PPWebCon 2009 - Poisoned Pen's Virtual Conference

coming soon...

PANELS

On October 24th 2009
we will present a variety of live events and "on demand" recordings.

These will be Video, Audio and Text based
panels, debates and discussions on
topics related to mystery and crime writing,
featuring authors from all over the world.

register now
to watch live and "on demand" events

LIVE PANELS & PRESENTATIONS
live on October 24th, 2009

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS OF TIME ZONES AND HOURS

Video Presentations LIVE on Saturday October 24th	Audio Presentations LIVE on Saturday October 24th
HOUR 1 "Welcome to PPWebCon" Robert Rosenwald officially opens PPWebCon by live video from Scottsdale Arizona vid30
HOUR 1 (directly following Robert Rosenwald's welcome) "Behind the Scenes with the Beijing Homicide Squad" Presenter: Peter May A truly international opening to PPWebCon as author Peter May, a Scotsman, joins us from France to speak about the research for his award-winning China Thrillers series of books. Over a period of ten years, he made more than a dozen trips to China for months at a time and got behind the scenes with Beijing and Shanghai's homicide squads, forensic science laboratories, and pathology departments. In recognition of the quality of his work, he was made an honorary member of the Chinese Crime Writers Association by their Beijing chapter. vid28
HOUR 1.30 "The Traditional Mystery: how to avoid the dreaded Cabot Cove Syndrome" Presenter: Lea Wait Lea Wait joins us by live video from Maine, USA. Cozies may not be dead, but they are getting edgier. As you're developing an existing series, or planning a new one, how to avoid the pitfalls of a cozy series (the dreaded Cabot Cove Syndrome? too cute for comfort? how many brownies can you bake between murders? how many cats are too many?) and still develop your character -- and catch those bad guys without a license. vid29
	HOUR 2 "And The Corpses Pile Up: making a series believable" Moderator: Rachel Brady Panel Members Ann Parker Jeffrey Cohen Rebecca Cantrell Kelli Stanley Deb Baker Mystery authors Ann Parker, Rebecca Cantrell, Deb Baker, Kelli Stanley, and Jeff Cohen discuss their approaches to bringing credible characters and fresh plot lines to a series. They’ll share their processes for creating story worlds that keep readers coming back for more. Throughout their discussion, panelists will take questions from conference participants. btr16
	HOUR 2.30 "Writing More than One Series plus Standalones" Vicki Delany in conversation with Peter May Authors Peter May speaking from France, and Vicki Delany speaking from Canada, meet up via radio link to chat about their approaches to writing. The two authors not only write two different series each, but write standalones in addition to them. They discuss how they tackle switching the characters, the settings, and the tones of their various books. btr31
HOUR 3 "Building Suspense" Moderator: Libby Fisher Hellman Panel Members Donis Casey Frederick Ramsay Betty Webb Live by video panel from the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale Arizona. vid23
	HOUR 3.30 " 'Foreign' Mysteries - crime novels set outside the United States." Moderator: Leighton Gage Panel Members Cara Black Michael Stanley Stuart Neville Yrsa Sigurdsdottir Travel the world of mystery with stops in Iceland, Northern Ireland, France, Botswana and Brazil. A conversation between five authors who set their mysteries outside of the United States btr17
	HOUR 4 "Guest of Honor Interview" Laurie R. King presents an interview with International Guest of Honor Lee Child and Behind The Scenes Guest of Honor Kate Miciak (Editorial Director, Bantam Dell) btr34
HOUR 4.30 "Everything is a Mystery! How you can write a mystery about just about anything." Presenter: Toni L P Kelner Toni L P Kelner presents her live video show from Massachusetts vid27
	HOUR 5 "How Much Action Is Needed? How Much Sex?" Moderator: Vicki Delany Panel Members Kelli Stanley Deborah Turrell Atkinson Jane Finnis Vicki Delaney talks to authors Deborah Turrell Atkinson, Kelli Stanley, and Jane Finnis about the ever-controversial topic of sex and violence in crime novels. Sex or romance? Action or violence? Can you have too little? Can you have too much? btr03
HOUR 5.30 TWIST PHELAN tbc	HOUR 5.30 TWIST PHELAN tbc
	HOUR 6 "Guest of Honor Interview" Barbara G. Peters presents an interview with Guest of Honor Dana Stabenow btr33
HOUR 6.30 "On the writing of Winter of Secrets" Presenter: Vicki Delany Vicki Delany live from Canada, on the origins of Winter of Secrets. Vicki introduces her new novel, Winter of Secrets, the third in the critically acclaimed Constable Molly Smith series, and discusses how the development of that book was different than anything else she has done. vid25
	HOUR 7 "Guests of Honor Interview" Fan Guest of Honor Adrian Muller presents an interview with Behind the Scenes Guests of Honor: Kate Stine (Editor-in-Chief, Mystery Scene Magazine) and Tom and Enid Schantz (Rue Morgue Press) btr35
	HOUR 7.30 "The Exotic Location: is it an address or an attitude?" Moderator: Jessica Simon Panel Members Peter May Mysti Berry Rebecca Cantrell Deborah Turrell Atkinson What makes a location exotic? Is it the bright lights, big city? The call of the wild? Or a new take on your home town? Join our panel of writers from France, Hawaii, California and the Yukon for a discussion of how they convey the sense of exotic in their writing. Discover the rewards and sidestep the pitfalls of conveying an exotic sense of place. btr21
	Hour 8 "Why We Love The Gumshoe" Moderator: Kelli Stanley Panel Members Ken Kuhlken Kaye George Stephen D Rogers Join authors and shamus fans Kaye George, Ken Kuhlken, Stephen D. Rogers and host Kelli Stanley for a scintillating discussion on the private eye -- and why we continue to walk down those mean and muddy streets. btr08
	Hour 8.30 "The Cozy Thriller - a new sub-genre" Aileen Baron in conversation with Ann Littlewood How about a new subgenre, the Cozy Thriller, with the protagonist a real human being with thoughts and a conscience, coping with real situations? btr13
	Hour 9 "Historical Mysteries and Tough Women" Rebecca Cantrell in conversation with Kelli Stanley Join critically-acclaimed writers Rebecca Cantrell and Kelli Stanley, as they discuss the tough women of another generation ... from early 1930s Berlin, and Rebecca's Hannah Vogel series (A TRACE OF SMOKE), to Kelli's upcoming 1940 San Francisco novel, CITY OF DRAGONS. btr32
	Hour 9.30 "Old Pros Discuss New Technology" Laurie R King in conversation with Nevada Barr The final event of PPWebCon, the world's first virtual mystery convention is a conversation between best-selling authors Laurie R King and Nevada Barr, as they discuss New Technology. btr53

