Tag Archive for: Paula Gail Benson

My First Bouchercon Panel

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by Paula Gail Benson

Carol Puckett with her husband Jim

While there are many special things I’ll remember about this year’s 50th anniversary Bouchercon, celebrated in Dallas, Texas, one in particular will be that this year marked my first to moderate and serve on a panel at the world mystery conference. I’d already felt privileged to get to know and work with the organizers on the Bill Crider Prize for Short Fiction (more on that in my post tomorrow on Writers Who Kill). Thank you to Carol Puckett, local committee organizer, for not only collecting historical memorabilia from the past 50 Bouchercons as well as honoring Bill Crider, a beloved Texas writer and reviewer, but also for recognizing the interest in different lengths of mystery stories, novellas, and novels. Carol told me that some people asked about the number of panels devoted to short mystery fiction, but that she and the organizers had heard attendees ask about different story formats and responded to it.


I moderated a panel called “Does Length Matter?” While the subject may sound titillating (I warned audience members if they came to hear a discussion about measuring body parts, they might be disappointed to learn we would be talking about word count), it’s actually one about which I often hear writers speculate. For example, some of the questions we considered were: (1) have readers’ attention spans narrowed? (2) is it better to write two short novels in a year rather than one lengthy one? (3) can writing short stories between novels keep a reader interested in a series or characters? and (4) how do you know if an idea is better suited for a novel or short story?


Sandy Steen, Mary Stojak, Becki Willis, Bess Carnan, Mad Hildebrandt, Angela Zeman, me, and Rhonda Gilliland
(Photo by Rhonda’s husband Fr. Basil Gilliland)

We had a terrific group of panelists, some novelists, some short story authors, and some who had written both. Now that I’ve met them in person, I know I have many titles to add to my reading list (and I would encourage you all to check out their work).


Our two Texans were Sandy Steen and Becki Willis, both novelists. They each have written in several genres. Becki has independently published several series.


Mad Hildebrandt has written cozy mysteries, humorous romantic suspense, and dark gritty mysteries. She told us that she often writes a novel straight through in seventy-two hours, a rigorous stretch to produce the draft, but one that she found to work best for her. Angela Zeman also has written in diverse genres and has one character, Mrs. Risk, who started out in short stories before appearing in a novel. Mary Stojak has a solid reputation for writing short stories and is working on a novel.


Bess Carnan, this year’s winner of the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers, said that her first drafts are short, then she lengthens them through rewrites. Rhonda Gilliland, who I’d served with on a panel before at Killer Nashville, has written stories as well as served as an editor for a successful series of mystery culinary anthologies.


Many thanks to Carol Puckett and the 2019 Bouchercon organizers for the opportunity to talk about story formats and to get to know these fine writers better.


(Photo by Rhonda’s husband Fr. Basil Gilliland)

Do you prefer short stories or novels? 

Experiencing Noir at the Bar

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by
Paula Gail Benson

When
I think about writing or film described as “noir,” the words bleak, cynical,
dark, and fatalistic come to mind. I’m immediately reminded of black and white
movies, usually produced during the 1930s or 1940s and often featuring Humphrey
Bogart. In a list of Bogart’s top 31 films, 13 of them are identified as noir.

Lawrence Block

In Noir at the Bar: An Oral History, written
by Keith Rawson in 2014, a more recent phenomenon of crime authors reading their
noir short stories or passages from longer works, originated in 2008 in Philadelphia,
then spread to St. Louis and Los Angeles. Events often take place in
conjunction with a mystery conference, but may be “stand alone” evenings
organized by local writers groups.

Dr. Warren Moore

Noir
at the Bar arrived in Newberry, South Carolina, a small college town near the
center of the state known for its famous Opera House, on October 10 when Dr. Warren Moore, an excellent author
and Professor of English at Newberry College, organized an event at Bar Figaro.
He selected the perfect location. Bar Figaro offered a tiffany domed, brick
walled, atmospheric backdrop for readings by professors Dr. Moore and Dr. David
Rachels; former students Kasey Stuart-Schroer and Karina Tarbell; and invited
guests, including Lawrence Block, who was spending a semester at the college as
Gerding Writer-in-Residence; Block’s daughter, Jill D. Block; North Carolina
author and filmmaker Eryk Pruitt; and S.A. Cosby, who read his Anthony
nominated story, “The Grass Beneath My Feet.”

Each
author captivated the audience with somber, evocative works in the tradition of
Edgar Allan Poe. Their presentations offered the perfect entertainment for an
October evening. And, the door prizes given between readings added to the fun
and the introduction of readers to new authors.

