Bouchercon Calgary 2026
I've never experienced an industry where people come together so effortlessly to help one another, instead of tearing each other down to eliminate the competition. I first attended Bouchercon, one of the premier thriller writers' conferences, in 2024. I was still searching for a literary agent and publisher. I was completely unknown in the writing community. Yet, I was welcomed as one of their own. Thousands of people converge in a different host city every year to learn from experts and novices alike, to share war stories of hunting for agents and publishing contracts, and to commiserate over shared pain. Many attendees are struggling authors looking for ideas and connections to ascend to the next level.
I was invited to speak on panels in Bouchercon Nashville 2024 by those who recognized a great story. I can't express my gratitude enough to Susan Cella and all the volunteers who coordinated the panels and took a chance on me. I spoke on a couple panels where I met several highly successful authors, some of which I still ping for advice today. Even those at the higher echelons mingle with the crowd and share stories at Happy Hour. I thought maybe this was a fluke, or a once in a lifetime experience. However, the scene was repeated in Bouchercon New Orleans 2025 and last week in Bouchercon Calgary 2026. Everyone was inviting and sometimes even aggressively providing advice.
The camaraderie with fellow writers was amazing. However, the best part was interacting with the fans. Interacting with readers of thrillers, especially spy fiction, is what makes it all worth it. Being one myself, I know the value of a great novel. The escapism, being able to vicariously experience people and places I never would in my real world, can help some get through the day. At Bouchercon, the fans can hang out with their scribe heroes. In Nashville, I was in the right place at the right time and ended up moderating a panel for Brad Thor, one of my personal favorites. We talked for hours over dinner. He kind of took me under his wing and pointed me in the right direction.
In Calgary, I reconnected with author's I first met in Nashville, New Orleans, or even Thrillerfest in New York. Some veterans, some rookies. The time shared with the likes of Ethan Cross, A.C. Frieden, Simon Gervais, Traci Abramson, the venerable Marc Cameron, Guy Mace, Vicki Montet, Rodger Davis, Sam Reaves, Jason Allison, Adam Plantinga and others is invaluable. More stories to come...
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