"ON DEMAND" Panels & Presentations
available from October 24th

Video Presentations available to play "on demand"	Audio Panels & Presentations available to play "on demand"	Text Panels & Presentations available to read "on demand"
"Sam Blackman's Asheville" Presenter: Mark De Castrique A tour of special Asheville locations in the Sam Blackman Mysteries with author Mark de Castrique. vid38	"Where Do You Get Your Ideas, and Which Comes First, Character or Plot?" Presenter: Larry Karp Larry tackles the question that writers are most often asked... mp336	"Rewriting: Gotta Do It, Might As Well Enjoy It" by Larry Karp First drafts of first novels generally come down with little trouble, but all too often, rewriting leaves beginning authors tearing their hair over unpublishable manuscripts. But Larry Karp believes rewriting can be the most enjoyable part of composing a mystery. Here, Larry outlines his approach. txt46
"Around the World and into a Metaverse" Presenter: Peter May Peter May has written books set in the Far East, Europe, and the United States, and never writes about anywhere unless he has been there - usually filming it. Join Peter for a selection of videos from his research. From the USA through Europe to China and into the virtual world of Second LIfe. Peter has even included his cookery video with delicious recipes for 5-spice chinese ribs and Korean barbecued chicken. vid39	"Lessons for the Past from Now" Presenter: Roger Hudson You’ve heard of us learning lessons from the past. Roger argues that events from modern times can provide useful guidelines for authors in fashioning incidents and the reactions to them of characters in historical mystery fiction. mp337	"Tom, Dick, and Harassment: naming your characters" by Mary Reed Mary Reed presents resources for authors wrestling with the perennial problem of naming their characters plus thoughts on how names can be used to play havoc with readers' expectations. txt45
"It's Just A Mystery - a guide for aspiring pystery authors" Presenter: Jeffrey Cohen The author of the Double Feature Mystery series dleivers a truly entertaining musical guide to identifying the various mystery genres. vid40	"How does setting affect a crime story?" Moderator: Kelli Stanley Panel Members Rebecca Cantrell Mysti Berry Deborah Atkinson Mark de Castrique How Does Setting Affect a Crime Story? Join authors Rebecca Cantrell, Deborah Atkinson, Mark de Castrique, Mysti Berry, and Kelli Stanley, as they lead listeners on an adventure across time and continents … and listen to what sounds inspire each author to create the settings in their novels. In this segment, Kelli Stanley, the moderator, introduces the theme and the panelists. mp307	"Layer by Layer: digging golden age mysteries" by Sarah Wisseman Archaeologist and mystery author Sarah Wisseman explores the similarities between delving into mysteries by Golden Age writers such as Josephine Tey and Agatha Christie and archaeological excavation. txt47
"Margarita Nights" Interview with Phyllis Smallman MARGARITA NIGHTS was the first winner of the Unhanged Arthur Ellis Award (best unpublished book), sponsored by McArthur & Company. MARGARITA NIGHTS is the first of a series (they will all feature drinks in the title) set in Florida and featuring Sherry Travis. vid41	"What comes first, plot or character?" Moderator: Keith Raffel Panel Members Dave Zeltserman Rebecca Cantrell Mark de Castrique Kelli Stanley mp310	"Blogging 101" by Pat Browning The virtual bulletin board became the online diary, the online diary became the web log or blog, and it reaches across time and space. txt50
"Winter of Secrets" Presenter: Vicki Delany Vicki Delany introduces her new book winter of secrets vid43		"Why Write Mysteries? (or any other kind of made-up stuff that never happened…)" by Mary Anna Evans ... where does my profession rate when it comes to making the world a better place? Am I wasting my time and talents by spending my days writing mysteries? Should I go back to environmental engineering, where I have the opportunity to help our society learn to clean up its messes? txt22
