A CHAT WITH TEMPE CRABTREE FROM AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH'S TEMPE CRABTREE MYSTERY SERIES

Today we sit down for a chat with Tempe Crabtree from the Tempe Crabtree Mystery Series by Marilyn Meredith.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

First, I am Native American. I worked as a resident deputy in the mountain community of Bear Creek. As a young widow, I raised my son on my own until I met, fell in love with, and married a pastor. 

 
What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

I care about people and what happens to them. That’s why I never give up when trying to solve a mystery.

What do you like least about yourself?

That I didn’t learn much about my Indian heritage until I met Nick Two John who has helped me learn about the spirituality and mysticism of my culture.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

Ghosts and spiritual beings becoming a part of my life. I’ve been visited many times by the spirits of murder victims—and even demons and angels.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

Not so much argue, but I do make her understand and see what I will do when something happens to people I care about, or to me. 

What is your greatest fear?

That something might happen to my husband Hutch because of something I’ve done, or someone I’m investigating.

What makes you happy?

Solving a case and helping a soul to find rest. And because I now have a grandchild, being a part of his life.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why? 

I’d learn about my heritage much sooner than I did. Because Nick Two John opened my eyes to a whole part of my life I should have known about.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

In this particular book, it’s the husband of the murder victim. He is not the person I thought he was. 

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places
with? Why?

I don’t think I’d trade places with anyone in this book or any of the others. I’ve had a great life. Yes, there’s been some heartache, but I share a great love with my husband, raised a son who is now grown, married, and a father. I’ve had a great career as a deputy, had some amazing adventures, met many intriguing people, and solved a multitude of puzzling mysteries.

Tell us a little something about your author. 

Marilyn Meredith is the author of more than forty books, including the Tempe Crabtree Mystery Series and the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. She lives in a place with a great resemblance to Bear Creek, where I worked. Readers can find her at her website and blog.

 

What’s next for you?

A Final Farewell is the last book in the series. My husband and I are starting a new life, one you’ll have to imagine.

 

A Final Farewell

A Tempe Crabtree Mystery, Book 20

 

A woman’s body found in a neighbor’s pond piques Tempe’s curiosity. It isn’t long before she is enmeshed in the intrigue and gossip surrounding the mystery.

 

Miqui Sherwood has two handsome suitors both wanting to marry her. Does either one have any ties to the murder victim?

 

Tempe’s life is threatened, and the health of Tempe’s friend and mentor, Nick Two John, is failing.

 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--WHEN MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH WRITES WHILE HUNGRY

Marilyn Meredith is the author of more than forty published books including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, and writing as F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

Including Food in my Mysteries

One thing that always bugs me when I’m reading a book is when the characters eat and nothing is said about what they ate, especially if they are eating in a restaurant. Lately, I did read a really good mystery where the heroine always ate the same thing. It worked because it was an important part of the story.

 

I enjoy reading about good food almost as much as I like eating really delicious meals either at home or in a restaurant. One thing I’ve learned is some of the best eating can be found in a small, locally owned place, often ethnic of some sort. 

 

And it follows, that I also enjoy writing about food. 

 

In my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, The Trash Harem, Tempe and her husband travel to the city of Temecula to help a friend, Jonathan Reynolds, who is the only suspect in a murder case. The friend and his wife host Tempe and Hutch while they are there. The wife, Samantha, is a great cook and of course I felt compelled to write about the meals she served, and there a lot.

 

Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if I was hungry when I sat down at the computer to write this tale. 

 

When Tempe and Hutch arrive at the Reynolds’ home, their first meal is lunch which consisted of a salad of crisp greens, chilled asparagus spears, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, mushrooms, garbanzo beans, and artichoke hearts, served with sliced sourdough bread and olive oil and vinegar for dipping. (Old Town Temecula, a shop is famous for their various olive oils and vinegars.)

 

Neighbors who might also be murder suspects are invited to dinner to meet Tempe and Hutch. Samantha has prepared Beef Burgundy to eat over rice, Chicken Alfredo with noodles, and crème brûlée for dessert.

 

One evening the two couples dine at a small restaurant in Old Town and enjoy clam chowder abd fish and chips, while Tempe chooses lobster tacos.

