by Paula Gail Benson
The Bethlehem Writers Group (BWG), originally based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but now having members across the United States, has done a great deal to support writers at all levels. Its quarterly online publication, the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (BWR), pays contributors and sponsors an annual short story contest.
I have a special place in my heart for this group because it published my first online story. When I was offered the opportunity to join the critique partners, I didn’t hesitate.
The information in this post and a related interview that will appear tomorrow in Writers Who Kill, show how this group has rallied behind one of its own to publish his young adult novel and cheer on his success. Carol L. Wright, Marianne H. Donley, and Dianna Sinovic are the organizers, formatters, and editors behind the scenes who worked so diligently to turn Peter J. Barbour’s excellently written Fifteen Keys into a published work. Here’s a few words with this remarkable team of writers.
What is the BWG?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: We call ourselves “a community of mutually supportive authors,” and, at our heart, we are a critique group that meets regularly to give feedback to fellow members on their writing. We’ve stayed small so we can be sure to give everyone an opportunity to share their work. At our meetings, we review entire short stories or chapters of works in progress. If a member wants us to review an entire manuscript, we call special “long-form” meetings where we go chapter-by-chapter, or page-by-page, giving feedback on the whole work: pacing, characterization, story arc, etc. As we critique the work of others, we become better writers ourselves.
As our mission grew to include publishing books and a literary magazine and running an annual Short Story Award competition, we realized we had to formalize our critique group into an LLC. We’ve now published eight of our trademarked “Sweet, Funny, and Strange” anthologies as well as several other books, including our latest: Fifteen Keys, by BWG member Peter J. Barbour.
Carol L. Wright
How was BWG formed?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: In the spring of 2006, the manager of the Bethlehem, PA Barnes & Noble asked me if I would like to start a writers’ group for the store. I had been a book editor some years before, had one published book, and had taken several writers’ courses and workshops, so I figured, why not? At that first meeting, four people came. Only one of them ever returned, but more people continued to join us. Over time we outgrew Barnes & Noble and became the independent group we are today. See more about us at: https://sites.google.com/view/bethlehemwritersgroupllc/home.
What is the BWR?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: In the fall of 2011, we began publishing an online literary magazine: Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (BWR). We currently publish quarterly and seek unpublished short stories (2000 words or fewer) and poetry. Each issue also has several features including interviews and “Literary Learnings.” Currently, we offer $50 for featured stories, $20 for additional stories, and $10 for the poems we publish. For more information, see our submissions page at: https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/submissions-contacts/
Tell us about the annual short story contest.
CAROL L. WRIGHT: Each January, we open our annual Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award competition on a specific theme. We recruit a guest judge to select our winners who receive a cash award and an offer of publication either in a forthcoming anthology or in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. We recently announced our 2025 winners selected by our guest judge, author Adrian Tchaikovsky. You can see the winner list at: https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/short-story-award-2/
Our next contest opens on January 1, 2026, on the theme of science fiction and fantasy for our upcoming anthology, Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy due to come out in late 2026. More details about our 2026 competition will be available in our fall issue of Roundtable.
How did you contribute to Fifteen Keys?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: There are myriad tasks required to put out a book, and I’ve been privileged to work with a wonderfully talented team to bring out Fifteen Keys. My role was primarily organizational, making sure everything worked together to produce a book of high quality and appearance, at a price that would be both competitive and profitable, on our optimal timeline. I am so grateful to our BWG publishing team, especially Marianne H. Donley and Dianna Sinovic, and to our author, Peter J Barbour, who was not only terrific to work with, but was a true partner in the publishing process.
What is your hope for Fifteen Keys?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: I’ve been extremely gratified about the excitement generated by the publication of Fifteen Keys. It is not only an Amazon bestseller but has received some very high praise in reviews. Of course, any publisher wants the books they publish to sell, but this one is very special. My hopes for it are that it will not only entertain its readers but will help middle-grade and early teens to navigate the sometimes-turbulent years of adolescence when they struggle with their identities and values. The story and its lessons can help teens, and adults, as they figure out who they want to be and what kind of life they hope to live
What anthologies has the BWG produced and have they won awards?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: BWG has published eight Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthologies. They include:
** A Christmas Sampler: Sweet Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales,
* Once Around the Sun, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for All Seasons,
* A Readable Feast: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for Every Taste,
Once Upon a Time: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for All Ages,
*** Untethered: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of the Paranormal,
** Fur, Feathers and Scales, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales,
*** An Element of Mystery: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Intrigue,
And our newest: *Season’s Readings: MORE Sweet, Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales
We are working on our 9th Anthology Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Those marked with one * were finalists in the Next Generation Indie Book Award
Those Marked with two * won TWO Next Generation Indie Book Award
Those Marked with three * were finalists in both the Next Generation Indie Book Award and Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award
How were the anthology stories selected?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: All members of BWG are eligible to submit stories to our anthologies. These stories MUST be workshopped at one of our regular BWG critique meetings before being submitted to the anthology.
Stories from authors who are not BWG members are submitted to our annual Short Story Award. We have a celebrity judge each year who selects the winners. First Place always gets considered for publication in our anthology. Sometimes we consider Second and Third Place as well.
