“World-Building That Drives the Story and Creates Suspense” Panel in NJ
Join us for a panel discussion by mystery authors as they reveal how they use words to build worlds. How do they set the scene for their novel that captivates readers, creates suspense on every page, and drives the story to a satisfying conclusion?
Deets:
Thursday, July 16, 6:00-7:30 pm
Montclair Public Library
50 S. Fullerton Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
This panel is open to the public
Moderator: Yvonne Ventresca
Panelists: Lori Robbins, Peggy Ehrhart, Valerie Wilson Wesley
Peggy Ehrhart is a former English professor with a doctorate in Medieval Literature. Her Maxx Maxwell mysteries, Sweet Man Is Gone (2008) and Got No Friend Anyhow (2011), were published by Five Star/Gale/Cengage and feature a blues-singer sleuth. More recently, Peggy has written the Knit & Nibble mysteries for Kensington Books. Book #12, Last Wool and Testament, was released in May 2025; “An Eggy Way to Die” appeared in Kensington’s 2026 Easter novella anthology, Easter Egg Murder. In September Peggy will be launching a new cozy series with The Quilt Whisperer Investigates, also from Kensington. Peggy herself is an avid crafter, dating from her childhood as a member of the 4-H Club in rural Southern California. She now lives in Leonia, New Jersey.
Lori Robbins is the Amazon bestselling author of the On Pointe and Master Class mystery series and a contributor to The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers Cookbook. She is an Agatha Award nominee and the recipient of three Silver Falchions, the Indie Award for Best Mystery, and a silver medal in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Mystery and Suspense. Short stories include “Leading Ladies,” which received honorable mention in the 2022 Best American Mystery and
Suspense anthology. After ten very lean years as a professional dancer, Lori became an English teacher and now writes full time. Her experiences onstage, in the classroom, and at home as the mother of six have made her an expert in the homicidal tendencies everyday life inspires.
Valerie Wilson Wesley writes mysteries, novels, and children’s books. Her latest book is The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum, the first mystery of her Harriet Stone series. The Odessa Jones Mysteries include A Glimmer of Death (2021), A Fatal Glow (2022) and A Shimmer of Red (2023). She has also written nine mysteries in the popular Tamara Hayle Mystery series, including When Death Comes Stealing, named by Time magazine as one of the 100 best
mysteries and thrillers. Her mysteries have been published in Germany, France, and the UK. Wesley is a graduate of Howard University and holds master’s degrees from the Bank Street College of Education and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She is a former executive editor of Essence magazine and a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America. https://valeriewilsonwesley.com
Yvonne Ventresca is an award-winning author with an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her latest thriller, If I’m Gone, will be out in spring 2027 from Poisoned Pen Press. Told in a book-within-a-book narrative, it features a missing author who leaves behind a final manuscript that eerily mirrors her own life as a widow being stalked. Yvonne’s previous work includes the YA novels Pandemic and Black Flowers and White Lies as well as two nonfiction books and nine short stories. She serves on the Mystery Writers of America NY board and mentors through AWP and MWA. You can learn more at her website YvonneVentresca.com, where she blogs about writing productivity and features writing resources.