 

The Reynolds and their guests are invited to dinner at a winery restaurant by the son of the murder victim who orders the most expensive item on the menu a Bouillabaisse. The others enjoy Beef Bourguignon and Coq Au Vin.

 

The final get-together with all the suspects is a fancy luncheon that begins with a veggie tray and tomato bisque, followed by interesting sandwiches made with unusual breads, a variety of fillings such as thinly sliced chicken with cheddar cheese, avocado and bean sprouts, cucumbers and cream cheese, pimiento cheese and chives, and sliced boiled eggs with avocado. A cheese board, nuts, cookies and fresh blackberries and whipped cream are served while Tempe brings everyone up to date on her investigation, Agatha Christie style.

 

And of course, there were always beverages at these meals, sometimes freshly made lemonade, different fancy iced teas, and various wines.

 

I think I may be hungry when I’m writing, and going over all the food that I included in the book has made me hungry now,

 

My editor said she wouldn’t eat a lot of the food I wrote about. I’m just the opposite; I like to try anything edible. What about you? Do you like to read about food in the books you read? 

The Trash Harem

A Tempe Crabtree Mystery, Book 19

 

Deputy Tempe Crabtree has retired from her job in Bear Creek when friends, who once lived in Bear Creek and attended Pastor Hutch’s church, ask her to visit them in Temecula. The husband, Jonathan, is a suspect in what might be a murder case. The retirement community includes many interesting characters, any of whom might have had a better motive than Jonathan. There is also a connection to Erle Stanley Gardner as well as the Pechanga Old Oak. What is a trash harem? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

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AUTHOR F.M. MEREDITH TACKLES A THORNY ISSUE IN HER LATEST ROCKY BLUFF P.D. #MYSTERY

Rocky Bluff Beach

F.M. Meredith is the author more than forty published novels; Not As We Knew It is the latest in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. As Marilyn Meredith, she writes the award-winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest, End of the Trail. She taught writing for Writers Digest Schools for ten years, was an instructor at the prestigious Maui Writers Retreat, and has taught at many writers’ conferences. For more than twenty years she lived in a beach town much like Rocky Bluff. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog. 

Compelled to Write Something, Knowing it Won’t Be Popular

 

That was the situation I found myself in when I wanted to write my next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery. Because this series is set in more-or-less real time, I felt I needed to add something about the Corona virus. I’d read a lot from other writers that they would not be including what was going on, and from readers that they didn’t want to read a book with the virus in it.

 

So what was I to do? I wrote the book I felt I had to write. After all, my characters live in the real world—the world I’ve created for them. How could I ignore something all of us are experiencing in one way or another?

 

The Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series is as much about the families of the police officers as it is about any crimes they must solve. And to be perfectly honest, I had fun figuring out what each person might be facing as well as their opinions about the virus. After all, in my own family many diverse opinions were being expressed.

 

To find out how police departments were handing the mask situation, I talked to a grandson who is a police officer. And as for civilians in the story, I had plenty of experience of my own.

 

Something else that was going on during the time I was writing the book was the not-always-so-peaceful demonstrators who invaded towns. And yes, I thought this could make for an exciting plot twist, and once again I consulted my police officer grandson.

 

For anyone who might think the story is political, believe me, it’s not. What I’ve tried to do, as I’ve done in all the books in the series, is show what life is like for those in law enforcement and their families. To make this latest one real, I didn’t see how I could ignore what is going on in the world today, and what the characters might be experiencing.

 

Besides what I’ve shared already, the plot of Not As We Knew It has a lot more going on, including a missing woman and a deadly house fire. And for those of you who’ve never read a Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, the setting is a small beach town between Ventura and Santa Barbara. 

 

Fortunately, it has received good reviews.

 

I’ve come to know these characters so well since I’ve written so many books about them, they seem real to me. I hope that my readers feel the same.

 

Not As We Knew It

A Rocky Bluff P.D. Mystery, Book 16

 

The challenges come one after another for the Rocky Bluff P.D. to handle, from a missing woman to a house fire.

 

Detective Doug Milligan is faced with new and unusual problems to solve, some on the job and others related to his family.

 

Gordon Butler isn’t too happy with the fact his wife was chosen to train the latest new hire.

 

With the department short-handed, Chief Chandra Butler must make some brave decisions in order to protect the town of Rocky Bluff.  Her romance with the mayor, which had been put on hold, is refreshed when she seeks his help.

