“Mysterious California”

“Mysterious California: Four Authors” is the film that explores how four California mystery writers build their fictional worlds around the physical and social landscape that is California. I’ve mentioned this film before, and the 40 minute dvd you can buy [http://calbook.org/bcb/mysterious.html ] in which Nadia Gordon, Nina Revoyr, Kirk Russell, and LRK talk about the element of place in our writing.

If you are going to be in the Los Angeles area on March 12, please join us for a screening and reception of “Mysterious California” at 7:30 p.m. in the UCLA James Bridges Theater. There’s no charge, and parking ($8) is in Lot 3.

The film makers will be there, Pamela Briggs and Bill McDonald, along with their camera assistant and budding novelist, Natalie McDonald, shown below with one of the authors on the set.

laurie-natalie.JPG

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11 Comments

  1. Strawberry Curls on February 25, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Back to UCLA on a Wed. night…yikes. Only to see Ms. King would I trudge back there at night. At least I know exactly where this theater is located. I spent last Sat. in the Public Affairs building (a stones throw away) taking a one day seminar with Leslie Klinger. The drive home in the rain took an hour and twenty minutes and this was a Sat. evening, I can only imagine how long it will take me to drive there on a Wed. night.

    Alice

  2. nkk1969 on February 25, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    Ah, come on, Alice, take one for the team. You can go there and write up another of your wonderful reports. We live vicariously through you, ya’ know. 😉 Oh, and don’t forget to take pictures!

    [I can only imagine how long it will take me to drive there on a Wed. night.]

    Hey, we’re planning on driving to _Detroit_ in April. 6 hours vs. 1.5 hours…not much to complain about, if you ask me. [grinning, ducking, and running]

    Caitlin says this will give you three hours to listen to the books on CD. (Oh, good point!)

  3. Strawberry Curls on February 25, 2008 at 6:19 pm

    [Ah, come on, Alice, take one for the team. You can go there and write up another of your wonderful reports. We live vicariously through you, ya’ know. Oh, and don’t forget to take pictures!]

    Why do I have the feeling I’ve created a monster that is going to bite me in the arse? At this rate I’ll be taken for a stalker. “Really, Ms. King, I’m just here to do a report on you. No…I don’t have any credentials, but people I know from the internet have been pushing me to follow you around. No, I’ve never really met them.” I can just see it now. LOL

  4. nkk1969 on February 25, 2008 at 10:40 pm

    [people I know from the internet have been pushing me to follow you around. No, I’ve never really met them.” ]

    There’s a very easy solution to this imagined problem of yours–meet us in Michigan. You will no longer be a Lone Stalker, we can go through the line together and you can blame everything on me (I’m a big girl and I’m used to taking the blame, being a mother and all), and then in the future you can say you’re going to meet friends _you’ve actually met_ at an author event. This sounds much more like Girls Night Out than Crazed Stalker Fan On A Mission. “Ms. King? My friends and I would like to buy you a drink after the event if you have time. (Insert look of horror as author casts about for an excuse.)No? Maybe next event.” LOL!

    Aside to Ms. King: Can you give us any info on the library tours? How do these differ from a signing or other book event?

  5. vicki on February 26, 2008 at 4:11 am

    Woohoo! Alice is on the job! 🙂

    ” There’s a very easy solution to this imagined problem of yours–meet us in Michigan.”

    And don’t forget Baltimore in October–stalker-fan networking opportunities galore and more reportable events than you can shake a stick at! *Dangles glossy B’con pamphlets* Hehehehehe!

  6. admin on February 26, 2008 at 9:17 am

    I know nothing more than you do about the Michigan events–which is place and time of day. But if you’d like to organize a meal or drinks or cup of tea of something around them, I’m happy to show up. I’ll ask my publicist who’s in charge to suggest a time I might be free, and get back to you.

    Laurie

  7. nkk1969 on February 26, 2008 at 1:38 pm

    Vicki: Woohoo, B’Con!!! Can’t wait. BTW, how soon should we register? I need to look into that.

