I spent the weekend at the 15th Annual Northern Virginia Christmas Market, which was both a fun and a profitable time. Aside from signing lots of books I got to chat with dozens of mystery lovers and got exposure to hundreds of potential future readers. I even chatted with one lady who asked if my books were available on Amazon’s Kindle. When I told her yes she pulled the device out and checked for them right there in front of me. How cool is that? And as a bonus, my lovely wife Denise joined me for most of the time. When she wasn’t at my table, she was able to troll the 300+ vendors and get pretty much all of our Christmas shopping done.

One of the books people were buying at the Christmas market was the holiday anthology “Dying in a Winter Wonderland.” All the profit from that collection of holiday crime fiction goes to the Toys for Tots foundation and the lead story is a new Hannibal Jones mystery. The news this week is that there’s a very cool video trailer for the book up on YouTube!Watch the trailer, and then order your copy!

I will take a three-day weekend to sign books at the 15th Annual Northern Virginia Christmas Market.  I’ll spend this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday I’ll join more than 300 fine artisans from more than 20 states at the Christmas Market.  From 10 am to 6 pm, they will be offering a diverse selection of fine arts, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, wood, photography, fiber arts, and thousands of one-of-kind Christmas collectibles. 

Plus, over twenty food vendors will offer gift-packaged gourmet fare such as almond pound cakes, holiday cookies, spicy salsas, fudge-by-the-pound, fruit cakes, sparkling cider and homemade jams and jellies. These tasty homemade goodies are ideal for creating great gift baskets and loading up Santa’s stockings.  An autographed novel from yours truly is just one example of the perfect gifts you’ll find this weekend at the Christmas Market, so join us at the Dulles Expo Center - South Hall, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, VA.

Cynthia Ozick said that we often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.  I hope that on Tuesday all of you remember our service members, certainly people who most deserve our gratitude.  To quote poet Maya Angelou, “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”

Sometimes in the rush to share newly-discovered authors I forget to even mention some old favorites. For example, I’ve been a fan of Max Allen Collins for a lot of years. In the 21st century, Collins practically defines hard boiled crime fiction. Before he wrote Road to Perdition, before was collaborating with Mickey Spillane, before he was raising the level of comic book writing on Batman, he was reinventing Dick Tracy after Chester Gould stopped writing the strip. He also wrote a series starring my favorite fictional hit man, Quarry. I thought he had closed out the series, but he had one more gift in store for us.

“The First Quarry” is, as you might suspect, a prequel revealing Quarry’s first murder for hire. The job is simple - kill a college professor and destroy a manuscript he’s writing. The fact that the manuscript is filled with information about a mafia family does complicate things, especially since the head of a notorious crime family send Quarry to do the job. It is great fun to see the pro I know working as a newbie, with a newbie’s judgment. If you’re not already a diehard Max Allen Collins fan, you can cure that weakness quickly by reading this great book. Check out “The First Quarry.”

It was a weekend of surprises, most of them good.  Friday I signed lots of books at the Borders in the Baltimore Washington International Airport.  I also met a woman who said her book club would love to have an author visit them.  Saturday I signed a few more books at the Waldenbooks in Landmark Mall.  I also met a man who wants me to speak to the men’s group at his church.  So both those events will pay unexpected dividends.

But due to a clerical error on the part of a store manager I did not repeat the good luck Sunday.  Instead I spent an entire Sunday home.  Sometimes the bad news is the good news.

I told you that today will find me in Landmark Mall - 5801 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA - at Waldenbooks from 1 pm to 5 pm.

TOMORROW I’ll be talking to more frequent flyers, this time at Borders in the WashingtonDullesInternationalAirport in Sterling, VA.  I’ll hang out there from 2 pm to 6 pm.

I told you that today I’ll greet travelers at the Borders in the BaltimoreWashingtonInternationalAirport between 3pm and 7 pm.  TOMORROW will find me in the mall again – this time Landmark Mall.  I’ll sign books in the Waldenbooks there from 1 pm to 5 pm. If you’re near the mall, at 5801 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA, stop and say hi. 

The old Sinatra tune “Come Fly with Me” could be my theme this weekend.  Tomorow I’ll greet travelers at the Borders in the Baltimore Washington International Airport.  If you’re coming or going in the nation’s capital this weekend, look for me between 3pm and 7 pm.

The line between mysteries and thrillers is a thin one, and definitions can get muddy.  If you happen to enjoy a great thriller, the best place to find new great reads is the web site run by the International Thriller Writers.  Their electronic newsletter, The Big Thrill, is posted on line and presents reviews of all the new thrillers released each month.  Those reviews are written by thriller authors like me, and we know what to look for in a good book.  This month alone there are 32 reviews, including one from yours truly.  These are books by people like M.J. Rose, David Morrell, Clive & Dirk Cussler, Heather Graham, Carla Neggers, Michael Black and Julie Hyzy, plus lots of new writers you’ll want to add to your reading list.

 They also feature interviews (this time with M.J. Rose and David Morrell) and other publishing news.  Plus, all subscribers to THE BIG THRILL webzine are automatically eligible for the monthly drawing, in which they give away a big package of books.  Check out the ITW Big Thrill website.

As the bad puns keep pouring in (Maybe I’ll compile them into a book) I am reminded that while sea captains do prefer shorter hair styles, they do NOT like crew cuts.