On May 28, 2009, tomatoes got the chance to meet best-selling mystery writers Mary and Carol Higgins Clark at Etcetera Etcetera. Talk about two smart, witty, and very funny tomatoes. Valerie Smaldone interviewed them about their lives, their books and what’s it’s like to write together.

Here are a few of the delightful highlights:

After collaborating to meet the deadline on their first book together, they were relaxing by watching the season one Survivor finale and Mary said to Carol, “They look better than we do.”

Mary’s first rejection letter said “your stories are light, strite, and contrite.”

Mary’s advice to Carol, “If someone is mean to you, make them a victim in your next story.”

At age 16, Mary sent a story to True Confessions thinking they were so lousy they might actually take her stuff.

Carol begged her Mom not to kill off character Elvira.  “I begged for her life. And she agreed.  Didn’t know by saving her life, I would ever end up writing with her.” (Note: Elvira and Regan Reilly appear in one the Higgins Clark’s Christmas novels.

Their dream is to write a play about a vampire in love with an allen.