D.L. Dixen (Deanna) developed the "Woke Up Dead" plot, including the creation of two new equine characters. She wrote most of the story while I contributed specific scenes (Why did she ask me to write the bar scenes??). Deanna edited the final version to blend our "writing voices". As you'll note from her biography, D.L. Dixen lives on a small farm, surrounded by horses, dogs, cats, and family who all add seasoning and texture to the story.
Her dark "Woke Up Dead" plot is counterbalanced by bits of humor in the lives of CJ Jensen and Pam Ryan. Several books ago we inserted Bailey, a farting basset hound, who was inspired by Deanna's basset. In Woke Up Dead, a miniature horse named Bert shows up somewhat unannounced, and is immediately in trouble for escaping his enclosure. While being a "royal pain in the..." Bert is part of CJ's evolving acceptance of Pine County as home, and her strengthening bond with Pam's family.
I'm sure our regular Pine County Mystery readers will enjoy the ongoing characters like Sandy Maki, Floyd Swenson, Sheriff Sepanen, Pam Ryan, and more, who've become old friends since their introduction in "Where Evil Hides". They're now in a larger group including Sergeant CJ Jensen and Riley Sanders the rookie.
As you've seen in "Skidded and Skunked" and "Woke Up Dead", Deanna is very capable of creating a book that fits into the series while showcasing her writing skills coupled with her court/police/farm background. Knowing the series will be in capable hands, I've decided to pass the Pine County mysteries reins to Deanna in 2027.
In the meanwhile, I'll be busy writing the Doug Fletcher mysteries and working on a couple of challenging new writing projects I'll talk about in future blogs.
Dean Hovey
I enjoyed the books. Will be interested in seeing what new ideas you spawn.
ReplyDeleteWriting from personal experience produces the best novels. Arizona and animals, great combination. Thanks for sharing.
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