Please join us at the fantabulous October 15, 2010 banquet. We eat! We drink! We sing! We toast! We’re the Wolfe Pack and we love hosting parties to honor Rex Stout, the creator of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.

Meet members of Mr. Stout’s family! Hear Gayle Lynds, the New York Times bestselling author, often called the “Queen of International Espionage,” discuss, “Nero Wolfe: The Spy.”

Jane says, “The banquet will be held at the magnificent Payne Mansion and celebrated chef Michael Goldstein will cook the French menu from Rex Stout’s Too Many Cooks. We’re very fortunate that Allison Davis, a Wolfe fan, took on the role of my ‘west coast partner-in-crime.’ She did all the leg work to find the venue and chef. Cheers to Allison! For details, here’s the flyer.”

The Payne Mansion is easy to get to from the Bouchercon hotel… cab up and walk down! We’ll be providing you with an easy, fun (and free) walking tour map!

To register, please send the names of those attending and a check for $195 per person (Wolfe Pack members, spouse or partner, and immediate family, $175 each), made out to the Wolfe Pack to: Jane K. Cleland ? P.O. Box 3233 ? NY, NY 10163-3233. ? Not a member of the Wolfe Pack? Join today! It’s easy: Add $35 to your check; get a 2-year membership in the Wolfe Pack and receive the discounted price to the banquet. www.neowolfe.org.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Just announced:
Jane K. Cleland’s "Under the Writer's Veil" will
Debut at MIT’s Endicott House

Jane will be hosting and facilitating a weekend writer’s event at MIT’s magnificent Endicott House (in Dedham, MA, a suburb of Boston) over next year’s Martin Luther King weekend, from January 14 (arrive by 5:30 p.m.) to January 16 (depart after brunch). During this writing weekend, which is packed with hands-on writing exercises and inspirational experiences, you’ll be able to find your unique writer’s voice.

“Under the Writer’s Veil is designed for people who know they want to write, but aren’t sure what they want to write,” Jane explains. “In a supportive and encouraging environment, we’ll ‘sample’ six different genres as we each work to find our unique writer’s voice. For each unit, the structure will be: how to find inspiration/ write/ debrief. The six units are: Creative Non-fiction; Cookbooks; Memoirs; Literary Fiction; Mysteries & Thrillers; Children’s Books.”

Jane continues: “There will also be facilitated discussions of the writing process and next steps. The inspiration modules include observing the Endicott House’s Executive Chef prepare a dish; touring their spectacular conservatory; making our own dried flower bookmarks; et al.”

An experienced instructional designer, curriculum developer, and trainer, Jane teaches various writing courses and workshops at LIM College in Manhattan and at the Westport Writers Workshop in Connecticut. Jane has published fiction [Minotaur Books, an imprint of the St. Martin’s Publishing Group]; non-fiction [McGraw Hill and NAL, an imprint of Penguin Putnam]; short stories [Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine]; and articles [various industry journals].

While the program description isn’t yet posted on Endicott House’s website, information about the venue itself is at www.mitendicotthouse.org.

The two night, all-inclusive package includes: two nights’ lodging in their antiques-filled rooms, each with private bath. Friday: no-host bar cocktail reception and dinner (wine included); keynote speech; Saturday: breakfast, lunch, no-host bar cocktail reception, dinner (wine included); Sunday: continental breakfast, brunch. All days: coffee breaks & wine with dinners; all sessions and materials; a goodie bag including a CD filled with music sure to fire your creativity and one of Jane’s books, personally autographed.

$495.00 (double occupancy; single rooms available for a small premium), plus service charge & tax (without lodging, $375.00++).

Online registration will begin soon. If you’d like to hold your place right away, Mike Fitzgerald, the director, has invited you to contact him directly. You can reach him at mrfitzg@MIT.EDU or at 617.251.6364.

Any questions about the programming or content? Contact Jane directly.

Antiques Collecting Fact: Did You Know?
Tiffany Vases

This vase, made by Tiffany and Company was designed by Paulding Farnham (1859-1927), the creative genius behind some of Tiffany's greatest works in silver. This example from the prolific designer is an inverted baluster form. The base is set with semi-precious stones and enameled with green, yellow, and khaki strapwork; the body, which features enameled, entwined birds and scrolls, is also set with jewels. The rim features a scalloped border and the interior is of silver-gilt. The vase is marked with a beaver, the firm’s mark for the Pan-American Exposition on the bottom.

A similar vase from the same period recently sold for $115,000.

Want to pit your antiques appraisal skills against those of the professionals? Visit the archives of the free, fun challenge we ran for years called What’s It Worth? You Be the Judge.

A: Yes, Deadly Threads will be out next April. I’m thrilled with it! The pivotal antique is vintage clothing! Fun! Both Zoë and Ellis appear in the book. (Aren’t I a terrible tease?)

Read an excerpt of Silent Auction and order your copy today. Don’t forget to ask your librarian to order a copy, too!

P.S.  Please add "Jane_K._Cleland@mail.vresp.com" to your address book!