by Paula Gail Benson Lately, I’ve been coming across a number of online articles that express succinctly how certain forms of genre fiction should be written. Here are a few I’ve discovered: Dennis Palumbo wrote “Taking the Mystery Out of How to Write a Mystery” (https://www.writersstore.com/taking-the-mystery-out-of-writing-mysteries/). He lists three important elements: : “1) […]
by Paula Gail Benson Good morning and best wishes for a happy Memorial Day! Hopefully, you can enjoy this day with some good reading. I’m going to recommend that you consider some offerings from my blogging partners here at The Stiletto Gang. If you haven’t already begun Shari Randall’s Curses, Boiled Again!, check it out. […]
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 […]
Each year, I feel very privileged to be able to host interviews with the Agatha nominees for best short story in The Stiletto Gang and Writers Who Kill. I always learn from their answers and appreciate so much what goes into the craft. Following is a list of the nominated stories with links on the […]
by Paula Gail Benson The time is quickly approaching for recognizing short story excellence in the mystery field. The following authors have been nominated for Agathas for their short stories, an award presented at the Malice Domestic conference at the end of April: Best Short Story “Double Deck the Halls” by Gretchen Archer (Henery Press) “Whose […]
Each year at Malice Domestic, writing excellence is recognized by the Agatha awards. This year’s nominees for Best First Novel are: Best First Novel: Adrift: A Mer Cavallo Mystery by Micki Browning (Alibi-Random House) The Plot is Murder: A Mystery Bookshop Mystery by V.M. Burns (Kensington) Hollywood Homicide: A Detective by Day Mystery by Kellye […]
by Paula Gail Benson Have you heard about bullet journaling or “BuJo” as some practitioners call it? I hadn’t until I read an announcement from Fiction Addiction, an independent bookstore owned and operated by Jill Hendrix in Greenville, S.C. Jill is offering a course about bullet journaling on Thursday, February 22, at 6:00 p.m. The […]
by Paula Gail Benson Each new year, I enjoy considering the recommendations for organizing and improving productivity. This year, I noticed several articles making reference to the hundred-year-old Ivy Lee “six-item to do list” method. Through Wikipedia, I learned that “Ivy Lee” was Ivy Ledbetter Lee, who is known as the founder of modern public […]
by Paula Gail Benson During the holidays, there is a lot of emphasis on gift giving. For most of us, it means online or in store shopping and figuring out the heart’s desires of those nearest and dearest to us. Sometimes, the gifts of the holiday season are more subtle. The joy of hearing and […]
by Paula Gail Benson In school, I learned that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. On the map, there is an oceanfront town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, which is a lovely place to spend a carefree summer day. Within the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, there is a living history Museum called Plimouth Plantation. Why […]