Happy Friday, Readers: Welcome to Help from My Friends Friday. Stephen King says “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Donnell Ann Bell says, “So many books, not enough time!” Recently, though, I made time to read Margaret Mizushima’s sixth full-length novel Hanging Falls. Trust me when I say, I’m delighted I took the time. Following is my interview with Ms. Mizushima. Hope you enjoy.
Author Margaret Mizushima
Donnell: Margaret, welcome! Confession time, I’ve heard your books are terrific, but Hanging Falls was my first. Even though you write a series, do you believe readers can view each book as a standalone? Would it be better if they start with Book One, etc.?
Margaret: Thank you for reading Hanging Falls, Donnell! I do believe each Timber Creek K-9 mystery can be read as a standalone, since the investigation in each one is self-contained and the case is solved at the end. But if folks want to get the full scope of the two protagonists’ character arcs, it would be best to start with Killing Trail, book one in the series. Readers who post reviews have expressed both opinions: start anywhere in the series or start with the first. So I’ll leave that up to reader’s choice.
Donnell: Your protagonist Mattie Cobb is a deputy sheriff in the fictitious city of Timber Creek, Colorado with a very special partner, a 100-pound German shepherd named Robo. You’ve written six of these books. What sparked your interest in writing a K-9 series in the first place?
Margaret: My husband of thirty-eight years is a veterinarian, and though I’ve never worked as an employee in his office, I’ve assisted him countless times after hours and on weekends. Whenever he makes stable calls, everyone wants to watch him work; so I thought maybe readers would be attracted to scenes describing a vet’s daily life.
When I decided to write a mystery, I wanted to write a police procedural and it made sense that if I included the vet, I should create a K-9 handler and dog. Female K-9 officers aren’t as common as male, so I chose Mattie Cobb for the law enforcement role, and Cole Walker became the vet as well as Robo’s doctor. Together the three of them fight crime in their small mountain town, Timber Creek.
Donnell: I learned from the very start of your book how much work and expense goes in to training K-9s. I was impressed that Mattie always challenges Robo, reminding the large shepherd that Mattie is the Alpha in the relationship. I would love to listen to this book on Audio when Mattie says, “Find the bad guy.” Or “Search.” Have you worked with dogs? Or are your stories based on hands-on, or research?
Margaret: Decades ago when our children were young, a toddler was lost in the Colorado mountains near our town. Though dozens of people searched for the child, he was found too late. My husband and I decided to train two of our dogs in search and rescue—a Rottweiler and an Australian shepherd—so that if one of our daughters became lost while on a camping trip, we’d be able to track her right away. When I sat down to write my first K-9 mystery, I found this life experience to be very valuable.
But I’d never worked in law enforcement nor handled a patrol K-9 before. My husband put me in touch with a K-9 trainer who let me shadow him and observe him working with several dogs and their handlers. Afterward, we all sat around a picnic table and they answered question after question, giving me such great information for my first book. Since then I’ve shadowed tracking dog trainers, narcotics dog handlers, and I’ve attended police dog trials where officers convene to compete in various trials that show off their dogs’ skills. I’ve read training books and watched videos. And I have a retired K-9 handler who’s become both friend and consultant who can answer my questions. I’m so grateful to these people who’ve been willing to share their knowledge and expertise.
Donnell: From the opening pages, Mattie, Robo and a wildlife manager are caught in Colorado’s unpredictable weather, and the mountainous terrain of Hanging Falls. A downpour unleashes rock, mudslides and broken trees into a raging river and something else, a body. Knowing if that body breaks free, they may never find it again, Mattie, Glenna and Robo show unbelievable heroics. (Personally if it were me, that body would be long gone.) Describe how much fun, work, research, and time went into this phenomenal scene.
Margaret: First the fun…I bet you might have hiked to Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, before. It’s a gorgeous jewel of a lake fed by a waterfall, and surrounded by forested mountain peaks. This is the spot that inspired the setting in Hanging Falls. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time up in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colorado, hiking up each trail to visit the lakes near timberline. All of these experiences have become fodder for the fictional setting of Timber Creek County in my books.
This specific scene you mentioned occurs early in the book and didn’t require much research beyond living with dogs my entire life and knowing what they’re capable of. As you well know, we writers often create movies in our minds and we need to sit down and record the sensory details as that movie plays out. Afterward, I do whatever fact checking I need to do.
And thank you for complimenting the scene—it’s one of my favorites.
Donnell: You introduce your protagonists separately, which I believe lets readers take a breath between action, law enforcement, home life and family dynamics. Is that deliberate on your part? Do you try to share the pages with both Mattie and Cole, or do you follow the story’s lead?
