From the Booking Desk:
Ann Mason is one of those loyal crime fiction readers who make our tribe so enjoyable. Ann has been a supporter of BOLO Books and other literary-related sites for some time now and I was finally able to meet and hang out with her at the Toronto Bouchercon. She was even first in line to get into the LGBTQ+ panel I moderated (at least that is how I assume she got into the front row). We share similar reading interests, so we are constantly sharing our latest favorites with each other. If you haven’t met Ann yet, I think her answers here today will have you seeking her out at the next convention.
Name: Ann Mason
Location: Rochester, NY
This person from my personal life is such an inspiration:
As my life has been particularly long, so is my list of inspirational people. However, there is one person who shall forever stand out, and that is my partner of 22 years, Julie. She is kind when I am not, considerate when I am impatient, and thoughtful when I can’t think. I can’t imagine a life without her song.
One of the people I admire most in the crime fiction community is:
Oh, man, this is one difficult question. After mulling it over and over, I came up with a trifecta.
Now to pick one from that trio.
It has to be Deborah Crombie. She’s a brilliant writer, poet, and all around good person. I know her life hasn’t always been a bed of roses, but she’s made her way to the best seller list by pure talent and effort. I suspect she is an inspiration to young writers everywhere.
STALKER ALERT! If this fictional character were real, they would likely need to get a restraining order against me:
I don’t stalk a lot of people, unless you count Catriona. (You know who you are.)
So how do I pick a fictional character?
I think it would be Fred Vargas’s Commissaire Adamsberg. He does get around, mostly in Paris, but also further afield in Europe. I’d love to follow him as France is my favorite destination, and who doesn’t love a good mystery?
People are always surprised that I am a fan of this individual (singer, actor, or artist):
OK, I am an opera fan, and my favorite diva is Joyce DiDonato. If you haven’t heard her performance of Adalgisa in “Norma”, you haven’t lived. But I’ve never been to the Met, just to a local theater to watch it in HD live, stretched out in a red leather recliner! (Ed Note: You can hear a performance of this aria here!)
My personal catchphrase is (or should be):
I spent my professional career as an RN, ranging from Labor and Delivery to hospice, with a fair dose of everything in between. Therefore my catchphrase is “Nobody died!” Any problem where nobody died can be corrected. Even in hospice.
Very interesting and thank you for sharing the aria! Stunning.
Opera on a Friday is always a good thing.
Thank you for including me Kristopher. There’s some rarified air on you blog!
We are happy to have you here, Ann. Fans are a vital part of the process – maybe the most vital part!
Of course, if nobody dies, then how do we get the mysteries we all love?
Seriously, that is a great way to keep things in perspective. Great sketch.
Thanks for stopping by, Mark.
It was interesting to learn more about you, Ann. I always enjoy your perspective whenever you contribute a comment to the blogs I read. I didn’t know you were an opera fan! And I love Hospice nurses! Two of my loved ones died under Hospice care. I do believe their nurses were angels in disguise!
Terrific interview. Enjoyed Bouchercon in Toronto last year. Wish i had been able to attend Ann’s panel. All i can offer in defence is that there was too much happening at the same time. Hopefully I’ll see her in 2019 – Dallas!
Thank you Kristopher. Happy to learn more about Ann. I always enjoy her comments on JRW and would have liked to meet her at last Bouchercon but I had no idea what she looked like. Maybe next time.
Ann is truly one of The Best of The Best! We have been following her advice on mystery writers for years and have never been disappointed. Actually, we’ve been following her advice – period – for years. She is a treasure.
Thanks, m’love, for being you!