COZY WEDNESDAY - With Author Sharon Pape (Giveaway too!!)

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!!

I met today's guest after reading her first Portrait of Crime Mystery, Sketch Me If You Can.  I am not usually a fan of ghosts in books but this author writes in such a way that you can help but love this ghost. I couldn't wait for the next book in the series To Sketch A Thief.  

Over the past year I have learned what an amazing women she is. She is a great champion for pets who are basically on death row. Her daughter works tirelessly to find homes for these animals. Getting to know her, you can understand how a dog sometimes steals the show in her books, but I'll let her explain.

To find out more about this amazing woman be sure to check out her Web Page.  I am truly in awe of her and her life journey that led her to writing books for all of us to enjoy.

Please Welcome Sharon Pape to Dollycas's Thoughts!!!

Hi Sharon.

Hi Lori, thanks for the invitation to visit with you and chat about To Sketch a Thief.

Have you ever noticed how many TV commercials have dogs in them? And I’m not just talking about the ads that are specifically selling products for dogs. The people who create the commercials, and the companies that pay them big bucks to do it, have clearly hooked into the fact that dogs play a huge role in family life. If you’ve ever watched HGTV, you've heard many of the people who are house hunting say they want a nice backyard – a yard big enough for the four-legged, butt wiggling, members of their family to enjoy.

As it happens, I come from a long line of dog lovers, so pups are always front and center in my thoughts. In fact I’d already decided that one of the books in “A Portrait of Crime” mysteries would revolve around dogs. With serendipitous timing, right after I came to that conclusion, I read an article about the recent uptick in dog thefts. I had my subject.

Although the topic of dog thefts is a serious one and too often heartbreaking for the owner, I knew that the book would definitely have a funny side as well. If you’ve ever been fortunate to live with a dog you already know that they’re natural clowns who are always entertaining us with their goofy antics and boundless joy. So I wasn’t at all surprised by how much fun I had writing To Sketch a Thief.

Okay, so I had my subject. Now what I needed was a major canine character. Enter Hobo, a big, old shaggy mutt – the product of many generations of mutts and a combination of all the dogs, both purebred and more casually bred, that have shared my life. Right about now you’re probably saying to yourself, “Wait a minute, no one steals mutts; there’s no money in it.” You’re absolutely right, which is why Hobo isn’t stolen. But Hobo’s stepsister, a little Maltese by the name of Tootsie, is missing, and their owner is found dead – a dog napping gone wrong or something else entirely? Ex-sketch artist Rory McCain and her sidekick, federal marshal Zeke Drummond (deceased since 1878) are soon on the case.

Although I knew in advance that Hobo would be fun to work with, I didn’t expect him to have as big an impact on Rory and Zeke as he did. Yes, what you’ve heard is true – characters can develop minds of their own and even react to circumstances in ways you never anticipated. As their creator you can either rein them in with a stern reminder not to try that again or you can let up on the reins, take a chance and see where they’re heading. Of course following their lead can often be a spectacular waste of time that requires a lot of backtracking (blessed be the inventor of the delete key), but it can also take you down some interesting roads you hadn’t considered traveling before. Happily, allowing Hobo to follow his nose this time wound up providing his humans with real opportunities for growth.

I’m betting you’ll have as much fun reading To Sketch a Thief as I had writing it. But you might not want to wear black. There’s dog fur everywhere

~Sharon

I loved this book so much and I am so excited to have 2 copies to share with you!!! Sharon sent me one very special copy and I am going to give up my review copy.  I love sharing wonderful books!!!

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Thanks for stopping by Sharon, we will all be 

looking forward to your next 

Portrait of Crime Mystery!!

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