Jennie Bentley/Bente Gallagher

Female

Nashville, TN

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:: Nashville, TN. (Well, now anyway.)
About Me:: I am the author of the DIY-home renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime, written under the pseudonym Jennie Bentley. DIY#1, FATAL FIXER-UPPER, was released in November 2008 and DIY#2, SPACKLED AND SPOOKED,in August 2009. DIY#3, PLASTER AND POISON, was released March 2010. DIY-4, untitled, will be released in January 2011, with DIY-5 to follow. As myself, I write the Savannah Martin Southern real estate mysteries from PublishingWorks: book 1, A CUTTHROAT BUSINESS, will be released in June 2010, with book 2, HOT PROPERTY to follow in June 2011. Book 3 is in the works.
I Am A:: Reader, Writer
Website:: http://www.jenniebentley.com
Books And Authors I Like:: In no particular order (except that my friends come first...)
Tasha Alexander, Diana Killian, Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, Dorothy L Sayers, Lindsey Davis, Lillian Stewart Carl, Lois McMaster Bujold, Patricia Wynn, Lauren Willig, Janet Evanovich, Tori Carrington, Eoin Colfer, JK Rowling, Tamora Pierce, Terry Pratchett
Movies And TV Shows I Like:: Casablanca, To Have and Have Not, The Pirate, Robin Hood, The Princess Bride, The Producers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Anything with Fred and Ginger...

Comment Wall:

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Rhys Bowen

Hi Jennie.
I see you're a fellow Penguin Putnam person. Welcome!
And good luck with writing while you've kids at home. I remember that phase very well.

Jun 21, 2007
Evelyn David

Hi Jennie,
Thanks for stopping by.
Fred, Ginger, The Producers (Gene Wilder/Zero Mostel version - right??), JK Rowling, Tamora Pierce - great list!
Good luck with your books.
Evelyn

Jul 3, 2007
Kathryn Lilley

Hi Jennie! Your books sound like great fun. I'll look for them!
Best, Kathryn

Jul 4, 2007
Marilyn Meredith

So glad to be part of your group.

Marilyn

Jul 9, 2007
Elizabeth Zelvin

Thanks for your comment, Jennie! :) Liz

Jul 20, 2007
Glen C. Allison

Hey there, Jennie, will you be helping with KillerNashville? I'm driving up for the conference, so will probably see you along with other Crimespace folks. Hope all is well with you and your series.

Jul 23, 2007
Kelli Stanley

Hiya, Jennie! It was great to find you on Crimespace!

Actually, I only look like this when Jim Ferreira takes my picture. He's a noir photographer and a great guy. Normally I'm in color. ;)

To be honest, Lindsey Davis isn't one of my favorite writers. She's very humorous, and (though I usually love British humor), it doesn't work with Rome for me. She seems like a wonderful person, but we're opposites in terms of approach. Of the other authors who write about ancient Rome, I prefer Steven Saylor. You might give him a try, if you like Davis.

Nox Dormienda is vastly different from either of these authors. It's Roman Noir, equal parts history and hardboiled.

Thanks, and talk to you soon!

Kelli

Jul 27, 2007
Jennie Bentley/Bente Gallagher

I'll probably drop in on some of the panels and workshops at Killer Nashville, yes. So if anyone wants to say Hi to me, just keep an eye out. I'll be the incredibly gorgeous blonde with the killer legs and the sexy outfit. (And if you believe that, I have some ocean front property right down the street I'll be happy to sell you, cheap.)

Jul 27, 2007
Lyn LeJeune

I absolutely love the fixer-upper them. Maybe you could go on one of those many shows on HGTV and talk about your books - that would be good promo. My head always spins when I learn about new mysteries. Can't wait.

Aug 11, 2007
Lyn LeJeune

My book, The Beatitudes, is a paranormal thriller set in New Orleans. It will be out in the fall and I am donating all royalties directly to the New Orleans Public Library Foundation. Libraries support the infrastructure of a great city, so I have started The Beatitudes Network to promote awareness of the importance of public libraries in NOLA.
The blogsite www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com describes the Network, has excerpts from The Beatitudes, recipes, and more. Merci mille fois. Lyn Lejeune.
Writers, please pass the word…..it’s for a good cause….don’t let the libraries of New Orleans or the US go the way of The Great Library of Alexandria. P.S. just posted an excerpt on my Crimespace page.

Aug 11, 2007
Janet Reid

Hiya Jennie, thanks for the invite!
I think your book sounds terrific!

Aug 22, 2007
Glen C. Allison

Did I miss you at KillerNashville, Jenny? Had a great time there; met Mary Saums and others. Wonderful workshops. Got to pitch my mystery WIP and got a request for the manuscript! Woohooo! Will keep you updated.

