Welcome to the re-booted LadyKillers blog!
From Monday through Saturday (with Sundays off for good behavior), we 13 writers at The LadyKillers will take turns discussing and riffing off themes of interest to us and, hopefully, to you. Our first theme is, appropriately enough, BEGINNINGS.
Two weeks of blogging per theme = 13 different voices and opinions. We cover the writerly spectrum, from multi-published to a couple who are just beginning the search for an agent and/or publisher. Drop in with your favorite daily cuppa to see what's up and be sure to leave a note!
At the bottom of this introduction is a short quiz consisting of 13 little-known facts about us. The trick: match the fact to the writer. Send your answers to: theladykillers.writers@gmail.com. There will be prizes for those with the most correct answers, so take
your best guess ... you've got nothing to lose, and maybe something fun to win.
But first, the lineup.Monday's LadyKillers
Mary Anna Evans has degrees in physics and engineering, but her heart is
in the past. Her series character, Faye Longchamp, lives the exciting
life of an archaeologist, and Mary Anna envies her a little. Her novels
have have been on the Independent Mystery
Booksellers Association's (IMBA) bestseller list and have been
designated Notable Books by Booksense and Indiebound. Mary Anna has won
the Florida Historical Society's Patrick D. Smith Florida
Literature Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, and a Florida Book Awards
Bronze Medal. Her series includes Artifacts,
Relics, Effigies, Findings, Floodgates, and, coming October, Strangers. Her website is http://www.maryannaevans.com.
Simon Wood is an ex-racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an occasional
private investigator. He shares his world with his American wife, Julie.
Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and five cats.
He's had over 150 stories and articles published and is a frequent
contributor to Writer's Digest. He's the Anthony Award
winning author of Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying
the Piper and We All Fall Down. As Simon Janus, he's the author
of The Scrubs and Road Rash. His latest books are Terminated and Asking
For Trouble. Curious people can learn more at www.simonwood.net.
Tuesday's LadyKillers
Priscilla Royal grew up in New
Westminster, BC., and received a BA in world literature from San
Francisco State University. In 2000, she retired from the federal civil
service to write medieval mysteries full time. Medieval literature
and history have always fascinated her, and she
delights in finding details that aren't usually mentioned in
most fiction. Although a fan of theater,
modern mysteries, and fiction of lesser violence, she was inspired to
write about medieval crime and punishment by Ellis Peters. Website http://www.priscillaroyal.com/.
Susan C. Shea spent more than 25 years as an executive in the non-profit
world, where she worked with universities, arts and science organizations, and
other charitable groups, helping them connect with donors. During those years, she directed award-winning communication, public
relations, fundraising, and marketing program. Today,
she lives and writes in Marin County, California, where she is on the
board of the northern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America
and is a member of Sisters in Crime. More about Susan and her debut mystery Murder in the Abstract is on her website: http://www.susancshea.com/.
Wednesday's LadyKillers
CAMILLE MINICHINO is a retired physicist and author of the periodic table
mysteries, featuring Gloria Lamerino. As MARGARET GRACE,
she's published the miniature mysteries,
featuring Gerry Porter. As ADA MADISON, she's poised to
release a new series, academic mysteries featuring Sophie Knowles. Camille received her Ph.D. in physics from Fordham
University, New York City. She is on the faculty of Golden
Gate University, San Francisco, and on the staff of Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory. Camille belongs to the California Writers
Club, NorCal Sisters in Crime, NorCal Mystery
Writers of America, and SF Romance Writers of America. http://www.minichino.com/.
Penny Warner has published over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her new mystery series recently debuted with HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY. HOW TO CRASH A
KILLER BASH is coming August 2010. Her non-fiction THE OFFICIAL NANCY
DREW HANDBOOK was nominated for an Agatha Award, her mystery DEAD BODY LANGUAGE won a Macavity Award, and her middle grade mystery, MYSTERY OF THE
HAUNTED CAVES, won an Agatha. THE SECRET CASE FILES OF CODY
JONES, her new middle grade mystery series, will be published in 2011.
Penny has a
Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a Master's degree in
Special Education. She teaches child development at the local college
and writing at conferences across the country. Website: www.pennywarner.com
Thursday's LadyKillers
Sharan Newman is a medievalist and the author of the award-winning
Catherine Levendeur mystery series, set in medieval France. She has also
written non-fiction: The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code, and The
Real History Behind the Templars. A mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel, set
in 1868 Portland Oregon, is as close to modernity as she wishes to go.
Her latest nonfiction is The Real History of the End of the World. Her website is www.sharannewman.com.
Diana Orgain holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco
State University with a minor in acting. Diana’s plays have been
produced at San Francisco State University, GreenHouse Productions, and
PlayGround in San Francisco. She is the author of BUNDLE OF TROUBLE and
MOTHERHOOD IS MURDER. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and
their three children. Website: http://dianaorgain.com/
Friday's LadyKillers
Rita Lakin blogs First Friday of every month at The LadyKillers. Fate took Rita from New York to Los Angeles where she was seduced by
palm trees and movie studios. For 20 years she wrote for
television, with jobs from free-lance writer to story
editor to staff and producing. She worked on Dr.