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH ON WHERE HER IDEAS COME FROM

Marilyn Meredith is the author of forty-plus published books including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, and writing as F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Besides writing she enjoys spending time with her husband, children and the greats and grands. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

The Hatching of Ideas and Characters

“Where do you get your ideas for your books?” is probably one of the most asked questions of authors. Second, is “How do you develop your characters?”

 

Ideas are everywhere. Sometimes a newspaper story sparks an idea for a plot or sub-plot, or it could be a place. The Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries began after I moved to a small foothill community, which is much different from the larger cities I’d lived in before. Most of the stories are based in and around where I live with some fictional changes. Tempe has also gone to other places, including the mountain town of Tehachapi which has the most wind turbines in California, and became the kernel of the plot for Spirit Wind. 

 

Three women gave me the idea for the Tempe Crabtree character. One was a female resident deputy in the town I lived in, the second, the only woman police officer at the time in the city closest to where I lived, and a young Native American woman I met. I had interviewed the deputy for a newspaper article. I went on a ride-along with the police officer, and she told me about her job and being a single mother. I was fascinated by the native woman, her appearance, and her stories. Together, these strong women became Tempe.

 

When I did a book signing in Crescent City, I met a Totowa native and she told me so much about her life growing up, stories about her people, and so much more. We became good friends, and she became two characters in Kindred Spirits.

 

My Rocky Bluff P.D. series is set in an imaginary beach town on the coast between Santa Barbara and Ventura and resembles the beach town I lived in for more than twenty years. My son-in-law, a police officer, fascinated me with his stories when he stopped by for coffee at the end of his grave-yard shift. I heard more tales from the several officers who lived in our neighborhood. And I have to admit, some of those men became the inspiration for characters in this series.

 

Ideas come from all around. As a writer, I pay attention to what goes on around me and take notice of interesting people, what they look like, what they wear, and I admit, on occasion, I eavesdrop on strangers’ conversations.

 

The latest offering in the RBPD series, Not As We Knew It, focuses on the officers and their families as they cope with Covid-19. My grandson, who is a police officer, gave me some insights into what might be happening in Rocky Bluff. I know my characters well enough to figure out how each of them would react to all the restrictions they face. Since the series is more or less in real time, I didn’t think I could ignore what is going on all around us.

 

Not As We Knew It

A Rocky Bluff P.D. Mystery, Book 16

 

The challenges come one after another for the Rocky Bluff P.D. to handle--from a missing woman to a fatal house fire. Detective Doug Milligan is faced with new and unusual problems to solve, some on the job and others related to his family. Gordon Butler isn’t too happy that his wife was chosen to train the latest new-hire. With the department shorthanded, Chief Chandra Taylor must make some hard decisions in order to protect the town of Rocky Bluff. Her romance with the mayor, which had been put on hold, is refreshed when she seeks his help.

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH ON TWEAKING REAL SETTINGS FOR FICTION

Tule River

Mystery author Marilyn Meredith has written more than forty books under her own name and as F.M. Meredith. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

How Much of The Setting of the Tempe Crabtree Mysteries is Like Where I Live?

It’s no secret that the area where Tempe Crabtree is resident deputy has a close resemblance to the town of Springville. Both are in the Southern Sierra*, however, Bear Creek is 1000 feet higher in elevation. My main reason for that was I wanted better trees and the chance for more changes in the weather. Weather often plays an important part in series.

When I moved Bear Creek higher into the mountains, I changed the main highway a bit to fit the stories I wrote. 

The Tule River runs through the place I live, but I call it Bear Creek, and the town is named after the river.

Both places are near an Indian reservation, and the real one is much like the one in my series.

In my town there is an inn like the one in Bear Creek, however the fictional one is a bit different than the real one, though the history of it is the same. Right now, it’s closed.  In fact, the main reason I didn’t use all the same businesses in my series is because they tend to come and go. Summer brings the tourists, but it’s hard for many places to remain open during the winter. And the virus isn’t helping.

In the latest book, a campground is featured. We have many campground and hiking trails, but the ones in End of the Trail are fictional. The surroundings are real. We have giant Sequoia groves in several places. 

As far as I know, no one living off the road to the reservation has a compound like the one I describe in this latest mystery. However, there is plenty of land where someone could build exactly what my fictional characters did. 

