Meet the Fuzzy Sidekicks...

Our two crazy Jack Russell terriers (Disney and Riley) are part of our family, so it’s natural that my characters would share their stories with their fuzzy friends. Here are the furry and fluffy sidekicks in my series.

Margaret Thatcher Reynolds is Delanie Fitzgerald’s partner’s English bulldog. She has two speeds, slow/steady and napping. She’s a log with legs, but she’s a great companion. She loves treats, snacks, and rides in Duncan’s yellow Camaro. She’s also helped save the day in several of the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries.

Bijou is a feisty Jack Russell Terrier who lives and works at the Fern Valley Camping Resort in the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries. She’s the official greeter, and she loves long walks, treats, and riding in Jules’s Jeep Wrangler. Bijou is modeled on my JRT Disney.

Chloe is the white French bulldog in the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. The butterball of a dog works at the shop and loves hanging out at the beach in her free time. Her arch-frenemy is Neville the Devil Cat.

Neville the Devil Cat was a Mermaid Bay stray who made himself at home at the Christmas Shoppe. He spends his time napping, checking out the new Christmas ornaments, and annoying Chloe. He’s a tuxedo cat who takes his job as the store’s mouser seriously.

Elvis is a Chihuahua mix in my new Pearly Girls series (March 2025). He is a fixture in the office, and he takes his jobs as ambassador and official greeter seriously. He loves long walks in the mountains and car rides. He may be tiny, but he has all the charisma of his namesake.

The Furry Sidekicks in My Stories

We share our house with two crazy Jack Russell Terriers. They are our companions, friends, squirrel-chasers, snack-sharers, and since the pandemic, they’ve been my fuzzy coworkers. Pets are an integral part of our lives, and it's natural that they would have key roles in my stories. My stories are full of furry sidekicks. Below are my pups, Riley and Disney (the brains of the operation).

Margaret Thatcher Reynolds is a tubby English bulldog who is the sidekick of Delanie’s partner Duncan in the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries. Margaret, the brown and white log with legs, is a four-legged sleuth, and she helped solve the mystery of “what is that sound in the ceiling” in Glitter, Glam, and Contraband.

Margaret the Wonder Dog

Bijou, the spunky Jack Russell Terrier, in the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, is based on my JRT Disney. She’s friendly and full of energy, a perfect ambassador for Jule’s glamping resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Disney Dog

My new series, launching in January 2023, is the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries, set in the quaint beach community of Mermaid Bay. Proprietor Jade Hicks shares her house and her business with Chloe, a rollie-pollie white French bulldog. Chloe, like Bijou, is a greeter and ambassador for Jade’s store.

Chloe the Frenchie

I wrote some novellas for the Mutt Mysteries series. They contain a Jack Russell Terrier who helps solve the crime in “Diggin’ up Dirt” in To Fetch a Thief, and Margaret the Wonder Dog gets a starring role in “Strut Your Mutt” in To Fetch a Killer.

“The Fast and the Furriest” and “Wags to Riches” feature Oliver the Rottweiler. He’s the Director of Security at the Amelia Racetrack, and he helps owner, Cassidy Green, solve several crimes in To Fetch a Scoundrel and To Fetch a Villain.

Oliver, Director of Security

Our pets are our family, best friends, and loyal companions. They hold a cherished place in our homes and hearts. And I always make sure that my novels/novellas feature a sleuth and faithful companion with four paws and a wet nose.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jackie Layton

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I’d like to welcome Jackie Layton to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday, and thank her for being our New Year’s Eve featured author. Happy New Year!

A few of your favorite things: I like my books, family pictures, and my collection of mugs.

Things you need to throw out: I’ve downsized twice in the last five years, and I got rid of so many things there’s not much left to get rid of.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need something to drink, and coffee is my drink of choice. I also have my storyboard, and I write on my laptop.

Things that hamper your writing: Social media can be a big distraction.