Dr.
Moore promises that more events will be planned for the future. I’m delighted
this program has made its way to our community and look forward to attending
more Noir at the Bar.

Bethlehem Writers Group

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by Paula Gail Benson

Since 2006, the Bethlehem Writers Group has been showcasing short fiction through its online literary journal, the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (now a paying publication — $20 for featured stories, $10 for other stories, and $5 for poetry — issued quarterly), and through its terrific anthologies, which include:

Each year, the Group holds a short story contest with a celebrity writer judge. Three winning stories receive cash prizes. First place is usually published in the Group’s anthology and the other winners and honorable mentions often are included in the online journal.

I’m proud to say that my story, “Long in the Tooth,” was a third place prize winner the year that Hank Phillippi Ryan was the celebrity judge. It’s also included in the Let It Snow anthology.

If you haven’t already discovered the Group or its Roundtable, please check it out. You’ll discover some delightful reading.

Learning about the DAR and the Constitution

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by Paula Gail Benson

I remember hearing about the DAR or Daughters of the American
Revolution most of my life. While I had no family who were members, I grew up
in South Carolina, the location of 200 Revolutionary War battles. As a child,
my parents took me on a trip to Washington, D.C. and Virginia to see Monticello, Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon, which was
restored by a South Carolinian, Ann Pamela Cunningham, in the 1850s.

Ann Pamela Cunningham
Cunningham grew up in Laurens, South Carolina. As a
teenager, she was crippled from a riding accident. She never married. During a
time of mounting discord between the states, she devoted herself to raising
money and awareness about the condition of the first President’s home and appealed
to women throughout the nation to help in the restoration effort. With help, she
raised the funds to buy the property and established the Mount Vernon Ladies
Association, the oldest historical preservation society in the United States.
For more information see: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ann-pamela-cunningham

Theodosia Burr
Last week, a dear friend, Gini Abee, invited me to
attend a meeting of her DAR chapter, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and
named after Theodosia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr and wife of South
Carolina Governor Joseph Alston. (Musical theater enthusiasts will recognize the name
from a beautiful song in Hamilton.)

The
chapter’s projects include historic preservation, education, and commemorative
endeavors. Their program had a “Conservation Minute,” endorsing a “no straw
September” campaign to help eliminate the environmental effect of discarded
plastic straws, and a “National Defense Minute,” highlighting the forever
stamps to be released in February to honor military working dogs. Please check
out the chapter’s activities on their website: https://www.myrtlebeachdar.org/

I particularly enjoyed the presentation given by
author and constitutional scholar Ron Gragg, who spoke about the work of the
Constitutional Convention and the concerns arising from incorporating the principles of
the Declaration of Independence into the Constitution with care in order to
balance the power of the government with the rights of the individuals. He described George Washington, aged fifty-six when elected President, taking the
oath of office. Gragg said that Washington added the words “so help me God” and, at
the end, bent to kiss the scriptures where he had placed his hand.

What I did not realize was that the Constitution Convention
met for the last time and signed the draft Constitution on September 17, 1787. In
recognition of this anniversary, the Myrtle Beach Chapter will gather to ring a
bell thirteen times, for the original thirteen colonies.


The meeting was a
delightful celebration of the Constitution combined with efforts to help future generations understand the importance of that
document and the history that created it. I’m very grateful to Gini and the
members who welcomed me so warmly. And, this week, I’m proud to join with them
in remembering the signing of the Constitution of the United States.

Gini Abee and Paula Gail Benson (Photo by Michelle Cox)


What’s Today’s Celebration?

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by Paula
Gail Benson
From: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-soft-ice-cream-day-august-19/
Did
you know that today, August 19, is National Soft Ice Cream Day? Shari Randall, you should take note of this commemoration!