The town of Dennison is somewhat like the nearby town of Porterville. Any of my neighbors will recognize Main Street, the mortuary, and the library. (As a sad aside, the library burned down earlier this year.)

When Tempe visits another real place and I’ve used the name, I try to keep as true to what it is like as possible. However, when I write Bear Creek, I am happy that I can fictionalize what I’m writing about. It gives me many more opportunities for plot ideas.

*Sierra means mountains.

End of the Trail 

A Tempe Crabtree Mystery, Book 18

Deputy Tempe Crabtree joins the search for a missing hiker which results in a murder investigation, a near death experience, an unexpected rescuer, and an unhappy ghost. 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR F.M. MEREDITH'S SERGEANT RYAN STRICKLAND

Today we sit down for a chat with Sergeant Ryan Strickland from author F.M. Meredith’s

Rocky Bluff P.D. series.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

As a police officer, I was pretty carefree, and didn’t make the best choices for my life—resulting in dire consequences for others. I was what they called a publicity hound, loved to get myself into the news. 

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

That I had the capacity to change—though I have to give most of the credit to my wife Barbara. Being married to her has made me see things in an entirely different way. 

What do you like least about yourself?

The fact that I’ve kept a huge secret for all these years, a secret that I’ll never tell anyone.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

Becoming a father to a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome. I had no idea I could love someone so much as my daughter Angel.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

Though at times I’d like to have a bigger role in each book, when what happened to me was the major plot, it wasn’t at all pleasant.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is that something bad might happen to Angel. I don’t want anyone to make fun of her, either.

What makes you happy?

Though I love my police work, being with my wife and family is the best part of my life—something I never imagined could be true.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

Definitely, I would like to change what happened in the first book, Final Respects, but if I did, I wouldn’t be in the life I am today.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

For a long time it was Gordon Butler, a go-by-the book cop and one who managed to get himself into all sorts of awkward, dangerous, and sometimes funny situations. He’s now married, and he’s matured a lot.

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

I wouldn’t want to trade places with any of the characters. Right now I’m at the best place in my life I’ve ever been as a husband, father, being a sergeant on the RBPD, and my job as public information officer. 

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

F.M. Meredith (who is also Marilyn Meredith) has been writing the Rocky Bluff P.D. series and the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series for many years. She once lived in a small beach community like Rocky Bluff and that’s where she first became interested in writing about law enforcement. She’s also a member of two chapters of Sisters in Crime and on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association, and claims many of the law enforcement members as friends and research sources. Learn more about her at her website and blog.

What's next for you?

I have no idea what will be happening with Ryan Strickland in the months to come. Hopefully, I’ll be involved with an interesting case. Something unusual is always happening in Rocky Bluff.

Bones in the Attic

In a small town like Rocky Bluff, personal and professional often overlap, so Detective Doug Milligan is not surprised when his daughter Beth is the one who informs him a body has been discovered.

What is surprising is that the body is in a long-abandoned home that Beth and other students are turning into a haunted house as a fundraiser. The city granted permission for the project as long as it was limited to the downstairs for safety reasons. But one student, Mike Patterson, couldn't resist the temptation to look in the attic.

Detective Milligan stepped carefully a trunk and peered inside. Only a musty unpleasant smell emanated from the contents, not the noxious decomposition odor he'd expected. The skeleton crammed inside was still clothed in the remnants of what may have been pajamas.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--F.M. MEREDITH ON THE INSPIRATION FOR HER CHARACTERS

Marilyn Meredith, who writes the RBPD mystery series as F.M. Meredith, is the author of more than forty published books. She once lived in a small beach town much like Rocky Bluff, and has many relatives and friends in law enforcement. Learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website and blog.

What Inspired the Character(s)

In the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series, there are multiple characters who have been in the series since or near the beginning. I’m going to write about the inspiration for a few of them, plus a couple of new ones.

I wrote the first book in this series when my son-in-law became a cop and came to my house every morning after his shift for a cup of coffee. He always shared what had gone on the night before, including tidbits about his co-workers. Of course a lot of what I heard spilled over into my books and the characters who inhabited them.

Detective Doug Milligan has been one of the main characters since the beginning. He was inspired by the police officers I knew at the time—young, married, and with children. Because these men were neighbors and I was friends with their wives, I had some insight into how what was going on in the families affected the job, and what they experienced on the job affected their families. Of course a lot of this became part of other characters.

