the crime fiction pantheon.
Marlin Beebe (M), Claudia Bishop, Betty Hechtman, Maria Hudgins, G. M. Malliet, Maggie Sefton

41. How TV has Changed Crime and Crime Fiction: From Perry Mason to CSI, television has both reflected our changing culture and contributed to the way we process crime scenes and try criminals today. A discussion by a cross section of crime fighting professionals.
Wendy Nelder (M), Pat A. Brown, J. Madison Davis, Thomas Holland, Ken Isaacson, Sheldon Siegel

42. Adventures in Research: Maybe it's judo, or 17th century pottery, or safecracking or identity theft. There's always some area we need to research in order to add authenticity to our work But the research itself is not always without risk or reward. Come hear some of the craziest examples.
Dana Stabenow (M), Aileen Baron, Janet Dawson, Marion Moore Hill, Sheila Simonson, Larry Karp

43. Does Geography Determine the Genre or the Content? Can you write a cozy about the corruption of Brazil or a noir tale set on the sunny beaches of Hawaii? How much does geography influence the genre and the voice in crime fiction?
Deborah Turrell Atkinson (M), Anthony Bidulka, Baron Birtcher, Christopher Moore, Sheila Simonson, Helene Tursten

44. Juggling: The dos and don't of successful series. Writing a series is a juggling act between giving the reader an expected cast of characters and voice and yet keeping it fresh with each new book. How do you balance those things? Can you kill off a major character? And how do you know when it's time to say goodbye?
Michael Kurland (M), Vicki Delaney, Nadia Gordon, Robin Harlick, Sue Jaffarian, Mary Jane Maffini

45. Gotta' Love Those Bad Boys: Our Favorite Villains: Give me a villain who's as strong, complex and unforgettable as the protagonist. This crew has done it in spades. A discussion of our favorite villains by the creators of some of the best of the bad guys.
Barry Eisler (M), Michelle Gagnon, Susan Arnout Smith, Dana Stabenow, Jason Starr

46. Guests of Honor in Conversation: Please join us for an intimate conversation between our Guests of Honor Rhys Bowen and Barry Eisler as they discuss the writing life and some unforgettable moments on the path to their success.

47. Black is Back: Hardboiled and Noir: Recent years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of hardboiled and noir novels. Is it nostaglia or a reflection of the times? A discussion of the darker side of crime fiction from some of the best purveyors of the art.
Baron Birtcher (M), Michael Dymmoch, Vicki Hendricks, Christopher Moore, Lono Waiwaiole, Jeri Westerson

48. Historical Mysteries: Windows into the Past: We just can't get enough historical crime fiction. And that's a good thing, as these authors discuss their fascination with murder in historical settings.
Mel Hunt (M), Rebecca Cantrell, Denise Hamilton, Laurie King, Clare Langley-Hawthorne, Sharon Rowse, Larry Karp

49. The Critic's Tongue/Journalists and Crime Fiction Reviewers Tell All: Online contributors and print journalists discuss the fine art of crime fiction criticism and reviewing. And yes, we expect this to be an opinionated bunch of folks.
Barbara Peters (M), Hallie Ephron, Cameron Hughes, Adrian Muller, Kate Stine, Jay Waggoner

50. Subtext in Mysteries: Is it only about a murder? Is there a role for social commentaries in mysteries? If so, are they an integral part of the plot or a roadblock to good storytelling? Authors who weave complex social issues into their work discuss the decision.
Vicki Delaney (M), Deborah Turrell Atkinson, Ken Isaacson, Sheldon Siegel

51. Who Are You Calling an Amateur (Sleuth)? Whether she's a realtor, a librarian or a divorcée with an attitude, there are a lot of dead bodies to go around and a lot of crimes to be solved. Come jump into the perilous world of today's amateur sleuth.
Nancy La Paglia (M), Lou Allin, Meg Chittenden, Nadia Gordon, Bette Lamb, Sheila Simonson

52. How to Create and Run a Successful Book Discussion Group: Informal discussion session on ideas for organizing and maintaining productive crime fiction discussion groups.
Janet Rudolph

53. Real Life Crime Fighters Writing Fictional Crime Fighters: When you spend your days analyzing crime scene evidence and convicting bad guys, how do you spend your evenings? The same way, apparently, as these authors discuss how they've turned their day jobs into their creative inspiration.
Jan Burke (M), Robin Burcell, Jonathan Hayes, Thomas Holland, John Madinger

54. From MS to Market: The Torturous Path of Creating a Book: How does that unpublished manuscript get onto the shelves at your local bookstore? The steps, process, decisions and pitfalls of publishing books are discussed by the writers, editors, publishers and booksellers who do it for a living.
Adrian Muller (M), Aileen Baron, Barbara Peters, Robert Rosenwald, Dana Stabenow

55. Writing Workshop #1: Everything you need to know to craft a solid mystery, from plotting, character development, setting, dialogue, voice, revision and everything in between. Taught by Gillian Roberts and Hallie Ephron, two masters of the craft and authors of You Can Write a Mystery and Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: How to Knock 'Em Dead with Style. Part I

