Texas Pages

At 1 p.m. Wednesday, she's scheduled to be launching a series of writer chats sponsored by bookseller abunga.com.

I asked Melane to tell me a little bit about the ensemble she, Murphy, Clarke and Hunsicker formed. She told me:

"The Writer's Bloc is grand fun - you've got four talented, accomplished writers bantering and riffing off their shared tongue-in-cheek bitterness about the perils of the creative life.

"Will Clarke is great because he's so bright, articulate and funny; Harry Hunsicker has a wicked, dry sense of humor; Trish Murphy is the gorgeous blonde singer/songwriter; and I'm there, of course, because two blondes make a right."

Of course.

I was going to link to a previous story we ran about the group. But with the link down, let me just append it here:

From the April 11, 2008 Guide section of The Dallas Morning News:

By NANCY MOORE
Staff Writer
GUIDE

Words matter. So say many politicians, teachers, parents and preachers. And on Thursday four writers will prove it, using their unique styles, at Garden Cafe in East Dallas.

Sassy songwriter Trish Murphy, irreverent mystery writer Harry Hunsicker and supernatural story smiths Melanie Wells and Will Clarke will trade yarns and tunes during the Writers in the Round event at the cozy eatery.

Ms. Murphy's funky-folkie rock borders on country at times. Her song "Scorpio Tequila," from her 1997 release Crooked Mile, is a twangy Texas-style number. The lyrics tell of an ingénue who wants to be a little worldlier. Ms. Murphy uses double entendre and colloquialisms to spice things up:

"Wish I was a Scorpio like my sister. I'm a nice girl. She's the pistol. She got all the boys. I missed all the fun. Still a good girl, all I need is the gun."

Austin-based songbird Ms. Murphy and Dallas-based author Ms. Wells are longtime pals, and they share a blog called www.thelmaandlouisegrabthe keys.com, where they elaborate on their adventures and creative pursuits.

Both Ms. Wells (a psychotherapist) and Ms. Murphy (who has a bachelor's degree in philosophy) certainly would be able to draw from their studies to enhance their writing. And it seems natural that the two have kindled a friendship.

Ms. Wells' new book, My Soul to Keep, is another suspenseful novel in her line of psychological thrillers, which includes The Soul Hunter and When the Day of Evil Comes. The series' hero is Dylan Foster, a psychology professor at Southern Methodist University who has a knack for stumbling into murder mysteries. Ms. Wells also plays fiddle and, according to a recent blog post, plans to bring her instrument to the writers' klatch.

Another Dallas author on the bill, Mr. Hunsicker, is the creator of the popular Lee Henry Oswald mystery books, including Crosshairs and Still River. He uses Dallas as a backdrop for the action.

Mr. Clarke did the same in Lord Vishnu's Love Handles, which he self-published before it was picked up by Simon & Schuster a few years ago. It takes a satirical look at Dallas society and manages to blend spy, comedy and supernatural elements. On the other hand, The Worthy: A Ghost's Story by Mr. Clarke is set at his alma mater, Louisiana State University, and is told from the point of view of a dead frat boy.