Mystery author Darlene Dziomba chats with me about her new cozy release, Assault & Gobblery.
Bio:
Darlene combined her passion for the written word and animals into the Lily Dreyfus series. The books are written based on her experience as a volunteer at the Animal Welfare Association, a no-kill animal shelter in Voorhees, New Jersey. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Membership Chair for SinC Grand Canyon Writers, and served as a mentor in the Sisters in Crime Mentorship program. Darlene lives in New Jersey with her four-legged best friend, Billie.
Welcome, Darlene. What inspired you to write this book?
The protagonist of my series is the adoption coordinator at a no-kill animal shelter. All of my books have revolved around animal(s) the shelter was trying to get adopted. I read a small article in a local paper about a wild turkey that took up residence on one block of a nearby town. The neighbors fell into two different camps: one to have the turkey relocated to a farm; the other to have the turkey euthanized. The turkey was picked up by animal control before a rescue organization could be arranged to trap it. My second thought after reading the article was, “I could build an entire mystery plot around this.”. My first thought was, “Darn it, they killed the poor turkey.”
The turkey in my book survives.
Excerpt from Chapter 2 of Assault & Gobblery:
A scream pierces the air from the plot behind them. Both women jerk their heads in its direction.
“It’s cornered me, help.”
Joyce and Kelly glance at each other and then run to the patch on the opposite side of their gardens. A large turkey stands at the entrance to a plot, warbling and pacing like a sentry. They clap their hands and stomp their sneaker-clad feet until the turkey abandons his post and meanders to the woods, gobbling like the Seven Dwarfs singing, “Hi ho, hi ho.”
Two women walking dogs several yards away pull on their dogs’ leashes to stop them from getting too close to the turkey. They have a brief discussion and then turn to go back in the direction from which they came. A woman wearing a large floppy hat sticks her head out from another garden plot but gives a snort of derision and goes back to what she was doing.
Kelly shifts her gaze to Joyce, who shrugs then brushes her arm forward in an “after you” gesture. Kelly shakes her head no. Joyce stifles a laugh then approaches the patch from which the scream came.
Inside the patch, a middle-aged woman in khakis and a Rutgers University sweatshirt wields a small garden trowel. Her face is flushed crimson. “It was going to attack me.” Minute beads of sweat run down the sides of her face, and some of the stiff spikes of her hair are losing their structure.
“Get real, it’s a turkey, you’re a grown woman. Clap your hands like we just did, and it will lose interest in you.” Joyce plants her feet shoulder width, lowering her chin to her chest to glower at the other woman.
“Gah, it doesn’t go to your side. You don’t realize how dangerous it is. It could’ve clawed me while I had my back turned.” Katherine moves out of her plot to the pathway. There’s a smudge of dirt across her right cheek. Her hands have a slight tremble, and she grasps the garden trowel as if prepared to stab something with it.
Wyatt saunters around from the side where his, Kelly’s and Joyce’s plots are, but just shakes his head and moves towards the parking lot, having no interest in Katherine’s histrionics.
“We can live at peace with nature. We just have to understand each other’s space and be respectful,” Kelly exclaims from her position a yard behind Joyce.
“Gah, gah, be respectful. Someone needs to shoot it and be done with it. Serve it for Thanksgiving dinner.” Katherine grins as if she has made a hilarious joke. “Gah, gah.”
Kelly winces, retreating another foot. Katherine’s laugh resembles a crow cawing. The sound is almost as offensive as the comment the woman made.
A loud gasp is heard from the plot with the woman wearing the large hat.
The turkey has now wandered into the woods and can no longer be seen.
“Well, if someone does shoot it, they’d better ensure there aren’t any witnesses. In New Jersey, a bow and arrow are the only legal means of killing a wild turkey. Using a gun could result in a large fine.” Joyce maintains her stance, and her jaw twitches as she clenches her teeth.
“Gah, gah only if there are witnesses. We don’t have CCTV coverage out here,” Katherine proclaims, as she throws her arms wide and turns in a circle like Maria in the opening credits of The Sound of Music.
Mitchell glides to a stop on his bicycle beside Kelly. “What’s happening?”
“That turkey had me cornered in my plot. It could have mauled me,” Katherine yells before Kelly has a chance to answer.
What exciting project are you working on next?
I have a working draft of book 5 in the series, Tail of Deception. When a young man collapses and dies at a Forever Friends Animal Shelter fundraiser, Lily Dreyfus stays at an arm’s length, not wanting to get involved. However, the police rule the death a homicide and her boyfriend’s employees begin getting questioned as suspects. Lily gathers her pack to seek the killer and make them heel.
I also have an idea for a suspense novel. It is in the very early stages of development, so I cannot yet share a title or brief synopsis.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
After Clues from the Canines was published. I remember talking with Jonathan Brown at Bouchercon Dallas. I told him I was trying to be a writer. He looked at me and said, “No, you ARE a writer. You are not yet a published author, but you will be.” His faith in me was touching, but I still could not call myself a writer until I published the first book. Now, I proudly say it to anyone who will spend a few minutes talking to me.
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 retired from my full-time job in February 2024. That was when I became a full-time writer. My dog Billie and I get up around 6:30 and take a walk, then have breakfast and then I write until 10:30. That is when Billie lets me know she is ready for another walk. After that walk, I do another hour of writing. After a shower and lunch, my activities vary. I am the Membership Chair of Sisters in Crime Grand Canyon Writers. I’ll check the email account to see if there are any items that I need to take care of. In Spring and Summer I spend time in my garden.
I now have the luxury of time to read. Many published authors advised me to read and study the craft of other authors. It was difficult to devote time to this when I was working full-time.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I cannot finish a sentence with a preposition. I know it frustrates my editor who suggests rewrites of sentences and constantly tells me it is an OK grammatical mechanism, but I cannot do it.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian. I loved animals.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
The idea to write a mystery series came to me when I was listening to a panel, as a fan, at Bouchercon. Before that moment, I had never even thought about writing a book. I have had a lot to learn and have made many mistakes along the way. However, I truly enjoy this job. If one day you get an idea that seems crazy, go for it. I am so glad I didn’t dismiss the thought, “I should write a mystery series that revolves around an animal shelter.”
Such an interesting plot. A turkey bound in suburbia New Jersey, terrifying (some) of its residents.
Where I live there are large flocks of wild turkeys all the time. They nest in our fields. We enjoy watching them parade around, and every year they produce lots of new turkeys.
As I read your excerpt, I imagined a scenario where the lone turkey in the Jersey neighborhood might have some sort of internal dialogue about his cousins to the north, or in the country, and the large gatherings there compared to his life on the “outskirts” of turkeydom.
Your book sounds interesting and fun.