Happy Friday, all! Whatever career you choose along the way, networking is one of the most valuable tools a person can do to pave your trip. And if a little camaraderie comes your way as well, all the better. Please welcome Author Grace Topping who shares her story and the reasons why. ~ Donnell
By: Grace Topping
As a budding mystery writer, I traveled to Orlando to attend Sleuthfest, Boston to attend Crime Bake, Bethesda to attend Malice Domestic, and Dallas to attend Bouchercon. As nice as it was visiting those places and attending the conferences, it was the people I met there that made the biggest difference to my life as a crime writer.
I attended my first Malice Domestic, a conference for fans of traditional mysteries, as a fan. I enjoyed hearing authors talk about some of the books I’d loved, but I went home after a pleasant weekend and didn’t think much about it. Little did I realize that I would attend Malice again one day with the goal of becoming a mystery writer, and that many of the attendees would become dear friends.
Years later, when I again attended Malice Domestic, I actually got to spend time with some authors. I had met author Janet Bolin online through the Sisters in Crime (SINC) online chapter, the Guppies. That weekend at Malice, Janet showed me the ropes and took me to lunch with other cozy authors, including Avery Ames and Krista Davis, who made me feel at home. If it hadn’t been for Janet, I probably would have wandered around feeling a bit lost.
It was the generosity of authors like Susan Froetschel, who at a Chesapeake SINC meeting told me to send her my manuscript and gave me encouraging feedback that kept me going. Another chapter member, Elaine Douts, invited me to join her group blog, Writers Who Kill, conducting interviews with mystery writers. Through WWK, I met more writers.
I continued “meeting” writers online through the Guppies, but it was when I attended Sleuthfest, a writers’ conference in Orlando, that I met more Guppies in person—writers like Debra Goldstein, Marilyn Levinson, Karen Duxbury, and Connie Berry. Little did I know at the time how instrumental Debra and Marilyn would be in my career.
Over the next few years, I exchanged manuscripts with fellow Guppies Diane Vallere and Kendal Flaum, who gave me valuable feedback. I eventually obtained an agent, but kept rewriting, getting input from writers like Debra, Marilyn, Connie Berry, Linda Reilly, Shari Randall, Kait Carson, and Barbara Ross, who I met at Crime Bake. Each helped me make my manuscript better and they bolstered me up when I got discouraged.
Finally, when I realized that my current agent had done all she could for me, it was Debra and Marilyn who encouraged me to query their agent. I did, and she was able to sell my manuscript in two months. Thank you, Debra and Marilyn.
On April 20, my third cozy mystery, Upstaged by Murder, was released. I’m thankful every day that as I traveled the road to publication that all the wonderful writers I mentioned and many more walked along with me, pulled me out of holes, and pointed me in the right direction. I can’t thank them enough. The “people you’ll meet” was definitely the best part of the journey.
About the Book: When professional home stager Laura Bishop enters a competition to become the next TV home staging star, she figures it will be murder—but she doesn’t expect it to include a body. As tensions rise and rivalries rage, a coded notebook flips the script and Laura’s on the case.
But she’s not alone. Her closest confidantes pitch in by sleuthing, eavesdropping, and even staging a sting to protect those near and dear. Yet she’s still corralling a runaway teen, sparring with a handsome detective, and handling the shock of her life with a blast from her past. All while creating a cozy cabin retreat fit for first place.
Amidst constant cameras and glaring lights, Laura tries to style the stage and pull back the curtain on a killer before her career—and her life—get cut.
About the Author: Grace Topping is an Agatha Award finalist and the USA Today bestselling author of the Laura Bishop Mystery Series. She is a recovering technical writer and IT project manager, accustomed to writing lean, boring documents. Let loose to write fiction, she is now creating murder mysteries and killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career. Grace is the former vice president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, a steering committee member of the SINC Guppies, and member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia.
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Great Blog and it reminds me of my need to interact more often. I’m a bit of a recluse, so it’s hard to step out of that comfort zone. Good reminder. Thanks.
Writers are notorious introverts 🙂 Talking with other writers is one of our joys IMO. Thanks for stopping by, C.F!
Hi, Grace, and Donnell! I am an author who met Grace at Bouchercon. I met many Guppies there and that was so lovely. Most authors I have met have been extremely generous. Sending hugs, vb
Ah, mystery solved! Thank you, Vicki!
Thank you, Donnell, for having me as a guest on your blog. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for writers to “put yourself out there” and meet people. The mystery writing community is a very generous one and will help move you on.
Thank you, Vicki and C. F. for stopping by and commenting. Vicki, I hope to see you again at another conference.
Dear Grace,
Yes, we met at Malice or SleuthFest one year and have been friends ever since. Congratulations on your latest book! I’m looking forward to reading it.
Thanks, Marilyn. Going to some conferences and meeting members of Sisters in Crime and the SINC Guppies was one of the best things I did for my writing career. And I am so happy we met and have continued to follow each others careers.
I enjoyed meeting you at Malice, Grace. You were one of those friendly faces who made my first conference experience a good one.
I met Grace at Malice, and she quickly became my friend and one of my favorite authors.
Thank you, Tracy and Joan. It was a pleasure meeting you both at Malice, and I look forward to seeing you both there in 2022.