Officer Gordon Butler has become the favorite of many of my readers. He’s had a rough time of it, both as a police officer and in his private life. He was inspired by one of the local cops who knew all the laws, operated by the book, worked hard, but bad and often humorous things happened to him.

Abel Navarro begins as an officer and becomes a sergeant as time goes on. From Mexican descent, he and some of his family members are loosely based on one of my sons-in-law. No my son-in-law is not a cop, but the dynamics of his large family has provided a lot of inspiration for ongoing characters. 

One of the newer characters is the police chief of the Rocky Bluff P.D., Chandra Taylor. She’s African American and tough. No, I don’t know any female police chief’s, but I have a friend who I see in my mind’s eye when I write about Chief Taylor. My friend once worked in prison as the assistant to the warden. Taylor is like my friend, shaped by the adversities in her life, but intelligent and capable, able to handle most anything--except romance.

Another new character is the daughter of the Rocky Bluff mayor. Kayla Duvall is a teenager who didn’t know her father until her mother, dying of cancer, sent her to live with him. I borrowed her looks from a darling boy who attends our church and who has an African American mom and Anglo dad. Like Kayla, he has blond curly hair.

For many years, I’ve been a member of the Public Safety Writers Association that is made up of many law enforcement officers. Of course I’ve made friends with many of them and some of them have also inspired characters in this series.

Bones in the Attic 

In a small town like Rocky Bluff, personal and professional often overlap, so Detective Doug Milligan is not surprised when his daughter Beth is the one who informs him a body has been discovered.

What is surprising is that the body is in a long-abandoned home that Beth and other students are turning into a haunted house as a fund raiser. The city granted permission for the project as long as it was limited to the downstairs for safety reasons. But one student, Mike Patterson, couldn't resist the temptation to look in the attic.

Detective Milligan stepped carefully a trunk and peered inside. Only a musty unpleasant smell emanated from the contents, not the noxious decomposition odor he'd expected. The skeleton crammed inside was still clothed in the remnants of what may have been pajamas.

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--TACO SALAD FROM MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH

Marilyn Meredith, who writes the RBPD mystery series as F.M. Meredith, is the author of more than forty published books. She once lived in a small beach town much like Rocky Bluff, and has many relatives and friends in law enforcement. Learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website and blog.

Kayla Makes Taco Salad

In the latest mystery of the Rocky Bluff mystery series, Bones in the Attic, teenager, Kayla Duvall makes a taco salad to serve to her father and his guest, his romantic interest, Chandra Taylor.

We have Taco Salad a lot at our house and it gets made many different ways depending on who decides to put it together, and what ingredients happen to be on hand.

The basic ingredients are:

Lettuce, shredded, Iceberg or Romaine

Tomatoes, cut up—or grape tomatoes.

1 can black olives

1 can kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans. (My family prefers pinto beans)

Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 red onion, chopped

Tortilla or taco chips, crumbled into fairly large pieces.

1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked. (Could add taco seasoning when cooking.)

(Any kind of dressing, whatever your family prefers—or use taco sauce)

Mix it all together and top with sliced avocados if you like.

And you can have sour cream available to dollop on top. 

Best if eaten right away. 

When my grandson makes it, he always uses Thousand Island dressing.

My daughter-in-law likes to add chopped cilantro and use mango salsa for the dressing.

We have a houseful of family all the time and I love it. Makes for great times around the table.

Bones in the Attic 

In a small town like Rocky Bluff, personal and professional often overlap, so Detective Doug Milligan is not surprised when his daughter Beth is the one who informs him a body has been discovered.

What is surprising is that the body is in a long-abandoned home that Beth and other students are turning into a haunted house as a fund raiser. The city granted permission for the project as long as it was limited to the downstairs for safety reasons. But one student, Mike Patterson, couldn't resist the temptation to look in the attic.

Detective Milligan stepped carefully a trunk and peered inside. Only a musty unpleasant smell emanated from the contents, not the noxious decomposition odor he'd expected. The skeleton crammed inside was still clothed in the remnants of what may have been pajamas.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH ON THE INSPIRATION FOR THE SETTING OF HER LATEST NOVEL

Marilyn Meredith is the author of many published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra, a place quite similar to Tempe Crabtree’s patrol area. Today she joins us to talk about the inspiration for the town in her latest Tempe Crabtree mystery. Learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website.

