Been a housewife? A domestic worker? Single parent? Lived in a creepy old house? You think your life's been boring-but exciting plots can be buried in your own experience. In this discussion, audience members will find the clues to the novel only they can write.

Authors on this event, in which panelists will discuss how they use personal experiences and particular areas of expertise to create strong mystery fiction, will be:

G.M.Malliet: is is the award-winning author of the acclaimed St. Just mysteries, Max Tudor mysteries, suspense novel WEYCOMBE, and numerous short stories collected in crime anthologies or published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (EQMM) and The Strand. She was born into a military family and moved frequently during her childhood. She has a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in psychology; she also received an M.Phil. in the psychology of learning from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. and did further graduate study at Oxford University. Her fields of interest are psychology and the creative mind. She worked in corporate communications for organizations such as Thomson Publishing and the Public Broadcasting Service in the U.S. In 2008 her award-winning first novel DEATH OF A COZY WRITER was published. Soon after, mystery writing became her full-time career.

Dale T. Phillips: As a student of Stephen King in college, Dale learned to love the craft of writing and to work at it. Dale has published the Zack Taylor mystery series, other novels, over 70 short stories, story collections, poetry, and non-fiction. He's appeared on stage, television (Jeopardy included), and in an independent feature film (with IMDB credit). He's traveled to all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, and through Europe.

Bonnar Spring: writes eclectic international thrillers. A nomad at heart, she hitchhiked across Europe at sixteen, and joined the Peace Corps after college. After living and teaching overseas, she returned to the U.S. where she earned an M.Ed. from Harvard and taught ESL for many years. Bonnar recently trekked to Macchu Picchu for a significant birthday. Her award-winning debut, Toward the Light, is set in Guatemala, and the newly released, Disappeared, takes place in Morocco. She won the Al Blanchard Short Crime Fiction award for 2023.

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