Happy Thanksgiving to one and all, and that’s what this note is all about–Giving Thanks.

For a long time I used WordPerfect to write my books, and when people asked me if I used Windows, I would reply, “I don’t do windows–either kind.”  And that’s still true. Around here window washing has long been handled by Jim Reichel of Western Window Wash, and once Bill talked me down from my WordPerfect-only tree, I became an Apple girl. I was reluctant at first, but Apple has grown on me over the years.

And when people asked me about prizes? I’d reply, “I don’t do prizes,” although the truth was, prizes didn’t do me. The local chapter of Mystery Writers of America gave me a Willo once, named in honor of Willo Davis. And the Scottsdale Public Library gave me a Scotty once–a wooden bust of Winfield Scott carved from olive wood from the trees that once covered Winfield Scott’s–I’m not sure what to call it–olive farm? Olive ranch? In any case, that wooden bust, carved from a piece of Scottsdale’s distant past, is part of the decor in the family room of our Tucson home.

J.A. Jance and husband Bill with the Guest of Honor Award

As for national or international prizes? Zilch. In thirty years, zero nominations for an MWA Edgar. Nor was I given an Anthony. (Anthonys are named in honor of Anthony Boucher–a well known author/reviewer of mystery fiction–and are awarded at the mystery convention that bears his name, Bouchercon.)  I was nominated for an Anthony once–for Hour of the Hunter–back in the early nineties, but I didn’t win. (This week at the Anthony awards, I sat next to a young man who had fingers crossed on both hands as they read off the nominations. He didn’t win. I know exactly how he felt!)

Last week, however, the no-prize drought ended for J.A. Jance at Murder on the Beach, this year’s Bouchercon in Long Beach, California, where I was one of four Guests of Honor. It was wonderful. For the whole week, I was wined and dined. I was recognized in hallways and elevators, in restaurants and on escalators. When I’m on tour, I’m only “on” at scheduled events or interviews.  In hotels, I’m entirely anonymous. In Long Beach, however, I was “on” from the moment I stepped outside my room. That made packing a challenge. On tour, when I’m in a different city every day, no one notices if I show up in one of two alternating outfits. At Bouchercon, I was seeing the same people every day for a week. That calls for a lot of outfits!

Having never been a Guest of Honor before, I soon discovered that you’re not allowed to phone it in. You have to show up! With one, two, and even three events to attend each day, it was busy. My two editors, Lyssa Keusch from HarperCollins and Sally Kim from Simon and Schuster, were both in attendance, and we tried to carve out some private author/editor time together around the officially scheduled events. In other words, it was complicated AND busy!

By Saturday night, I was tempted to play hooky when it came to the final end-of-conference party where this year’s Anthonys would be awarded. After all, I wasn’t nominated. Again. But that morning, Ingrid Willis, the chair of the conference, tracked us down in the lobby and gave us tickets. “We have a bauble we want to give you,” she said. “And please be sure to sit in the front row.” The implication was clear–BE THERE OR BE SQUARE–so we went.

But here’s the part this particular Guest of Honor didn’t know about being a Guest of Honor.  Guests of Honor are awarded their own Anthony statuettes–in this case a wooden raven perched on a beach ball. (Probably not carved from Winfield Scott’s fallen olive trees.)

Those of you who have seen me at events know that I often close my presentations with my rendition of Janis Ian’s iconic song, At Seventeen.  The last words go like this:

And dreams were all they gave for free

To ugly duckling girls like me.

Those were the words going through my head as I walked across the stage to receive my Guest of Honor Anthony, because one of my long time dreams was coming true. My thank you speech was short but brief. “In thirty years and more than fifty books, this is the first national or international prize I’ve ever received. Thank you.”

Evidently that was news to the folks attending Bouchercon. They gave me a thunderous round of applause. But I’m writing this, because it may be news to my other readers as well. And all of you–convention attendees or not–made that beach ball bird possible, and I want to say thank you.

So yes, there’s much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  And I hope there’s much to be thankful for in your lives as well.

The No-Bella novella

And now a short PS.

A Last Goodbye, Bella’s Novella, goes on sale in e-book on November 24 and audio format on November 25.  It will be available for my DTRs (Dead Tree Readers) with the paperback publication of Moving Target on December 30th.

After the last note about A Last Goodbye, a number of people wrote to me worrying that we had lost our Bella.  We have not.  She is FINE, but she’s also looking forward to doing her star turn.  Maybe some day she’ll be invited to a mystery convention where she’ll be able to be the Canine Guest of Honor.

And PPS.

No matter what we do, some people on the newsletter list never receive their newsletters.  So for this week, this note will be both blog and newsletter.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.  Stay warm.  And enjoy that pumpkin pie.

J.A. Jance