January 12^th marks the forty-seventh anniversary of the passing of Agatha Christie. She was 86 years old. Only the Bible and the Bard outsell her books. No wonder she is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all times) in the mystery writers’ realm.

Christie created two of the most enduring sleuths: Hercule Poirot, he of the little gray cells, and Miss Jane Marple, she of the knitting needles and quiet observations. To say that Christie’s books, especially the Poirot or Marple books, have provided film makers with a plethora of stories is quite the understatement. The number of adaptations for both the silver screen and the little box is amazing, and providing work for so many actors portraying the two sleuths.

The American public met Christie in 1920 with the publication of THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES. Monsieur Poirot, meet your adoring public.

Her last book, SLEEPING MURDER, was published in 1976, but written in the 1940’s. This was Jane Marple’s last case.

Overall, Christie wrote seventy-four novels, plus many short story collections. She penned sixteen plays. The most famous, THE MOUSETRAP, opened in London in 1952, and ran continuously until the pandemic of 2020 closed all the theatres. There is a report that the production is finally coming to Broadway in 2023, though no specific details are available.

Not only did she pen mysteries, but her life also provided one: the missing eleven days in 1926. Books and movies have taken over the speculation of this ‘hidden time’ in her life.

A fairly recent publication, THE SCIENCE OF MURDER, The forensics of Agatha Christie, by Carla Valentine, examines how the Dame and her thinking/methods predate the modern science of forensics. The chapters cover the various aspects of the science as we know it today, from fingerprints to toxicology. If you are an aficionado of Christie, this book is a nice addition to your library.

I leave you with some quotations, either from her works or in her own words:

“Every murderer is probably someone’s best friend.”

“I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest.”

“The best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes.”

And finally, worthy of contemplation,

“Very few of us are what we seem.”

Remembering Debi Huff

It has been a year since we lost our dear friend, Debi Huff. She continues to be missed. Let’s take a minute and remember her smile and her wit.

Happy New Year from your 2023 board. We hope this will be an exciting year for all of you with new works-in-progress or finding a home for those completed works.

A few notable changes coming with the new year:

 First, as a result of the survey sent out, we will be changing the starting time of our meetings to 11 a.m. with the program starting at noon. Please note: our January meeting will be at the old time of noon with the program at 1 PM. This was set with the speaker before we changed the time of our meetings.

Second, while we will continue to work on the craft of writing, our format will change. Our sessions will be more interactive. All of you will be contributing as we discuss various topics or dissect various aspects of the craft.

For example, in January, we are going to start at the very beginning, which Julie Andrews in THE SOUND OF MUSIC tells us, is a very good place to start. We are going to discuss Where do you get your ideas? Our published authors will speak to the origin of their stories. Those of you who are still working on a story can tell us where your idea came from. Those searching for ideas can ask questions or relate your ideas for future stories.

In February, now that we have the idea, what is next? Do we outline? How detailed? If not, what is the ‘seat of the pants’ writing?

In March, we sit down and start the process of putting words on that blank piece of paper.

Get the idea? We want everyone to participate. There are no dumb statements. Really, there aren’t.

Programming goals are to have speakers that will teach us something about the writing process or the publishing process. Mixed into that line-up, we want to have some technically savvy presenters so we learn some of the basics of police procedure, private investigator practices and, hopefully, a field trip or two for some in person learning.

Also, each month we want to spotlight one of our Derby Rotten Scoundrels via our web site blog – that is to say, we would like a brief article (about 500-600 words, plus abt 50-word bio), especially from those who haven’t already posted an article, on some topic related to yourself, your writing, your favorite authors – this will be very open and flexible. This will be a good way to meet each other and learn an unexpected thing or two about our sisters. You can volunteer now by emailing Elaine and we will set up the queue.

Thank you for reading all this. We hope to see you on January 14^th, at noon, via Zoom. Our speaker is John DeDakis, a former senior editor at CNN and author of several books. The most recent is FAKE, a Lark Chadwick novel. Be sure to register for the zoom when Susan sends out the invite.

Lastly, a big thank you to all who attended the Holiday Book Signing at Barnes & Noble on December 3^rd. All of the authors appreciate your support.

New Year, New News. Sit right down and write yourself a book!

Your board: Elaine, Carol, Susan, Leanne, Patience and Miki.