According to
the National Day Calendar website,
while no one has been clearly identified as organizing the special designation,
soft serve ice cream began around Memorial Day in 1934 when an enterprising
salesman with a flat tire pulled into a parking lot and knew he had to get rid
of a load of melting ice cream quickly. Later, he patented a machine and
developed a secret formula. The product’s popularity caused a decrease in
business for hard ice cream and the Minnesota legislature briefly required that
it had to be pre-packaged instead of sold from a machine. The site suggests
that people observe the holiday by getting a dipped cone or sundae.
The
site boasts of over 1,500 national days. It also lists some international ones.
For instance, today also is International Bow Day, a tradition started by Claire’s.
August
20, tomorrow, is National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day. Not to be confused with
National Pecan Pie Day (observed July 12) or National Pecan Torte Day (August
22) or National Pecan Month (April).
You
can check out the recognitions that share your birthday. For example, my
birthday, on September 13, is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day (based on a
2005 unanimous resolution passed by the United States Senate) and Uncle Sam Day
(because New York meat packer Sam Wilson, born on September 13, 1766, supplied
meat to soldiers during the War of 1812 in containers stamped “U.S.” and they
called it Uncle Sam’s grub).
The
website allows you to register a national day, shop for merchandise, search for
recipes, and play National Day trivia.
What
does this site have to do with writing? (Please note that World Calligraphy Day
is celebrated August 14.)
Occasionally,
writers are asked to submit a holiday story for a collection. You can imagine
that well-known holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Valentines Day will
have numerous stories, but going with something like Talk Like a Pirate Day
(September 19), as Cathy Wiley did with her “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” published
in Homicidal Holidays (Wildside
Press), an anthology organized by the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, could
be unique. Barb Goffman currently is editing a collection of time travel
stories to be released on December 8, Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.
So
consider taking a look at the National Day Calendar website, for a story idea
or just to celebrate a slice of life. Happy holidays!

Short Story Nominees for Macavity and Shamus Awards

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by Paula Gail Benson

Two more award lists, with presentations to occur at Bouchercon 2019 in Dallas, have been announced and include some familiar names and titles for short story finalists. The Macavity nominees, presented by the Mystery Readers International (MRI), subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal and members and friends of MRI, are:

Gigi Pandian

“Race to Judgment” by Craig Faustus Buck Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine Nov/Dec 2018

Craig Faustus Buck

“All God’s Sparrows” by Leslie Budewitz Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May/Jun 2018
“Bug Appetit” by Barb Goffman Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine Nov/Dec 2018
“Three-Star Sushi” by Barry Lancet Down & Out: The Magazine Vol. 1, No. 3
“The Cambodian Curse” by Gigi Pandian The Cambodian Curse and Other Stories (Henery Press)
“English 398: Fiction Workshop” by Art Taylor Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine Jul/Aug 2018

Art Taylor

Art’s story won the Edgar for best short story and has been nominated for the Agatha and Anthony.

Leslie Budewitz

Barb’s story also is an Agatha and Anthony nominee.

Gigi’s story won the Derringer (from the Short Mystery Fiction Society) for best novelette.

Leslie’s story won the Agatha (a tie with Tara Laskowski, Art’s wife). Another of Leslie’s stories “With My Eyes” Suspense Magazine Jan/Feb 2018 won the Derringer for best long story.

Barb Goffman

With the Macavity nod, Barry Lancet’s “Three-Star Sushi” also is nominated for a Shamus award, given by the Private Eye Writers of America. Here is the complete list of Shamus short story finalists:

Barry Lancet
Twist Phelan
Elizabeth McKenzie

“Fear of the Secular” by Mitch Alderman Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
“Three-Star Sushi” by Barry Lancet Down & Out: The Magazine Vol. 1, No. 3
“The Big Creep” by Elizabeth McKenzie Santa Cruz Noir
“Game” by Twist Phelan Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
“Chin Yong-Yun Helps a Fool” by S.J. Rozan Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

S. J. Rozan

Congratulations and best wishes to all these nominees! What a terrific group of writers and stories for summer reading!

Leslie Budewitz and Tara Laskowski

Mystery in the Midlands

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by
Paula Gail Benson

Logo by Krista Anderson

Nancy Pickard (Photo by Anita Baker)

For
the second year, the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (SEMWA)
and the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime presented a day-long mystery
conference offering master classes and panels in Columbia, South Carolina.
Called Mystery in the Midlands, it featured twenty-one authors, including our
guest of honor best-selling author Nancy Pickard. Known for her own Jenny Cain and
Marie Lightfoot series, continuing Virginia Rich’s Eugenia Potter novels,
acclaimed stand-alone novels The Scent of
Rain and Lightning and The Virgin of
Small Plains, numerous short stories, and the nonfiction Seven Steps on the Writer’s Path written
with Lynn Lott, Pickard graciously shared information about her work and her recent
relocation to Charleston after spending most of her life in Kansas. She was
interviewed by her good friend and fellow past President of Sisters in Crime
National, Cathy Pickens.

This
joint conference effort began two years ago when SEMWA brought then MWA
President Jeffrey Deaver to Columbia to give a writing seminar. The following
year, we organized the first Mystery in the Midlands. With each event, we have
been able to have authors representing multiple states. We plan to continue the
tradition during “famously hot” summers in Columbia.

