A Great Day for 'Justice'

Thanks so much to all the friends and writing colleagues who gathered at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park last Saturday for the launch of A Kind of Justice. And thanks, too, to Augie Aleksy, owner and manager of Centuries & Sleuths, for opening his wonderful store to our event.

Our was a diverse, eclectic gathering, a mix of writing colleagues, transgender friends, and mystery readers from the Chicago area and beyond. A special thanks to Julia and Jonnie, who came in from Wisconsin for the event, and to my friend and mentor, Katie Thomas, who has read every beta draft of my books and attended every event. I struggle to deserve such good friends.

One of the pleasures of this event for me was the

opportunity to read a few passages from the book, and more especially, to discuss characters and themes and the evolution of transgender acceptance in Chicago and the U.S.

My next event is a panel discussion at Chicago Book Expo on November 13, at 3 pm. The panel has been organized by the wonderful Emily Victorson, Editor and Publisher of Allium Press ("Saving Chicago from Capone, one book at a time"). The title: New to the Crime Scene: Emerging Chicago Mystery Writers.