I’m so glad you joined me on this adventure!
I’m a debut novelist and former journalist starting fresh in the American Southwest with my husband Michael and our Cairn Terrierists, Oliver and Louis.
Wendy McFarquhar, the protagonist of my novel, Up to Her Neck, is 47, suddenly single, and the new owner of the Alpenglow, a run-down hot-springs resort in a Colorado mining town. She’s in over her head from the beginning, but with the help of a suspiciously handsome contractor, she’s making progress … until the local troublemaker turns up dead and all the clues lead back to the Alpenglow.
Gallivanting is where I write about the real-life inspiration: the fun and chaos of salvaging an old mining claim in the Rockies, the women who made history in the mountains, and the tensions and conflicts that still drive the West today. There is a lot of joy, a little “wish I’d thought of that sooner,” and many, many roadtrips.
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Love mysteries and the stories that inspire them
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Two newsletters each month, plus early book news and access to ARCs. It’s free, ad-free, and promotes a healthy amount of daydreaming.
The book
Up to Her Neck, a midlife thriller with a little romance and family drama, will be out January 2027 from Empress Editions. Read more about it here.
My publisher calls it, “a sharp, funny mystery about second chances, small-town secrets, and starting over when everything is on the line — perfect for readers who love smart heroines, midlife reinvention, and twists that keep coming until the final page.”
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