A Mountain Town Inspired Spirit Wind

For many years I’ve taken the highway that goes past the mountain town of Tehachapi on my way to various destinations in Los Angeles and to Las Vegas. One of the most fascinating aspects of Tehachapi is the enormous wind machines that cover the mountainsides.

Tehachapi Railway Loop

Tehachapi is also famous for the railway loop, where long, long freight trains pass themselves while going around a large hill.

When I began writing Spirit Shapes I wasn’t quite sure how much of Tehachapi I would include in my mystery, but once I began more and more of that fascinating place became a great background and inspired many scenes and plot ideas.

Once I had most of the story written, I had to return and make sure that I got everything right. My daughter did all the driving. While there we took a self-guided tour of the wind machines, watched several freight trains go around the loop, made sure that the scenes I made up could have happened in real areas, and ate great food in several restaurants.

I visited the police station and asked some questions while I was there. The officer I spoke to seemed a bit bewildered but told me what I needed to know.

Tehachapi Wind Machines

When my daughter and I finished the tour of the wind machines, we gave a ride to a most bedraggled young man who’d injured himself while hiking on the Pacific Crest trail which passes through there.

We found houses that resembled the homes belonging to characters in the book and noted what the areas around them looked like.

And like most of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries, there is a troubled spirit and references to the local Native people.

And yes, the wind blew all the while—and of course gave me the idea for the title of the book, Spirit Wind.

Spirit Wind

A Tempe Crabtree Mystery

A call from a ghost hunter changes Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s vacation plans. Instead of going to the coast, she and her husband are headed to Tehachapi to investigate a haunted house and are confronted by voices on the wind, a murder, and someone out to get them.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH DETECTIVE DOUGLAS MILLIGAN FROM F.M. MEREDITH'S ROCKY BLUFF P.D. MYSTERY SERIES

Today we sit down for a chat with Detective Douglas Milligan from author F.M. Meredith’’s Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

Being a police officer is the most important thing in my life. I lost my first wife because she wanted me to give up my job—something I don’t ever want to do.

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

I never give up. When I’m trying to find the bad guy, I’ll do whatever it takes to track him or her down.

What do you like least about yourself?

Lately, I’ve allowed family problems to distract me. But I’m not convinced that’s such a bad thing.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

In this book, it has to do with what I mentioned about a family matter distracting me. Never before while in the midst of a murder investigation, have I let something happening in my family take my mind off an investigation. However, in this case, I believe it was justified.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

I wouldn’t call it arguing, but I do let her know what I will and won’t do. After all, I’ve dedicated my life to protecting the citizens of Rocky Bluff, and I’m not going to let her forget that.

What is your greatest fear?

Losing one of my family members and not being the best husband and dad possible.

What makes you happy?

#1 has always been solving a case. However, with what happened recently, I have to say knowing my family is safe.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

Years ago, when I first started out, I would have liked to been able to save my best friend from dying.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

In the past, I would have said Officer Gordon Butler. He was such a dufus at times. However, he’s matured, and a lot of the credit goes to his wife Lizette. In this particular book, a change in my daughter Beth bugs me the most.

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

No one at the moment. In most ways, life is good. I love my family and my job.

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

Marilyn writers this series as F. M. Meredith. She once lived in a beach town much like Rocky Bluff. She has relatives and friends in law enforcement. She’s a member of MWA, three chapters of Sisters in Crime and serves on the PSWA Board. The number of books she’s published is pushing 40. You can find more about her at her website and blog.

This is the final blog stop on Marilyn’s tour for Tangled Webs. She hopes you enjoyed following along.

What's next for you?

I plan on continuing my career in law enforcement. I can’t imagine doing anything else. My family and I have no plans to leave Rocky Bluff. When the next murder comes along, I’ll do my best to find out who did it. With two children in my home, one a teen, I can’t even guess what might happen next. Whatever comes along, I’ll take care of it the best I know how.

Tangled Webs

Too many people are telling lies: The husband of the murder victim and his secretary, the victim’s boss and co-workers in the day care center, her stalker, and Detective Milligan’s daughter.

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