Tag Archive for: Paula Gail Benson

Interview with Agatha Nominees for Best First Novel!

/in /by


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 Garrett (Midnight Ink)
Daughters of
Bad Men by Laura Oles (Red Adept Publishing)
Protocol: A Maggie O’Malley Mystery
by Kathleen Valenti (Henery Press)
Today, the Stiletto Gang welcomes Micki, Valerie,
Kellye, Laura, and Kathleen. Thanks for stopping by to share your work and
thoughts with us!—Paula Gail Benson
What
writing habits enabled you to complete a novel?
Micki Browning
Micki Browning:  The word habit
suggests I have a routine, and sadly, that just isn’t the case. I’m a freestyle
writer
who works
best when
there is a looming deadline. I’m a somewhat recent convert to outlining. I’ve found that plotting the milestones ensures I don’t get lost along
the way. But by keeping the outline spare, it doesn’t stifle my ability to take the occasional road less traveled to
get to where I want to go. 
Valerie Burns:  I set a weekly goal
of writing between 7,500 to 10,000 words per week. If I write 1,000 to 1,500
per night, then I can easily make my goal. 
Kellye Garrett
Kellye Garrett:  I wish was one of those writers
who got up at 5 am every morning and pounded out 1,000 amazing words before I
even had a dose of caffeine. I am not. My favorite quote is from Dorothy
Parker: “I hate writing. I love having written.” For me, I write after there is
literally nothing else for me to do. Like I will clean my toilet and yours
before I write a single word. For me, the key is having a detailed outline. I
may go a bit overboard. (My 25-plus page outlines are legendary among my
friends.) But the blank page scares me as much as a good horror movie villain.
So I like to know exactly what I need to write and what comes next. I also
allow myself to do a “vomit draft” where I just throw things on the page to
clean up in later drafts. My books aren’t anywhere near decent until around the
draft number three.  
Laura Oles:  I was fortunate in that I spent many years
writing for digital photography magazines and publications, so the writing
practice had been part of my regular routine.  I managed deadlines and
worked with editors, and I came from the perspective of writing being not only
craft but also a business. Still, writing fiction is completely different and I
had a great deal to learn.
My critique group, Austin Mystery Writers, has also been a huge
support.  AMW is truly focused on helping each member produce the best work
possible.  Writing can be such a solitary pursuit, so having other authors
to bounce ideas off of has been a wonderful thing.
Kathleen Valenti
Kathleen Valenti:  The single best
piece of writing advice came from a romance novelist in my hometown. When she
saw how much (little?) I had on the page after writing for longer than I care
to admit, she gave me some tough author love: stop fannying about and write. (Okay, so maybe she
didn’t say “fannying about,” but
sometimes my bookish memories have an English accent.)
She taught me about
the importance of word counts and to meet them daily, come hell or Dateline marathons. Her advice
proved invaluable. Not only did making (and meeting) word count goals help me
move from page one to page 300, it helped me silence the internal editor that
kept me polishing the same phrase again and again without moving forward. This
habit of writing toward a goal helped me finish my second book ahead of its
deadline and have the confidence to realize that even when plots or characters
don’t seem to cooperate, I’ll get there, one word at a time. As other wise
novelists have pointed out, sometimes you have to let the rusty water out first
for the good stuff to run clean.  

Is your debut novel part of a series or a stand
alone?

Micki Browning:  Adrift is the first of the
Mer Cavallo Mysteries. Book two, Beached, launched in January. I’m currently writing a stand-alone police
procedural, and then it’s back to Mer with Chum. 
V.M. “Valerie” Burns
Valerie Burns:  My debut novel is
part of The Mystery Bookshop Mystery series. 
Kellye Garrett:  It’s a series, which is a good
thing since Hollywood Homicide ends on a bit of a cliff hanger. The second book, Hollywood Ending, comes out in August 2018
and features three of my favorite things: gossip blogs, blind items, and fancy
award shows. The third book will be out sometime in 2019.

Laura Oles

Laura Oles:  Daughters of
Bad Men is the first book in the Jamie
Rush mystery series. Jamie Rush is a skip tracer working in the coastal town of
Port Alene, Texas.  Jamie and her partner, Cookie Hinojosa, take on the
emotional task of finding Jamie’s missing niece. Accepting Kristen’s case isn’t
an easy ask.  Jamie’s relationship with her family is a complicated
one.  She doesn’t trust them, and for very good reason. Still, when
Kristen goes silent, she agrees to take the case because…well, she’s
family.  You don’t turn your back on family.



Kathleen Valenti:  Protocol is the first of
the Maggie O’Malley mystery series. The second book, 39 Winks, releases May 22nd.
What shoes would you,
your protagonist, or another character from your novel wear to the Agathas
banquet?
Micki Browning:  Mer is a flip-flop
and bare feet kind of gal. She’d dig around in the back of her closet until she located the
pumps she’d worn when she defended her dissertation–black, no nonsense, perfectly
serviceable. And she’d kick them off under the banquet table when no one was looking.