56. Battle of the Sexes Quiz Show: It's men versus women in this no-holds-barred trivia contest, crafted and led by Guest of Honor Rhys Bowen.
Rhys Bowen (M), Donna Andrews, Michael Kurland, Adrian Muller, Tom O'Day, Barbara Peters, Kate Stine

57. The Fast Lane: Political Mysteries and Thrillers: The books we can't put down. The novels that keep us up way too late at night. The authors that make sure we keep turning the pages discuss the finer points of today's political mysteries and thrillers.
Sheldon Siegel (M), Barry Broad, Barry Eisler, Dianne Emley, Michelle Gagnon, Ken Isaacson

58. Writing Workshop #2: Gillian Roberts and Hallie Ephron-led mystery writing workshop. Everything you need to know to write that mystery of your own. Part II.

59. My Days with the Dead: My Nights with Martha Stewart Living: Forensics with Jonathan Hayes, Senior Medical Examiner of NYC: A forensic pathologist talks about medicolegal death investigation.

60. Just the Facts, Ma'am: How much truth does there need to be in fiction? Does that church really have to be there? Does the technology really have to work? Writers discuss the importance of truth and reality in fiction and when they choose to bend the rules.
Mary Jane Maffini (M), Aileen Baron, Robin Burcell, Maria Hudgins, Laurie King, David Sundstrand

61. Book Club: Barry Eisler's Rain Storm: Discuss Barry Eisler's's book with other interested readers, then have a chance to ask the author himself about Rain Storm.
Cheryl Delano (M), Barry Eisler

62. Short Stories: Mystery at its Most Distilled: Tobias Wolff once said that "the short story is... the perfect American form." And one of the most difficult to write. Short story writers discuss this most distilled corner of the crime fiction genre.
Claudia Bishop (M), Jane Burfield, Janet Dawson, Sunny Frazier, Christine Rapoza, Tim Wohlforth

63. The Printed Word: Trends in Publishing: Editor, publisher and bookseller Barbara Peters discusses trends in today's publishing world, from the changes in brick-and-mortar stores and reductions at the publishing houses to an increased reader interest in particular sub-genres of crime fiction.

64. Trivia on the Terrace: Lee Goldberg is the Master of Ceremonies for Left Coast Crime's freewheeling Trivia Game. Prepare to consume copious amounts of liquor.

65. Getting the Moves Right: Self-Defense with Barry Eisler: Whether you're a writer who needs to get a fight scene just right or a reader who needs to know how to get safely back to your car from the library, you'll want to come see Barry Eisler demonstrate the key elements of self-defense.

66. Liars' Panel: Who's telling the truth here? We grill a panel of expert liars and you get to find the culprit. Come test your wits against people who lie for a living.
Daniel Hale (M), Meg Chittenden, Parnell Hall, Rita Lakin, Twist Phelan

67. Fair Dinkum Crime: Australian Crime Fiction Readers Discuss the Genre: A trio of discerning crime fiction fans from Australia introduce the Left Coast Crime community to some fabulous Australian writers, both long-standing legends and new additions to the field.
Kerrie Smith (M), Sarah Byrne, Ann Cornellier, Sunnie Gill, Kathleen, Hagen, Helen Lloyd

68. There Must Be Fifty Ways to Write That Story: Same Mystery Written in Five Different Voices: Ever wonder what "Double Indemnity" would have sounded like if Agatha Christie had written it? You'll find out when Gillian Roberts devises one single mystery set-up and asks five different writers how they would capture the scene and where they would take the story.
Gillian Roberts (M), Kelley Armstrong, Baron Birtcher, Christopher Moore, Louise Ure, Parnell Hall

69. Blue Pencil: Editing Yourself: Nora Roberts is quoted as saying "I can fix a bad page; I can't fix a blank page." Here's how to do that. Tips and tricks to make that bad page sing.
Margaret Lucke

70. One Size Doesn't Fit All: Using Small or Independent Presses Instead of Traditional: Every new writer faces the decision of whether to publish traditionally with an agent and well-known publishing house or going it alone and publish with small or independent presses. These authors discuss their decision for independence.
Mysti Berry (M), Marion Moore Hill, Larry Mild, Rosemary Mild, Debra Purdy Kong, Christine Rapoza

71. And Your Question Was?: Spontaneous Audience Question Panel: Everything you wanted to know from our LCC authors but were afraid to ask. Be there.
Jan Burke (M), Rhys Bowen, Cindy Chow, Lee Goldberg, Bill Gottfried

72. Internet Tools for Writers All the experts are here with advice for writers on everything from internet presence, blog tours and video trailers to websites, online communities and book clubs.
Dana Stabenow (M), Kate Armstrong, Michelle Gagnon, Laurie King

73. Not Ripped From the Headlines: Real life news stories we wish we could put in our fiction: Every writer has done it. Looked at a TV or newspaper story and said "If I ever wrote that into a mystery, nobody would believe it." What's your favorite "unbelievable" real story?
Louise Ure (M), J.J. Lamb, Jason Starr, Simon Wood, David Sundstrand