Has the BWG published other fiction besides the anthologies?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: Besides the Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthologies we have publish Bethlehem Writers Roundtable and online magazine. We publish four issues every year and two of them are open to non BWG authors (and we pay for fiction and poetry). Submissions for our Winter 2026 issue will open on July 1, 2025.
We have also published, Let It Snow a collection of stories from Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, Off the Rails: A Collection of Weird, Wicked, and Wacky Stories by Jerome W. McFadden and Fifteen Keys by Peter J Barbour.
How did you contribute to Fifteen Keys?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: I formatted Fifteen Keys for both print and ebook. I used a very handy program called Vellum, but still placing the illustrations was a bit tricky. Carol, Pete, and I did a final Zoom call where I shared my Vellum screen. They could weigh in on where a particular illustration looked best. That Zoom call was very helpful.
Using Pete’s painting, I also formatted the front cover. Carol used that design and completed the back cover and the spine. Fifteen Keys was very much a group project.
What is your hope for Fifteen Keys?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: I hope every child between the ages of 10 to 99 reads and enjoys Fifteen Keys. It’s an entertaining, positive, and uplifting story that is appealing to adults as it is to kids.
I also hope Pete sells a bazillion copies and gets an interview from Oprah Winfrey.
Dianna Sinovic
You have special training as a journalist and writing coach. Why did you decide to become a writing coach?
DIANNA SINOVIC: I’ve been an editor for pretty much my entire career and enjoyed the one-on-one aspect of it. When I heard about book coaching, it seemed like the next logical step—to do more than edit, to help a writer bring their ideas to the page.
How has your training as a journalist and writing coach helped you with your own writing?
DIANNA SINOVIC: My training as a journalist has helped in doing research for my fiction, since research is second-nature for a reporter. My training as a book coach has definitely helped with my own writing. I’m less of a pantser than I used to be and see the value in taking time to tease out aspects such as the point of my story and the big picture before I dive into writing individual scenes and chapters.
When did you begin working with Peter on Fifteen Keys and in what capacity, as coach or editor or both?
DIANNA SINOVIC: I served as copyeditor for Fifteen Keys; the book had gone through several rounds of editing on Pete’s part, based on feedback from BWG members who read the entire manuscript in a “long-form” session.
Do you provide developmental editing as well as line editing, copy editing, and proofreading?
DIANNA SINOVIC: Yes, for my own business, Diasin Books, I provide developmental editing and manuscript evaluations, as well as line editing, copy editing and proofing.
What is your hope for Fifteen Keys?
DIANNA SINOVIC: My hope for the book is that it read and enjoyed widely by teens and parents in discussions about the 15 lessons laid out within it.
When did you join BWG?
PETER J. BARBOUR: I joined BWG approximately 2018.
How did joining BWG affect your process in writing Fifteen Keys?
PETER J. BARBOUR: BWG has had a positive influence on all of my writing. I value the kind critique I receive when we read a piece I wrote at our bimonthly meetings. Show don’t tell has made my prose come alive. I think I’ve learned a lot since I joined the club.
How did you decide to seek publication through BWG?
PETER J. BARBOUR: I watched BWG produce several anthologies. I trusted that my work would be treated professionally and with a personal touch. I was right.
Did you do the illustrations after the writing was complete or while it was ongoing?
PETER J. BARBOUR: I did the drawing after the writing was complete. I didn’t originally plan on illustrating the book. Carol and Marianne suggested I illustrate it. I’ve written and illustrated three children’s books, so I had experience with that.
BIOS:
Carol L. Wright escaped a career in law and academia to write Mysteries and More. Among other works are an award-winning traditional mystery, DEATH IN GLENVILLE FALLS, an award-winning novelette, Apple, Table, Penny . . . Murder, and a collection of short stories in a variety of genres, A Christmas on Nantucket and other stories. She is a founding member of the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, a life member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society of North America, and a member of SinC Guppies and Pennwriters. Find out more on her website, http://carollwright.com/.
Marianne H. Donley writes fiction from short stories to funny romances and quirky murder mysteries fueled by her life as a mom and a teacher. She makes her home in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and fluffy dog. Marianne blogs at A Slice of Orange. She is an editor of BWG anthologies. She’s also a member Sisters in Crime and Charmed Writers.
Dianna Sinovic is an author of speculative fiction, horror, and mystery, as well as a certified book coach and editor. Her short stories have been published in a number of anthologies, including those from the BWG, and her flash fiction appears monthly on the blog A Slice of Orange. Her paranormal thriller, SCREAM OF THE SILENT SUN, is slated for release in 2025. She’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and the National Association of Memoir Writers. In BWG, she serves on the executive committee. Connect with her via her website, www.dianna-sinovic.com, or on Instagram, @dsinovic94.
