Tag: dogs

Death at the Dogpark Kindle Edition
by Neil S. Plakcy & Joanna Campbell Slan

I am happy to welcome Neil S. Plakcy to Escape With Dollycas today!

Hi Everyone!

I have wanted to be a writer since I was in tenth grade, when my English teacher, Mr. Haider, had us read A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. I was so moved by the intimate emotional connection between Gene and Finny (and probably by the actors portraying those roles in the movie, which came out about the same time). Our assignment was to rewrite the story from Finny’s point of view, and that unlocked emotions in me that I continue to draw on to this day.

My golden retriever mysteries, though, were inspired by a different kind of love story. When I met my husband, he had two dogs: a Yorkie named Charlie and a collie named Gus. When Gus passed away, we brought Sam, a golden retriever, into our household.

Charlie quickly established with Sam that my husband was “his” human, and Sam could have the other human if he wanted. Sam became my boon companion, joining me on long walks all around our gated community in South Florida, morning and night. He slept by my door and provided all the love that a dog can.

Sam had such a great personality that I knew I wanted to write a book about him. But what kind? Eventually, I came up with the idea of a guy and his dog who would solve crimes together, inspired by the relationship between Jim Qwilleran and his cats in the Lilian Jackson Braun series.

At the time, I was working as a web developer and learning a lot about hacking and protecting websites, so I used that knowledge to inform Steve Levitan’s background and give him some investigative abilities beyond nosiness.

Since I retired from full-time college teaching two years ago, I’ve developed a new routine. I work every morning at my computer, interrupted occasionally by the demands of my husband and our two current golden retrievers, Brody and Griffin. They provide me with a lot of inspiration for stories just through watching them.

Rochester, Steve’s golden, provides clues through ordinary canine behavior, like sniffing, pawing, scratching, and barking. Steve then takes those responses and uses them to solve the crimes in the series, which now encompasses 20 published novels (two more on the way.) Because I love puns, each title is a pun on a phrase that uses the word “God” starting with In Dog We Trust.

I also try and provide interesting dog trivia when I can. I noticed that Brody’s nostrils quiver when he urinates, and discovered that’s called the Flehmen response. That bit of information goes into my current work in progress, Dog’s Kitchen, which I hope to have out in the fall.

I also write mystery novels in different genres of crime fiction, in addition to these cozies. I’ve written a 14-book police procedural series, beginning with Mahu, a bodyguard series, and most recently a private eye book set in Miami Beach in 1968.

Information on all my books is at my website, www.mahubooks.com.

Thank you, Neil, for visiting today.

Keep reading for more information about Neil, and his new novella in Death at the Dogpark.

About Death at the Dogpark 

Death at the Dogpark
Cozy Mystery
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Samwise Books (March 13, 2025)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8230651178
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DY1RXVLB

Two gripping novellas explore murder, mystery, and mayhem at the local dog park in this unique collection from authors Neil S. Plakcy and Joanna Campbell Slan.

In “Dog’s Punishment,” Steve Levitan and his intuitive golden retriever Rochester uncover dark secrets when investigating the death of a controversial dog trainer. After Melissa Kawamoto is found dead at the local dog park, Steve must untangle a web of professional rivalries, stolen patents, and bitter grudges to catch a killer who turned a revolutionary training method into a deadly weapon.

In “Lamb Chopped,” craft store owner Kiki Lowenstein’s peaceful morning at the dog park turns horrific when her Great Dane Gracie digs up a severed hand. The discovery pulls Kiki into a disturbing investigation involving missing pets, corrupt officials, and a shadowy network trafficking shelter animals to research facilities. With help from her homicide detective husband, Kiki must expose the truth before more animals—and humans—become victims.

Both stories showcase the unbreakable bonds between humans and their canine companions while delivering clever mysteries filled with twists, turns, and compelling characters. A must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and anyone who believes dogs have an uncanny ability to point us toward the truth.

• 

  Death at the Dog Park
  Amazon

  $ 4.99

More About Neil S. Plakcy

At the University of Pennsylvania, I studied creative writing with Philip Roth and Carlos Fuentes; I went on to receive my MFA from Florida International University.

My first published novel was Mahu, about a Honolulu homicide detective dragged out of the closet during a tough case. I put a lot of myself into Kimo Kanapa’aka, the hero, and yet he’s very much his own character, and much better than I am! He has had a powerful hold on my imagination for many years. I love writing about him and hope to keep doing so for a long time. He’s also the source of my favorite reader question. A few years ago, someone emailed to ask if he was circumcised.

My first reaction was “Man, I’ll bet Stephen King doesn’t get questions like that.” But then, his are probably even weirder. I went online and did some research and discovered that at the time Kimo was born, hospital circumcisions were common. So there you go.

My path to publication was a long and checkered one, as is the case with many authors. My first published stories were magazine erotica, and I still like to keep my hand in (no pun intended) with that kind of writing. But for the most part now I write mystery and romance—all my books seem to have both those elements, though in different proportions.

I began writing the golden retriever mysteries because I spent so much time walking my golden, Samwise (yes, I’m a Tolkien geek). He had so many funny habits and such a strong personality that I just knew I had to write a book that featured a dog like him. (Fortunately, Sam had no habit of finding dead bodies.)

I live in Hollywood, Florida now, with my partner and our golden retrievers, Brody and Griffin.

Author Links
WEBSITE:                                         www.mahubooks.com
BLOG:                                              http://mahubooks.blogspot.com
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:            http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JP4EL6
FACEBOOK:                                     https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy
GOODREADS:                                  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/126217.Neil_Plakcy
PINTEREST:                                     http://pinterest.com/neilplakcy/boards/
TWITTER:                                        https://twitter.com/NeilPlakcy
BOOKBUB:                                      https://www.bookbub.com/profile/neil-s-plakcy
INSTAGRAM:                                  https://www.instagram.com/neilplakcy/
LINKED IN:                                      www.linkedin.com/in/neilplakcy
SUBSTACK                                       https://substack.com/@goldendad
THREADS:                                       https://www.threads.net/@neilplakcy
TIKTOK                                            https://www.tiktok.com/@neilplakcy
YouTube:                                        https://www.youtube.com/@plax1612
Amazon Author Profile                https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B001JP4EL6

You can find all of Neil’s books on Amazon HERE.

About Joanna Campbell Slan

Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.

Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul).

Currently, she writes six fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy Thrillers (late 1800s, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s books), the Tai Chi Mystery Series (featuring a mature female amateur sleuth!) and the Friday Night Mystery Series (set in Decatur, IL in 1986 with a spunky female heroine.)

A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.

In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida.

Author Links
Newsletter sign up:  https://joannacampbellslan.substack.com/publish/home
Street Team sign up:   https://joannacampbellslan.com/
Website —   https://joannacampbellslan.com/
Facebook —  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaCampbellSlan
Facebook Group —   https://www.facebook.com/groups/1602372550058785
Twitter —   https://twitter.com/JoannaSlan
Amazon Author Page — https://amzn.to/3uF3h0g
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/JCSlan/
Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/joannacampbellslan
Bookbub — https://www.bookbub.com/profile/joanna-campbell-slan
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/JoannaSlan
Pinterest — https://www.pinterest.com/joannaslan/

You can find all of Joanna’s books on Amazon HERE.

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