No feature story today. I'm taking the week off to attend Malice Domestic, a mystery writers' conference, my first ever!   

Malice Domestic is an annual fan convention that takes place each year in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Malice celebrates the Traditional Mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore or violence.

I was awarded a grant to attend this conference and I'm thrilled to be attending. My goal is to meet other mystery writers who write young adult books and learn as much as I can at the sessions. This is a new genre for me, but my absolute favorite to read since I was a girl.

There will be varied sessions from Law Enforcement Officers, Past and Present to Gender Roles: Stereotypes, Restrictions and Biases and Putting the Ha-Ha in Homicide.