Valerie Burns:  Irma, one of the
sleuthing seniors who helps Samantha in the series is very fond of six
inch hooker heels. She’d rock these shoes. 
Kellye Garrett:
 In Hollywood Homicide, my main character Dayna covets a pair of Pink Panthers,
described as “a hot pink stiletto with panther spots that was the shoe of the
moment.” She wears them the entire book, including when chasing a suspect. They
play such
a big role in the story that we even had her wearing them in an early
version of the cover. So she’d definitely proudly rock her Pink Panthers to the
Agathas.

Laura Oles:  Jamie would wear Chuck Taylor Converse.
Burgundy since it’s a special occasion.  But she would make sure to pair
them with a jacket and dark jeans.  It’s about as dressed up as she
gets.  Formal gowns make her nervous.
 Kathleen Valenti:  Maggie is the antithesis of the
girly-girl. While I’d gladly don cute sling-backs or a kitten heel for the Agathas banquet, Maggie
would show up in running shoes, even if she were forced to shimmy into a ball
gown. Since she’s a new college grad on a serious budget, she’d be sporting Court Classics rather than,
say, Nike or New Balance. And because she doesn’t care about her appearance—or
anyone else’s opinion—she’d wear those bright white kicks with pride.

Here’s more
information about these novelists and their work. Check them out!
Micki Browning
A
retired police captain, Micki Browning writes the Mer Cavallo Mystery series
set in the Florida Keys. In
addition to the Agatha nomination for Best First Novel, Adrift, has
won both the Daphne du Maurier and the Royal Palm Literary Awards. Beached, her second novel, launched January 2018. Micki’s work has
appeared in dive magazines, anthologies, mystery magazines, and textbooks. She
lives in South Florida with her partner in crime and a vast array of scuba
equipment she uses for “research.” Learn more about Micki at MickiBrowning.com
Adrift~
Marine
biologist-turned-divemaster Meredith Cavallo thought adjusting to a laid-back
life in the Florida Keys would be a breeze. But when the host of a
ghost-hunting documentary crew hires her as a safety diver and then vanishes
during the midnight dive, Mer’s caught in a storm of supernatural intrigue.
Determined to find a rational explanation, Mer approaches the
man’s disappearance as any scientist would—by asking questions, gathering data,
and deducing the truth. But the victim’s life is as shrouded in mystery as his
disappearance. Still, something happened under the water and
before long, she’s in over her head. When someone tries to kill her, she knows
the truth is about to surface. Maybe dead men do tell tales.
Valerie Burns:
V.M.
(Valerie) Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in
Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs,
British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the
Midwest she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern
Tennessee with her poodles. Receiving the Agatha nomination for Best First
Novel has been a dream come true. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of
America, International Thriller Writers, and a lifetime member of Sisters in
Crime. Readers can learn more by visiting her website at vmburns.com.
The Plot is Murder~
Samantha
Washington has dreamed of owning a mystery bookstore for as long as she can
remember. And as she prepares for the store’s grand opening, she’s also
realizing another dream—penning a cozy mystery set in England between the wars.
While Samantha hires employees and fills the shelves with the latest mysteries,
quick-witted Lady Penelope Marsh, long-overshadowed by her beautiful sister
Daphne, refuses to lose the besotted Victor Carlston to her sibling’s charms.
When one of Daphne’s suitors is murdered in a maze, Penelope steps in to solve
the labyrinthine puzzle and win Victor. But as Samantha indulges her
imagination, the unimaginable happens in real life. A shady realtor turns up
dead in her backyard, and the police suspect her—after all, the owner of a
mystery bookstore might know a thing or two about murder. Aided by her feisty
grandmother and an enthusiastic ensemble of colorful retirees, Samantha is
determined to close the case before she opens her store. But will she live to
conclude her own story when the killer has a revised ending in mind for her?
Kellye Garrett
Kellye
Garrett writes the Detective by Day mysteries about a semi-famous, mega-broke
black actress who takes on the deadliest role of her life; Homicide Detective.
The first, Hollywood Homicide, was recently nominated for Agatha, Lefty and
Barry awards. The second, Hollywood Ending, will be released on August 8, 2018
from Midnight Ink. Prior to writing novels, Kellye spent eight years working in
Hollywood, including a stint writing for the TV drama Cold Case. The New Jersey
native now works for a leading media company in New York City and serves on the
national Board of Directors for Sisters in Crime. You can learn more about her
at KellyeGarrett.com and ChicksontheCase.com.
Hollywood Homicide~
Actress
Dayna Anderson’s Deadly New Role: Homicide Detective
Dayna
Anderson doesn’t set out to solve a murder. All the semifamous, mega-broke
actress wants is to help her parents keep their house. So after witnessing a
deadly hit-and-run, she pursues the fifteen grand reward. But Dayna soon finds
herself doing a full-on investigation, wanting more than just money—she wants
justice for the victim. She chases down leads at paparazzi hot spots, celeb
homes, and movie premieres, loving every second of it—until someone tries to
kill her. And there are no second takes in real life.
Laura Oles
Laura Oles
is a photo industry journalist who spent twenty years covering tech and trends
before turning to crime fiction. She served as a columnist for numerous
photography magazines and publications. Laura’s short stories have appeared in
several anthologies, including MURDER ON WHEELS, which won the Silver Falchion
Award in 2016. Her debut mystery, DAUGHTERS OF BAD MEN, is a Claymore Award
Finalist and an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel. She is also a Writers’
League of Texas Award Finalist. Laura is a member of Austin Mystery Writers,
Sisters in Crime and Writers’ League of Texas. Laura lives on the edge of the
Texas Hill Country with her husband, daughter and twin sons. Visit her online
at lauraoles.com.
Daughters of Bad Men~
Jamie
Rush understands what it takes to disappear because her parents taught her that
long ago. Leveraging her knowledge of why and how people run from their own
lives, Jamie has built a business based on bringing those in hiding back to
answer for their actions. She takes pride in using her skills to work both
inside and outside the law.
When
her estranged brother, Brian, calls and says his daughter is missing, Jamie
initially turns down the case. Kristen has always been a bit wild, frequently
dropping off the grid then showing up a few days later. But Brian swears this
time is different, and even though Jamie vowed years ago to keep her conniving
sibling at arm’s length, she can’t walk away if Kristen could be in real
trouble.
As
Jamie begins digging into Kristen’s life, she uncovers her niece’s most guarded
secrets. Uncovering the truth will put a target on Jamie’s back and endanger
the lives of those she loves.
Kathy Valenti
Kathleen
Valenti is the author of the Maggie O’Malley mystery series. The series’ first
book, Agatha- and Lefty-nominated Protocol, introduces us to Maggie, a
pharmaceutical researcher with a new job, a used phone and a deadly problem.
The series’ second book, 39 Winks, releases May 22. When Kathleen isn’t writing
page-turning mysteries that combine humor and suspense, she works as a
nationally award-winning advertising copywriter. She lives in Oregon with her
family where she pretends to enjoy running. Learn more at
www.kathleenvalenti.com.
Protocol~
Freshly
minted college graduate Maggie O’Malley embarks on a career fueled by professional
ambition and a desire to escape the past. As a pharmaceutical researcher, she’s
determined to save lives from the shelter of her lab. But on her very first day
she’s pulled into a world of uncertainty. Reminders appear on her phone for
meetings she’s never scheduled with people she’s never met. People who end up
dead.
With
help from her best friend, Maggie discovers the victims on her phone are
connected to each other and her new employer. She soon unearths a treacherous
plot that threatens her mission—and her life. Maggie must unlock deadly secrets
to stop horrific abuses of power before death comes calling for her.

