Murder’s a Beach Newsletter: February 26, 2020
Banquet Menu Choice
When you registered you picked among three entrées for the Awards Banquet. We just sent out an email asking you to confirm whether you still plan to attend, and if so, to let us know if you would like to change your earlier selection. We need to place our orders with the hotel very soon, so please respond promptly. If you are happy with your selection, you don’t need to respond to the email. If you have questions or want to change your banquet entrée choice, please email Registrar Kathy Krevat at
registrarlcc2020@gmail.com. Be sure to include your full name.
Getting to the Hotel and Getting Around Town/Food Choices
From the San Diego International Airport
The San Diego Marriott Mission Valley is approximately eight miles from San Diego International Airport. Though it is possible to take public transportation from the airport to the Marriott, it requires a transfer from a bus to a trolley and close to an hour's time. We recommend you use a car service such as Lyft, Uber, or taxi instead.
From the Train: AMTRAK Pacific Surfliner (San Luis Obispo to San Diego)
If you take the Surfliner, we recommend getting off at the Old Town Transit center. It is the closest stop to the hotel. If you want to take public transport, from Old Town get on the Green Line Trolley heading east (Santee). Get off at the Rio Vista stop, follow the path over the footbridge (crossing the street, at the end of the landing) heading east and you'll reach the back of our hotel in under 5 minutes (look for the geodesic dome) and take the first pathway to the left into the parking lot and cross to the hotel. (Do not trust mapping programs as it will make you walk the long way and go to the front of the hotel).
Getting Food Near the Hotel: The hotel will offer grab-n-go lunch options from 12-2pm each day on the West Lawn. They also have a small restaurant onsite in addition to a selection of snacks and drinks in the lobby gift shop. The Rio Vista trolley stop is the home of a number of eating options and is a quick walk from the back of the hotel. There is a tavern, small market, a coffee shop and a casual Mediterranean restaurant. Across the street on the corner opposite the front of the hotel (in the Rio Vista mall behind the Office Depot), there is a casual restaurant, O’s American Kitchen, several fast food options, a small Thai place, and a poke café. We will have a handout with a map and a list of options at registration. Downtown and Old Town are both close by trolley and have many great restaurants.
Optional Tours for Wed: Now Open for Registration
Optional Tour Wed March 11, 11am (Limited Seating): San Diego Beaches and La Jolla Trolley Tour: 4hrs. $35
Optional Tour Wed March 11, 7pm (Limited Seating): Ghosts and Graveyards Trolley Tour, 90 minutes. $25.
You may sign up for one or both of these tours through the
LCC 2020 website. If you have mobility issues or use a wheelchair, please notify
Kim.lcc2020@gmail.com so we can arrange with tour bus. Each tour will pick up and drop off at the Mission Valley Marriott. If you have any questions, please let Kim know.
Old Town Trolley is also offering a 20% discount on any of the following tours that you might want to do on your own between today and two days after the convention. Visit their
website and during checkout, use the coupon code LeftCoastCrime2020. A 20% discount will apply to the following:
• Hop On/Hop Off Sightseeing Tour of San Diego
• San Diego SEAL Tour
• La Jolla & San Diego Beaches Tour
• San Diego City Lights Night Tour
• Ghosts & Gravestones Tour with the Whaley House
• Ghosts & Gravestones Tour without the Whaley House
Silent Auction Info
Each Left Coast Crime Convention raises money to support a local literacy organization with funds raised through a silent and live auction and the annual Quilt Raffle. The LCC 2020 recipient is the Juvenile Court Book Club. Juvenile Court Book Club brings volunteers into San Diego’s juvenile detention centers for monthly book club meetings and tutoring. All proceeds from Left Coast Crime 2020’s auctions go to the Juvenile Court Book Club. Anyone — reader, writer, bookseller, librarian, blogger — may donate items to the silent auction. You can either mail your Silent Auction donations to yourself at the hotel or bring them with you. We’ll be setting up the Silent Auction Room on Thursday morning, but we will accept donations on Friday as well. Questions? Email Auction Co-chairs Sheri Brady and Kathy Krevat at
auction.LCC2020@gmail.com.