"Where do you get your ideas?" Presenter: Libby Fisher Hellman Libby Fischer Hellmann discusses where she gets her ideas, and how her thriller, DOUBLEBACK, came to be. vid44		"How Do You Come Up With Your Ideas?" Moderator: Ann Parker Panel Members Peter May J M Hayes Rebecca Cantrell Donis Casey Rachel Brady It’s the perennial question, asked in some form or another at nearly every convention. Why should this “virtual con” be any different? So, here we go… A timid hand is raised. “The question” ventured. Three of the five panelists nod and smile knowingly (Someone was bound to ask...). Another scribbles a quick note to self (It came in a dream…). The fifth performs an unobtrusive eye roll (Oh, not that old chestnut…). Drop on by the “Where do you get your ideas?” text panel and read where authors Rachel Brady, Rebecca Cantrell, Donis Casey, J.M. Hayes, and Peter May draw the inspiration for their stories. txt05
"Gerry Boyle talks about Port City Shakedown" Interview with Gerry Boyle vid42		"Using Actual People/Figures in Historical Mysteries - the pros and cons" Moderator: Lea Wait Panel Members Aileen Baron Kelli Stanley Mark de Castrique Nancy Means Wright The challenges and rewards of writing historical mysteries that include actual historical figures as part of the plot .. either as the protagonist, or as other important characters. What kind of targeted research is required? Can history be legitimately be changed to fit fiction? Four masters of the historical mystery genre discuss how they've dealt with these questions. txt12
"Voices in Mystery" Interview with Sarah Wisseman vid49		"What is a Cozy?And Why Do I Write Them?" Moderator: Clea Simon Panel Members Toni LP Kelner Lea Wait Deb Baker Jane Finnis What is a Cozy (and Why do I Write Them)? Call them cozies or cosies, traditional mysteries or crafty, today's cozies range from the cute to the acute. Join five authors of - ahem - traditional style amateur sleuth mysteries as we discuss the current state of the subgenre, its pros and cons, and its future. txt18
"Mixed Blood" Presentation by Roger Smith Roger Smith talks about his book Mixed Blood and gives a fascinating insider's introduction to Cape Town, the setting for the book. vid56		"History and Mystery - how much history is enough?" Moderator: Sarah Wisseman Panel Members Vicki Delany Donis Casey Jane Finnis Clea Simon Roger Hudson “A historical novel should be like a time machine: it carries you effortlessly back into a past era and shows you what it was like.” Jane Finnis But how does an author accomplish this feat—and make it look effortless? Join us for a tour of the fascinating world of historical mysteries as seen through the eyes of authors who inhabit ancient Athens, Roman Britain, the Klondike Gold Rush (1898), Oklahoma in the 1910s, and 1790s England. txt11
"The Making of PPWebCon" Peter May interviews Janice Hally about the behind-the-scenes story of PPWebCon vid54		" Between the Lines: what writers don't say" Moderator: Sharon Wildwind Panel Members Deborah Atkinson Josh Lanyon Sarah Wisseman The panel members discuss the importance of what characters don't say. txt06
		"What I wish I'd known..." Moderator: Toni L P Kelner Panel Members Lea Wait Vicki Lane Ann Parker Stephen D Rogers Kelli Stanley Nobody starts out knowing all the ins and outs of publishers, and everybody makes a few missteps along the way. Come hear our panel of writers discuss their publishing mistakes, gaffes, and boo-boos in "What I Wish I'd Known Before I Was Published." txt20
		"Promotion: Can't Live With It, Can't Live Without It" Moderator: Fleur Bradley Panel Members Josh Lanyon Phyllis Smallman Promotion: it’s a necessary evil if you want your books to sell. But which promotion techniques are worth the effort, and which ones not? Facebook, Amazon, websites—what’s an author to do? Authors Josh Lanyon and Phyllis Smallman share their promotion secrets on this panel—so come join us! txt24