Do You BuJo?

/in /by

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 cost is $25, which is redeemable on
a purchase of supplies available that evening in the book store. If there is
sufficient interest, an afternoon course will be offered.
Advertisement for the Course Offered by Jill Hendrix
From
the advertisement, I could see that bullet journaling could be used for keeping
a calendar or agenda. I wondered, why offer this course in February instead of
at the beginning of the year?
Then,
I began reading about the subject. At http://bulletjournal.com/,
I learned that bullet journaling was described as “the analog system for the
digital age.” It was developed by Ryder Carroll, a “digital product designer
living in Brooklyn, N.Y.” Mr. Carroll has trademarked the names “Bullet Journal”
and its abbreviated form “BuJo.” Rachel Wilkerson Miller, a writer, editor, and
blogger, also based in Brooklyn, N.Y., has written several books about the
technique, which she calls “dot journaling,” maybe because practitioners are
encouraged to use notebooks with dot grids as a guide for their own creations.
Ms. Miller has been criticized in her Amazon reviews as appropriating
trademarked information that Mr. Carroll has available free online. You can take a look at
her website at http://www.rachelwmiller.com/
and compare it with Mr. Carroll’s site to see what you think.
Anyway,
bullet or dot journaling is a do-it-yourself organizer that can include as much
or as little information and structure as the preparer wants. Ryder Carroll has
some great videos to explain how to get started in his online section Bullet
Journaling 101. They are simple, straight-forward, and concentrate on the
focus–how to be efficient in organizing your life. They set out the method
without complicating it with any artistry a preparer might wish to bring to the
process.
What
is the method? According the Mr. Carroll, through bullet journaling you can track
the past, organize the present, and plan for the future. First, number the
pages of your journal. Second, label the first few pages as “index” so that you
can list where you’ve written certain items throughout the journal. Third,
create a future log, diving two pages into a six-month or longer organization
where you keep lists of tasks and events that must be handled. Fourth, use
two pages to make a monthly log, with a calendar on one page and a task list on
the other. Fifth, through a short hand system, you can list what you need to
accomplish. A filled in dot is for a task (which later can be “x-ed” when the task
is completed). A star next to
a dot means the task is important. An oval signifies an event (and can be colored in when the event is
over). Indicate notes (things you need to remember) by a dash. Sixth, at the end of a month, set up the
next month’s log. If you have tasks that have not been completed, consider “migrating”
them, either forward into the next month, or back into your six month
projection. Mr. Carroll uses a greater than sign > if the task goes to the next
month’s list and a less than sign < if it goes back into the six month
projection.
Many
aspects of one’s life can be included in the bullet journal: obligations for
home, work, or school; routines or patterns such as exercise, diet, or writing;
and personal reflections, like journal entries. A cottage industry seems to
have grown up around bullet journaling, very similar to accessories for
scrapbooking. You can purchase books, pens, and stencils to help you create a
very unique product.
In some respects, I see this as a natural off shoot of the
adult coloring books, only instead of being just relaxing, bullet journaling
combines creativity and productivity. Not to mention it encourages a
generation that grew up with computer graphics to take a chance on using those
old fashioned tools of pens, pencils, and rulers to sketch out their own
destinies.
After learning about the method, I understand how it’s adaptable and can be started at any time. I’m
tempted to try it. How about you?

