March 14, 7:00 PM EST
Game on! Join Kellye Garrett, Rhys Bowen, Valerie Wilson Wesley, and John Lescroart for an exciting hour of writers talking about writing and life, plus a special treat–reading from their brand-new books. It’s all free, and you could win the drawing for Rhys’s Edgar-nominated mystery, Wild Irish Rose, too. Emceed by our own Tosca Lee!
Come eat, drink, & ask questions! Authors will share insider stories, writerly tips, and dish the latest on their new books. Our guests’ favorite snacks and favorite drinks provide a recipe for an enjoyable evening. Drinking will commence at the start of the show!
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Following a brief introduction, each of our guests will talk about their writing process, then either read or answer questions about their new books, followed by audience Q&A.
The first 100 who sign up to be in the virtual room will have the chance to ask questions live. Once registered you will be sent a link to use to log in. Everyone else can catch the event by clicking on Facebook Live, where you can ask questions via comments. The Rogues will be monitoring the chat throughout the evening, so come prepared.
Kellye Garrett is the author of Like a Sister. She also wrote the Detective by Day lightweight mysteries, which have won the Anthony, Agatha, Lefty and IPPY awards and been featured on the Today show as a Best Summer Read. She serves on Sisters in Crime’s national board and is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color.
Like a Sister, March 8, 2022
Desiree’s death is too easily dismissed as a tragedy, but Lena knows better—why is no one listening to her?
When the body of disgraced reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found on a playground in the Bronx the morning after her 25th birthday party, the police and the media are quick to declare her death an overdose. But Desiree’s half-sister Lena Scott knows that can’t be the case. A graduate student at Columbia, Lena becomes determined to find justice for her sister, even if it means untangling her family’s darkest secrets—or ending up dead herself.
Desiree loves a good Lemon Drop. A recipe from Kellye’s friend Chantelle is below.
• Granulated sugar, for rimming
• Lemon wedge, for rimming
• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 to 3/4 ounce simple syrup, to taste
• Lemon twist, for garnish
Kellye’s version, however, does not do the sugar on the rim (she prefers it to be sour to sweet) and she also makes her own easy simple syrup—equal parts water to sugar, bring to a simmer, stir until sugar is completely dissolved, then store in a cool place (lasts up to 4 weeks). You can use any sugar, but she prefers brown sugar.
Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of the Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness historical mystery series, as well as several internationally bestselling stand alone novels, including The Venice Sketchbook. Rhys’s work has been translated into over 30 languages and has won twenty awards to date. A transplanted Brit, she now divides her time between California and Arizona.
Wild Irish Rose, March 1, 2022
Does everyone really have a double? And what if she’s a killer?
Rhys’s new book takes us to New York, 1907. Now that she’s no longer a private detective, at least not officially, Molly Murphy Sullivan is looking forward to a time of settled tranquility with friends and family. But Molly’s policeman husband, Daniel, is investigating a murder on Ellis Island where the main suspect is the spitting image of Molly. The circumstances are eerily similar to when Molly herself arrived on Ellis Island, and she can’t help but feel an obligation to clear the woman’s name.
Rhys’s favorite drink is Prosecco! What else in Venice? For snacks, she notes that tramezzini are popular: sandwich bars where you buy tiny white bread sandwiches filled with tuna, olives, prosciutto etc. There are also cicchetti, bar snacks you can nibble with a glass of wine. Rhys’s favorite is fried sardines and marinated octopus.
Valerie Wilson Wesley writes mysteries, novels and children’s books and is a former executive editor of Essence Magazine. She served as artist-in-residence at Columbia College in Chicago in spring 2005 and is a former adjunct professor at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey as well as a former artist-in-residence at the Tyson School of the Arts in East Orange, New Jersey. Valerie graduated from Howard University and holds master’s degrees from the Bank Street College of Education and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She is married to noted screenwriter and playwright Richard Wesley and has two adult daughters.
A Fatal Glow, February 22, 2022
When a light snack proves deadly, it’s bad for business.
Recently widowed Odessa Jones is sure the exclusive catering job she’s scored from wealthy businessman Casey Osborne will propel her catering career into the big leagues. This causes her to ignore the pesky second sight which warns her that Osborne is bad news. But when he drops dead at his brunch after sampling her homemade preserves, Dessa and the friends who helped her in the kitchen are suspected of the crime.
Dessa’s Handy-Dandy Collard Greens Quiche
A tasty quiche is like an upright man, Valerie tells us—always have a good one on hand. This recipe comes with compliments to Jonell Nash, the late great food editor of ESSENCE magazine, with Valerie’s own touches. She hopes Jonell would approve.
• Basic piecrust for 9 or 10-inch pie pan. (Your own if you have time, but store-bought is fine.)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup grated onion (sweet or red adds a nice touch!)
• ½ cup chopped red pepper
• 1 ½ cups chopped cooked fresh or frozen collard greens. Be sure to drain and squeeze them dry or your quiche will be watery.
• ½ to ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 375 F for metal pan or 350 for glass pan. Roll out and ease pie dough into bottom and up sides of pie pan. Tuck edges under and crimp. Using a fork, prick bottom and sides. Partially bake for about 12 minutes until crust is beginning to color.
In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs and milk. Add salt, pepper, oregano, nutmeg, onion, red pepper and collard greens and set aside.
Sprinkle half of the cheese on pie crust. Pour egg mixture on top of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake until a knife inserted halfway between center and outside edge comes out clean, which is usually from 45 to 60 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.
The Missing Piece, March 29, 2022
If the wrong guy got out of jail for the right reasons, why is he dead?
In his 19th—count ‘em, 19—Dismas Hardy novel, no one mourned when San Fran DA Wes Farrell put Paul Riley in prison eleven years ago for the rape and murder of his girlfriend. When he’s released after an exoneration, Riley soon turns up murdered—but if innocent all along, who would want him dead? Obviously, the still-grieving father of Riley’s dead girlfriend. Farrell, now practicing law with Dismas, agrees to represent the defendant, but is left in the dust when the man vanishes.
John loves a good recipe, and publishes several on his website! But his favorite snack is d’Affinois (Brie) cheese with Rain Coast crisps, which may go well with his favorite drink: Boulevardier, which is equal parts Campari, Sweet Vermouth, and Gin (preferably Hendricks).
Our MC:
And our own Rogue TOSCA LEE in her MC debut! Tosca is a New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and optioned for TV and film. She is the recipient of two International Book Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion, ECPA Fiction Book of the Year, and the Nebraska Book Award. Tosca earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Smith College. A former first runner-up to Mrs. United States, she lives in Nebraska with her husband and two of four children still at home.
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