Peter J. Barbour
Neurologist Peter J Barbour, M.D. retired his reflex hammer to become a full-time writer and illustrator. He is actively involved in Mussar, an ancient study of Jewish ethics, virtues, and mindfulness leading to character development. He participates in the process as a group facilitator and brings Mussar’s timeless wisdom to the writing his latest publication, FIFTEEN KEYS, an action-adventure, coming-of-age novel for middle grade and young teens. His other works include a memoir, LOOSE ENDS, three illustrated children’s books: GUS AT WORK, OSCAR AND GUS, and TANYA AND THE BABY ELEPHANT, and over forty short stories that have appeared in e-journals and magazines. One of them, “The Fate, of Dicky Paponovitch,” earned him Raconteur of the Month from Susan Carol Publishing Company. He belongs to the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He lives in Oregon with his photographer wife. They enjoy traveling and the outdoors.
Clicking Our Heels – Our Thoughts on the Most Beautiful Thing in Nature
/in Clicking Our Heels, Nature/by DebraSome of us are city folks, some love the outdoors and nature. Today, the gang members share our thoughts on what we each believe to be the most beautiful thing in nature.
Donnell Ann Bell – Banff Canada and the amazing waterfalls and hiking trails. Zion National Park in Utah for its colorful rock formations. The Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. The wildlife in my former neighborhood, everything from deer, bobcats, bears, turkey, geese, oh my!
Bethany Maines – Probably Bryce Canyon. It’s unforgettable, unique and different in every light. Go visit.
Gay Yellen – Almost any National Park will do, but back when there were actual glaciers in Glacier National Park, every sight was breathtaking.
Mary Lee Ashford – There are so many beautiful places and gorgeous spaces around us. I’m a beach person and the first thing that came to mind with this question was a particular sunset in Hawaii. The colors were mind-blowing, the sea air was so soft, and the sound of the waves so calming that it was like time stood still for a breath.
T.K. Thorne – I have written about beauty and how it is entirely a construct of our minds. It does not exist outside of our interpretation of the world. LOL, that is a “TK answer,” isn’t it? Most beautiful things I have seen: a baby’s first smile; missing my father and stumbling upon a field of sunlit blue wildflowers; the majesty of the Grand Canyon and New Zealand’s Milford Sound; and the ever-changing diversity of my little garden pond.
Lois Winston – A star-filled sky. Because of ambient light, it’s been decades since I’ve seen one.
Saralyn Richard – The calving of the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska. It was an extraordinarily hot day, and the pieces of ice literally exploded from the glacier, forming smoke, shapes, and splashes.
Paula G. Benson – A clear, blue, sunny sky—what my Grandfather called, “October’s bright blue weather, after Helen Hunt Jackson’s poem.
Judy Penz Sheluk – Watching the sun set while sitting on our waterfront deck on Lake Superior, especially in summer. It’s a new view every night, and it’s almost always spectacular.
Anita Carter – The Redwoods. It’s vibrant, lush, and surprisingly quiet. So quiet you can hear nature grow. Absolutely amazing.
Donalee Moulton – Sable Island, Nova Scotia, a thin crescent of shifting sand at the edge of the Continental Shelf that wild horses, grey seals, and one-of-a-kind plants, birds, and insects call home. There are also more than 350 shipwrecks surrounding this Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Debra H. Goldstein – Niagara Falls.
When Truths Collide — by T.K. Thorne
/in T.K. Thorne/by TK ThorneAt times, the need arises to hold two concepts in opposition as true. This is discombobulating.
My mind craves order and simplicity. I blame that on evolutionary biology. Our most basic level of brain development is reptilian—edible/not edible; fight/flight, sleep/wake, the red team/the blue team. It doesn’t get simpler than that. So, the brain fights the notion of something as difficult to resolve as contradictory truths.
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One Author’s Challenges of Cozy Mystery Marketing
/in Marketing, amateur sleuth mysteries, Cozy Mysteries, crafting cozies, indie publishing, Lois Winston, women sleuths, writing life/by Lois WinstonPublishing has always been a fickle industry.
Marketing was once the responsibility of publishing companies. The author had one job and one job only—meet their deadline. However, these days, whether you publish traditionally, independently, or both, most authors are required to do a huge chunk, if not all, of their own marketing. The reason? In today’s topsy-turvy world, publishers devote all their marketing dollars to the top one percent of their authors—the very authors who have such incredibly established names and reputations that their books would sell (and sell well) without the benefit of any marketing and publicity efforts.
Authors are always looking for new ways of marketing their books to readers.
The trouble is, whenever we hit upon something that works, it never lasts for long. Or what works for one author offers little or no results for another. Not only are we constantly in search of that elusive Golden Ticket, when we finally grab onto it, it often slips through our fingers.
Social Media
Social media? Some fellow authors have told me I’ve sabotaged myself by not being on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Maybe they’re right, but I’ve seen the nasty side of social media and want no part of it. I was bullied enough as a kid.
Amazon ads
I tried Amazon ads. They worked great for several years. Until they didn’t. I switched over to what’s called Defensive Ads, at the suggestion of another author who was having quite a bit of success with them. A month and a half later, they’ve resulted in exactly one sale.
I attended a workshop where the presenter claimed her success came from growing her newsletter mailing list through reader magnets, which is creating a landing page on your website where you offer a free read to anyone signing up for your newsletter. Since creating my reader magnet seven months ago, I’ve increased my subscriber list by nearly 1,000. During that time, though, I’ve seen no increase in monthly sales.