The Ivy Lee “Six-Item To Do List” Method

/in /by
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 relations. He was born in Georgia, the son of a scholarly
minister. He attended Emory and graduated from Princeton. He worked as a
reporter for several newspapers, then had a job with the Democratic National
Committee. With George Parker, he opened the third public relations office in
the country. By 1919, he opened his own firm, Ivy Lee and Associates.
His
clients included the Pennsylvania Railroad, American Red Cross, John D. Rockefeller,
and Standard Oil. While working for Bethlehem Steel, he was asked by Charles M.
Schwab how to increase his executives’ productivity.
In a
message titled “The Ivy Lee Method: the Daily Routine Experts Recommend forPeak Productivity,” James Clear describes the meeting. Both Schwab and Lee were
respected, successful businessmen. When Schwab called Lee into his office and made
his request, Lee asked for fifteen minutes with the executives. Schwab wanted
to know what it would cost and Lee replied nothing initially, but, if in three
months Schwab determined it had the desired effect, Schwab could pay Lee what he
thought it was worth.
Schwab
agreed to the proposal. After three months, he gave Lee a check for $25,000. In
2018 dollars, that would be approximately $356,248.55 according to the online
US Inflation Calculator.
What was
the fifteen minutes worth of advice that Lee gave to Schwab’s executives? Here
is a brief summary:
At the end
of each day, in priority order, compile a list of six important tasks that need
to be handled the next day.
The next
day, begin with the first task and focus on it until it is completed.
Continue
the same process with the other five tasks.
If
anything is not finished, carry it over to the list compiled for the following
day.
James
Clear, an author, photographer, and weightlifter who has studied successful
people and written about how to make life better, suggests that four reasons
make the method effective: (1) it’s easy to follow; (2) it demands evaluating
what’s most important; (3) by prioritizing, it provides the starting point for
the next day, eliminating resistance to beginning; and (4) it requires focus on
a single task until it is finished.
The system
has a lot of appeal to me for personal organization. As an author, it provides
another fascination.
How would different
characters make out a six-item to do list? How might a protagonist’s and
antagonist’s lists compare and differ? What could the items be and what might
change the priorities?
Finding a
productivity recommendation that also functions as a writing prompt is a double
pleasure.


What do
you think? Would you use the method to improve productivity, explore
characterization, or both?

Special Gifts for the Holidays

/in /by


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 singing
traditional music. The quiet realization that comes from a special moment while
watching a holiday program. The chance to see and reminisce with family and
friends.
This
year, I received a special gift while talking with my friend Margaret Davis,
who works with the children and handbell choirs at my church. Probably,
Margaret didn’t realize she was giving me anything. She just told me about a
story that had been very meaningful to her. And, for the first time, I heard
about “Why the Chimes Rang.”
Barnes and Noble Edition
In 1909, Raymond MacDonald Alden wrote the story. The
Baldwin Project (“Bringing Yesterday’s Classics to Today’s Children”) provides
an online version.
 
