Hi again. Rory Anderson here, remember me? I last visited after that kerfuffle, as my neighbor Mrs. Griswold called it, in my garden. You know, the body I found. Just thought I’d say hi and bring you up to date on what’s going on in my life. It’s quieted down a lot, thank goodness.

I’m busy programming, of course. I’ve got several new clients including the hotel they just built in downtown Vista Beach. I put together the Akaw’s website and developed an app for their guests to use. I’m pretty proud of that.

And some of my oldest friends just moved to town: Jasmine, her husband, Peter, and Brandy. We all grew up together in Riverside, but we haven’t seen much of each other since I moved to the beach with my parents almost two years ago now. I’m looking forward to hanging out with them.

But the big excitement here is the decorative painting convention that’s being held right here at the Akaw!

Usually I have to travel to attend conventions. The closest one to Vista Beach is in Las Vegas. Occasionally, I travel further. Once I went to the HOOT convention in Ohio (that’s the one run by the Heart of Ohio Tole chapter) and I’ve flown up the coast to conventions in the Pacific Northwest.

I can’t tell you how much fun they are. I love seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I can spend hours on the trade show floor alone, looking at all of the designs to paint and watching teachers demonstrate techniques. And the classes are so much fun! But, best of all, I like spending time with my BFF, Liz.

So when I learned the Ocean Painting Society was holding its first convention here in my own city, inviting everyone to “Join the Painting Wave,” I was super excited. I got advance notice and the inside scoop because the organizer and founder of OPS, Nixie Mohr, hired me to put together the convention website. When she started taking registrations, Liz and I were the first ones to sign up.

You may have heard that not everyone in town is happy about the Akaw; someone mentioned something about protests the other day. I hope the issues with the hotel don’t ruin the convention. Nixie’s put a lot of work into it.

Wait a minute. I think I hear something outside. Let me check on that. Oh no! What’s that coming through my window?!

You can read more about Aurora in Paint The Town Dead, the second book in the “Aurora Anderson” mystery series, published by Henery Press. The first book in the series is Fatal Brushstroke.

About the author
Sybil Johnson’s love affair with reading began in kindergarten with “The Three Little Pigs.” Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.

Visit Sybil at www.authorsybiljohnson.com.