A miscellany of thoughts about dogs, cats, writing, life in the Ozarks, & occasional book reviews
In the four months since losing our beloved Sasha, I haven't wanted to think about bringing another dog into the family. That hasn't stopped folks from sharing photos and stories about dogs they're confident would be "perfect" for us--from Chihuahuas to Golden Retrievers and just about every breed and size in between. As much as …
Continue reading Adding to the Family
I write from experience, from observation, from research. The characters living in the worlds I create are good, bad, and sometimes both. They're not shy about voicing their opinions and fighting for what they think is right. That includes characters who are military veterans. In Dangerous Deeds (forthcoming), you’ll find multiple characters with the common …
Continue reading Veterans in Fact and Fiction
Earlier this year I was excited to be one of the first to reveal the cover of Jennifer Sadera's psychological suspense thriller I Know She Was There. Published by CamCat Books, Sadera's debut novel will hit the shelves on November 12th and is available for pre-order now. After learning Jennifer has "two adorable rescue grand …
Continue reading The Writer’s World
What do you get when you mix rural cops, college professors, assorted villains, a heroic Labrador Retriever, and a detective who’s determined to solve his own murder? Answer: The Dead Detective Casefiles! Meet police detective Oliver Tucker (“Tuck” to most), who investigates suspicious sounds in his home one night and finds himself on the wrong …
Continue reading First-Class Storytelling
As a reader, one of the things I most enjoy is the “hook” that captures my imagination and pulls me into a book. In the case of Tina deBellegarde’s Batavia-on-Hudson mysteries, I was hooked by the setting—the historic Hudson Valley region, where my paternal grandfather settled and my father was born. The similarities between the …
Continue reading Connections, Cultures, and Murder