Several other versions are available through Amazon,
including a dramatized version.
The story is about a town with a large church that has
impressive Christmas chimes. Unfortunately, the chimes have not been heard for
many years. Every year, the townspeople would lay their offerings to the Christ
child on the church’s altar. They believed that when the greatest and best
offering was placed on the altar, the bells would chime.
One year, Pedro and his younger brother decided to go
to the church on Christmas Eve, to attend the service. On their way, they came
upon a poor woman who had collapsed in the cold. Pedro decided to stay with the
woman and help her keep warm until his brother could bring assistance from
the people leaving the service. He gave his brother a coin and cautioned him to
place it on the altar when no one was looking.
The brother arrives at the service and sees many gifts
being placed on the altar, including a book an author had been writing for many
years and the crown the king took from his own head. None of the gifts caused the bells
to chime. As the service was concluding, no one noticed the brother quietly
placing Pedro’s coin on the altar. Only when the chimes rang out did those
closest to the altar see the little brother creeping silently down the aisle.
Raymond MacDonald Alden was the son of author Isabella
MacDonald Alden (who wrote many Sunday School books) and Reverend Gustavus
Rossenberg Alden. Raymond became an English professor, writing books of
literary analysis. His “Why the Chimes Rang” has been compared with two similar
holiday stories, “Le Jongleur de Notre Dame” (a miracle story about a juggler
who becomes a monk and has no gift to offer the statue of the Virgin Mary
except his ability to juggle–when the other monks ridicule him, the statue
comes to life and blesses him) and “The Little Drummer Boy” (who plays his drum
as a gift for the Christ child). The Wikipedia article on Raymond MacDonald Alden provides information about his work and links to articles about the related stories.
I’m so grateful that my friend Margaret told me about
this story, for now it will become part of my holiday celebrations. It’s good to
remember in the hustle and bustle of the season that sometimes the smallest
offering can have the most significant effect.
May you all be looking forward to a wonderful holiday!

Plimouth or Plymouth?

/in /by

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 is the Plantation name spelled
differently from the town’s?
According to a United States History Project webpage, the definitive
journal detailing the organization of the colony by William Bradford had “Of
Plimouth Planation” written at the top. “Plymouth” is considered the more
modern spelling.

Visiting Plimouth Plantation gives
modern guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in 17th century culture,
both from the colonists’ and Native Americans’ viewpoints. The museum was
established in 1947 by Henry Hornblower II (1917-1985), who worked in his
family’s business of finance, but had a love for American history and
archaeology that grew from his boyhood spent in the family’s Plymouth summer
house. He became determined to present the story of the Pilgrims and the
Wampanoag People with the greatest accuracy and integrity possible.

From
its humble beginnings, the museum has grown to include a replica of the
Mayflower (known as the Mayflower II and now residing in Mystic Seaport being
restored for the 400th anniversary of the crossing to take place in
2020–Queen Elizabeth II is expected to be in attendance for the celebration);
recreations of an English village and Wampanoag
Homesite; a visitors’ center (featuring a café where foods from the 17th
century are served), craft center (where artisans use tools, materials, and
techniques to create items that might have been used by the early colonists),
barn with native and historical animals, and grist mill. All these venues are
open to the public with interpreters and other guides.

This summer, I had the
opportunity to spend a morning at Plimouth Plantation. As we approach
Thanksgiving, here are a few pictures of the buildings and depictions of how the early settlers and
Native Americans lived.

Visitors’ Center
Nye Barn

Craft Center

Wampanoag Homesite

The Wampanoag Homesite features Native Americans demonstrating skills used by their ancestors. On the day I visited, they were cooking rabbit over the fire.

 Here are photos of the English village and interpreters.

The Grist Mill is at Jenny Pond. Visitors can watch the grinding and purchase corn meal.

May you all find joy in your celebration of Thanksgiving this year!

