My First LCC by Terry Ambrose

I’m an LCC virgin…please be gentle with me. Well, maybe not. I mean, I have no idea what to expect at my first Left Coast Crime. Sure—big names, small names, panels and discussions—both formal and not. But, what’s it really going to be about? What am I hoping to get out of the experience?

Personally, I’m looking for an opportunity to meet people in person…and no, “meet people” not a euphemism for party, party, party. That ship sailed…at least, I think it did. I may have missed the going away bash or maybe the ship simply sank on its way out of the harbor. After all, it was the 60s and 70s. Who knows?

These days, I’m more interested putting faces with names. Of course, I’m not always good at remembering those names. True confession here—I even have trouble with names at my local Starbucks and I see those people all the time!One of the things I do is to interview a lot of authors. To be really accurate, I email-interview a lot of authors. I have a few basic questions I like to use as the foundation and am always amazed at the responses. Who will boil their answers down to the raw details? Who’s going to embellish with their life experiences? Those interviews have helped me to become acquainted with people in the business, but there’s nothing like having a chance to meet and talk in person. That’s one of the things I want to get out of my first LCC—a chance to get to know some of those people better.

The business of writing can be a very solitary job, yet many of the authors I know are extroverts. I often wonder how they’re so outgoing with such an introspective job. Me, I love writing because it lets me explore options in my head. Then, along comes the extrovert stuck inside, who tells me to “get out there.” As a result, I alternate between the two styles—innie one minute and outie the next. Sheesh, if only I could predict who will take charge when. In any case, I’ll be doing my best to put my “innie” personality away for the weekend.

I hope to meet you at LCC, but remember, this is my first time. I may not know all the right moves, but I do want to have fun.
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Terry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark to “help” when negotiations failed. An award-winning author, Terry’s novels receive consistent praise from readers for their complex characters and plots. Kirkus Reviews said Terry’s writing has "...the kind of snark that will remind readers of Elmore Leonard.”