Aug 23, 2007
Glen C. Allison

I guess we flew past each other at KillerNashville then. I got to visit with those sex-panel authors (ummm, for purely professional purposes, of course) but didn't go to that discussion. To answer your question about the manuscript request: I pitched at the conference to Donna Bagdasarian and she requested the entire manuscript, which I'm putting in the mail today. It's a step!

Aug 24, 2007
Clea Simon

Hi Jennie! Thanks for adding me.

Nov 21, 2007
pam ward

A fatal fixer upper, huh? Well that beats all. I love someone who invents their own genre.
pam ward
WANT SOME GET SOME

Nov 21, 2007
Hailey Lind

Hi Jennie -- thanks for the add! Congratulations on that new book coming out -- sounds fabulous. I'll be sure to check it out. We even have sort-of the same publisher -- Signet is Berkeley's "sister" company, or something like that. We go to the same cocktail parties at the conventions, that's all I know...!

Dec 4, 2007
Jamie Livingston

Hey Jennie,
Thanks for adding me. Can't wait until Nov. 08. I love the books in Prime Crime.

Jamie

Dec 29, 2007
Naomi Hirahara

Thanks for adding me, Jennie. And Berkley Prime Crime--my former editor Shannon works there. She's most excellent.

And regarding your grog soliticitation--I don't know if many people have responded, but you might have better luck approaching people individually.

You might consider doing a blog on home renovation--I don't know if you're an expert, but people enjoy talking about house stuff.

Good luck and happy new year!

Dec 30, 2007
Barbara Fister

Nice to see you here. Do you know Mary Saums? Lovely Nashvillian (Nashvillite? Nashvillard?) whose books you might enjoy.

Dec 30, 2007
Robin Burcell

Hi Jennie! Thanks for the invite, and Happy New Year!!!

Dec 30, 2007
Sophie Littlefield

Hey Jennie! Cheers for the new year and nice to meet you here! Congratulations on your new series. - sophie

Dec 30, 2007
Dana King

Jennie,
Best of luck with the grog. I'd love to join, but no publisher has picked up my debut yet, and my writing sounds somewhat more hard-boiled than I think you're looking for. Please let me know when you get it ready so I can add it to my NetVibes feed list.

Dec 30, 2007
Liz Mugavero

Jennie, thanks for the invite. Congrats on your series!
Liz

Dec 30, 2007
Chester D. Campbell

Thanks for the invitation, Jennie. Have you been to our Sisters in Crime meetings? Your series sounds interesting. I'm an old real estate investor (I've sold everything now). I got into it back in the last foreclosure boom in the 80's. I see Lonnie among your friends. She's a member of our SinC chapter.

Dec 30, 2007
Lauren Carr

Thanks for the invite, Jennie. Good luck on your series.

Dec 30, 2007
ruth

Well, thanks for the invite. Now I am trying to figure out what kind of books the "DIY home renovation" mysteries are all about. Yep, I can maybe agree with the mystery element - but I sure never figured anyone would write a mystery about house renovation - it did bring a smile to my face though. Cheers and a Happy New year

Dec 30, 2007
Jess

Hi Jennie, thanks for the invite. I'd love to grog with you but I'm afraid I'm still waiting for my agent to sell my romantic mystery. No luck yet. The only thing I could promote at this point is Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover's Soul. :(

I hope you find some grog partners. You book sounds fun!! I used to be in real estate... I saw a lot of potentially 'fatal' fixer-uppers. ;-)

Happy New Year!! ~jess

Dec 30, 2007
Lisa Stiles

Jennie-
Thanks so much for the encouragement. I appreciate it. I'm not a member of SinC yet, but I would definitely be interested in some kind of critique group. I've never been a part of one, and I think it would be beneficial. If you want, you can email me directly at hamishriz@yahoo.com.

Dec 30, 2007
Mary Saums

Hey, Jennie! It's always good to see a fellow Terry Pratchett and Buffy fan. :) Please do come out to a SinC meeting when you can. The January meeting is actually a party at Calhoun's on White Bridge Road, 6pm, Tuesday the 8th, $10 at the door. We'll have dinner and then a book auction. If you can't make that one, we meet the second Tuesday of the month, 6pm, in the Bronte Cafe meeting room at Davis-Kidd. Hope you can be with us!

Dec 30, 2007
Christine Kling

Hi Jennie,
I just came out from 9 days in the boatyard working on my home, a 33-foot sailboat. When I saw the title of your next DIY-home renovation title, I thought it might be referring to me - my fixer-upper boat was nearly fatal.
Best of luck with the new book and Happy New Year.
Christine

Dec 30, 2007
Chester D. Campbell

I thought your picture looked familiar. Look forward to seeing you on the 8th.