Promo Newsletters featuring discounted books used to work well for me. Until they didn’t. I wasn’t alone. Other authors have said the same thing. The only one I’ve continued to use is Bookbub—when I’ve been lucky enough to get a spot. They’ve always been extremely successful for me. So I was thrilled several weeks ago when I was offered a U.S. Bookbub promo on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books for the 2-book bundle featuring the first two books in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries for .99 cents.
Not only is a Bookbub promo hard to get, but they’re also a huge financial commitment. A bite the bullet, close your eyes, cross your fingers, and hold your breath-sized commitment. You need to sell several thousand books just to break even. The hope is that people who paid less than a dollar for your book (or books, in this case) will enjoy them enough to buy other books in the series at the regular retail price. In the past, that’s the way it’s worked for me.
I’d heard the rumors about other authors not doing well with Bookbub anymore. I suspected enough authors had stopped trying for Bookbub ads that even Bookbub was starting to feel the pinch because they had dropped the price in the Cozy Mystery category by nearly $200. My initial reaction was that I’d have to sell far fewer books to break even.
Bookbub promos always sell the most books the first day of the sale when the promo newsletter goes out. The book then remains on Bookbub’s website for the length of time the author has set for the sale. I’ve always gone with the 30-day max. Each day after the first, sales go down incrementally. However, in the past, I’ve always made Amazon’s bestseller list that first day. Not this time. I was shocked at how few books sold.
My promo end July 10th. Seeing the results this time is both sobering and depressing. I have little hope of breaking even. I know with what’s going on in the U.S. and the world right now, people are worried. I’m worried. But I’d hoped I could give them a little bit of an escape and a few laughs for only .99 cents, and at the same time, help my own financial bottom line. However even .99 cents seems too steep a price for many people to pay these days.
~*~
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com. Sign up for her newsletter to receive an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mystery.
Creatures of Habit – An Author’s Writing Habits
/in Uncategorized/by DebraSince my Stiletto Writing day changed from every second Friday to the fourth Monday every other month, I’ve been in a state of confusion. It doesn’t seem like it should be that big a change, but I guess I’m more a creature of habit than I realized. Where I never was confused when I had to write a monthly blog, I now keep and regularly consult both my calendar and an email from Paula Benson so that I don’t accidentally post on her Mondays.
The art of writing has its own version of this kind of confusion. If one is blogging, writing a short story, creating a screen play, or authoring a novel, it is very easy to fall into using an idea or behavior pattern. Instead of being innovative, one can “nod,” “smile,” or “frown.” One can fashion a death scene, have a couple spar like how a couple in a prior work fought, or re-use a poison or weapon as the means of committing murder. It’s such an easy way of creating that authors don’t even realize they’re stealing from themselves. Doing this might be interpreted as being lazy, but it probably is more of letting the subconscious control the words that are being typed. Why should the subconscious modify itself when what it previously came up with was so good?
Obviously, the answer is to give the reader a more pleasurable experience and to encourage them, through constant innovation, to keep following the writer’s work. If nothing changed, there wouldn’t be a reason to explore an author’s writings. I work hard to get my posting date right – and to vary my works. What about you? Readers, do you stick with an author when nothing changes? Writers, how do you overcome your subconscious repeating your previously work?
Making a return visit
/in writing a mystery novel, writing life/by donalee MoultonOn June 18th the anthology Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense became available on store shelves, virtual and otherwise. Nestled in those 301 pages, you’ll meet private detective E.M. Montgomery. (You have to guess what the E.M. stands for.)
Em, as she’s known to friends and family, has now made an appearance in six short stories. This is both deliberate and inadvertent. She is continuing a trend that started with my first mystery short story—and taking it much, much further.
A few years ago, the Crime Writers of Canada put out a call for an anthology to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. The theme was cold in the broadest sense. I took the easy route and opted for sub-zero temperatures. My story, “Swan Song,” is set in Iqaluit in the Canadian arctic. Here temperatures often drop below zero. Fahrenheit.
Three judges commented on each entry, and all three remarked on how much they liked to read a story set in place they didn’t know much about. I knew a little about Iqaluit having worked there as a consultant over a period of five years. It occurred to me, and several of the people who read “Swan Song,” that fictional police chief Doug Brumal might have more than one case to solve. When I went to write my second short story, “Troubled Water,” I returned to Doug and the Iqaluit Constabulary.
And now there’s Em, a private detective in Halifax Nova Scotia. A call went out for humorous mystery stories, and I decided to create a new character and my first PI. In that story Em solves the murder of man who is an avid birder. Em starts her own life list, and each story is named after a bird including “Zebra Finch,” and “Belted Kingfisher.” (In Midnight Schemers, the title has been changed to more closely reflect the theme of the collection.)
I’ve discovered that bringing back characters lets you explore that character more as a person with peccadillos and personality, and not simply a means to solve a crime. It also means their friends, family, colleagues, and other human (and non-human) adjacents make return visits. A small world begins to grow one short story at a time.
In Em’s case, she’s coming back in a big way. I have a contract to write Cardinal, my first paranormal mystery. It’s part of a cross-Canada series, and Em is making her inaugural appearance as the main character in a book.
