LEFTY AWARD NOMINATIONS: LEFT COAST CRIME 2022

2022 Left Coast Crime “Lefty” Award Nominations Announced

Left Coast Crime 2022 will be presenting four Lefty Awards at our 32nd annual convention, to be held in Albuquerque in April: humorous, historical, debut, and best. The awards will be voted on at the convention and presented at a banquet on Saturday, April 9, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque. The award nominees have been selected the convention registrants. LCC is delighted to announce the 2022 Lefty nominees for books published in 2021:

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel. The nominees are:
 • Ellen Byron, Cajun Kiss of Death (Crooked Lane Books)
 • Jennifer Chow, Mimi Lee Cracks the Code (Berkley Prime Crime)
 • Elle Cosimano, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (Minotaur Books)
 • Cynthia Kuhn, How To Book a Murder (Crooked Lane Books)
 • Raquel V. Reyes, Mango, Mambo, and Murder (Crooked Lane Books)
 • Wendall Thomas, Fogged Off (Beyond the Page Books)

Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel for books set before 1970. The nominees are:
 • Susanna Calkins, The Cry of the Hangman (Severn House)
 • John Copenhaver, The Savage Kind (Pegasus Crime)
 • Naomi Hirahara, Clark and Division (Soho Crime)
 • Sujata Massey, The Bombay Prince (Soho Crime)
 • Catriona McPherson, The Mirror Dance (Hodder & Stoughton)
 • Lori Rader-Day, Death at Greenway (William Morrow)

Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel. The nominees are:
 • Alexandra Andrews, Who Is Maud Dixon (Little, Brown and Company)
 • Marco Carocari, Blackout (Level Best Books)
 • Zakiya Dalila Harris, The Other Black Girl (Atria Books)
 • Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo (Berkley Prime Crime)
 • Wanda M. Morris, All Her Little Secrets (William Morrow)

Lefty for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories). The nominees are:
 • Tracy Clark, Runner (Kensington Books)
 • S.A. Cosby, Razorblade Tears (Flatiron Press)
 • Matt Coyle, Last Redemption (Oceanview Publishing)
 • William Kent Krueger, Lightning Strike (Atria Books)
 • P.J. Vernon, Bath Haus (Doubleday)

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The Left Coast Crime Convention is an annual event sponsored by mystery fans, both readers and authors. Usually held in the western half of North America, LCC’s intent is to host an event where readers, authors, critics, librarians, publishers, and other fans can gather in convivial surroundings to pursue their mutual interests. Lefty Awards have been given since 1996.

In 2020, Left Coast Crime received the Raven Award from Mystery Writers of America, for “outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing.”

The 32nd annual Left Coast Crime Convention will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 7–10, 2022. This year’s Guests of Honor are authors Mick Herron and Catriona McPherson. Kristopher Zgorski is the Fan Guest of Honor, and author Kellye Garrett will serve as Toastmaster.

Left Coast Crime is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation holding annual mystery conventions in the West. Each LCC convention raises money to support a local literary organization and is staffed entirely by volunteers.
 

LEFT COAST CRIME NEWS!

Guests of Honor: Mick Herron; Catriona McPherson

Fan Guest of Honor: Kristopher Zgorski

Toastmaster: Kellye Garrett

Ghost of Honor: Tony Hillerman

Left Coast Crime is an annual mystery convention sponsored by mystery fans, both readers and authors. LCC is held during the first third of the year in Western North America. Conventions have been held from Anchorage to El Paso, from Boulder to Hawaii, and various locations in between.

Our purpose is to host an event where readers, authors, critics, librarians, publishers, and other fans can gather in convivial surroundings to pursue their mutual interests.

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As of this post, we plan to meet in 'real life' in Albuquerque. Be sure and register soon and make your hotel reservations.

Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination Will Be Required for Left Coast Crime 2022

To protect us all and in line with convention best practices, LCC attendees will be required to provide proof of full vaccination before check-in. We’ll be finalizing things when we get closer to April, but are planning to have a pre-clearance procedure in the weeks leading up to the convention, as well as the option of on-site proof.

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Registration Fee Increase December 31

The registration fee of $215 for LCC 2022 will increase at midnight on December 31 to $235. Please remind your author friends to register by December 31, 2021, for priority panel placement.
Register for LCC 2022

Interested in sponsoring Left Coast Crime? Available options include the Saturday breakfast,  the hospitality suite, sponsoring one of our Guests of Honor, plus the convention book bag and name tag holder.