Things you never want to run out of: I don’t want to run out of ideas and inspiration.

Things you wish you’d never bought: I once bought a fruit dehydrator. I thought it would be healthier because it wouldn’t have the added sugars you find in dried fruit. Bananas were the worst, and it was a challenge to make it taste good. Needless to say, I got rid of it.

Favorite foods: Some of my favorite things to eat are Greek salad, lasagna, and brownies.

Things that make you want to gag:  I’ve always hated cooked peas.

Last best thing you ate: Tiramisu, enough said. 😊

Last thing you regret eating: I ate kale salad, not just salad with some kale, but all kale salad.

Things you always put in your books: I always include dogs, friends, and family.
Things you never put in your books: Swearing and graphic sex won’t make an appearance in my books. It’s one reason I love writing cozies.

Favorite places you’ve been: At the top of my list is Paris. I waited for years to visit France, and it didn’t disappoint. My husband and I went on a river cruise with my brother and his wife. It was a wonderful trip, and we made great memories.

Places you never want to go to again: I never want to go back to college. I’m glad I’ve got my degree, but I don’t want to go back except to watch football games.

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 About Jackie:

Jackie Layton has always lived in the southeast United States. Kentucky, Georgia, and now South Carolina. She loves living in the low country and often can’t believe how blessed she is. Despite cracked ribs and a trip to the emergency room after getting a hook in her foot while body surfacing, she’s always had fun with her kids playing in the waves. When she’s not writing, Jackie enjoys long walks, bike rides, golf cart rides, reading on the beach, and collecting shells. 

 Links to Bag of Bones:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/34NtLvv

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y3f8g2vt 

Bares & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/y4crbcnf 

Google: https://tinyurl.com/y4a6gwu6 

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://jackielaytoncozyauthor.com/

Twitter: Jackie Layton (@Joyfuljel) / Twitter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JackieLaytonAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackielaytonauthor

Pinterest: https://pin.it/3Z0A1th  

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/37slujv   

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/34kiwLW 

Does one good turn deserve a murder?

Despite all her good intentions to focus on a healthy lifestyle and leave crime solving to the professionals, Andi Grace Scott has run right smack into another investigation—literally.  Who’d have thought caring for stray cats and a healthy morning beach run could lead to murder?

Andi Grace has found another body and a young woman who needs help.  Solving this puzzle will come with a cost.  This time, catching the killer will require Andi Grace to confront her past relationships and truths about her deceased mother.

 

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Lane Stone

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I’d like to welcome author Lane Stone to the blog this week for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Dogs, lighthouses (I’m on the board of Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation) and travel.

Things you need for your writing sessions: white noise – pre-COVID Panera’s background noise was absolute perfect. 

Things that hamper your writing:  My husband talking to me.  Too honest?  Ok, let’s go with clutter. 

 Things you love about writing: Hanging out with readers.

 Favorite music or song: Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka is the ring tone on my phone.  I thought the whole soundtrack from Big Little Lies was amazing.

Music that drives you crazy: Neil Diamond music. 

Favorite beverage: Starbucks Trenta Black Iced Tea, Light Ice, Light Water, One Stevia, No cane syrup.  (I’ve gone to Starbucks almost every day since COVID started.).

Favorite smell: My dog, Cordy, wet or dry.

Something that makes you hold your nose: The smell of turnip greens cooking.  (But some days I miss my Mom so much I’d gladly smell it if I could see her again.)

The last thing you ordered online: Alice Boatright’s Christmas mystery, WHAT CHILD IS THIS.  Every year I like to read a holiday mystery. 

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: When my husband plays his Neil Diamond tapes. 

Things you always put in your books: Our first Standard Schnauzer, Abby, is in each of my books. 

Favorite books (or genre):

Books you wouldn’t buy: Autobiographies by negative people, who just want to get in the last word. 

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marry my husband, Larry Korb, 30 years ago.

