Murderous Wit: A Malice Panel I’ll Remember
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| Malice Domestic Murderous Wit Panel |
by
Paula Gail Benson
This
year at Malice Domestic, I had the privilege of moderating the panel on
Murderous Wit. It featured five outstanding authors (my Stiletto Gang blogging
partner Sparkle Abbey, the team of Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, Ginger
Bolton, Becky Clark, and Lida Sideris). Not only did I enjoy getting to know
each of these writers better, but I learned so much from hearing about their
techniques and series.
year at Malice Domestic, I had the privilege of moderating the panel on
Murderous Wit. It featured five outstanding authors (my Stiletto Gang blogging
partner Sparkle Abbey, the team of Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, Ginger
Bolton, Becky Clark, and Lida Sideris). Not only did I enjoy getting to know
each of these writers better, but I learned so much from hearing about their
techniques and series.
I
have long admired Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter, who write the Pampered Pets mystery
series, and I always look for them at Malice, wearing black shirts that identify
ML as “Sparkle” (after her rescue cat) and Anita as “Abbey” (after her rescue
dog). Their titles are delightful take-offs on movies, TV shows, and well known
stories including: Desperate Housedogs
and Get Fluffy. As collaborators, they
plot together, then separately craft each novel in their series, featuring a
different protagonist. ML writes about Caro Lamont, a former psychologist
turned pet therapist, and Anita’s main character is Melinda “Mel” Langston, a
disgraced Texas Beauty Queen who owns a pet boutique.
have long admired Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter, who write the Pampered Pets mystery
series, and I always look for them at Malice, wearing black shirts that identify
ML as “Sparkle” (after her rescue cat) and Anita as “Abbey” (after her rescue
dog). Their titles are delightful take-offs on movies, TV shows, and well known
stories including: Desperate Housedogs
and Get Fluffy. As collaborators, they
plot together, then separately craft each novel in their series, featuring a
different protagonist. ML writes about Caro Lamont, a former psychologist
turned pet therapist, and Anita’s main character is Melinda “Mel” Langston, a
disgraced Texas Beauty Queen who owns a pet boutique.
Before beginning her current donut shop series, Ginger Bolton
previously wrote the Threadville Mystery Series under the name Janet Bolin. Located
in Threadville, Pennsylvania, a town of fabric, yarn, quilting, and embroidery
shops, the first book, Dire Threads, was nominated for an Agatha. Her
donut shop series features Emily Westhill, who runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin,
alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. Survival of the Fritters is available
and Goodbye Crueller World comes out
in August. Ginger based her new series on an actual donut franchise that
started in Clare City, Michigan. Its name is Cops and Doughnuts and its website
is https://copsdoughnuts.com/.
previously wrote the Threadville Mystery Series under the name Janet Bolin. Located
in Threadville, Pennsylvania, a town of fabric, yarn, quilting, and embroidery
shops, the first book, Dire Threads, was nominated for an Agatha. Her
donut shop series features Emily Westhill, who runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin,
alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. Survival of the Fritters is available
and Goodbye Crueller World comes out
in August. Ginger based her new series on an actual donut franchise that
started in Clare City, Michigan. Its name is Cops and Doughnuts and its website
is https://copsdoughnuts.com/.
With Ted Hardwick, Becky Clark has written the Dunne Diehl (pronounced
Done-Deal) mysteries. She has a new series, Fiction Can Be Murder–A Mystery Writer’s
Mystery, where her protagonist is mystery author Charlemagne “Charlee” Russo whose agent is found dead
exactly as described in Charlee’s new, unpublished manuscript. Becky is the
seventh of eight children. She creates purses from book covers and sells them
on Etsy as Lazy Squirrel Designs. She had us all laughing as she seriously
insisted, “Humor is funny.”
Done-Deal) mysteries. She has a new series, Fiction Can Be Murder–A Mystery Writer’s
Mystery, where her protagonist is mystery author Charlemagne “Charlee” Russo whose agent is found dead
exactly as described in Charlee’s new, unpublished manuscript. Becky is the
seventh of eight children. She creates purses from book covers and sells them
on Etsy as Lazy Squirrel Designs. She had us all laughing as she seriously
insisted, “Humor is funny.”
On her
website, Lida Sideris writes about how she grew up believing she had been born
in North Hollywood, an image she associated with glamour and cocktail dresses.
When she located her birth certificate and found it said North Glendale, she
took to writing instead of therapy. She and her protagonist,
Corrie Locke have both worked as entertainment attorneys for film studios. Lida
writes the Southern California Mystery series that includes Murder and Other Unnatural Mysteries and
Murder Gone Missing.
website, Lida Sideris writes about how she grew up believing she had been born
in North Hollywood, an image she associated with glamour and cocktail dresses.
When she located her birth certificate and found it said North Glendale, she
took to writing instead of therapy. She and her protagonist,
Corrie Locke have both worked as entertainment attorneys for film studios. Lida
writes the Southern California Mystery series that includes Murder and Other Unnatural Mysteries and
Murder Gone Missing.
I
was intrigued to find connections between Nancy Drew and animals with all of
these authors. In reading their work, I learned they not only knew how to turn
a clever phrase, but also understood how to craft a page turner plot. If you
want to learn about or enjoy excellently paced storytelling, check out these
novelists. They will captivate you.
I look forward to reading these authors this summer. Someday I'll attend Malice and meet you.