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 August 18 – My Journey Back the Journey Back – CHARACTER GUEST POST

 

HOW WE SPENT OUR SUMMER VACATIONS

It’s the Dog Days of Summer, so named for the time in July and August when the dog constellation SIRIUS is in the northern hemisphere, not (as is common southern lore) because dogs crawl under porches where it’s a shade cooler. It seems a fitting time to find out what the stars of TO FETCH A KILLER: FOUR FUN “TAILS” OF CHAOS AND MURDER did on their summer vacations. 

Molly Perkins, “Bone Appétit” by Jayne Ormerod

Imagine, if you will, two glorious weeks spent touring the beautiful Amalfi Coast of Italy. Days spent in eye-candy villages such as Vietri sul Mare, Minori and Praiano. Majestic mountains surrounding seas a color no words can describe. Meraviglioso, don’t you agree? I enjoyed glimpses of it as we travelled from one town to the other, but I wasn’t there to experience the sights and sounds of this amazing destination that every person should add to their bucket list. No, I was there for the tastes and smells on a culinary cooking tour I had only ever dreamed of.

At each stop we were met by a professional chef who shared with us secrets to Italian food preparation and let us in on some little-known culinary traditions. We enjoyed behind-the-scenes tours of private gardens, hung out with the fishermen who delivered the day’s catch that would become our gourmet cena, picked lemons from the tree that would be used in our chicken picatta. You haven’t lived until you’ve wandered through a lemon grove on a hot summer’s day. The aroma is positively intoxicating.

I never wanted it to end.

But my life as a personal chef is back in Sea Haven, a small town along the Atlantic coast. I’m home now, trying to decide what to do with my life. It’s been almost a year since the ugliness of murder I’d experienced while working for Mr. and Mrs. Wade. I’m just glad the killer was caught, thanks to the sleuthing skills of my best friend Becca and myself. You can read all about that in my story, “Bone Appétit”, which is part of the fourth Mutt Mysteries anthology, To Fetch a Killer, Four Fun “Tails” of Chaos and Murder.  

And might I suggest pairing the story with a glass (or more) of your favorite Italian wine?

Chin-chin!

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Jessica Chastain, “Sandy Paws” by Maria Hudgins

I took a day off in late spring and rented a cottage on the Atlantic coast of Virginia for our writer’s group to use for our annual retreat. We would have at least three dogs, I knew, so I had to sweet talk the agent into expanding their normal two pet limit by telling him my two Bichons should count as one because they were small. I didn’t mention that the third dog would be a one-hundred-pound Briard.

My dogs and I completed the rental agreement and spent the rest of the day roaming the beach. We fetched sticks, sniffed sand crab holes, and splashed in the surf. That’s when I discovered that Trey couldn’t swim. Trey is a bit overweight (my fault) and, like all Bichons, his hair is curly and dense. The weight, with wet hair, was too much for his little legs.

I made a mental note to watch him carefully when we returned for our writer’s retreat the next month. I should have had that note tattooed on both of my arms.

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Catt Ramsey, “A New Leash on Death” by Teresa Inge

I’m Catt Ramsey, owner of the Woof Pack Dog Walkers in Virginia Beach. The summer has been filled with me and my dog walkers walking client’s dogs on the boardwalk. It’s been busy! I also included my own dogs Cagney and Lacey on many of the walks. It’s been a hot, humid summer at the beach, with lots of tourists, so I bring bottled water and portable water bowls for the dogs so they don’t get overheated.

We generally stop at the King Neptune Statue on 31st street, to rest and drink water. And since my sister Em now lives in a condo on the boardwalk with her boyfriend Jonathan Ray, I frequently met with Em to walk dogs together and then later have dinner with her, Jonathan Ray, myself and my boyfriend and handyman Beau Whitaker. The four of us also took a week-long vacation together to the Outerbanks of North Carolina to relax on the beach, enjoy great seafood, cocktails, fishing, and boating.

Oh…there’s something else. During our trip to the Outerbanks, I had a conflict with someone over a beach spot one day. While Beau, Jonathan Ray, Em, and I were in the water swimming, we came back to find our beach chairs, towels, and beach bags had been moved to another spot by a think blond woman currently occupying our space. Admitting to moving our items since she wanted better sun, I had an altercation with her that resulted in her throwing a bottled water at me and me tossing her chair across the sand dunes. It wasn’t a pretty sight. After the altercation, the woman was found dead on the beach that night and I was accused of her murder. That’s how I spent my summer!

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Oliver Green, “Wags to Riches” by Heather Weidner

Summer is our biggest season here at the Amelia Raceway in Central Virginia. My days are busy since my pal Cassidy and I live and work at the track, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I patrol the track and grounds regularly to make sure everything is up to snuff and that nobody leaves any good snacks lying around.

I have a big, comfy bed in the office where the staff sends the problem cases. You know, if someone is rowdy, cranky, or rude, they send them over to the office for Cassidy and me to take care of. I’m kinda like the enforcer for the track. But I also enjoy long walks around the track and through the infield. And during race days, the place is full of friendly people and lots of good smells like hamburgers, popcorn, and our world-famous chili dogs.

And I’ve solved two murders there, so not only does Cassidy call me her baby, I’m also her hero. This summer, I helped Cassidy solve a mystery at the track at a rummage sale. My super sniffer led me to some clues and to a dead body. Check out more of my adventures in “The Fast and the Furriest” in To Fetch a Scoundrel and “Wags to Riches” in To Fetch a Killer.

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To Fetch a Killer is available in print at Amazon and all ebook platforms.

For more information about the authors and their stories, please check out the website at www.MuttMysteries.com

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