Shipping to Yourself at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
If you are planning to ship Silent Auction or other items to yourself, here are the directions from the hotel. Boxes should not arrive at the hotel until three days prior to your arrival.
Address Label
Hold for Guest arriving Your Arrival Date: Your Name
Marriott Mission Valley: LCC 2020
8757 Rio San Diego Dr.
San Diego, CA 92108
Hotel Disclaimer: Packages shipped to the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley should not arrive more than three days prior to your arrival. Packages left behind will be disposed if not claimed in five days. The San Diego Marriott Mission Valley is not responsible for the safe or timely arrival of any packages sent to the hotel.
Shipping Home
If you want to mail home your book purchases or other items, we will have a small shipping station from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning and we can help you with shipping supplies and info on using FedEx shipping which will have a few scheduled pickups.
Volunteer
We still need people signing up for helping at registration, helping at the signing area, or taking the panel packets to the room and timing a panel. Please contact Christine, our Volunteer Chair at
volunteer.lcc2020@gmail.com if you are available for an hour or two to help out. Remember, this conference is run by volunteers—so we need your help!
[Note: All volunteer slots for the Book Bag project on Tuesday and Wednesday have been filled. Thank you!]
Murderous Visions Game
Before you come to San Diego, start following Sandy Yeggo's new
Facebook page and meet the author who is coming to announce her newest book, Murderous Visions, to you. She's dying to meet you!
Team 2020
Lisa Brackmann
Kim Keeline
Maryelizabeth Yturralde
Sponsorship
Name Tag Holders
Our thanks to
Sisters in Crime for sponsoring the convention Name Tag Holders. Please stop by the Sisters in Crime table to thank them in person!
A Murderous Vision
Our thanks to
Poisoned Pen Press for sponsoring
A Murderous Vision: An Interactive Murder Mystery.
Books for Book Bags
Our thanks these generous publishers and authors for donating books for the book bags.
Publishers:
Ballantine Bantam Dell,
Forge Books,
HarperCollins,
Alfred A. Knopf,
Mystery Scene Magazine,
Oceanview Publishing,
Poisoned Pen Press,
Restless Books,
Soho Press
Authors:
Lisa Brackmann,
Teresa Burrell,
A.J. Devlin,
Sherri Leigh James, J. Michael Orenduff
Left Coast Crime Conduct Policy
Left Coast Crime is a fan convention, dedicated to creating a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive atmosphere in which all members of the community can celebrate their love of books. We are dedicated to the safety, security, and enjoyment of all attendees, and as such, the convention should be free of discrimination or harassment based upon an individual’s sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, or any other legally protected characteristics.
All attendees are expected to abide by this policy.
Harassment is behavior that alarms or threatens, or is unwelcome or offensive to the person it is directed at. Examples of harassing behavior include unwanted physical contact, comments or foul language of an offensive or sexual nature, sexual propositions, sexual jokes or remarks, obscene gestures, and displays of pornographic or sexually explicit pictures, drawings, or caricatures, intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, and false accusation of harassment.
Any attendee asked to stop harassing behavior is expected to comply immediately. If you feel that you or another attendee has been harassed or discriminated against on the basis of his or her sex, race, national origin, ethnic background, or any other legally protected characteristic, you should, if you are comfortable doing so, explain the behavior to a member of the Left Coast Crime committee, a member of the hotel staff, or both. All complaints of unlawful harassment will be handled in as discreet and confidential a manner as is possible under the circumstances. If no Left Coast Crime committee member is available, or if you feel it would be dangerous (such as in the case of an immediate physical threat) to inform such person, you should immediately contact the police.
Left Coast Crime 101
Here are some hints to help you enjoy the convention.
Registration: Early registration will open on Wednesday from 3:00–5:00 PM in the Rio Vista Foyer. The registration table will be open beginning at 8:00 AM on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and remain open throughout the day for registration and to answer any questions.