Special
thanks to this year’s authors: Stacy Allen, Paul Barra, Candace Carter, Tracy
de Hahn, Elysabeth Eldering, Kaye George, Victoria Gilbert, Sally Handley, Sasscer Hill, Roger Johns,
Terrie Farley Moran, Dorothy St. James, J.R. Ripley, Nancy Sartor, Raegan
Teller, Jaden (Beth) Terrell, Brian Thiem, Maggie Toussaint, and Warren Moore. Master classes
explored Hemingway’s POV, Police Procedure, and Humor in Mysteries. Panels
discussed the importance of settings, writing both novels and short stories,
cozy mysteries, and the journey to publication.

Midday,
we had a buffet lunch and a game of “guess the author.” The first person who
picked out the correct author for each description won bonus bucks to be spent with our bookseller, Books on Broad from Camden, South Carolina.

During
the conference, we held a silent auction and raised $630 to benefit My First Books,
the South Carolina affiliate of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which
provides a book a month to registered children from birth to age five.

Each
year, not only have readers been introduced to new writers, but also the
authors have time to exchange information. This year, on the Friday before the
conference, a local forensic anthropologist welcomed a group to visit his lab and
ask questions about his process.

A
local weekly paper advertised the event and sent a reporter to cover the
conference. It was wonderful to have the stories available online as well as
appearing below the fold on the first page. See https://www.thecolumbiastar.com/articles/local-mystery-writers-conference-features-award-winning-author/

Article and photos by Anita Baker for the Columbia Star

Many thanks to all
the people who participated, attended, and helped with the organization behind
the scenes. Please come and join us next year!

A Tribute to Sandra Seamans

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by Paula Gail Benson

If
you’re a writer of mystery short fiction, you’ve probably followed a blog
called “My Little Corner” that was written by Sandra Seamans. Faithfully,
Sandra chronicled potential publishers seeking short fiction and linked to
information about the submission guidelines. Every time I spoke to groups about
writing short stories, I referred them to Sandra’s blog as an essential market
guide.
Sadly,
Sandra Seamans passed away on the morning of Thursday, May 23, 2019. Here is a link to her obituary. 
Paul
D. Brazill wrote a message spotlighting Sandra’s talent and work on December 3,
2010. He began with a quote from Sandra, who described herself as “a wife, a mother, a
grandmother, and a writer. But not always in that order.”
Later in the Brazill interview, she
explained how she became a writer and why she felt that short stories were
important:
“I’ve been making
up stories in my head since I was a kid but about twenty years ago I decided to
start putting them down on paper. Not very good ones, I might add. I discovered
that there was a whole lot I didn’t know and started studying. About five years
or six years ago I started submitting my stories on a regular basis instead of
just one a year then quit for a year because it got rejected. Staring that
rejection in the face, then sending that story back out is the hardest part of
writing. . . . I was also tired of being told that just writing short
stories wasn’t good enough, that you had to write novels to be an actual
author. But there’s so much talent out there in the short story field, and
especially online, that I decided to share what I loved about shorts, the
writers who pen them and the zines that publish all those great stories. So,
the Corner became a place to celebrate short stories.”
Since her passing, a number of authors
have written tributes about her contributions:
“R.I.P. Sandra Seamans–My LittleCorner” by Patricia Abbott (May 30, 2019).
“Remembering Sandra Seamans” by Al Tucher (May 30, 2019).
  
“Small Crimes: Sandra Seamans and Friday Reads” by David Nemeth (May 31, 2019). 
“Loss and Gratitude” by Travis
Richardson at Sleuthsayers (June 3, 2019). 
Her
blog, which she last updated on May 16, 2019, contains messages of admiration
and respect in the comments to her final message: https://sandraseamans.blogspot.com/
In
2007, Sandra’s story “Home Entertainment” (A Cruel
World, July/August 2006) was a finalist for a Derringer Award for Best
Flash fiction.
From
2010-2012, she served
as President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Prior to her election, she
wrote a statement that was posted on the SMFS blog. Here are a few snippets
from that message:
“I’d like to see every short story writer feel welcome at the
SMFS, no matter if they write cozy or dark. Only the strength of the story
should count. . . . I’d also like to see if we could get editors to post
more often on the list – get them to give us insights into their selection
process or maybe just do a Q & A interview that we could post. . . . Shorts
are starting to come into their own via the online markets, there are more and
more people talking about them and I know of several sites that actually review
individual stories and collections. As a short fiction society we should be a
part of this. Well, I know I’m not supposed to be posting this before I’m
asked, but the membership deserves to know where I stand so they can nominate
someone to run against me if they don’t agree with what I believe the SMFS
should be about. And I’d really prefer that this be an election not just a put
her in office because nobody else wants the job situation.”
Unfortunately, Sandra’s anthology,
Cold Rifts, is no longer in print. I appreciate so much the interviews
and tributes I found for this post because they directed me to links where you
can read Sandra’s work online and in anthologies. Here is the list of Sandra Seamans’ stories that
I found:
“A Mulberry Street Christmas”
(December 19, 2008) https://a-twist-of-noir.blogspot.com/2008/12/twist-of-noir-027-sandra-seamans.html
The
following are available though Amazon:
“The
Gimmick” in Discount Noir an
anthology edited by Patricia Abbot and Steve Weddle, Untreed Reads (October
21, 2010) (available on Amazon).
“Taking
Back” in Grimm Tales an anthology
edited by John Kenyon with introduction by Ken Bruen, Untreed Reads (December
19, 2011) (available on Amazon).
In
a July 25, 2012, interview with Steve Weddle, Sandra described the process that led to her story “Taking Back”
in Grimm Tales:

“The minute John Kenyon put up the challenge to rewrite a
fairytale into a crime story, I was in. Yeah, I’m a fairytale freak. I also
knew I wanted to do something different. There are only so many variations of
the usual suspects that you can write. I found a website that had many of the
Grimm’s published. Reading down through the list of titles ‘The Blue Light’
caught my eye. It was the story of a Soldier who’d fought for the King and when
he was wounded and not as useful, the King sent him away. Through a meeting
with a witch he finds a way to get his revenge on the King – perfect setup for
a crime story. I used the basics of the fairytale but turned the soldier into a
cleanup man for a mob boss, gave him some rules he lived by and off we went. It
was a fun story to write.”
Thank
you to a writer’s writer, Sandra Seamans. We are richer for the legacy you have
left us.

May is Short Story Month!

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by Paula Gail Benson

Since 2013, StoryaDay.org has declared May
Short Story month and has set up a website (http://shortstorymonth.com/)
to recommend short stories and recognize their authors.
Indeed,
May has been a month where short stories have been celebrated.
During
the first weekend in May, at Malice Domestic in Bethesda, Maryland, a
tie-winner was announced in the short story category at the Agatha Banquet.
Leslie Budewitz and Tara Laskowski’s stories were honored.
Leslie Budewitz and Tara Laskowski
Photo by Robin Templeton
That weekend also saw the announcement of the winners
of the 2019 Derringer Award sponsored by The Short Mystery
Fiction Society.



Best
Flash Story (up to 1000 words)

“The Bicycle Thief” by James Blakey (The Norwegian American, September 21, 2018)



Best
Short Story (1001 to 4000 words)

“Dying in Dokesville” by Alan Orloff (Malice Domestic 13: Mystery Most Geographical)



Best
Long Story (4001 to 8000 words)

“With My Eyes” by Leslie Budewitz (Suspense Magazine, January/February 2018)



Best
Novelette 

“The Cambodian Curse” by Gigi Pandian (The Cambodian Curse & Other Stories by Gigi Pandian, Henery
Press)
And now, we have the Anthony awards to
anticipate for October.

Anthony Nominees for Best Short Story:
“The Grass Beneath My
Feet” by S.A. Cosby, in Tough
(blogazine, August 20, 2018)
“Bug Appétit” by Barb
Goffman, in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (November/December 2018)
“Cold Beer No Flies” by
Greg Herren, in Florida Happens (Three Rooms Press)
“English 398: Fiction
Workshop” by Art Taylor, in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (July/August
2018)
“The Best Laid Plans” by
Holly West, in Florida Happens (Three Rooms Press)
Have
you read a short story lately?

A Pre-Malice Domestic QUIZ!

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by Paula Gail Benson

At the end of this week, many of us will gather in Bethesda, Maryland, to celebrate the best of the traditional mystery. It will be a homecoming, family reunion, and all round party blast–wonderful in the anticipating and attending, yet over far too soon.

Let’s get the party started early with this quiz. Can you match the following words (from their stories or novels) with the authors in the Best Short Story and Best First Novel categories? Answers at the end!

1. Harvard

2. Speed Dating

3. Mermaid

4. San Juan Hotel

5. Teen-aged Brother

6. Syllabus

7. Homeless Person

8. Mission

9. A Royal Blue Gown

10. Nancy Drew

A. Art Taylor
B. Shari Randall

C. Tara Laskowski
D. Keenan Powell
E. Barb Goffman
F. Aimee Hix
G. Susanna Calkins
H. Edwin Hill

I. Leslie Budewitz

J. Dianne Freeman

Answers: 1. H.– 2. E. — 3. B. — 4. G. — 5. F. — 6. A. — 7. D. — 8. I. — 9. J. — 10. C.