Finding Neverland: the Musical

/in /by

by Paula Gail Benson


This
summer, while I was in Boston for a business meeting, I had the wonderful opportunity
to attend the opening night performance for the national tour of Finding Neverland at the Boston Opera House. Based on a successful
book and movie, this musical tells the story of how author J.M. Barrie
developed the story of Peter Pan after meeting the sons of Sylvia Llewelyn
Davies. Although the fictionalized story does not strictly follow the facts
found on Wikipedia or in Andrew Birkin’s J.M.
Barrie and the Lost Boys: the Real Story Behind Peter Pan or Piers Dudgeon’s
Neverland: J.M. Barrie, the DuMauriers,
and the Dark Side of Peter Pan (which has been reviewed as being a little
too dark and not as factually reliable), the exploration of how an author found
his character (and vice versa) is a fascinating view of the creative process.
Diane Paulus
Seeing
this particular production had many advantages. The show already played
Broadway and some of the company had been affiliated with that production. In
particular, Diane Paulus, the Artistic Director of the American Repertory
Theatre (ART) at Harvard University, had directed the musical from the time it was
being developed at ART through its Broadway run. She also directed this
national tour company, and had worked with the creators to incorporate
suggestions for improving the plotline and making the story more immediate for
the audience. The result was a really captivating performance that allowed the
audience’s recollections of the boy who wouldn’t grow up to add another
dimension to the story.
Billy Harrigan Tighe
As
the musical begins, stoic Scotsman J.M. Barrie, a successful London playwright,
is concerned that his plays are all the same and wondering what his next work
should be. His American producer, Charles Frohman, urges him not to worry and finish
the next show. His wife Mary, a former actress now enjoying life in society due
to her relationship with Barrie, also encourages him to continue with the status
quo. But, Barrie meets four boys and their widowed mother, Sylvia Llewelyn
Davies, in the park. After playing with the boys and relearning the joys of
indulging his imagination, he faces triple crises of his wife leaving him for a
nobleman, his producer demanding a new play, and Davies’ mother insisting that
he cut off his relationship with her family.
Christine Dwyer
From
the inner turmoil Barrie experiences, a villain emerges. His first name is
James (after Barrie’s own first name and because, as the character informs
Barrie, he is his alter ego) and his second name is Hook, for the appendage that
takes place of a lost arm as well as the concept necessary to develop a story.
As the first act concludes, Barrie’s imagination has taken the games from the
park, added a dark presence consumed by the press of a ticking clock inside a
crocodile that swallowed the missing arm, and created a pirate adventure that
will become the story of Peter Pan. In the finale, Barrie becomes “Stronger” as
his mind builds the images of the pirate ship (that the audience sees grow from
a park bench) and has Barrie standing on the edge of the plank as the curtain
falls.
Karen Murphy
In
the second act, Barrie convinces his dubious producer and cast to put on his
new work. Gradually, they warm to the project as Barrie discovers that Sylvia
is ill. On opening night, Peter Davies is chosen to accompany Barrie to the
theatre, but then the whole company returns to the nursery to give a private
performance for the Davies family. In the end, Sylvia dies and Barrie with her
mother collaborate to raise the boys.
John Davidson
Following
the Boston performance, our audience enjoyed an onstage interview with the main
actors and director Diane Paulus. Billy Harrigan Tighe, who had worked with
Paulus in Pippin on Broadway played
J.M. Barrie. Christine Dwyer, who had grown up near Boston, took on the role of
Sylvia and was delighted to have so many people she knew coming to see the
production. Veteran actress Karen Murphy played Mrs. DuMaurier, the strict
matriarch who warms to Barrie’s charm, and well-known actor, singer, and TV
personality John Davidson was featured as producer Frohman and alter ego Hook.
In characterizing his work with the production, Davidson spoke eloquently about
how each performance became a contract between the audience members and cast
where all brought their impressions of Peter Pan into the mix.

The musical speaks to
writers seeking to create as well as readers who remember a unique literary creation.
Here’s the website where you can see if it is coming to a theatre near you: http://findingneverlandthemusical.com/tour/.
If it is, please go see it. You will thoroughly enjoy it.

Another Highlights Inspired Post

/in /by

by Paula
Gail Benson

Okay,
I have to admit it. Since I had the opportunity to visit the Highlights
editorial offices in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and attend a Highlights
Foundation workshop, every time I go to a doctor’s office, I scan the stacks of
magazines to see if the children’s magazines are there. The other day I hit the
jackpot. I arrived extra early for a routine appointment and at the top of a
stack were Highlights for Children
(ages 6 to 12) and High Five (ages 6 to 8). I picked them up for
closer study, glad to see that I wasn’t keeping them from a member of their
true audience, since there were only adults in the waiting room.

Although
I glanced at High Five, my focus was
on the issue of Highlights because I
had an idea for a submission. Both magazines were dated November 2014 and
labelled as sample issues, which I decided must be the company’s advertising
campaign. A savvy idea.

During
the workshop, my classmates and I had discussed what a good marketing strategy
it had been for the magazines to have been distributed to doctors’ offices with
perforated subscription forms that allowed immediate mailings to a child and
later billings for the giver. No wonder they maintain a million subscribers to
each, even in this digital age. As our guide at the editorial offices told us, “Children
love to get something of their own in the mail.”

I
enjoyed reviewing some of the regular features, but focused upon the fiction. A
contemporary story about Thanksgiving had a young girl protagonist trying to
convince her parents to prepare only foods that would have been served at the
first feast. The family quickly realized the idea was impractical in that
several dishes now considered traditional would be missing (like pie,
cranberries, and potatoes) and that others would be difficult, if not
impossible, to obtain (lobster, eel, partridge, and–horrors!–eagle).

The
second story that drew my interest was a historical one, set during the
depression. A young boy, Chet, resented that hoboes (or askers—a term I had not
previously heard hoboes called) kept frequenting his grandmother’s house and
eating the best portions of their meager meals. From listening to the group of
hobo visitors, Chet learned that his house has been marked by the depiction of a
cat, meaning to other hoboes that a nice woman lives there. Chet asked if there
was symbol for danger and the hoboes showed it to him. After the hoboes left, Chet replaced the cat with the
danger sign. When his father returned after having lost his job and riding the
rails, Chet realized his selfishness and replaced the welcoming signal. The
story was beautifully told as well as revealing a fascinating, little known
history.