Chester

Dec 30, 2007
ruth

I like the sound of your "protag" - oddly, I did it the other way round - quit city design studio for Highland croft. Guess I would like to read the book now might be like seeing myself flipside!

Dec 30, 2007
Margaret Grace

happy new year to a fellow Prime Crime author ...

Dec 31, 2007
Penny Rudolph

Hi Jennie,
Congratulations on the 3-book contract and Happy New Year! Fatal Fixer Upper is a great title. Are all three completed or are you working on Nos. 2 and 3? Did you set out to write a series or did it just somehow happen? I thought I was writing a stand-alone, and I'm struggling now to figure out what to do for book 3. I hope I haven't burnt too many bridges, Is your series set in Nashville? I've been to Memphis, but never to Nashville. Best of luck.

Jan 1, 2008
Maryann Miller

Jennie, nice to meet you here on Crimespace. With all the new authors I'm meeting, my TBR pile just keeps getting taller and taller. I will have to make a note to look for your first book when it comes out.

All best,
Maryann

Jan 3, 2008
Olav Guldbrandsen

Visst kan vi være venner. Det var da svært så hyggelig å møte ei Grefsen-jente her inne. Sjelden kost. Håper skrivingen din går bra. Kanskje vi kan snakkes nærmere om den ved en senere anledning. Uansett, lykke til!

Jan 4, 2008
John Boundy

Hey Jennie...Congrats on the work...Look forward to reading...We share film tastes "As you wish..."

Feb 4, 2008
John Boundy

I do not think that word means what you think it means!
Thanks for accepting my invite Jennie...

Feb 4, 2008
Allan E. Ansorge

Did you have all three books done before you sold the first one?

Allan

Feb 13, 2008
Jackie Griffey

Hi: Nice to meet you - that's one of the best thing about writing, meeting other writers, readers, and sharing the joy of sharing ideas, experiences and just enjoying 'not being alone' if there's not a writing group near you.

Love and best wishes,
Jackie
Just Google me and click on any info you want.

Feb 14, 2008
joe miller

Hi Jennie,
Just read your post on the Forum. I'm working on a Romance Suspense story set in the Southeast, but unpublished at this time.
Are you looking for published Authors for your blog?
Joe

Feb 26, 2008
LC Fraser

You were on the MPM lists from long ago? I started out there and that is where I met Jane Burfield (and since she and I live close it immediately led to real life meeting). So cool to find other MPM fans on here. Have you heard of the new book this summer/fall? Do you remember which one of the lists you were one and who else was there? I moderate Sethos still.

Mar 14, 2008
LC Fraser

I love Tasha's books! Was on all the lists you said (moderated the new book list when it first formed but moderating is a bit of a challenge so passed it to John and then not sure who has it now). I should join some of them again - left about three years ago when things here were a bit overwhelming. So fun to find someone here from the lists. Am still in touch with a few - do you remember Tricia? She was one of the first on the lists (we joined back when it was e-groups or onelist or something like that - Jen Chance had formed the first list after a discussion set up from the website for MPM). Michelle and Cae were on back then too and several others who I have lost track of (these named are the ones I keep in touch with). And of course Ann Sharp who is great friends with Jane and has been up here to visit.

Mar 15, 2008
LC Fraser

I remember the lists getting pretty quiet even before the Amelia series finished up - guess we can just do the same discussions so many times before they get old. Sethos is doing okay - about five or six posts a week - but we are almost more a general book list now. We talk about what we are currently reading and things like that. I joined 4MA four years ago and that is a busy enough list that I don't really have a lot of time left for other lists - like you said, a lot of us have just found life is busy in a different way. This place is a bit easier - it can be as demanding overall as you want which is nice.

Mar 15, 2008
Annette Dashofy

Hey, Jennie! I've just moved into the CrimeSpace neighborhood and am glad to see a few familiar faces!

From a sister Working Stiff.

Apr 2, 2008
Annette Dashofy

Hi, Jennie!
Wanted to let you know that I met your friend Diana at the Festival of Mystery and told her you said "hello." It was so busy that I didn't get a chance to talk to her in depth, but I did get to introduce myself.

May 2, 2008
Annette Dashofy

That's part of the fun of the book festivals and mystery conferences: Getting to put a real face and voice to the cyber version.

May 2, 2008
L.J. Sellers

Hi Jennie
I keep seeing your face and reading your name. I thought it was time to get to know you.

May 5, 2008
Michael Haskins

Jennie, I posted the blog on ITW also. Been too busy, but now I am home for a while, writing and reading, so you might get sick of hearing from me. Thanks for keeping up and the reply.
Michael

Jul 30, 2008
Jamie Livingston

Hey, our one year anniversary of being critique partners is coming up. lol

Dec 1, 2008