VOICES OF THE ELYSIAN FIELDS: AGATHA FINALIST by Michael Rigg

Each year, attendees (authors and “fans” a/k/a readers) at the Malice Domestic conference in Bethesda, Maryland vote for nominees in six categories to receive an “Agatha.” According to the conference website:

The Agatha Awards celebrate the TRADITIONAL MYSTERY, best typified by the works of AGATHA CHRISTIE. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore, or gratuitous violence, and would not be classified as "hard-boiled."

​The Agatha Award categories are:

• Best Contemporary Novel
• Best Historical Novel
• Best First Novel
• Best Nonfiction
• Best Short Story
• Best Children's/Young Adult Novel

(For more information about the Agatha Award process, see: Agatha Award Process | Malice Domestic Ltd.)

ADVICE TO AUTHORS: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, AND... By Michael Rigg

No doubt you’ve heard advice for authors to “write what you know.” I also follow this related suggestion: “write what you want to know.” For me, that means that I write stories set where I live, i.e., Virginia Beach and its environs. And, it also means that I write stories set in New Orleans, which I visit as often as I can, strictly for “research,” of course.

Despite recent events, New Orleans is probably best known for Mardi Gras. Well, it’s that time of year again. But Mardi Gras is not just a date. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. In addition to referring to a specific date (March 4th, this year), "Fat Tuesday" represents an entire season of Carnival celebration. Every year, Mardi Gras season begins on Twelfth Night, which is January 6. Twelfth Night represents the Christian holy day of the Epiphany. The season, which represents a time of celebration before Christian Lent, lasts until Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is March 4, 2025.

On January 6th, the merriment begins with the Krewe of Joan of Arc, a walking parade through the French Quarter, and three "parades" along various streetcar lines—Phunny Phorty Phellows,  Funky Uptown Krewe, and the Societe Des Champs Elysees (French accents omitted). For more about parade routes and schedules, check out this website:

https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/.../www.../parades/ 

In the meantime, Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler—Let the Good Times Roll!