Crafts and Life

Having solved the shooting death of her cheating husband, Lilly's left behind the drama of Lighthouse Dunes, Indiana, to start over in the hometown of her best friend, Scarlett "Dixie" Jefferson. As she gets settled in her new rented house, Lilly gives Aggie, short for Agatha Christie, her own fresh start by enrolling her in the Eastern Tennessee Dog Club, where Dixie is a trainer.
 
But drama seems to hound Lilly like a persistent stray. Her cranky new neighbor appears unfamiliar with Southern hospitality and complains that Aggie barks too much and digs up his prized tulips. But what the poodle actually unearths is the buried body of a mysterious man who claimed ownership of the lost golden retriever Lilly recently rescued. Now it's up to Lilly and Dixie to try to muzzle another murderer…

Author Guest Post

Why Chattanooga

People often ask me if the events/plots in my books are based on real life. For the most part, the things in my books are all fictional (which is a good thing considering I write murder mysteries). However, there are some elements of truth in my books. In THE PUPPY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, the protagonist, Lilly Echosby, leaves her home in Lighthouse Dunes, Indiana and moves to Chattanooga, Tennessee in search of her “happy place.” This is one area which I have to say is grounded in reality. Similar to Lilly Echosby, I grew up in Northwestern Indiana. Despite spending the majority of my life in the snowbelt, I have to admit that I hate snow. I hate shoveling snow and I hate driving in snow. Sure, it’s pretty when you’re young and when you’re in a warm house looking outside at it fall on Christmas Day. However, it tends to overstay its welcome (in my opinion). To be completely honest, I don’t think snow likes me very much either. At one time in my life, I tried to embrace snow rather than fighting against it. I decided to do something you can only do in the winter and took a cross-country skiing class. It looked like a great way to get exercise and try a new experience. Unfortunately, that adventure ended with me at the emergency room with a broken wrist and an external fixation device (imagine a towel rack on the outside of your arm). That started my search for my warm, “happy place.”

In the first book in the Dog Club Mystery Series, In the Dog House, Lilly Echosby goes online and starts taking online personality tests which claim to help you find your ideal location to live. That part of the story is actually based in facts. There used to be a great website called Findyourspot.com (unfortunately, it’s no longer available). On the site, you answered questions about everything from politics to terrain. I even recall a question asking how I felt about Vulcanic Lava ( It was a very thorough questionnaire). When you completed the questions, the free program would return with a list of about fifteen cities that matched your ideal criteria. The report I received after answering the online questionnaire provided information about the city’s history, demographics, climate, arts and culture, housing, and cost of living. One of the cities in my list was, Chattanooga, Tennessee. So, when the opportunity to relocate to this area arose, I jumped on it.

Chattanooga is a midsized city with a rather dirty past. Once mocked for having the worst pollution in the nation, Chattanooga has cleaned up its image and is now recognized for its arts, culture and a host of outside activities. The summers here are hot, although the weather is usually cooler in the mountains, but the winters are mild. The city is surrounded by mountains and sits on both sides of the Tennessee River. Downtown features the Tennessee Aquarium, art and music festivals during the summer months and hosts ironman and various athletic events year-round. Outdoor enthusiast will enjoy hiking, biking, and rock climbing. Visitors will enjoy Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain and Rock City and a trip up the Incline Railway. There are also great restaurants, museums, brewhouses and did I mention restaurants? I’m pretty fond of the food.

Chattanooga is just two hours from the state capital of Nashville, home of the Grand Ole Opry and a little less than two hours to Atlanta. So far, I’ve loved living in Eastern Tennessee, although there was one major surprise that I had not expected. In THE PUPPY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, Lilly Echosby discovers a fear of heights when she tries to drive up Lookout Mountain to visit her friend, Dixie. Unfortunately, that’s also a part of the story which is based on my reality. Indiana (and most of the Midwest) is relatively flat, so I never realized I had a problem with heights until I moved to Chattanooga. Locals zip up Signal, Lookout and Racoon Mountain with ease. Unfortunately, I have yet managed to scale those heights. Who knows, perhaps one day I’ll make it to the top of those mountains, but as yet, Lilly and I remain firmly planted at the base of the mountains. Thankfully, there’s plenty to keep us entertained.

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