A murdered wine connoisseur.

Newcomers with flash and cash.

Hobbies with deadly consequences.

I am working on my fourth Coyote Run novel, Deadman's Dance, which will be released in 2023. Just as I snatched the title Howl Like the Wind from a Linda Ronstadt song, Deadman's Dance was inspired by Oingo Boingo's delirious Deadman's Party and also refers to an annual celebration at Coyote Run's Deadman's Meadow.

My brothers and I are dog people, and my younger brother always has Labradors; chocolate, yellow, and now a black lab named Midnight Skye. My brother told me, "He thinks he's invisible," which is how I got the idea for Henry the Dog looking as invisible as a spy in the night.The dog's name echoes the title of a book we loved as children, The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars, about a city boy who is forced to spend a summer in the country.

I have a well-worn copy on my bookshelf. I tried to read my favorite section aloud to my family last Christmas, but I was laughing so much that I couldn't finish. If you've never read this, you should.