I can’t predict what characters will come back to life. They seem to dictate their own comings and goings. I now have three stories featuring a retired lawyer in New Orleans who sells sex toys. She’ll be back. I just had a story accepted featuring a student at the College of the Atlantic in Maine. It’s unlikely she’ll ever solve a second crime. I have no idea why.
But I’ve learned to listen. They’ll let me know if their work is not done.
CONGRATULATIONS!
/in Anthologies, author promotion, Mystery, New Release/by Bethany MainesBook Clubs by Saralyn Richard
/in Book Clubs, Book events, Detective Parrott Mystery Series, New Release, Saralyn Richard/by Saralyn RichardOne of the many tasks an author tackles when she has a new book released is to develop a list of discussion questions for book clubs. While I enjoy every part of researching, writing, revising, publishing, and marketing a book, creating discussion questions is one of my favorites.
Years of doing lesson plans, creating assessments, and interacting with students around the literature they’ve read have given me the tools. I also helped teachers develop higher level questions when I was an administrator. And, for the trifecta, I took Junior Great Books training, which helps leaders craft Socratic questions that have more than one right answer and whose answers prompt more questions. All of these gave me excellent experience in working with book clubs.
Before I get into details, I must say that no two book clubs are alike. In fact, even the same book club can differ from its last session with a different book, a different leader, a slightly different crowd, or a different context for discussion. For example, I just returned to a fabulous local book club that had discussed my book, BAD BLOOD SISTERS, a year ago, and this time they were discussing MURDER IN THE ONE PERCENT. A different book, a different series, and this time there were men in the group. Furthermore, the person who hosted the second session turned it into a party to simulate the elegant party in the book. The whole atmosphere was charged with festivity, and, although I had prepared higher level discussion questions to go with the book, no one wanted to hear them. Instead, the readers had questions of their own to ask me. I was cool with that. I wanted everyone to enjoy the discussion, and I wouldn’t want anyone to leave empty-handed, with unanswered questions.
Two days later, I had the first book club discussion of the new release, MRS. OLIVER’S TWIST. I sat down to prepare the questions, and that old familiar sense of joy flooded through me. I loved writing the book, and I would love setting the platform for discussing it. What would I want to revisit? The characters? The plot? The setting? The theme?
I crafted between fifteen and twenty questions, printed them out, cut them into strips, folded them neatly, and placed them into a jar. When it came time for the discussion, I led with a five-to-ten-minute talk about the inspiration for the book, and then opened the floor for questions. Everyone had to take a turn asking or answering a question. If a person didn’t have a question to ask, she could pull a question from the jar. She would read the question and take the first crack at answering it. Or she could pass and let someone else answer it.
At the end of the evening, everyone had contributed to the discussion several times, and everyone went home happy—including the book’s author!
I’m always amazed at what comes from readers at book clubs. My philosophy is that the book belongs to me when I’m writing it, but it belongs to the reader once it’s published. So I don’t claim to have all the “right” answers, and I enjoy hearing different responses.
Sometimes I attend these book clubs in person, and sometimes by FaceTime or Zoom. Either way, it’s an honor and a joy to be invited to discuss my book with a new group.
How about you? What is the most interesting, unusual, or fun book club meeting you’ve ever attended?
Saralyn Richard is the author of the Detective Parrott mystery series, the Quinn McFarland mystery series, A MURDER OF PRINCIPAL, and the children’s book, NAUGHTY NANA. If you’d like to invite Saralyn to your next book club or organization meeting, contact her at saralyn@saralynrichard.com.
A Labor of Love: Working to Publish a Fellow Author’s Book
/in Author Life, Book design, characters, Interview, Paula Gail Benson, Uncategorized/by Paula Bensonby Paula Gail Benson
The Bethlehem Writers Group (BWG), originally based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but now having members across the United States, has done a great deal to support writers at all levels. Its quarterly online publication, the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (BWR), pays contributors and sponsors an annual short story contest.
I have a special place in my heart for this group because it published my first online story. When I was offered the opportunity to join the critique partners, I didn’t hesitate.
The information in this post and a related interview that will appear tomorrow in Writers Who Kill, show how this group has rallied behind one of its own to publish his young adult novel and cheer on his success. Carol L. Wright, Marianne H. Donley, and Dianna Sinovic are the organizers, formatters, and editors behind the scenes who worked so diligently to turn Peter J. Barbour’s excellently written Fifteen Keys into a published work. Here’s a few words with this remarkable team of writers.
What is the BWG?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: We call ourselves “a community of mutually supportive authors,” and, at our heart, we are a critique group that meets regularly to give feedback to fellow members on their writing. We’ve stayed small so we can be sure to give everyone an opportunity to share their work. At our meetings, we review entire short stories or chapters of works in progress. If a member wants us to review an entire manuscript, we call special “long-form” meetings where we go chapter-by-chapter, or page-by-page, giving feedback on the whole work: pacing, characterization, story arc, etc. As we critique the work of others, we become better writers ourselves.
As our mission grew to include publishing books and a literary magazine and running an annual Short Story Award competition, we realized we had to formalize our critique group into an LLC. We’ve now published eight of our trademarked “Sweet, Funny, and Strange” anthologies as well as several other books, including our latest: Fifteen Keys, by BWG member Peter J. Barbour.