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 About Lane:

Lane Stone is the author of the Pet Palace Mysteries and the Tiara Investigation Mystery series.  The first book in her new series, The Big Picture, will be available in 2022.  She lives in Alexandria, Virginia during the week and Lewes, Delaware on the weekend.

When not writing she’s enjoying characteristic baby boomer pursuits:  traveling and volunteering for good causes, like the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation and American Association of University Women.  She recently earned a post-graduate certificate in Antiquities Theft and Art Crime.  She can be found at www.LaneStoneBooks.com and https://twitter.com/themenopausedog

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#ThisorThatThursday Interview with the Mutt Mysteries Authors

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I’d like to welcome my pals, Jayne Ormerod, Maria Hudgins, and Teresa Inge to the blog today for a fall edition of #ThisorThatThursday. We’re the Mutt Mysteries authors.

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A few of your favorite fall traditions

Heather: Apple-picking, Visiting the pumpkin path; Halloween

Jayne: Carving Pumpkins using templates from Pumpkin Masters. I have displayed some really tricked-out jack-o-lanterns!

Teresa: Finding the perfect pumpkins and fall decorations to decorate my front porch and house, and making homemade Chili. I make the best Chili with Texas Pete!

Something fall-related that you’ll never do again:

Heather:  I hate to rake leaves. I avoid it (and pulling weeds) at all costs

Jayne: Jump in a pile of leaves (raked leaves included dog droppings. Yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds!

Maria: Have a Halloween party and serve Fish House Punch in a Tub.

Teresa: Place a bale of hay on my front porch. The wind blows the hay everywhere and it's messy when transporting in my car. I found hay in my car for months afterward. 

Favorite fall treat:

Heather: Chocolate Halloween candy; caramel apples

Jayne: Dip (pumpkin, cream cheese, sugar and spices) with crisp fall apples or ginger snaps as dippers. Now that I think about it, that is tied with pumpkin seeds, baked in olive oil and garlic salt!  Yum!

Teresa: Pull-apart Cinnamon Roll Brioche. Warm and yummy!

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A fall treat that makes you gag:

Heather: Biting into Halloween candy and finding that it has coconut in it

Jayne: Oyster stuffing. Yech.

Maria: Anything pumpkin flavored or scented (other than pumpkins or pumpkin pie)

Teresa: Not sure if this qualifies but anything that has chocolate and peanut together, especially in cake I cannot stand. But I love Reese's cups. Go figure. 

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Favorite fall beverage:

Heather:  Apple cider

Jayne: Wine. (Actually, that is my favorite year-round beverage.)

Teresa: Hot Chocolate! I made it homemade and my family loves it. 

A drink that gives you a sour face:

Heather: Diet soft drinks

Jayne: Beer. (I'm not much of one for Oktoberfest!)

Maria: Lemonade

Teresa: I'm not sure but anything sour I don't like! 

Favorite place to visit in the fall:

Heather: Apple-picking in Charlottesville, Virginia

Jayne: Anyplace where the leaves are changing. New England put on some pretty good shows, but the mountains of Virginia can be breathtaking as well. Nature has the best crayons, doesn't she? 

Teresa: Haunted House and Pumpkin Patch at Greenbrier Farms! Scary and beautiful at the same time. 

 The worst place to spend the holidays:

Heather: Stuck in an airport

Jayne: In the hospital. Especially now during the COVID restrictions. 

Maria: In a dorm room, typing an overdue paper.

Teresa: Not sure, but I love to be home during the holidays to enjoy the fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. I have traditional holidays and start cooking two days prior since I make everything homemade. 

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Funniest autumn story:

Heather: My Grandmother was notorious for telling ghost stories late at night when my sister and I would spend the night. Her rooms had a lot of large dark wooden furniture and antiques that cast freaky shadows.

One evening as she was telling one of these tales, my sister and I looked up at the open window, and there were two sets of yellow eyes staring back at us. For several minutes, my sister and I were convinced that demons or zombies were lying in wait. When all of the screaming died down, we discovered that it was the neighbor’s cats sitting on the window ledge peeping in.

