Back from “Cops and Authors” Mystery Writers Conference

Amanda and I recently returned from the “Cops and Authors” Mystery Writers Conference that took place at the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie, LA. I presented “Inside the Mind of a Police Sniper” and Amanda presented “Trauma and PTSD Symptoms”, both designed to assist writers in developing realistic and believable characters in their fiction.

Chris Smith, adult programming manager at the Jefferson Parish Library, invited us to speak at the event. We first met Chris at the Jambalaya Writers’ Conference in Houma, LA back in April, and we were honored to accept his invitation. Chris is a gracious host, and we appreciate him giving us the opportunity to be a part of his conference.

Cops and AuthorsAs for Amanda and me, it was our first time presenting together and we both had tons of fun. We met some great people (most of them writers) and had a wonderful time visiting with them. I’m eternally grateful to everyone who purchased copies of my books. I’m a writer at heart, not a salesperson, and I’m humbled each time someone decides to purchase something I created.

As we often do with writing events for me or running events for Amanda, we made a “staycation” out of the conference. We ordered take-out from P.F. Chang’s and had a picnic in our hotel room. It was nice to have some alone time and get some rest from our grueling home workouts. We even got to sleep in the next morning, waking up at about 7:30 AM.

Thanks to Chris’ invitation, we had a rewarding and fun weekend, and I even got to finally meet O’Neil De Noux, a writer I e-met a hundred years ago (or so it seems) on Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Now, it’s back to work editing BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, which will be published through Amber Quill Press within the next several months. This is the first in a new mystery series for me, where I will introduce tortured lawman Clint Wolf, who has gone from big city homicide detective to small-town police chief after enduring some personal tragedies. I had fun writing this book and I look forward to some feedback. If anyone would like a complimentary copy in exchange for their honest review, please send me a personal message at bjbourg[@]bjbourg.com.

Thanks for visiting and reading!

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