Carol L. Wright
How was BWG formed?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: In the spring of 2006, the manager of the Bethlehem, PA Barnes & Noble asked me if I would like to start a writers’ group for the store. I had been a book editor some years before, had one published book, and had taken several writers’ courses and workshops, so I figured, why not? At that first meeting, four people came. Only one of them ever returned, but more people continued to join us. Over time we outgrew Barnes & Noble and became the independent group we are today. See more about us at: https://sites.google.com/view/bethlehemwritersgroupllc/home.
What is the BWR?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: In the fall of 2011, we began publishing an online literary magazine: Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (BWR). We currently publish quarterly and seek unpublished short stories (2000 words or fewer) and poetry. Each issue also has several features including interviews and “Literary Learnings.” Currently, we offer $50 for featured stories, $20 for additional stories, and $10 for the poems we publish. For more information, see our submissions page at: https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/submissions-contacts/
Tell us about the annual short story contest.
CAROL L. WRIGHT: Each January, we open our annual Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award competition on a specific theme. We recruit a guest judge to select our winners who receive a cash award and an offer of publication either in a forthcoming anthology or in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. We recently announced our 2025 winners selected by our guest judge, author Adrian Tchaikovsky. You can see the winner list at: https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/short-story-award-2/
Our next contest opens on January 1, 2026, on the theme of science fiction and fantasy for our upcoming anthology, Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy due to come out in late 2026. More details about our 2026 competition will be available in our fall issue of Roundtable.
How did you contribute to Fifteen Keys?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: There are myriad tasks required to put out a book, and I’ve been privileged to work with a wonderfully talented team to bring out Fifteen Keys. My role was primarily organizational, making sure everything worked together to produce a book of high quality and appearance, at a price that would be both competitive and profitable, on our optimal timeline. I am so grateful to our BWG publishing team, especially Marianne H. Donley and Dianna Sinovic, and to our author, Peter J Barbour, who was not only terrific to work with, but was a true partner in the publishing process.
What is your hope for Fifteen Keys?
CAROL L. WRIGHT: I’ve been extremely gratified about the excitement generated by the publication of Fifteen Keys. It is not only an Amazon bestseller but has received some very high praise in reviews. Of course, any publisher wants the books they publish to sell, but this one is very special. My hopes for it are that it will not only entertain its readers but will help middle-grade and early teens to navigate the sometimes-turbulent years of adolescence when they struggle with their identities and values. The story and its lessons can help teens, and adults, as they figure out who they want to be and what kind of life they hope to live
What anthologies has the BWG produced and have they won awards?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: BWG has published eight Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthologies. They include:
** A Christmas Sampler: Sweet Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales,
* Once Around the Sun, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for All Seasons,
* A Readable Feast: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for Every Taste,
Once Upon a Time: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for All Ages,
*** Untethered: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of the Paranormal,
** Fur, Feathers and Scales, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales,
*** An Element of Mystery: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Intrigue,
And our newest: *Season’s Readings: MORE Sweet, Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales
We are working on our 9th Anthology Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Those marked with one * were finalists in the Next Generation Indie Book Award
Those Marked with two * won TWO Next Generation Indie Book Award
Those Marked with three * were finalists in both the Next Generation Indie Book Award and Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award
How were the anthology stories selected?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: All members of BWG are eligible to submit stories to our anthologies. These stories MUST be workshopped at one of our regular BWG critique meetings before being submitted to the anthology.
Stories from authors who are not BWG members are submitted to our annual Short Story Award. We have a celebrity judge each year who selects the winners. First Place always gets considered for publication in our anthology. Sometimes we consider Second and Third Place as well.
Has the BWG published other fiction besides the anthologies?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: Besides the Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthologies we have publish Bethlehem Writers Roundtable and online magazine. We publish four issues every year and two of them are open to non BWG authors (and we pay for fiction and poetry). Submissions for our Winter 2026 issue will open on July 1, 2025.
We have also published, Let It Snow a collection of stories from Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, Off the Rails: A Collection of Weird, Wicked, and Wacky Stories by Jerome W. McFadden and Fifteen Keys by Peter J Barbour.
How did you contribute to Fifteen Keys?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: I formatted Fifteen Keys for both print and ebook. I used a very handy program called Vellum, but still placing the illustrations was a bit tricky. Carol, Pete, and I did a final Zoom call where I shared my Vellum screen. They could weigh in on where a particular illustration looked best. That Zoom call was very helpful.
Using Pete’s painting, I also formatted the front cover. Carol used that design and completed the back cover and the spine. Fifteen Keys was very much a group project.
What is your hope for Fifteen Keys?
MARIANNE H. DONLEY: I hope every child between the ages of 10 to 99 reads and enjoys Fifteen Keys. It’s an entertaining, positive, and uplifting story that is appealing to adults as it is to kids.
I also hope Pete sells a bazillion copies and gets an interview from Oprah Winfrey.
Dianna Sinovic
You have special training as a journalist and writing coach. Why did you decide to become a writing coach?
