An Interview With the Authors of To Fetch a Killer

by Grace Topping

People love their pets and enjoy talking about them. Mystery writers go a step further and include them in their writing. It was a pleasure talking to the authors of To Fetch a Killer, the latest in the Mutt Mysteries Series, and hearing about their dogs and their short stories in the collection. 

 

To Fetch a Killer

Book 4 in the Mutt Mysteries Series

 

Four Fun “Tails” of Chaos and Murder

Contributing authors:

Maria Hudgins

Teresa Inge

Heather Weidner

Jayne Ormerod

It’s a dog-meet-dog world as a pack of canines team up with their humans to solve mysteries and track down killers. Four mutt-loving authors join their talents in creating this collection of canine-themed novellas which will transport you into the chaotic world of hero dogs who have a nose for murder. Grab a leash and hang on tight…the mutts are on the loose again!

                                                                                              http://muttmysteries.blogspot.com

 

Welcome, Maria, Teresa, Heather, and Jayne, to Writers Who Kill.

 

Maria Hudgins – “Sandy Paws” 

The Sand Fiddler’s Writers Group has rented a beach house for its annual retreat, but the writers and their canine friends can’t get much done after murder rears its ugly head.

Your main character, Jessica Chastain, who is deaf, has a service dog, Trey. How does Trey help her?

 

Trey has a cold, wet nose and he uses it to get Jessica’s attention when she’s lost in her work. Her home is rigged with flashing lights to let her know when the doorbell is ringing or a timer is going off. But Jessica, like most writers, can zone out and ignore everything but her story. Trey’s nose on her bare skin jolts her back into the real world.

 

They take walks together and Trey is always alert for traffic noises or anything that Jessica might not be aware of. He’s also a good judge of character and has, on occasion, “told” Jessica to be wary of a new acquaintance.

 

In “Sandy Paws,” a group of writers go on a writers’ retreat at the beach. Have you ever participated in a writers’ retreat? If so, have you found it beneficial?

 

Yes. Last summer our Mystery by the Sea writers rented a house in beautiful Cape Charles, on what we call the Eastern Shore. I got the most help from our talks during breaks. I live alone so I don’t have a lot of noise and distractions to get away from, but I do like the Write, Talk, Write, routine we used. A year before we stayed at a vintage hotel in Manteo, NC, and followed the same schedule. I think a new setting, particularly if it’s serene and quiet, is good for stimulating new ideas.

 

In one of your short stories in this series, you wrote about puppy mills and conditions in kennels run by unethical breeders. It was obvious from your story that this is something that is important to you. Were you hoping to raise awareness of these things? What can others do to help?

 

Thank you for asking! I wish I could put these people out of business. There are more unwanted dogs and cats in the world than we know what to do with. More lovable pets is not the problem. We need more loving owners. Trey and Kim, the two bichons in my stories, are based on my dogs, Holly and Hamilton. They were rescues. My daughter has a new dog they are showering with love to help her get over a horrible start in life. These early traumas don’t go away easily.

 

 

Teresa Inge – “A New Leash on Death”

Catt Ramsey, owner of the Woof-Pack Dog Walkers, has a knack for finding dead bodies, but when she and her pups are on the case, there’s no way the killer will get away with murder.

Each of the books in your series feature short stories that include dogs. What is the appeal of dogs in stories, and in particular, mysteries?

 

It’s a combination that has become very popular. It’s also one of the reasons we created the Mutt Mysteries series to give our readers the two things they love the most! But don’t ever harm a dog or animal in a mystery. Our readers do not like that and frankly it’s not something I would write since I am an animal lover with dogs of my own. I keep my stories on the cozy, lighthearted side when featuring animals. They are characters in each story.  

Your characters in "A New Leash on Death" have appeared in the previous book. Do all of you continue to feature the same main characters?

 

I am the only author who writes recurring characters in each book. I like featuring my protagonist Catt Ramsey, owner of the Woof-Pack Dog Walkers, and her trusted sidekicks, Cagney and Lacey, two Yorkshire Terriers, in each book. Together they solve crimes and murder, and it’s fun for readers to connect and watch them grow. 