Materials: When you register you will receive an envelope with your name tag, Lefty Awards ballot, and your Banquet ticket. Inside your book bag you will find a Name Tag Holder, the Program Book, a Pocket Program, and of course several books. It's a good idea to tuck your Banquet ticket inside your Name Tag Holder so you don’t lose it! Please wear your Name Tag at
ALL times during the convention. It is your ticket into all the events and helps us all get to know each other.
Have Questions? Need help during the convention? Visit the LCC Registration Table in the Rio Vista Foyer or ask any of the Murder’s a Beach committee members.
Book Swap Table: If you receive a book you've already read, please place it on the Book Swap Table and help yourself to anything you find there!
Promotional Materials Table: Place your bookmarks, postcards, or other promotional materials, AKA swag on the Promotional Materials Table. (Please do not place promotional materials on the Book Swap Table; misplaced materials will be removed and recycled.)
Voting: Don’t forget to deposit your Lefty Award Ballot in the Ballot Box at Registration by 1:30 PM on Saturday. The Awards will be presented at the Banquet on Saturday evening.
LCC Panels: Come to the
Left Coast Crime 101 panel on Thursday at Noon in Rio Vista F-H for more tips about enjoying the convention from experienced LCC attendees, and
How You Can Be Part of Left Coast Crime on Sunday morning in Sierra 5-6 to learn how to become more involved in future LCCs.
Volunteer: Stop by the Volunteer Table and volunteer! It's a great way to make new friends while helping our all volunteer-run convention.
Don’t be shy! Introduce yourself to those sitting next to you at a panel, standing in line to get a book signed, browsing in the Book Room, or enjoying a cup of coffee in the Hospitality Room, and share your passion for crime fiction!
Reminder: Opportunities for Authors & Fans
At Left Coast Crime 2020 we are offering our usual opportunities outside the normal panel and book signings for authors and readers to interact.
Author-Reader Connections
Interested spending time with an author? Visit our
Author-Reader Connections page to sign up for a free author-hosted event. You MUST be registered for the convention to sign up for an Author-Reader Connection. Your Murder’s a Beach Name Badge will be required to participate. You may sign up for a MAXIMUM of two Author-Reader Connections, but no more than one per host. (
Authors: there is still time to set up a Connection. Email
Email Lucinda Surber for information.)
Author Speed-Dating
Author Speed-Dating will take place in Rio Vista A-D on Thursday March 12, from 9:00–11:00 AM, before the panel programming begins, and is a fun and crazy way for authors to connect to a new set of readers. The time-frame and setup allows 40 authors to circulate while the fans sit and enjoy the 2-minute pitches. Les and Leslie Blatt will be our Speed-Dating Hosts.
Meet the New Authors Breakfast
Come to the West Lawn on Friday morning from 7:15-8:30 AM to hear our new authors describe their debuts. Mike Befeler will host with the assistance of Rochelle Staab.
Author-Hosted Tables
When you register, look for the Author-Hosted Table sign-up sheets near Registration and sign up to sit at a Table hosted by a pair of Authors during the Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. There will also be open tables for those who prefer to seat themselves.
(
Authors: we still have some available tables. Find a partner and
email Lucinda with both your names and emails to receive all the information about joining in.)
Crime Time
Readings and presentations by individual authors will alternate in Santa Fe 4 on Friday and Saturday. Drop by and stay as long as you like!
Crime Time Schedule
Left Coast Crime 2021: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Visit the LCC 2021 Table near registration to meet the Southwest Sleuths, learn more about New Mexico, and sign up for next year!
When: April 8–11, 2021
Where: Hyatt Regency Albuquerque
Guest of Honor: Mick Herron
Guest of Honor: Catriona McPherson
Fan Guest of Honor: Kristopher Zgorski
Toastmaster: Kellye Garrett
Ghost of Honor: Tony Hillerman
Visit the
LCC 2021 website for more details and to register.