DIANNA SINOVIC: I’ve been an editor for pretty much my entire career and enjoyed the one-on-one aspect of it. When I heard about book coaching, it seemed like the next logical step—to do more than edit, to help a writer bring their ideas to the page.
How has your training as a journalist and writing coach helped you with your own writing?
DIANNA SINOVIC: My training as a journalist has helped in doing research for my fiction, since research is second-nature for a reporter. My training as a book coach has definitely helped with my own writing. I’m less of a pantser than I used to be and see the value in taking time to tease out aspects such as the point of my story and the big picture before I dive into writing individual scenes and chapters.
When did you begin working with Peter on Fifteen Keys and in what capacity, as coach or editor or both?
DIANNA SINOVIC: I served as copyeditor for Fifteen Keys; the book had gone through several rounds of editing on Pete’s part, based on feedback from BWG members who read the entire manuscript in a “long-form” session.
Do you provide developmental editing as well as line editing, copy editing, and proofreading?
DIANNA SINOVIC: Yes, for my own business, Diasin Books, I provide developmental editing and manuscript evaluations, as well as line editing, copy editing and proofing.
What is your hope for Fifteen Keys?
DIANNA SINOVIC: My hope for the book is that it read and enjoyed widely by teens and parents in discussions about the 15 lessons laid out within it.
When did you join BWG?
PETER J. BARBOUR: I joined BWG approximately 2018.
How did joining BWG affect your process in writing Fifteen Keys?
PETER J. BARBOUR: BWG has had a positive influence on all of my writing. I value the kind critique I receive when we read a piece I wrote at our bimonthly meetings. Show don’t tell has made my prose come alive. I think I’ve learned a lot since I joined the club.
How did you decide to seek publication through BWG?
PETER J. BARBOUR: I watched BWG produce several anthologies. I trusted that my work would be treated professionally and with a personal touch. I was right.
Did you do the illustrations after the writing was complete or while it was ongoing?
PETER J. BARBOUR: I did the drawing after the writing was complete. I didn’t originally plan on illustrating the book. Carol and Marianne suggested I illustrate it. I’ve written and illustrated three children’s books, so I had experience with that.
BIOS:
Carol L. Wright escaped a career in law and academia to write Mysteries and More. Among other works are an award-winning traditional mystery, DEATH IN GLENVILLE FALLS, an award-winning novelette, Apple, Table, Penny . . . Murder, and a collection of short stories in a variety of genres, A Christmas on Nantucket and other stories. She is a founding member of the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, a life member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society of North America, and a member of SinC Guppies and Pennwriters. Find out more on her website, http://carollwright.com/.
Marianne H. Donley writes fiction from short stories to funny romances and quirky murder mysteries fueled by her life as a mom and a teacher. She makes her home in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and fluffy dog. Marianne blogs at A Slice of Orange. She is an editor of BWG anthologies. She’s also a member Sisters in Crime and Charmed Writers.
Dianna Sinovic is an author of speculative fiction, horror, and mystery, as well as a certified book coach and editor. Her short stories have been published in a number of anthologies, including those from the BWG, and her flash fiction appears monthly on the blog A Slice of Orange. Her paranormal thriller, SCREAM OF THE SILENT SUN, is slated for release in 2025. She’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and the National Association of Memoir Writers. In BWG, she serves on the executive committee. Connect with her via her website, www.dianna-sinovic.com, or on Instagram, @dsinovic94.
Peter J. Barbour
Neurologist Peter J Barbour, M.D. retired his reflex hammer to become a full-time writer and illustrator. He is actively involved in Mussar, an ancient study of Jewish ethics, virtues, and mindfulness leading to character development. He participates in the process as a group facilitator and brings Mussar’s timeless wisdom to the writing his latest publication, FIFTEEN KEYS, an action-adventure, coming-of-age novel for middle grade and young teens. His other works include a memoir, LOOSE ENDS, three illustrated children’s books: GUS AT WORK, OSCAR AND GUS, and TANYA AND THE BABY ELEPHANT, and over forty short stories that have appeared in e-journals and magazines. One of them, “The Fate, of Dicky Paponovitch,” earned him Raconteur of the Month from Susan Carol Publishing Company. He belongs to the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He lives in Oregon with his photographer wife. They enjoy traveling and the outdoors.
Between Floors
/in humor, Marketing, New Release, Romance, Romantic Suspense/by Bethany MainesWhen You Get Stuck Between Floors
When I start writing a book, I often have a specific scene in mind. For Between Floors, book 2 of the Valkyrie Brothers series, I didn’t. I knew generally what the plot was and who my characters were, but I didn’t have the scene that locked me into the story.
How to Get Unstuck?
Finding the scene to kick off story sometimes means becoming a detective in my work. I have to go back and start stacking up clues and facts about my characters and review what I know about them already so that I can determine what comes next. But as I pondered the riddle of where does the story start for Forest Valkyrie and Chloe Jordan I realized that I already knew the answer.
I remembered a moment in Elevator Ride (book 1) when Forest Valkyrie rushes in late to his brother Rowan’s office. Rowan has been babysitting Forest’s son Oliver and Forest is late to pick him up. Forest is stressed and has provided way more equipment than anyone could possibly need to babysit a three year old (something that amuses Rowan).