Although
the Highlights editors buy all rights
to a story, they pay generously and display the stories to their best
advantage. The illustrations are beautifully created and reflect the true
nature of the stories, drawing in readers as well as contributing to the
enjoyment of the story.

So, the next time you’re
in a doctor’s waiting room, scan those stacks of magazines. See if you can find
a Highlights or High Five and delight in the paths they lead you. Just be sure to
share them with any younger readers who might have an appointment there, too!

Literary Boston

/in /by

by Paula Gail Benson

I’m
going to follow in the footsteps of my blogging partner Dru Ann Love and write
about my experiences on a recent trip to Boston. It’s a city I’ve always found
captivating in books.

When
I was young, I read Esther Forbes’ Johnny
Tremain and was enthralled by the young apprentice studying Paul Revere’s
workmanship. Later, I discovered Robert B. Parker’s Boston-based, single-named
detective, Spenser, through a television series. I avidly read Linda Barnes’ mysteries
featuring cabbie and sometimes investigator Carlotta Carlyle. Not to mention
Hank Phillippi Ryan’s novels about Boston investigative reporter Charlotte
McNally and her Jane Ryland thrillers; some of Toni L.P. Kelner’s Laura Fleming
series; and Dana Cameron’s Anna Hoyt stories that take place in colonial Boston.

In
Boston’s Public Garden, a line of bronze ducks represent the characters from
Robert McClosky’s Make Way for Ducklings.
A plaque explains that the story made the Garden familiar to children
around the world and I have read that the ducks’ bronze surfaces never need to
be shined because so many little bottoms come to sit on them.

Emerson House in Concord

Growing
up, I found Boston’s neighboring town of Concord fascinating for its collection
of literary figures. In high school, I read about the three Peabody sisters:
Elizabeth, an educator and book store operator, who introduced her sisters to
their famous husbands (artist Sophia married Nathaniel Hawthorne and Mary
became Horace Mann’s wife). Ralph Waldo Emerson lived in Boston and Concord,
and Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord and wrote of its local Walden Pond.

As
far as I was concerned, the most famous Concord resident was Louisa May Alcott,
whose Little Women had been a
constant companion for me and seen me through good times and bad.

I
was extremely fortunate to find a tour that went to Lexington and Concord,
showing us not only the Revolutionary War significant sites, but also the homes
of Emerson, Hawthorne (Wayside Inn), and Alcott (Orchard House).

Orchard House

Seeing
Orchard House, made even more real Meg’s garden wedding and the attic where Jo
wrote her novels. Yes, this was the place where the four March girls grew to
become Little Women, and I rejoiced in seeing a spot that had so long filled my
imagination.

Fortunately,
our tour guide was experienced enough to make a story of the journey. He traced
the route that Paul Revere had taken, showing us the monument at the place
where Revere was captured, and even pointing out the house that belonged to the
Merriam family (of Merriam Webster fame).
Revere Monument near Concord

I also
learned also that a large portion of modern day Boston was created by years of
immigrants (many of them Irish) working to fill in habitable land around the
harbor. The hotel where I stayed was in the Back Bay. I thought the name
unique, but quickly learned it was used to describe many of the area’s buildings.
An Amazon search led me to discover a William Martin novel titled Back Bay, which traces the history, and
is now on my reading list.

Probably
the most invigorating thing I discovered about Boston was the
pride in the sense of history so clearly exhibited among its inhabitants.
Everywhere I went, from Fenway Park to the TD Garden to the harbor to the
theatre district, people told stories about the past and pointed to monuments
that commemorated important persons and events. The city was vibrant with
memories of the past and hopes for the future.

I walked near the end
of the Boston Marathon course and thought of the bombing victims. May we all continue
to hear and tell the stories of Boston and to remain “Boston Strong.”

B.K. “Bonnie” Stevens, True Friend and Good Writer

/in /by
My first panel at Malice with Sally Goldenbaum, Liz Stauffer, Bonnie, me, and Wendy Tyson