2022 Lefty Awards

Lefty Nomination Form will be coming to registrants very soon! Registrants will be able to nominate three titles in each category. Nominations will be accepted in early January for the four 2022 Lefty Awards:
 
    Best Debut Mystery Novel
    Best Humorous Mystery Novel
    Best Historical Mystery Novel covering events before 1970
   Best Mystery Novel

To be eligible, titles must have been published for the first time in the United States or Canada during 2021, in book or ebook format. (If published in other countries before 2021, a book is still eligible if it meets the US or Canadian publication requirement.)

Nomination forms will be emailed in late December. The Lefty Award nominees will be announced on January 17, 2022. Final voting will be by paper ballot at the convention in Albuquerque.

Questions about the Lefty Awards? Email Awards Co-Chairs Lucinda Surber & Stan Ulrich

 

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Writing Workshop

Get Your Kicks on Route 66: David Morrell Shares Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing

A Writing Workshop for authors, published or not, will take place from Noon–4:00 PM on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, the day before the convention begins, at the convention hotel.

Drawing on his many decades as a bestselling author and the creator of the Rambo film series, David will discuss numerous topics, including his method of starting a novel, the steps to its completion, the mistakes he watches for, and his assessment of the current publishing market. The session will conclude with a long question-and-answer session.

Cost: $66 for LCC Registrants, $99 for non-LCC registrants
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 6, 2022, Noon–4:00 PM
Location: Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, 330 Tijeras Avenue NW, 87102
Details: Lunch on your own before the workshop
Online registration

David Morrell is the author of the novel First Blood, in which the character of Rambo originated. His numerous New York Times bestsellers include the classic espionage novel, The Brotherhood of the Rose, the basis for the only television mini-series to air after a Super Bowl. An Anthony, Edgar, Ellis, Left Coast Crime, and Thriller Award finalist, Morrell has Comic-Con, Macavity, Nero, and Stoker awards as well as ITW’s Thriller Master award and a Bouchercon Lifetime Achievement award. His writing book, The Successful Novelist, discusses what he has learned in his many decades as an author. [David Morrell’s Website]

LEFT COAST CRIME 2021 LEFTY AWARDS

2021 Lefty Awards: The Unconvention

Because of the current extraordinary circumstances, Left Coast Crime will be handling the 2021 Lefty Awards virtually to celebrate books published in 2020. Registrants for the Left Coast Crime Conventions in San Diego and Albuquerque will be able to nominate three titles in each category. Nomination forms will be emailed to all eligible LCC registrants by January 1, 2021. The Lefty Award categories are: Best Mystery Novel, Best Debut Mystery Novel, Best Humorous Mystery Novel, Best Historical Mystery Novel (The Bruce Alexander Memorial).
 

More information about the Lefty Awards

Left Coast Crime 2022: Albuquerque, New Mexico When: April 7–10, 2022 Where: Hyatt Regency Albuquerque Guest of Honor: Mick Herron Guest of Honor: Catriona McPherson Fan Guest of Honor: Kristopher Zgorski Toastmaster: Kellye Garrett Ghost of Honor: Tony Hillerman Visit the LCC 2022 website for more details and to register.

 

LEFT COAST CRIME NEWS

Left Coast Crime is my favorite mystery convention. Left Coast Crime is an annual mystery convention sponsored by mystery fans, both readers and authors. LCC is held during the first quarter of the year in Western North America.from Anchorage to El Paso, from Boulder to Hawaii, and various locations in between. We once met on the 'Left Coast" of England! It's a great conference with panels, banquet, awards, and so much more.

The purpose of Left Coast Crime is to host an event where readers, authors, critics, librarians, publishers, and other fans can gather in convivial surroundings to pursue their mutual interests.

This year, Left Coast Crime was awarded the Raven Award from Mystery Writers of America. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing. Go, Left Coast Crime! Left Coast Crime wants to thank the hordes of volunteers and the amazing teamwork of the local and national committees that have allowed us continue the Left Coast Crime tradition.

Sadly, with all that's going on this year with COVID-19, Left Coast Crime: Murder's a Beach was in full swing this week in San Diego, when it was shut down abruptly by San Diego County. Nevertheless one full of panels and meetings, new authors breakfast, snacks, and treats took place. Hats off to the Organizers of this year's conference: Stan Ulrich, Lucinda Surber, Lisq Brackmann, Kim Keeline, Maryelizabeth Yturralde, Tammy Kaheler and all the local committee and volunteers. They put in years of planning and hard work to ensure a terrific convention.

Lefty Awards: Do not fear, the Lefty Awards will be voted on and the winners announced in the near future. New procedure this year due to the cancellation of the convention.

All things being what they are, join us at Left Coast Crime: Southwest Sleuths next year in Albuquerque, NM, April 8-11, 2021. See you there!