“That’s going to be Forest,” said Rowan without moving from the floor. He tossed the little boy up in the air again as the door burst open.
“I’m here. I’m here. Sorry, sorry.”
The man looked to be in his thirties and with dark, disheveled hair as if he’d run all the way up from the parking garage. Vivian recognized the piercing green-flecked eyes that Rowan shared with Oliver, but the slightly frantic edge was not something she associated with the Valkyrie aura.
“Daddy!” chirped the little boy.
“Breathe, Forest,” ordered Rowan, using what Vivian thought of as his commanding voice, and Forest automatically inhaled. “We’re fine,” said Rowan more softly.
“Sorry,” said Forest again. “I didn’t mean to be late.”
“Everything’s fine,” said Rowan. “Olly is training for the paratroopers, and I am getting my arm workout for the day.”
But as I went back to that scene looking for clues to Forest’s character I asked… why is he late? And that kicked off an exploration of what Forest had been doing. And that’s when I realized the answer: Forest was stuck in an elevator with the girl of his dreams… the girl he just rejected as a nanny candidate.
That Sounds Awkward
It was! For them. For me, it was hilarious. First and foremost I write to entertain myself and getting those two into and out of the elevator made me laugh. I hope that readers will as well. Check out Elevator Ride (now on sale for $.99!) to get caught up before launching into Between Floors.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERIES: https://amzn.to/3XEL9id
Between Floors
One broken elevator. Two polar opposites. Sometimes love gets stuck between floors.
Free-spirited Chloe Jordan returned to Seattle to face her past, but when she gets stuck in an elevator with grumpy Forest Valkyrie—the terminally stressed single dad who just rejected her as a nanny candidate—Chloe discovers that it’s her future at stake.
Genre: Rom-Com Mystery
Release Date: 6/23/25
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Find out more about the Stilettog Gang Books!
Rabbit Holes & Root Beer
/in Gay Yellen, Author Life, Book Clubs, Cozy Mysteries, food, History, Indigenous, Inspiration, Mystery Series, Samantha Newman Romantic Mystery series, writing life/by Gay YellenHelp! I’ve burrowed down another rabbit hole, and I’m stuck in a warren full of of too many possibilities.
So deep am I into the research for my next book that I lost track of time. Which is to say, I almost forgot to write this post.
With no plan for what to post today, I turned to a holiday calendar for inspiration. Maybe this date in history would spark and idea. Boy, did it ever, though it sent me burrowing even deeper.
Turns out, today is National Black Cow Day. Curious as to why we should celebrate dark bovines, I clicked and learned that today’s Black Cow hoopla is all about a drink I’d always known as a root beer float—that delicious concoction of vanilla ice cream melting inside a tall, icy glass of root beer.
Okay, I thought, a fun subject, but not meaty enough to write about—until I read more, and discovered sassafras.
Sassafras is an incredibly fun word to say out loud. (Try it!)
It’s also the original ingredient in root beer, first marketed in America in the 19th century by Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Hires. But that’s not what kept me deep inside that rabbit hole.
When I discovered how important sassafras was to native tribes across the eastern half of what became America, I had to read on.
Here’s why: Attentive readers of my Samantha Newman Mystery Series may recall a mention in Book 3, The Body in the News, of the discovery of a possible ancient Native American campsite on Carter Chapman’s Serenity Ranch. With the idea of that as a plot point in the next book, I’ve been researching indigenous people who may have once inhabited the region.
Cornell Botanic Gardens
Who were these people? What did they eat? What tools did they use? Were they peaceful, or warlike? What might they have left behind at the campsite? I’ve already done a ton of research based on those questions, with more to go. And, to that, I now add this question: Did sassafras trees grow on their land?
Today I learned that every part of the sassafras tree was used by Native Americans from the east coast to west of the Mississippi into Central Texas. Roots from which root beer flavoring is derived were used as toothbrushes. An emetic made from bark was used in purification after funeral ceremonies. Leaves, rubbed onto bee stings, wounds, cuts, sprained ankles, and bruises, were thought to have healing properties.
Ground Sassafras/Cornell Botanic Gardens
Timber from the sassafras tree was used in construction, furniture making, and—when explorers learned of its utility— shipbuilding. By the early 18th century, sassafras became the second-most exported American product, right behind tobacco.
I could tell you everything I’ve learned about sassafras and the possible tribes who may once have hunted on what’s now Carter Chapman’s Serenity Ranch in my books, but I’m running out of time to get this posted.
Also, I have to get back to my research.
bittersoutherner.com
But I’ll leave the foodies among you with one more sassafras fact: its leaves were also dried and pulverized for use as a thickening and flavoring agent. If you’ve ever had true Cajun gumbo, you’ve enjoyed the flavor of filé, made from ground roots or leaves of the sassafras tree.
All of which makes me hungry for some gumbo right now. Maybe I’ll chase it with a few frosty swigs of a root beer float.
Happy National Black Cow Day to you, and may your day be full of fun adventures, down rabbit holes or wherever you roam.
Samantha Newman Mystery Series including:
The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News!