Mystery, suspense authors to lead BookFest workshops | Times Georgian

Those in attendance will have the opportunity to get to know the authors and appreciate the intricacy in their work. Ryan also will lead a workshop “Conquering the Muddle in the Middle,” in which she will share how a novel’s central pages can be crafted to intrigue, surprise and delight the reader.

Fans of cozy mysteries appreciate what Amanda Flower called the main ingredients: An amateur sleuth, an unsuspecting victim, a quirky supporting cast, and a trail of clues and red herrings. Sisters in Crime Atlanta members Cathy Tully, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, S.C. Merritt and Kathy Manos Penn will discuss the art of the cozy mystery, unveiling the truth about spinning the tale for the cozy mystery reader.

These are three of the many events planned for first day of Carrollton BookFest. A single $60 ticket covers admission to all of the day’s events, starting with an interview of novelist and humorist Rick Bragg by Edward R. Murrow Award-winning broadcaster, Matt Jolley, who will later in the day interview broadcaster and novelist John Pruitt as well.

Other presentations include Susan Beckham Zurenda and Terah Shelton Harris discussing “How Hard Times Shape Characters in Southern Fiction,” T.M. Brown presenting “From Shiloh to Sapelo: The Challenges and Rewards of Writing Historical Novels” and Ray Atkins speaking on humor in writing.

For those looking to market their novels, Gaby Anderson, Kim Conrey, Kathy Nichols and…