Jayne: On a glorious October morning, I sent my dad out to walk the dogs while I took care of the toddler. Husband not in picture (deployed to some remote location known only to those with top-secret clearance.) Dad was not quite "elderly" but no longer at his most agile. I saddled up the dogs and sent them on their way for a walk under the canopy of colorful autumn colors. Only they didn't come home. Like for over an hour on what was supposed to be a ten-minute trip around the block. Did I worry? Heck, yeah. After over an hour, the dogs found their way home, dragging (literally...he was on his belly) my dad behind them! No lasting injuries, except to my stomach...from laughing so hard. The look on his face...surprised...perplexed...humiliated...was priceless! He laughed, too! 

Teresa: Not sure if this is funny, but each year my granddaughter and I go to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins together. It's always fun and silly in finding the best pumpkins. 

Something embarrassing that happened during autumn:

Heather: This shows my age. When I was fifteen, the Tylenol scare happened, and it all but put an end to trick-or-treating that year. My friends and I decided not to waste good candy that people had already bought, so we dressed up and went out. We raked in the candy that year. It probably wasn’t the best decision in light of the product tampering.

Jayne: Navy Birthday Ball (Oct 13) Husband-to-be in full dress whites. Me in a beautiful light blue gown with the back of my dress tucked in my underwear! Finally, someone on the dance floor pulled me aside and told me. Mortifying doesn't begin to describe it. But he did marry me anyway!

Teresa: When I first started making homemade cranberry sauce it was hard to get just the right balance to make the relish un-soured. No one at the table ate it the first year I made it. 

Let’s Be Social:

Mutt Mysteries

Website/Blog: http://muttmysteries.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuttMysteries

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuttMysteries1

Teresa Inge grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Today, she doesn’t carry a rod like her idol, but she hotrods. Love of reading mysteries and writing professional articles led to writing short fiction and novellas. She is president of Sisters in Crime Mystery by the Sea Chapter and author of short mysteries in Virginia is for Mysteries, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Coastal Crimes: Mysteries by the Sea, and Murder by the Glass.

Website: www.TeresaInge.com

Website and Blog: http://www.teresainge.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@teresainge7

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.h.inge

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresa.h.inge/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/teresainge

Amazon Authors: https://www.amazon.com/Teresa-Inge/e/B06XGZ7RTG

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/teresainge7/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-inge-cap-07687820/

BookBub: https://www.blurb.com/user/teresainge?profile_preview=true

AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/teresaingeauthor/

Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor.) She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs Tiller and Scout, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne’s publishing credits include two novels, five novellas, and eight short mysteries. A complete list can be found on her website. Website: www.JayneOrmerod.com

 Maria Hudgins is a mystery writer and a former high school science teacher. She is the author of the Dotsy Lamb Travel Mysteries, the Lacy Glass Archaeology Mysteries and several published short stories. Her favorite things are traveling, reading, dogs, and cats. She lives in Hampton, Virginia with her cat, Lulu.

Website: www.mariahudgins.com

Heather Weidner writes the Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series set in Virginia (Secret Lives and Private Eyes, The Tulip Shirt Murders, and Glitter, Glam, and Contraband), and her Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries launch October 2021.Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and Deadly Southern Charm. Her novellas appear in The Mutt Mysteries series.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

Through the years, she has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager.

Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner

Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003

AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/profile/heatherweidner/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBjyB0zz-M1DaM-rU1bXGA?view_as=subscriber

About the Mutt Mysteries:

Old dogs and new tricks abound in To Fetch a Villain, the third installment in the Mutt Mysteries series. This collection of four novellas illustrates why dogs are our best friends and the perfect companions for digging up clues, solving crimes, and bringing villains to justice. Let sleeping dogs lie? Not when the MUTTS are on the case!

