by Paula Gail Benson While doing some research on the history of cooking, I came across foodtimeline.org, created in 1999 by reference librarian and food lover Lynne Oliver and meticulously maintained by Lynne until her death in 2015. The site now is updated by the Virginia Tech Library system, which has a special collection on […]
by Paula Gail Benson About a month ago, I began noodling with an idea for a novel. I started writing in a notebook, with a cover that had the phrase: “Wherever life takes you–trust your journey.” Following that advice, I started generally with entries about what I would like to write. I had a strong […]
by Paula Gail Benson This fall, several new short story anthologies have appeared to provide wonderful entertainment on cooler evenings. Here are a few: So West: Love Kills is the ninth anthology published by the Desert Sleuths Chapter of Sisters in Crime, recently released in conjunction with its virtual Write Now Conference. Featuring […]
by Paula Gail Benson This fall a number of great authors are making their debuts or continuing their publishing success with some fabulous reads for the season. I selected the following four to highlight because of my connections with each writer: Yasmin, Tara, and Hank have become close personal friends and Wanda and I are […]
by Paula Gail Benson If you’ve seen the movies The Big Chill, The Great Santini, and The Prince of Tides, then you’ve seen parts of Beaufort, South Carolina. Pronounced Beau (rhyming with DEW) -fort rather than the North Carolina Beau (rhyming with SEW) -fort, the city preserves its historic features while offering a thriving community […]
by Paula Gail Benson Alan Orloff I remember meeting Alan Orloff at Malice Domestic when his first novel, Diamonds for the Dead, was an Agatha award finalist. Since that time, he has published nine additional novels and a myriad of short stories that have appeared in Needle: A Magazine of Noir, Shotgun Honey Presents: Locked & Loaded, […]
by Paula Gail Benson For the past two years, the community that gathers for Malice Domestic has missed its annual reunion. From Wednesday through Saturday, the Malice board organized and presented a series of online panels and interviews that helped those of us missing the in-person event to feel as if we reconnected virtually. More […]
by Paula Gail Benson Dr. Kathy Reichs Next weekend, on Saturday, June 26, from 10:00 am to 2:45 pm ET, the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime, are proud to present their second virtual Mystery in the Midlands. Until Covid, we gathered in Columbia, S.C., for […]
by Paula Gail Benson For the fourth summer, the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America are partnering to present a mid-summer mystery writing extravaganza, featuring award-winning novelists and short story authors that represent every aspect of the genre. Originally an in-person conference, set in “Famously Hot” […]
by Paula Gail Benson I don’t remember what finally enticed me to watch the first season of Ted Lasso (a sitcom created for Apple TV+). The premise of an American college football coach with no soccer experience hired to manage a premiere professional British football (aka soccer) team seemed intriguing. Hearing about Jason Sudeikis’ […]