Kildare, Peyton Place, Mod Squad, & Dynasty and created her own
shows: The Rookies, Flamingo Road, and Nightingales. She wrote many Movies of the Week, mini-series, and
two theatrical plays. Her many awards include Writers Guild of America, Mystery
Writers of America’s Edgar, and the coveted Avery Hopwood Award
from the University of Michigan. She is now back to her first love,
writing novels. Website: http://www.ritalakin.com/
Ann Parker blogs Second and Fourth Fridays of every month at The LadyKillers. Ann earned degrees in Physics and English Literature at the
University of California, Berkeley, before falling into a career as a
science/corporate writer. During the day, she scribbles about
solar energy, chilled beams, and “human capital." At
night, she delves into the past. Her award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series is set in the 1880s silver
boomtown of Leadville, Colorado. Ann belongs to Mystery Writers of
America, Sisters in Crime, Women Writing the West, National Association of Science
Writers, and more. Website:
http://www.annparker.net
Margaret Lucke blogs Fourth Friday of every month at The LadyKillers. Margaret flings words around in the San Francisco Bay Area as a
writer, editor, and writing coach. She has always been fascinated by the
power of stories and the magic of creativity. Her latest novel is HOUSE
OF WHISPERS, a tale of love, ghosts,and murder on the California coast.
An earlier book, A RELATIVE STRANGER, was an Anthony Award nominee. She teaches fiction writing and has
authored SCHAUM'S QUICK GUIDE TO WRITING GREAT
SHORT STORIES and WRITING MYSTERIES. She is a former president of the
Northern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Website:
www.margaretlucke.com
Saturday's LadyKillers
Staci McLaughlin was a technical writer in Silicon Valley for eight
years before becoming a freelance writer. She has published a
mini-mystery in Woman’s World as well as a several online articles. She
is currently a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in
Crime. You can read more about her at her regular writing blog: www.stacimclaughlin.com.
Mysti Berry has won awards as a screenwriter, technical writer, short
fiction writer, and novelist. Her short fiction has been
published in Switchback, the online literary journal sponsored by
University of San Francisco. She was an invited reader for San Francisco's 2006
LitQuake festival, has been included in published
anthologies, and teaches for UC Berkeley
Extension. Mysti is a board member of Sisters in Crime Northern
California chapter and MWA NorCal chapter. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in linguistics
and University of San Francisco with an M.F.A. in writing.
And now, the quiz.
Match each fact to a LadyKiller, and send your responses to theladykillers.writers@gmail.com
Prizes will be rewarded for the most correct answers.
----------
Update: May 9 -- We've supplied half the answers in this
post, where the LadyKillers in bold text below are matched up with the bolded facts. Go ahead, take a chance, guess the rest, and send in your answers to theladykillers.writers@gmail.com
---------
The LadyKillers (in alphabetical order)
1.
Mysti Berry
2.
Mary Anna Evans
3.
Rita Lakin
4.
Margaret Lucke
5.
Staci McLaughlin
6.
Camille Minichino
7.
Sharan Newman
8.
Diana Orgain
9.
Ann Parker
10.
Priscilla Royal
11.
Susan Shea
12.
Penny Warner
13.
Simon Wood
The Facts (in no particular order)
Which LadyKiller…
A.
Was once told by Mac Davis that
she/he was tall enough to “hunt bar with your teeth.”
B. Wrote a ghost story as his/her first work, at age 8. Said
story was liberally illustrated with dripping daggers. Who knew ghosts had
blood...
C.
Has married more than twenty men in the last twenty years.
D.
Spent a summer counting boxes of pears.
E.
Was mugged by spider monkeys while hiking in the Rain Forest
in Singapore.
F.
Created a panic in a restaurant when a man she/he had
"poisoned" fell facedown into his chocolate
mousse.
G. Is
fluent in American Sign Language.
H.
Was a teen-age model trying to pay
his/her way through college. The only drawback was the groping, leering
salesmen.
I.
Once went out with the son of a Mafia big shot (once being the
key word).
J.
Was Lamar County's Junior Miss in 19...oh, never mind...
K.
Participated in several anti-war
protests in the ‘60s, then went to work for the local “bomb factory” in the
‘70s (and stayed there for 30 years!).
L.
Has a new book out that has more to
do with “endings” than “beginnings.”
M.
Rafted, surfed and rode horses through Costa Rica.
Great line-up for the new look Lady Killers. Good luck, one and all. I've a suspicious mind though: are all those facts in the quiz really truly FACTS? I mean, you do all write fiction... If they are true, I hope we'll be hearing something of your amazing adventures in future posts.
Posted by: Jane Finnis | May 01, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Hi Jane! :D
Yep, these are all TRUE facts (as opposed to false facts)... At least, that's what I've been led to believe. ;-)
When the quiz is over, we'll post the answers. I think you'll be surprised at some (if not most) of the pairings.
Thanks for coming by and commenting!
Posted by: Ann | May 01, 2010 at 10:47 AM
I'm delighted to be in the company of these wonderful and talented writers. Looking forward to lots of fun, fiction, and more fascinating facts!
Posted by: Margaret | May 02, 2010 at 10:56 AM