Why did I worry so much?

Why did I worry so much?

I found this hanging basket in one of my favorite places in the world, Jerome, Arizona. Here magenta petunias hang out in perfect harmony with bright red geraniums. When I was a teenager, I agonized over whether parts of my outfit color-matched. Red did not “go” with pink and definitely not with magenta! Since I’ve grown…

My bucket’s got a hole in it
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My bucket’s got a hole in it

I found this old bucket in a Gold King Mine back lot. For those of you who haven’t been to Jerome, the Gold King Mine is a three-acre graveyard for all things mechanical: old ice cream wagons, belt-driven band saws, trucks and cars and tractors that are slowly melting back into the environment, one rust…

Tree pioneers of the Verde Valley
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Tree pioneers of the Verde Valley

When I set out to write the Pegasus Quincy mystery series, I knew the first one, Death in Copper Town, had to take place in a mining town on the slopes of the Verde Valley. To make it realistic, I had to include the Ailanthus trees ubiquitous to that part of the Valley. Apple trees in the…

Red Rock Fever–Falling in love all over again
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Red Rock Fever–Falling in love all over again

My father was a rock hound, so I developed my love of geology early. He’d bring home a new find and hand it to me proudly. “This is schist,” he’d announce. Or, “Take a look at this snowflake obsidian!”  His excitement was infectious, and I got excited, too. So when I moved to Sedona, I…

Circling back to the beginning: a Free Kindle mystery!
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Circling back to the beginning: a Free Kindle mystery!

About four years ago I decided to write a mystery series based on young rookie sheriff’s deputy who lived in the Verde Valley of Arizona. The Verde is a unique place, an oasis in the middle of the Arizona desert, with one major river and five tributary creeks. It is on the flight path between…

Why setting is so important in a mystery series
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Why setting is so important in a mystery series

When I began planning the Pegasus Quincy mystery series, my prime impetus was to share the beautiful Verde Valley with the world. The area is a paradox, a small valley with one major river and five named creeks in the middle of a state, Arizona, renown for its deserts. The first novel, Death in Copper Town,…