LOVE IS MURDER!  Indeed, although in this case, it's the name of a mystery and romance authors's convention that takes place in Chicago each year on the exact same weekend as the Super Bowl (easy to remember).  I've been in the past and I'm going again this year for two reasons.  First, my latest Pamela Barnes acoustic mystery MURDER IN THE ROUND has been nominated for a Lovey Award (the convention's own awards for best in various categories of romance and mystery genres).  Second, I'm slated to be on a panel of experts discussing the importance of research to our mystery writing.  I have a lot to say as I spend many years conducting research into various vocal phenomena using acoustic and human subjects while I was a professor in the Communication Department at the University of Louisiana.  As some of you know, I've transferred quite a bit of that research to my heroine Pamela Barnes, who now uses my findings to solve ghastly murders (which I never did).  I'm looking forward to serving on this panel and being able to discuss my research, which I haven't done in quite some time.

If any of you are in the Chicago area the first weekend of February, please stop by the LOVE IS MURDER  convention at the Intercontinental Hotel near O'Hare Airport in Rosemont.  My panel takes place on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.