by Paula Gail Benson


“It
is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.”
― E.B. White,
Charlotte’s Web
When
we learned last week about B.K. “Bonnie” Stevens passing, Shari Randall
(writer, librarian, blogging partner, and friend) reminded me of E.B. White’s
novel and his description of the barn spider Charlotte who, by weaving
carefully chosen words into her web, saved Wilbur the pig’s life.
Bonnie
embodied the phrase, “true friend and good writer.” Her life was a testament
to the importance of constantly reaching out to others, eagerly opening your
mind to learn, and joyously communicating.
Like
Charlotte, Bonnie spoke truthfully, honestly, and with respect for the
complexities of the world. She also understood the power and wonder of
individuals sharing their lives with each other.
Chronologically,
I did not know Bonnie for a long period of time, but our connection and friendship
is enduring. I know that her inspiration, advice, and encouragement are part of
my life forever.
Maybe
one thing that drew us together, besides my great admiration for her prose, was
our backgrounds in and appreciation of education. Bonnie spent a good portion
of her life as an instructor and I came from a family of teachers. From that environment,
you realize how delightful discovering new facts and information can be.
As
I read Bonnie’s longer biography on her website, I realized that her philosophy
of remaining open to whatever life brought her continued to enrich her own experience.
Through her fiction and nonfiction, she passed that joy along to her readers.
While
reading Bonnie’s stories or being able to discuss writing with her were
incredible treats, experiencing her generosity of spirit was truly humbling. I
once got up the nerve to ask if she would read one of my stories and give me
feedback. She did so promptly with excellent suggestions, but also asked what
others had told me about the story. All perspectives of the writing process
were fascinating to her. Later, she asked me to read and react to a play she
had written. I hesitated, wondering if my comments possibly could be of any
help to her. After all, she had won an award for this play. She assured me that
she wanted to hear from me because I wrote plays and directed them for a drama
ministry, and my view, as someone who had staged a play, would give her
valuable insight.
One
of the kindest and most incredible gifts that Bonnie and her husband Dennis
gave me was a phenomenal birthday celebration during Bouchercon in New Orleans.
In advance, Bonnie sent me a list of possible venues, each sounding more
wonderful than the last, and asked me to pick the location. She gathered good
friends Art Taylor, Debra Goldstein, and Riley Miller to join us. By the end of
the blissful evening, we had a table full of desserts (including the most
delicious jalapeno lime cheesecake as well as an Almond Joy chocolate cake) and
the great satisfaction of an unforgettable time spent in lovely conversation. [Please
look for Art Taylor’s “Remembering Bonnie Stevens” message and other tributes by fellow bloggers on SleuthSayers.org
and Debra Goldstein’s “In Memory of Bonnie (B.K.) Stevens” to be posted on
Friday, August 25, 2017, here on The Stiletto Gang.]
Bonnie
gave selflessly to so many. Just recently, I saw Kaye George’s remembrance of
meeting Bonnie when she came to Kaye’s book signing at Malice Domestic. Kaye
asked, “Are you the B.K.
Stevens?” Bonnie said she was and asked Kaye, then President of the Guppies,
the online chapter for Sisters in Crime, how she could join. From the time she
became a member, Bonnie was constantly sending out words of welcome and
congratulations.
When
she began her blog “The First Two Pages,” Bonnie set out to highlight other
writers’ work by allowing them to analyze the beginning of a short story or
novel. Her initial post came from Kaye George and the latest messages are from
the contributors to Kaye’s anthology to celebrate the solar eclipse, Day of the Dark (Wildside Press), some
of whom are making their debut publication.
As
I prepare to post these words on Monday, August 21, 2017, the day our country
experiences the eclipse from coast to coast, I’m reminded of a special theatre tradition
to recognize the passing of well known members of the Broadway community — the simultaneous
dimming of all the marquee lights for one minute at the 8:00 pm curtain hour.
When the lights come back up, the shows go on.

While I experience
this solar eclipse, I’ll remember Bonnie, my true friend and good writer, and
think about all that she has done for the many lives she has touched. Thank you
Dennis and daughters Sarah and Rachel for sharing her with us.

My New Orleans Bouchercon Birthday

Writing for Woman’s World Short Fiction Markets

/in /by

by Paula
Gail Benson

If
you’re interested in writing short romance or mystery stories, you might want
to consider submitting to Woman’s World
(WW), a weekly magazine found in most grocery stores. Before sending in a
story, you’ll definitely want to read the publication. Its fiction guidelines
are strict: (1) romances must be contemporary and no more than 800 words, and
(2) mysteries must be up to 700 words written in a “solve-it-yourself” format to
allow readers to test their sleuthing skills with the resolution at the end.
The pay is excellent (about $800 for romances and $500 for mysteries), but the
competition is fierce. If your story is selected, you’ll become part of a distinguished
group, including John Floyd and B.K. Stevens.

Several
websites have been developed to help writers determine how best to hone their
submissions.

The
following provide guidelines:

for
romances

and
for mini-mysteries

Until
September 6, 2016, when she had to suspend her messages to concentrate on
caring for her mother, Jody Lebel, a WW published mystery author, analyzed the
mini-mysteries and listed other markets accepting shorts. Her blog is well
worth reading to understand the type stories and formatting that WW is seeking.
Here’s the link:

In
addition, two Sleuthsayers blog messages from R.T. Lawton (“Me and the
Mini-Mystery”) and John Floyd (“A Woman’s World Survival Guide”) give some
excellent advice for successful submissions. They can be accessed at: http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2012/08/me-and-mini-mystery.html
and http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2012/08/a-womans-world-survival-guide.html.