Fun Facts about Favorite Authors

Like many of you, I love crime fiction. Last week I got to go to mystery nirvana — I attended Bouchercon, THE annual conference for mystery authors and fans. I discovered new authors, learned about trends in crime fiction, and picked up trivia about some of the most popular writers. Nothing too juicy, of course, but I had to share it with you all. (Each of these authors is linked to the library’s catalog in case you want to check out their books.)

Ann Cleeves said that the Vera Stanhope books became a TV series (Vera, starring Brenda Blethyn) because an ITV producer happened to pick up a copy of The Baby-Snatcher, her first book, in a secondhand shop in London.

Laura Lippman sneak-read Lolita as a child, and still reads it every other year. She says she discovers something new in it every time.

Boyd Morrison, author of the Tyler Locke series and co-author of the Oregon Files series with Clive Cussler, was a Jeopardy! Champion.

James Patterson does not use email. Either he calls you or has his assistant send you a message.

Sara Paretsky wanted to be a ballerina when she was a little girl growing up in eastern Kansas. She’s also a big Chicago Cubs fan.

Louise Penny had writers’ block for five years before she wrote Still Life, the first book in the Inspector Gamache series. Her father used to recite poetry to her; she still knows classic poems by heart. And her favorite candy is gummy bears.