The Social Diary welcomed another thrilling authors series, we aptly named, Thriller Panel and Tea, hosted by the Ocean House RI on October 26, 2025. Moreover, lucky for us, no “boxed lunch.” Additionally, Deborah Goodrich Royce was back to moderate!
Goodrich Royce was missing in action during the 2024 Thriller Panel for a good reason. She and supportive hubby, Chuck Royce welcomed their new grandchild! Therefore, her good friend and famed thriller author, Luanne Rice pinch hit in her absence.
Crime Fiction, Thriller and Tea
Furthermore, Hank Phillipi Ryan slotted in the June 2025 lineup, later “quietly” replaced by local Rhode Islander, Kristin Offiler. Even though somewhat disappointed with the change, The Social Diary welcomed the chance to meet new author, Offiler at the Thriller Panel and Tea event, along with her debut novel, The Housewarming.
Thriller Panel – Vanessa Lillie
Vanessa Lillie is the USA Today bestselling author of Blood Sisters, a new series centered on the stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was a Target Book Club pick and GMA Book Club Buzz Pick, as well as a best mystery of the year from the Washington Post, Amazon Editor’s and Reader’s Digest. Moreover, the sequel, The Bone Thief, released on October 28th was available during the event. Additionally, she’s the creator and coauthor of the # 1 Audible Charts bestseller and International Thriller Writers award nominated. Lillie lives in Providence, Rhode Island and is a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation. (Bio: Ocean House, edited)
Thriller Panel – Tessa Wegert
Tessa Wegert is the author of the Shana Merchant series of mysteries. A former freelance journalist, Tessa has contributed to such publications as Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, The Economist, and The Globe and Mail.
Tessa grew up in Quebec and now lives with her husband and children in Connecticut, where she studies martial arts and is currently at work on her next novel. Her featured book is In the Bones. (Bio: Ocean House)
Thriller Panel – Karen Dukess
Karen Dukess is the author of The Last Book Party and Welcome to Murder Week. Karen has been a newspaper reporter in Florida, a magazine publisher in Russia, and a speechwriter on gender equality for the United Nations. She has a degree in Russian studies from Brown University and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University. She lives outside of New York City and in Truro on Cape Cod, where she interviews some of today’s most acclaimed writers as host of the Castle Hill Author Talks for the Truro Center for the Arts. Find out more at KarenDukess.com. Her featured book is Welcome to Murder Week. (Bio: Ocean House)
Thriller Panel – Christa Carmen
Christa Carmen lives in Rhode Island. She is the author of The Daughters of Block Island, winner of the Bram Stoker Award and a Shirley Jackson Award finalist, the Indie Horror Book Award-winning Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked, and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated “Through the Looking Glass and Straight into Hell” (Orphans of Bliss: Tales of Addiction Horror).
She has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from Boston College, and an MFA from the University of Southern Maine. Her featured book is How to Fake a Haunting. (Bio: Ocean House)
Thriller Panel – Kristin Offiler
Kristin Offiler holds an MFA from Lesley University. Her short fiction has appeared in the Raleigh Review, Waccamaw Journal, The Bookends Review, and The Bookends Review Best of 2020 print anthology. When not writing, she reads on the porch of her 130-year-old house or explores charming corners of New England.
She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and dog. Her featured book is The Housewarming. (Bio: Ocean House, edited)
Hospitality Notes
The Social Diary grudgingly expected a “boxed lunch” but excited for the Thriller Panel and tea offerings! The hospitality service excelled from beginning to end. Moreover, even after the book signing, the staff made sure there was plenty of food and beverages, to continue the conversations, relax and have a cuppa. Harney & Sons is our tea of choice, and the Paris blend hit the mark!
Thank goodness that the Ocean House “re-thought” the menu for this event. No boxed lunches in sight! However, when we approached one of the “Captains” on the floor, he appeared quite clueless about the menu for this event.
June to October, the menu posted on the Ocean House website noted “boxed lunch” with soft drinks. When asked who made the decision to revert back to the original menu plan from 2024, the “Captain” said they “always” had the same menu plan. Very odd indeed since the Ocean House website “advertised” “boxed lunch” for months!!!
To be honest and to be quite frank, The Social Diary adores and highly respects Chuck and Deborah Royce. They just deserve a better team who makes the whole establishment shine. However, most times when The Social Diary deals with personnel, it’s like the “Abbott and Costello” show. Who’s on First?
Of course, The Social Diary indulged in these delectable Macarons, which help smooth out some of the ripples of disappointing personnel interaction. Earlier this year, we enjoyed the same at the Ocean House inspired “Paris” at the Black and White Ball.
Boxed Lunch?
Not according to one of the floor “Captains.” Apparently, he doesn’t read the events lineup on the resort’s website. The Social Diary “highly” recommends that the Ocean House personnel know the ABCs of the event, from set up to menu. And that includes reading the events line up on the website. Additionally, the “webmaster” is responsible for updating and keeping information relevant and timely. The image below was “screenshot” on October 26, 2025 at 2:17:08 pm, after the event occurred. And yes, “boxed lunch” still noted on the website. Yikes!
