And a K-9 and determined detective on the case.
To read an excerpt, click here.
The Story Behind the Story –
Trailing a Killer, K-9 Search and Rescue
When I got the call that Harlequin wanted me to write one of three books in a series with search and rescue dogs, I was excited but also a little nervous. Several years ago, I had two long-haired dachshund sisters, and although I knew a thing or two about dog ownership, I knew nothing about search and rescue.
My editor gave me the premise—the hero is trapped in a collapsed building after a hurricane. I’ve lived in Florida almost my entire life. I didn’t know anything about search and rescue dogs, but I knew about hurricanes! I’ve been through several, but 2004 was the worst. We had three major hurricanes pass through our county within a span of six weeks. When the eye of the first one reached us, the cedar trees along our property line were all leaning toward the house. Charley moved on, and the wind came from the other direction and stood them all back up. Then came the days and nights without power (water, too, since we were on a well).
The first thing I had to do for the project was choose what breed I wanted my search and rescue dog to be. My critique partner has raised white German Shepherds for years. One of the dogs she bred became a trained cadaver dog that worked at the Twin Towers on 9-11. I named the dog in Trailing a Killer after one of her German Shepherds. She currently has several adults that keep us company during our plotting sessions. Sometimes they get a little too involved! (pic of dogs with me) |
Researching the location for the story was fun, too. I could have set it anywhere along the coast of Florida, but I decided on the Fort Myers/Cape Coral/Punta Gorda area (southwest). Off the coast of Cape Coral is Pine Island—a long, narrow island made up of four communities. Between Cape Coral and Pine Island is the small fishing community of Matlacha (pronounced “Mat-la-SHAY”). My husband’s uncle has lived on the island of Matlacha for years and was able to give me lots of interesting history. We had a great time lunching at the dog-friendly Blue Dog Grill (which, of course, made it into my book), strolling along the Punta Gorda Harborwalk and viewing the bronze palm tree sculptures that were created as a tribute to those who had experienced Hurricane Charley in 2004.