An Interview with Author S. A. Kazlo By E. B. Davis

 

It's summer in Wings Falls, New York and Samantha Davies is geared up for the annual trout tournament sponsored by Al Gorman, owner of the Sport's Shop. Sam, along with her Southern Belle cousin, Candie Parker-Hogan, are determined to beat the pants off their significant others, Sam's new fiancé, Hank Johnson, a detective on Wings Falls police force and Mark Hogan, Candie's husband. The ladies feel they have a secret weapon-they learned from the best fisherman in Hainted Hollar Tennessee, Grandpop Parker. Sam once won a trophy for the largest fish in the Fins and Tails Fishing Derby.

 

To Sam's surprise instead of reeling in the day's biggest catch, she "hooked" into the body of the town's most vocal activist, Luna Wheeler.

 

Raylene Carrigan, owner of a traveling doggie daycare Sam uses for her lovable dachshund, Porkchop, becomes a prime suspect, when it becomes known Luna tried to shut down the town's doggie park she depends on for the pets in her care. Since Sam has successfully helped solve murders in the past, Raylene begs her for help to prove her innocent.

 

Sam reluctantly agrees but knows her fiancé won't be happy with her involvement in yet another murder case.

 

Determined to help Porkchop's buddy, Sam starts digging for clues only to discover that Luna, with her over-zealous demands to many of the town's businesses to recycle, upset more than a few of her friends. Can Sam land Luna's murderer before she gets 'hooked' by the killer?

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A Pawsome Summer For Murder is the seventh book in the Samantha Davies mystery series written by S. A. Kazlo. Kazlo’s MC, Samantha Davies, is a divorced fifty-something year-old writer. Although the series is set in a small upstate New York town, there is a definite Southern flair to the books because the MC’s cousin and sidekick, Candie, grew up in Hainted Holler, Tennessee where Sam visited each summer. The two are close and the idioms cousin Candie uses are fun.

 

Porkchop, Sam’s Dachshund, is an active character not only as a pet, but he also finds clues, alerts Sam to danger, and defends her when threatened. An admirable dog, although as much as Sam feeds him, it’s a wonder he isn’t the shape of a bowling ball.

 

Please welcome S. A. Kazlo to WWK.                     E. B. Davis

Although Sam is still a co-owner, I’m glad she is no longer the business manager for her ex’s funeral home. Could there be a tackier name for a mortuary than Do Drop Inn Funeral Parlor?

The Do Drop Inn Funeral Parlor in its earlier life was an inn and a bar. When Sam and her then husband first purchased it for a funeral parlor, they renamed it the Davies Funeral Parlor. But WIngs Falls being a small town, the locals always referred to it with its original name. Not one to buck the townspeople, Sam and her ex just renamed it the Do Drop Inn Funeral Parlor.

 

The murder victim is an environmentalist. What is the Federal Program “Forever Wild” and what does it do?

The Forever Wild program is a national program that helps protect our forests and land for its wildlife inhabitants.

 

Can Dachshunds really smell something that is twelve miles away? How does that compare to other dogs?

Dachshunds were bred as hunting dogs. Their long body was meant to follow their prey into burrows. My research gave me a 12-mile smell zone. It would depend on the breed as to how super their smell is.

 

How did Porkchop get his name? How does Sam spoil him?

When my son was young, he’s 49 now, there was a cartoon show called Doug Funny. In that show, Doug had a dog named Porkchop. I thought to myself that if we ever got a dog (at the time we only had a cat) I’d name it Porkchop. Hence, when we finally decided to become dog parents and got a boy dachshund, he was named Porkchop.

 

Do waders go over shoes?

No. A person usually wears only a pair of socks when donning their waders. At least, that’s what I and my hubby did.

What is a police station commander? Is that a New York term for police chief or sheriff?

A police station commander is the officer in charge of the station. When my family lived in Pennsylvania, my husband was a state trooper and eventually became a station commander. I don’t know if that’s the term used in New York, but if not at least it’s something similar

 

Does Candie have a need for power more than Sam? Her husband is the mayor and she drives a vintage Mustang muscle car. Sam drives a VW bug.  

Nope, Candie and Sam are as close as sisters. While growing up, they spent their summers together on their Memaw Parker’s farm. Candie is all about the bling that’s why she drives the Mustang. I drive a car similar to Sam’s but instead of being egg yolk yellow, mine is baby blue. Sam is more down to earth than her cousin.

 

Sam and Candie are Catholic. How, after twenty-five years of marriage, did Sam get her first marriage annulled? On what grounds?

My older sister got her marriage of almost 20 years annulled on the grounds of infidelity, so I modeled that after her.

 

When Sam has a busy day starting with going to the gym at the request of her neighbor to spy on her neighbor’s husband and then later finding her own wedding dress, does she realize that she’s fed Porkchop three times before one pm? Is Porkchop fat?

When Sam gives Porkchop extra kibble, it may be only a small nugget or two to satisfy his pleading brown eyes. She’s very aware of the back issues a doxie can have due to being overweight.

 

 

Hank, Sam’s fiancé, is a police detective. While he is tolerant of Sam’s lack of cooking skills, he doesn’t want her investigating murder—understandable—and yet Sam thinks that since his engagement ring is on her finger, he’s become more possessive. She has vowed since her divorce to never be controlled by anyone again. How will Sam reconcile Hank’s contention?

I don’t know if they ever resolve this issue, but Sam vows to be careful, and although Hank may worry over Sam’s safety, he will tolerate her sleuthing. He doesn’t want to change her.

 

Hank doesn’t often spend the night. Is that due to his gossipy aunt living next door or as a public servant does he want to maintain a certain image?

This is due to my audience. I try to be respectful of the cozy “rules” and not flaunt the sex in front of them.

 

Is it legal to have human ashes outside without them being buried?

I don’t see why not. People take the ashes home with them after the funeral, and who knows where they keep them? My son-in-law’s mother kept her husband’s ashes in her kitchen.

 

The victim wanted to shut down the fishing tournament sponsored by a local sporting-goods shop owner because of her claim that “fish have feelings, too.” She disrupted several busy restaurants demanding to know their recycling programs and use of recyclables. Sam has plenty of possible suspects. But why did the victim want to shut down local dog run?

She didn’t want to have any trees or the property disturbed to build the dog runs and play areas that would be needed.

 

Sam is writing the sequel to her first book, Porkchop, the Wonder Dog. How did Sam become a children’s author?

I initially wrote for children’s magazines and wrote a few children’s books, so I figured she could follow in my footsteps.

 

Candie’s language is picturesque. On the laughter of a woman, Candie says, “…she sounds happier than a hound dog with two tails.” On Sam’s divorce, she’s “better off without that egg-sucking dog.” Are these real Southern sayings or do you make them up?

They are real sayings, at least according to my internet research.

 

What’s next for Sam and Candie?

Ah, the area in upstate NY where the gang lives is rich in the early history of America. Hank, Sam and the gang became reenactors at a local early fort. Unfortunately, things take a deadly turn. Stay tuned for more sleuthing adventures in Muskets, Mutts and Murder coming in Spring 2026, book 8 in the Samantha Davies Mystery series.