Sunday, June 3, 2018

Introducing Alternate Sunday Blogger, Annette Dashofy


By James M. Jackson

As regular readers of Writers Who Kill know, I have been sharing the Sunday blogging duties with Julie Tollefson. She posted her last regular WWK Blog last Sunday. I’ll miss her interesting perspectives on writing and the world and wish her great continued success in her writing. (I bet we’ll have the fun of reading a future guest post).

The title of this piece gives away my announcing WWK’s newest Sunday blogger, Annette Dashofy. She is the USA Today national bestselling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series. The first book of the series, Circle of Influence, was an Agatha Award Best First Novel nominee. Two other novels in the series were nominated for Agathas in the Best Contemporary Novel category. If you aren’t aware of the series, check it out.

Annette is a member of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and that is where I first recall crossing her path. In 2010-2011, I helped coordinate the chapter’s first anthology, Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology. One of the selected stories was Annette’s “A Murder Runs Through It.” (WWK bloggers Gloria Alden, Warren Bull, and I also had stories in the anthology.)

One thing that catches my attention in Annette’s writing is the rural settings she employs. They come naturally to her. She’s spent her entire life in rural Pennsylvania, living today on a portion of what had been her grandfather’s dairy farm. She not only brings readers her love of the country, but she provides them an insider’s understanding of life as an EMT.

It’s Zoe Chambers’ career, but the knowledge comes from the five years Annette spent as an EMT.


Annette and I first met in person at Malice Domestic 2014. We shared a panel having to do with bad weather. It was her first experience as a panelist and before we started, she was nervous. My suggestion was to be herself and enjoy the moment. She did great. At Hank Phillippi Ryan’s suggestion, the panelists wore cold-weather hats! (Fellow WWK blogger KM Rockwood was also a member of the panel—far right.)

The Zoe Chambers series includes six novels (Circle of Influence, Lost Legacy, Bridges Burned, With a Vengeance, No Way Home, and Uneasy Prey). While best known for her novels, she also publishes short stories (including one nominated for a Derringer).

Next Sunday we’ll hear from Annette. In the meantime, please join me in welcoming her to the WWK fold. I’m sure she’ll respond to questions or comments readers have.

*****

James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree mystery series. Empty Promises, the fifth novel in the series—this one set in the deep woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—is now available. You can sign up for his newsletter and find more information about Jim and his books at https://jamesmjackson.com.

17 comments:

  1. Thanks for the sweet introduction, Jim! I'm thrilled and honored to be joining this group of amazing authors.

    I still own and wear that hat, by the way.

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  2. Welcome, Annette. I look forward to reading your posts. Jim said you live on your grandfather’s former dairy farm. Do you remember when it was a dairy farm?

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  3. Great to have you, Annette! And the hat. You wear it well.

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  4. Above comment from me. Don’t know why I’m showing up as anonymous. Grace Topping

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  5. Thank you, Tina! I love this hat. I used to work in a Western shop and bought it way back then.

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  6. Grace, the answer to do I remember the dairy is...yes and no. I was about 5 years old when they shut it down, so I don't remember the milking, but I remember the cattle and all the milking equipment before it was sold. And my grandparents had chickens and sold eggs for many years. One of my chores was helping with that.

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  7. Okay, Tina, I need more coffee. I thought you meant my cowboy hat. The furry winter hat was a much more recent purchase.

    I guess I just love hats in general!

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  8. So pleased to have Annette as part of our blog!

    If you haven't read her books yet, you're missing a great read!

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  9. Welcome, Annette! How could I forget that panel - the hats were stellar!
    I'm so glad you're here - I loved Circle of Influence and can't wait to catch up Zoe's new adventures.

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  10. Thanks, Shari. The hats were all Hank's doing.

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  11. Hi Annette, welcome to WWK! So glad that you are joining us. Love the Zoe Chambers books and very much looking forward to the next in the series. Get writin', woman!

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  12. Thanks, Kait. I'm working on the next two!

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  13. Welcome to WWK Annette. I love your series although I haven't read the last two yet, I plan on ordering them now that I know about them. I've enjoyed getting to know you at Malice and totally enjoyed that panel you were one with all the crazy hats. As a country girl, too, I can relate to the books you write.

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  14. Thanks, Gloria! It was fun hanging out with you last fall at the PA Library Association Convention too!

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