FAMILY #CAMPING WITH AUTHOR MAGGIE TOUSSAINT

Southern author Maggie Toussaint writes mystery, suspense, and dystopian fiction. Her work won the Silver Falchion Award for best mystery, the Readers’ Choice Award, and the EPIC Award. Learn more about Maggie and her books at her website. 

Single Working Mom Blues

By Baxley Powell, amateur sleuth

Dear Diary,

I was so looking forward to this vacation getaway. I didn’t know I needed a vacation until my ten-year-old daughter Larissa suggested it. We couldn’t afford anything fancy, but everything lined up just right for a trip that fit our budget.

First, we asked my parents if they knew anyone who would let us borrow a camper, and my parents said they knew two families who would loan us campers – they wanted to come, too. My best friend in the whole wide world, Charlotte Ambrose, decided she wanted to come along once she heard about the trip. Better yet, Charlotte had a cousin with property in the north Georgia mountains that we could camp on.

With only a week of summer left before school started up again for fall term, we hit the road and motored to North Georgia. It was beautiful and breathtaking and awesome. In just one day at the campsite, I felt revitalized. Our day started out with fishing, but before you could say, “I love vacation” three times in a row, a murder occurred and I was tagged to investigate.

Each morning on vacation I had to say goodbye to my family and my daughter and go to work. The evidence trail went cold so I really dug in and things started happening on the case solving.

But the absolute best thing of all was my daughter. She didn’t resent my absence at all. When I tearfully hugged her and apologized on missing out on all the vacation fun, she told me I was right where I needed to be, doing what I needed to do.

How did I get so lucky to have a great kid like Larissa?

My parents are awesome, too. They take everything in stride, but they’ve been at the Dreamwalker stuff much longer than I have. There’s someone else I met on vacation. A guy. He knows what I do, and he gets it. Seriously, how many men on the planet would want someone they’re interest in talking to spirits and other paranormal entities? I get kind of dreamy thinking about him, but that’s a tale for another day.

Dadgummit, a Dreamwalker Mystery

Amateur sleuth Baxley Powell is on vacation at Stony Creek Lake in north Georgia. A young man’s body is found beside the lake, and there’s no apparent cause of death. The local police urge Baxley, an expert at closing unusual cases, to help and she agrees.

Her psychic sleuthing leads the police to a halfway house where someone is draining victims of their life force. Jonas, the only person standing in the house, escapes, taking the sheriff as a hostage. Deputy Sam Mayes, a Native American, leads the manhunt.

Baxley’s paranormal talent of dreamwalking, which she uses to traverse the veil of life, draws the unwanted attention of beings believed to be Cherokee folklore. They prevail upon her to get it back from Jonas.

With the body count rising, Baxley and Mayes are up against an entity who appears to be invincible. Can they subdue an energy vampire, turn the tide of evil, and save the day?

Buy Link