October is The Month of Mystery and the perfect time of year for a writing workshop led by award-winning Twin Cities mystery authors Marilyn Jax and Craig MacIntosh.

   They teamed up to share some of the tricks of their trade with eager learners who came to the free workshop at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Apple Valley, Minn., on Sat. Oct. 26th. Most of the participants said they learned about the workshop in a newspaper article that ran in the Apple Valley edition of This Week Newspapers.

   Marilyn talked about her books, The Find, Road to Omalos and Sapphire Trails, and shared how her work and travel experiences played into the plots. Craig focused on the intense research he did for both of his books, The Fortunate Orphans and The Last Lightning. 
   The authors also talked workshop participants through a series of writing exercises designed to get them thinking about how a mystery comes together. Both authors' books are available for purchase at Barnes & Noble Apple Valley, and can also be purchased via their websites, www.marilynjax.com, www.thefortunateorphans.com and www.thelastlightning.com.