From the Big Apple to the Peach State: My Journey to a Cozy State of Mind
At the age of twenty-eight, I began the transition from working in New York City, commuting via train with thousands of others, — all in a hurry to get somewhere — to running a chiropractic practice in a sleepy Georgia town of three thousand souls.
As an active and athletic woman, I made the decision to become a chiropractor because I had found the need to use one myself. Choosing one of my best friends from high school as my chiropractor seemed like an easy decision. Little did I know that choice, and her encouragement, would send me on my way out of the Big Apple into the land of Georgia peaches.
It should come as no surprise to anyone, that one of the most glaring differences between New York and Georgia, is language. Gone were the raucous calls of the subway commuter: “Move it. I’m in a rush!” “We’re all in a rush, lady.” In its place, the soft Georgia drawl that I soon fell in love with.
As a chiropractic student, I was ill at ease any time I had to speak, recognizing the roughness of my Yankee accent. Once I was a practicing chiropractor, I had occasion to listen to people from different backgrounds with varying accents. As someone who had previously studied foreign languages and linguistics, I was delighted! As a budding writer, I was soaking it all in.
My desire to write and love of words had always been with me. For many years, I wrote our office newsletter and the copy for any ads. As the digital age approached, our newsletter became an automated part of our website, and we didn’t need the ads anymore. Suddenly, my creative side wasn’t being fulfilled and oddly enough, my dreams became more vivid and filled with lingering images. One day, as I was sharing one such dream with my husband, he replied, “Why don’t you write a book?” He had made this comment before, but this time I took it to heart.
My love of mysteries drew me to the cozy. My life in a small town made it natural that I should write about the world seen through the eyes of a chiropractor in a small town. Thus, my alter ego, Dr. Susannah Shine, was born. Of course, she, like me, is a bit of a fish out of water.
My first book in the series, Dr. Shine Cracks the Case, reflects Dr. Susannah’s reliance on her staff and their deep roots in the community to help her navigate small town relationships and dig up clues. She depends on them so much that I dubbed them the Ladies Crime Solving Club, and they appear in most of the books.
The Ladies Crime Solving Club get busy digging up dirt and then get together to discuss clues, which pile up along with helpings of gluten-free peach cobbler. Gluten-free, because Dr. Susannah, like me, has some food sensitivities. My books come with gluten-free recipes, which can be easily converted to gluten-full (as the Ladies call it) by substituting regular flour for gluten-free flour or baking mix.
A few of the things in my fictitious town of Peach Grove, Georgia,reflect things I saw in my actual town. All things that fit nicely into a small town culinary-cozy blueprint. From the town fair where we had a booth representing my chiropractic practice, to the patients I treated who worked with horses, to the orchard where I picked peaches for cobbler — they all contribute to my cozy state of mind. A state that I love to share.
So take a bite of Dr. Susannah’s favorite Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler and meet me in Peach Grove.
Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler
Batter Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup gluten-free baking flour mix
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
Fruit Ingredients:
4 cups fresh Georgia peaches (about 6-8 medium peaches) or 40 ounces frozen peaches
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To prepare the pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the bottom of an 8" square or 9" round pan; set the pan aside while you make the batter.
Mix the baking mix and sugar. Blend in the milk and egg; pour the batter over the melted butter in the pan.
Peel, pit and slice fresh peaches. If using frozen, thaw them. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon into the peaches.
Spoon the peach mixture over the top of the batter. Bake until the top is lightly browned, and the fruit is bubbling, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the cobbler from the oven and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
A Chiro Cozy Mystery, Book 1
When Susannah Shine quits her job with the NYPD and follows her dream to become a Chiropractor, she moves to the quaint small town of Peach Grove, Georgia.
After Dr. Shine discovers the body of a local restaurateur on her doorstep, she must deal with the unjust accusations leveled by the new detective in town. Muddling through memories of the emotional trauma of her former life on the police force, she follows the clues, unravels motives, and unearths secrets.
Forming the Ladies’ Crime Solving Club with her BFF, her office manager and her chiropractic assistant, the Ladies use their contacts to delve deep into the community for clues. But when pregnant chiropractic assistant, Tina, is found unconscious in the parking lot, Dr. Shine must put aside long-held fears and revisit her investigating skills to help her injured friend.
At the Peach Grove Independence Day Festival, Dr. Susannah discovers a long-hidden secret, which lures her into danger. Caught in an unexpected trap, can this chiropractic sleuth escape the killer's deadly twist?
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