		"The Path To Publication" Moderator: Jenny White Panel Members Larry Karp Robin Hathaway Particia Harrrington Jeff Markowitz The path to publication…is a long and winding road. Whistle along the way, turn up your coat collar against the wind, flex those fingers, and keep moving. Listen to five writers tell their twisted tales of short-cuts, long ways around, and beelines toward publication of their novels. How do you make the decision to start? Does age matter? How do you make the time to write? Should you quit your day job? How do you get an agent? Each author’s essay is followed by Take-Home Tips for those of you just setting out. txt04
		"Historical mysteries--do they have something to say about our times?" Moderator: Beverle Graves Myers Panel Members Rebecca Cantrell Kelli Stanley Aileen Baron Nancy Means Wright Stephen D. Rogers Suzanne Adair All time is now, mystics tell us. The past is always with us, and the future is already here, just waiting to be seen... txt01
		"Social Issues - do they elevate or detract?" Moderator: Julie Lomoe Panel Members Judy Clemens Nancy Means Wright Ann Parker L J Sellers "Since social justice issues are at the heart of both my novels, I jumped at the chance to moderate this panel, but I wasn’t sure how many authors would be interested in participating. As it turned, many of the authors registered for this Web Con were eager to join the discussion. It was difficult to choose just four, but I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the rest of you who volunteered. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to continue this dialogue long after the conference is over." Julie Lomoe txt14
		"First person? Third person? Rewards and pitfalls of points of view" Moderator: Julie Lomoe Panel Members Mary Anna Evans Vicki Lane Deb Baker Beverle Graves Myers "It’s been a privilege and a pleasure meeting the four authors on this panel by exchanging e-mails to create a virtual panel discussion. I invited them to envision themselves engaging in conversation at a live, in-person conference in addition to crafting individual essays, and they rose to the occasion enthusiastically. I’ve learned a lot from their responses, and I hope you will too." Julie Lomoe txt15
		"Historical Research: making it real without boring the reader" Moderator: Charlotte Hinger Panel Members Larry Karp Particia Harrrington Josh Lanyon J M Hayes L S Cauldwell Click into this lively text panel to meet masterful history/mystery writers who are all too happy to tell how they bring the past into the present without turning off their readers. txt19
		"Crime Fiction or Mystery?" by Ruth Dudley Edwards Ruth Dudley Edwards discusses the varied nature of the genre. txt55

WHAT DO AUTHORS REQUIRE
TO CONTRIBUTE TO PANELS OR PRESENTATIONS?

INTERNET ACCESS:
Internet speeds can affect your ability to take part.
Listening to audio and uploading audio files may be restricted by dial-up.
Watching video and uploading video files will not be possible with dial-up internet access.

TEXT CONTRIBUTIONS
You require no special software or high-speed internet access to:
- write essays
- visit the Coffee Shop chatroom for live interaction

AUDIO and VIDEO CONTRIBUTIONS
You will require speakers to listen to audio events, and to watch videos on PPWebCon.
You will require a microphone and speakers or a headset attached to your computer to participate in audio events.
You will also have to add a video camera attached to your computer if you want to appear in live video events.

SOFTWARE
Software to record audio and video files will vary according to computers and operating systems.

REGISTRATION ON MEDIA SHARING SITES
In order to manage the audio and video playback for the audience, you will have to join various media distribution sites (e.g. YouTube). These sites are free.

You should join these sites as soon as possible if you want to participate. They are free to join.

NB: you will need to explore them and make sure that you understand how they work in advance of PPWebCon.

Skype

Podbean

Blog Talk Radio

Livestream

Twitcam

Youtube

Click here for more details and information for authors