Mystery author Karen Odden is the next guest at  Glendale Public Library's writer in residence program, running from January through April 2025. 

USA Today bestselling author Karen Odden earned her PhD in English at New York University, writing her dissertation on Victorian literature. After teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and editing for an academic journal, she turned to writing mysteries, all of which are set in 1870s London.

Her fourth, "Down a Dark River," an Oprah Daily pick, introduces readers to Inspector Michael Corravan at Scotland Yard. The sequel "Under a Veiled Moon," was nominated for the Agatha, Lefty, and Anthony awards for best historical mystery in 2023.

She makes her home in Arizona and Utah. Visit karenodden.com for information.

Odden will be at Glendale libraries for the following events:

What Is the Why? Building a Backstory is from 6:30-7:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 at  Foothills Library, 19055 N. 57th Ave. A compelling and believable protagonist begins with a strong backstory. In this hands-on workshop, the group will develop a backstory for a protagonist, taking into account the context that shaped them and considering their beliefs, desires, quirks, and the stories they tell themselves about the world and their place in it. Participants will be given writing exercises pertaining to their work-in-progress.

Secondary Characters: Beyond Friends, Foils & Foes is from 6:30-7:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27 in the Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St. Well-drawn secondary characters can add nuance, humor, and conflict to a novel or short story. This workshop will present 17 different types of secondary characters — beyond friends, foes, and foils — and explore how to develop and deploy them effectively. Participants will be given writing exercises pertaining to their work-in-progress.

Finding True, Unique Voices for Your Characters is from 3:30-4:45 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at
Heroes Regional Park Library, 6075 N. 83rd Ave. A “unique voice” commands attention, sounds fresh to the reader’s ear, and conveys the sense of a fully developed emotional and mental life. Explore a variety of ways to make the voices of a protagonist and a secondary character (or two) sound unique and true to their backstory. A worksheet is provided.

Grand Openings: The All-Important First Page is from 6:30-7:45 p.m. Monday, March 24 in the Main Library. A strong opening page is vital to attracting an agent, an editor seeking the next project and a reader prowling through the bookstore. This workshop examines six opening pages, from well-known and award-winning books in different genres, to discover some of the techniques authors use.

Query Letters is from 3:30-4:45 p.m. Saturday April 12 at Velma Teague Library, 7010 N. 58th Ave. This workshop draws on industry research and Odden's interviews with four agents to provide current advice about the query letter. Learn how to show and tell an agent that are ready for representation.

Finding Your People: Developing Your Community of Practice as an Author from 2:30-3:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 in the Main Library. As the publishing industry changes, authors are increasingly required to handle their own community outreach, including marketing, PR, their website, book launches, zoom events, and social media. Odden shares her journey toward discovering a “writing community mindset” and discusses specific, professionally productive and emotionally fulfilling ways to engage with the writing community.

One-on-one consultations with Karen Odden for writing advice or manuscript review are available all four months. Registration is required. For specifics visit this page.