 

How do you manage what goes into each book? Does someone come up with a theme and everyone writes to it? Or does each writer simply submit what they want?

 

We create the title and theme for each book and then write our individual novellas. Each author submits a 15,000-word story based on the theme. It keeps the overall book consistent and is easier for the authors. It’s a well-oiled machine now with all the books and the authors working great together. I just love writing the series! 

 

 

Heather Weidner – “Wags to Riches”

When a prickly guest ends up dead in his booth at the rummage sale, race track owner Cassidy Green and her Rottweiler Oliver have to sniff out clues and find the killer before another murder is forever linked to her business. 

In “Wags to Riches,” Oliver, your main character’s dog, is a Rottweiler. A lot of people hear Rottweiler and immediately become uneasy. Oliver sounds like a friendly dog and one that comes to Cassidy’s rescue. What accounts for a Rottweiler’s reputation? 

 

Their size and ferocity have always made their reputation. My uncle has had quite a few of them through the years, and each one was a teddy bear. Oliver is friendly, but he is very protective of Cassidy. At the track, he is the Director of Security, and the staff always send the troublesome guests to see him at the office.

 

You write knowledgably about a race track and promoting various forms of money streams for the business, which all sound interesting. Do you have a background in business promotion? 

 

No, not really. I learned a lot about marketing and social media promotions when I became an author. It’s fun, and I love for my characters to have interesting careers. I love talking to people in those fields and gaining research. The racing comes from my dad and husband who love all kinds of cars and speed.  

 

You’ve written full-length books and short stories. Which do you find more challenging? 

 

I enjoy writing both, but I think short stories are harder to craft. You have a smaller container and few characters who could be the bad guy. I get to experiment more with short stories and novellas, so they are different from my series. I write the Delanie Fitzgerald series (set in Richmond, Virginia) and the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries (set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia at a resort with vintage trailers and tiny houses). 

 

 

Jayne Ormerod – “Bone Appetit” 

 

A dead guest at private chef Molly Perkins’s dinner party draws her and house dog Tater in a chaotic search for the secret ingredient to murder.

 

Your story “Bone Appetit” features a huge Newfoundland dog. In a previous book in the series, you feature a Great Dane. Why such large dogs? What does featuring a large dog add to your stories? Do you own a large dog yourself?

I love big mutts, and I cannot lie. We have owned a few in our lifetime. Our first round of dogs we picked a tiny wriggling puppy out of a box at a flea market. He grew into a long-legged, big barrel-chested boy who topped the scales at 120 pounds. Most recently, we rehomed a little one who was said to have Carolina Dog in him, expecting to grow to about 40 pounds. Well, he’s definitely got some Great Dane in him (surprise!) and has become my 100+ pound “lap dog.” Big dogs have big hearts. Also, when it comes to trouble, they are very effective in knocking down bad guys!

To Fetch a Killer is the fourth book in the Mutt Mysteries series. What do you think accounts for the success of the series?

All credit goes to the dogs: their love; their loyalty; their intuitive desire to protect. The companionship and support they provide to their humans make for heart-warming, satisfying read. Okay, a little bit of credit goes to the talented authors who penned the stories. The two elements combined has turned out to be very popular with cozy mystery lovers.

Throughout the series, have any of your characters crossed paths?

A different heroine/BFF/mutt combination has appeared in each of my Mutt Mysteries stories. They have never crossed paths, but I have toyed with the idea of having all of them meet to solve a mystery. I suspect if I threw the four dogs (a tiny terrier named Cannoli, a black lab mix named Natti, a Great Dane named Mr. Belvedere, and Newfie Tater), the fur would really fly! But it’s a possibility, because I love all the dogs (and the sleuths) in my stories. I want to hang out with them some more.

What’s next? Will there be a fifth book in the Mutt Mysteries series?

There is talk of continuing the series and introducing a few new authors as we say goodbye to others who are moving on to bigger and better projects. That decision should be made early next year.

 

Thank you, Maria, Teresa, Heather, and Jayne.

 

To learn more about the Mutt Mysteries Series and the authors, go to http://muttmysteries.blogspot.com/