Mystery author Dean L. Hovey joins me today to chat about his novel, Western Justice.
During his virtual book tour, Dean will be giving away a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Dean Hovey is the award-winning and best-selling author of 33 books. He uses scientific background, travel, and tons of research to write three mystery series. The Doug Fletcher series follows a US Park Service Investigator as he’s dispatched to US National Parks and Monuments across the United States. His first Fletcher book, “Stolen Past” was set in Northern Arizona. Following books took Doug from Everglades National Park to the Little Bighorn Battlefield with stops in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Dean splits his year between northern Minnesota and Arizona.
Welcome, Dean. Please tell us about your current release.
Western Justice opens with the discovery of a frozen body in the Vore Buffalo Jump National Historic Site, in the western Black Hills. Investigative partners, Doug and Jill Fletcher, are asked by the understaffed local sheriff’s department to assist with the murder investigation. Identification of the victim is a problem, as is following the disappearing trail between the location of the victim’s discovery and the site of his murder. The investigation puts the Fletchers in Aladdin, Wyoming, population of 15. The town consists of a motel, café, and general store. They tap into local resources to identify the victim, then use that identification to determine the time and place of the murder. As the pieces fall into place, questions arise about several local “characters” who have no apparent connection to the victim.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve traveled to the Black Hills since my childhood, and I felt that the Vore Buffalo Jump, and Aladdin General Store would provide intriguing settings. Jill Fletcher’s backstory includes growing up in Spearfish, South Dakota, and it’s been fun to bring her back to deal with her aging parents, their colorful take on life, and their dealings with their new “city-bred” son-in-law, Doug. I’ve tapped into several Black Hills locations for earlier books, and the dynamics with Jill’s family provide a humorous counterbalance to the dark crimes depicted in the stories.
Excerpt from Western Justice:
Jill’s voice was soft and even. “Have you noticed anyone sitting in the timber behind the store?”
Tanya opened her mouth, but hesitated. “I don’t often look up the hill. I mean, it’s just trees and stuff. I’m usually focused on doing something for the store when I’m in the back.”
Jill nodded toward Tanya’s pistol. “I used to carry a 9mm when I was younger. I could never handle the recoil of a .45.”
Tanya relaxed a bit. “I’m not concerned about the recoil because I only plan on shooting once. When you shoot something with a .45, it stays shot.”
Randy leaned forward to look at Jill. “Unlike the well driller you shot thirteen times with your 9mm before he stopped running.”
Zane’s eyes went wide, and he turned toward Jill. “That was you in the Hulett shootout?”
I gestured for Randy to zip his lips. He saw Jill look away, then made a circle on the bar top with his beer bottle. “I might’ve spoken out of school. Sorry, Jill.”
Seeing Jill’s remorse, Zane turned toward her. “I’m sorry. I get it. I really do. I take no joy in shooting an animal. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I shot another person.”
Jill nodded. “Thank you. Can we talk about something else?”
What exciting project are you working on next?
Later this year, Doug and Jill are travelling to Manzanar National Historic Site, just outside of Death Valley, to investigate the murder of a US Park Service Ranger.
Aside from that, my publisher will be releasing “Conflict of Interest” in my Pine County Series in May, and “Whistling Wedding”, a Whistling Pines cozies in October
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
That’s an interesting and difficult question. I wrote a few articles for my high school and college newspapers and had a few magazine articles published after that. I had a job that included technical writing, but I didn’t really consider myself a writer until “Where Evil Hides” was published in 2000. Even then, it was hard to get my head around the idea of being a published author.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t have a job besides writing, although sitting at the computer a few hours a day hardly seems like a full-time job. I spend about as much time researching, traveling, and promoting as I do writing. My writing day often starts when one of my characters starts whispering in my ear very early in the morning. That conversation is usually, “Get your lazy butt out of bed. I have things to say!” I’m often writing when my wife wanders out of the bedroom. I write virtually every day, at a pace that produces four books a year. The breaks in that routine are usually supplied by rewriting, and responding to editors and proofreaders remarks and suggestions.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Ideas flow from many sources, and I rarely have writer’s block. I do write one scene at a time, so I step away from the computer at the end of each scene and do something mindless, like walking, driving to town, or showering. It’s during those quiet times that I reflect on what I’ve just written, then decide on where the story is going next.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’d planned to be a doctor. I was a pre-med student in college until I was in a serious car accident. The subsequent months of hospitalization taught me patience and made me rethink my future as a doctor. The pre-med classes prepared me for writing by making me curious, detail-oriented, and well stocked with scientific trivia.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Being a writer is immensely gratifying. There’s no rush like touching the cover of your first book, then flipping the pages and reading the words that you wrote. Second to touching that first cover, is the experience of talking to readers at bookstores and libraries. I’ve met thousands of wonderful, interesting, and supportive people through my writing. They make it hard not to write.
Links:
Facebook | BooksWeLove | Amazon
Lisa, thanks for hosting this stop on my virtual book tour. It was fun to dip deeper into my writing routine. If the readers have questions or comments, I’ll happily respond.
Thank you so much for featuring Western Justice and Dean today.
The cover looks really good. Thanks for sharing.
This definitely looks like a good read.
What is you favorite space to do your writing?
I sit in my living room with a laptop. Staring at a blank wall, I can envision the location of the scene I’m writing.
This looks like an awesome book. Thanks for hosting this waym.
Enjoyed reading the post. Sounds like a good book
Definitely sounds like an interesting read!! Thanks for sharing!!