Festival! Festival!

No, no that one. Mardi Gras has come and gone. But there's still time to hook up with a couple of mystery festivals and conferences this weekend and next. Although the Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference in Lumberton, NC, isn't a crime fiction event exclusively, the guests of honor are suspense authors Carla Neggers (Saint's Gate) and Michael Palmer (Oath of Office). This one-day event takes place on February 25th beginning at 9:30, and best of all, it's one of the few conferences that is free and open to the public.

Next week, the popular Sleuthfest opens in Orlando, FL, and runs March 1-4. The guests of honor include Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse novels), Jeffery Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme series) and Chris Grabenstein (John Ceepak books), but many other authors will be on hand for panels and signings. Plus, this year the event features its first-ever dinner mystery theater.

Looking ahead a bit (and far away) to March 10-11, the New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington, New Zealand will include Denise Mina (The End of the Wasp Season) and Jo Nesbø (The Snowman, The Leopard) on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Mina will be joined by Ron Rash for one presentation, and a trio of New Zealand's best crime writers, Paul Cleave, Vanda Symon, Paul Thomas will join together for a panel discussion. Fellow crime fiction bloger Craig Sisterson (Crime Watch) will be leading some of those events.