    Ms. King: I took the liberty of asking a friend from Ann Arbor (who used to teach German at the university) for info on each of the libraries and the surrounding neighborhoods. Here’s what he had to say:

    [Hi Nikki,
    These libraries are in the northern suburbs of Detroit. Actually, I’m familiar with most of them, since I’ve given presentations as part the translators organization.

    Baldwin:
    Birmingham is a swanky town. Nice facility. The only bag lady in town is named Mary and lives in the library. Her son is a urologist (I’m not making this up). I think there’s a law requiring women to have their hair done frequently, frosting mandatory.

    Farmington:
    Less swanky (like many of the Detroit suburbs, there’s no downtown), but the library is quite spacious and has a coffee shop.

    Royal Oak:
    I’m familiar with the town, but not the library. It’s a lively town, where people go when they don’t want to drive all the way to Ann Arbor. Lots of kids with orange hair; funky boutiques, the only fondue restaurant in SE Michigan, as far as I know.

    Bloomfield township:
    Another place that’s only a zip code and a census statistic.

    I’d say Caitlin would definitely like Royal Oak, although Birmingham would be interesting.

    Please let me know your plans. I’ll take you for lunch or dinner.
    Cheers, Kevin]

    I’m not sure which date we’re shooting for at the moment. The date will depend on things like what Caitlin’s work and school testing schedules are like at the time. Of course, we won’t know these things until the time is a little closer. However, if you suggest a date and time, we’ll try to be there and make arrangements for a group of us to have refreshments of some sort.

    Nikki

  8. Strawberry Curls on February 26, 2008 at 2:07 pm

    [And don’t forget Baltimore in October–stalker-fan networking opportunities galore and more reportable events than you can shake a stick at! *Dangles glossy B’con pamphlets* Hehehehehe!]

    I would love to come to B’con, Vikki, but my son is getting married the end of Oct. and I’m not sure if I can swing it. Oct. is going to be a very busy month as the wedding is in another state, but if it is at all possible I’ll be there.

    Nikki, the April events are not possible for me. I’m having an out-of-town guest that week so the stalker duties are all on you.

  9. vicki on February 26, 2008 at 6:34 pm

    Wow–very unusual bag lady there in Birmingham. That’s also where they publish The Strand Magazine, so maybe they’d send a reporter out to cover the appearance/do an interview.

    “I would love to come to B’con, Vikki, but my son is getting married the end of Oct. and I’m not sure if I can swing it.”

    Waaaah! :..( I guess your child getting married does trump the stalking duties. But we’ll hope to see you back on the job for B’con 2009! 🙂 All this stalker-talk reminds me of Millon deFloss, Thursday Next’s official stalker from the T. Next series by Jasper Fforde. She makes deFloss chauffer her around sometimes, which is pretty funny. I mean, if you’re going to have a stalker, you might as well put him/her to good use.

    Nikki, registration forms for B’con 2008 are already available!

    http://www.charmedtodeath.com/register.html

    Y’all come and we’ll divide up the reporting opportunities and try to do full coverage of the convention. It’ll be so much fun!!

  10. Roxanne on February 27, 2008 at 1:15 pm

    I have no idea what life will hold for me all the way down the line in October. But, upon seeing the B’Con citation under the Book Events link, I did something impulsive (and I am so not known for impulsivity): I looked up hostels in Baltimore and reserved beds for my daughter and myself (never mind that I did not ask her if she can/wants to go). Just in case. If I can go. If I can swing the registration fee. If I still have a job (which is slated to end September 30th) . . .

  11. nkk1969 on February 27, 2008 at 10:28 pm

    Hey Roxanne, mind if I ask you a few questions via pmail? The hostel idea sounds good. B’Con just happens to be right about the time I have to pay for things like senior pictures, the second installment payment for Caitlin’s dual credit college/high school clases, and on and on. I think I can swing the registration fees and transportation to Baltimore, but I’m afraid $200/night for rooms would break the bank.

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