RUFF DAY by Jayne Ormerod

Store owner Darby Moore suffers through a “ruff” day when a dead body is discovered in her custom dog house. With her best friend topping the suspect’s list, Darby knows the police are barking up the wrong tree. It’s up to Darby’s Great Dane Mr. Belvedere to channel his inner Scooby-Doo and save the day.

AT YOUR SERVICE by Maria Hudgins
Mystery writer Jessica Chastain is deaf and relies on her service dog Trey who acts as Jessica’s ears. Kim, a Bichon like Trey, is the latest addition to their family. But life is not a walk in the park when someone threatens all they hold dear. Together they take on an unethical breeder and dog-napper, whose bite is worse than his bark.

A SHOT IN THE BARK by Teresa Inge
Dog-loving Catt Ramsey hires an ex-con as her handyman to help with her dog-walking business at the same time a crime wave hits the neighborhood. But it’s Catt who is accused of murder. She enlists the help of family, friends, and her dogs Cagney and Lacey to prove man’s best friend can be crime’s worst enemy.

STRUT YOUR MUTT by Heather Weidner

Sassy PI Delanie Fitzgerald attends the Strut Your Mutt festival, where her business partner’s English bulldog is a finalist in a pampered doggie pageant. The dog’s new-found fame leads to a client with a missing poodle. Delanie and her team put paws to the pavement, sniff out clues, and show the villain that when you lie with the dogs, you wake up with fleas.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Rosemary Shomaker

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I’d like to welcome author, Rosemary Shomaker, to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday.

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Things you need for your writing sessions: I need bright light, pencils or pens, and a window.

Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions by humans, either in person, on the phone, or even email.

Favorite music or song: I like Bluegrass

Music that drives you crazy: I’m not a big fan of “Urban” music, but I have an open mind.

Favorite smell: Fresh cut grass!

Something that makes you hold your nose: Rotten potatoes; they are disgusting,
slimy, and stinky!

Something you wish you could do: I’d love to win an Olympic Gold Medal. Maybe in another life!

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Vilify

The last thing you ordered online: Wool socks

The last thing you regret buying: Impractical shoes

Things you always put in your books: I always put dogs in my books.
Things you never put in your books: Nail polish

Things to say to an author: Tell an author, “I really identified with this character.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Your story is a bit thin.”

Favorite places you’ve been: Quebec City, the Cotswolds, Niagara Falls.
Places you never want to go to again: A drug house during a drug buy

Favorite things to do: Take walks, read, learn
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Running a marathon. Well, running any kind of race.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Given birth to a child, and then giving birth to a second child.
Biggest mistake: Illicit, reckless romance

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I’ll never tell!
Something you chickened out from doing: Telling the truth in a situation when it was easier to lie

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Brenda Blethyn; she’s the actress who plays “Vera”

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Mike Farrell; he’s really aged. I guess I have, too.

About Rosemary:

Rosemary Shomaker writes about the unexpected in everyday life. She’s the woman you don’t notice in the grocery store or at church but whom you do notice at estate sales and wandering vacant lots. In all these places she’s collecting story ideas. Rosemary writes mystery, women’s fiction, and paranormal short stories.
Stay tuned as she takes her first steps toward longer fiction.

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It's Our Book Birthday!

The second book in the Mutt Mysteries series launches today. Check it out at your favorite book retailer. This is a collection of dog-themed, cozy mysteries by Jayne Ormerod, Rosemary Shomaker, Teresa Inge, and me. My story is “The Fast and the Furr…

The second book in the Mutt Mysteries series launches today. Check it out at your favorite book retailer.

This is a collection of dog-themed, cozy mysteries by Jayne Ormerod, Rosemary Shomaker, Teresa Inge, and me.

My story is “The Fast and the Furriest.” It’s about a love triangle gone bad at a local race track in Amelia County, VA. Cassidy Green and the her Director of Security, Rottweiler Oliver need to solve the case before it sends her business in a tail spin.

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