Margaret: Since Mattie is in law enforcement and Cole is a family man and vet, their lives and work environments remain separate…until a murder investigation throws them together. When I begin writing a book, I share fairly equal time on the page between Cole and Mattie. But as the investigation heats up, Mattie always takes over. She and Robo are really the stars of the show.
Donnell: A new family comes into Cole’s veterinary practice and they are quite unusual in their dress and belief system. I found characters’ reactions in the book thought-provoking. Naturally, they have animals, which brings Cole, and later, Mattie into their midst. I don’t want to give too much away, but you do a great job of showing character perceptions, including acceptance, prejudice, and fear. Where did this idea come from? Do your books have a theme?
Margaret: Some of my ideas come from news items or television, and the idea for this particular family surfaced after watching a documentary. My books do have themes but almost always include some type of family or social issue. Hanging Falls focuses on siblings and children and a common theme of the series: families are not always made up of people we’re related to by blood, sometimes they’re made up of the people we choose.
Donnell: Between Mattie’s love and respect for Robo, and Cole’s compassion for animals, I learned so much, whether it surrounded tranquilizers, a mare in heat, blood transfusions. I found it fascinating. Do you hear from animal lovers and veterinarians? And spoiler alert: Will Robo be a father in the next book?
Margaret: I’m always thrilled when I hear from veterinarians, K-9 handlers, and other folks who train working dogs in jobs that require nose work (for example, search and rescue and narcotics detection). Their feedback is so rewarding and lets me know I’m staying on track. Animal lovers write too, especially dog and horse lovers. It makes my day when I hear from people who love the books.
And I don’t think it’s a spoiler at all to tell you yes, Robo will become a father in the next book. I’m so excited about it! But that litter won’t be born easily—thank goodness Dr. Cole Walker is on the job! I invite your readers to tune in for book seven in fall of 2021 to see what happens.
Donnell: Though Mattie has faced tragedy in her life, I admired how she turns it off and possesses tunnel-vision when it comes to Robo and her job. Cole, a single dad, has his hands full with his veterinary practice and two daughters. What is your favorite part of writing? Character creation, plot (mystery), setting? Your books are rich and multi-faceted. Can you talk about your process?
Margaret: My favorite part of writing is definitely creating characters and watching them grow and develop. For me, the mystery becomes a vehicle for driving the characters to the brink and making them dig deep to overcome their challenges. In every episode I must include a murder case investigation as the main plot, a subplot for Cole Walker in which he has veterinary work to do that somehow impacts the case Mattie is investigating, work for Robo to do that uncovers leads and clues, and a subplot for Mattie that reveals her backstory or a current struggle she’s dealing with; and these must all be related in some way and woven together by the end of the book. It makes me crazy sometimes and generates a lot of sleepless nights.
Donnell: You have a subplot going through the story dealing with Mattie’s backstory. I admired how you enfolded future storylines, and can’t decide if one character is a victim or something more. Will we see more resolution and cold case solving in future books?
Margaret: Most definitely. I don’t mind telling you that after Hanging Falls, Mattie shifts her focus to trying to solve her father’s homicide, which occurred when she was two years old. And that’s all I can say at the moment. 🙂
Donnell: I think you enjoy red herrings, and I think you are gifted with setting. Are you a plotter or a panster? Do your characters, red herrings or plot points ever surprise you? What is the most surprising thing you’ve ever encountered in one of your books?
Margaret: I’m definitely both a plotter and a pantser. I wrote my first book in the series, Killing Trail, by the seat of my pants, and it required years and multiple revisions to bring it up to snuff and worthy of publishing. Since I wrote book two, Stalking Ground, under contract, I knew I had only six months to create the first draft. I needed to plot the mystery so I could write fast, so I learned how to outline. I wrote the next few books from outline, but became dissatisfied with the result when I finished book five, Tracking Game. I ended up tearing it apart and rewriting, needing time even beyond my deadline. So…I decided to try my hand at writing Hanging Falls by the seat of my pants again and found it so much more enjoyable. And yes, being surprised by our characters is one of the joys of writing.
The most surprising thing I’ve encountered when writing a book? When I reached the end of Tracking Game, I felt so sorry for my villain I couldn’t leave the story as written. My goal had been to write a sympathetic villain, but I didn’t count on the villain playing that hard on my sympathies. That’s when I went back and started over.
Donnell: Here’s the part where you throw up your hands and say, “Seriously? I just put out book six.” What comes next and when should we expect the next in a series.
Margaret: Book seven, as yet untitled, is in the works and will come out fall of 2021. And I’m happy to say that book eight is under contract and will probably come out spring of 2023. I’ve asked for more time, because it looks like we’ll be moving sometime in the next couple years.
Ach! Moving after living in the same place for almost forty years is not my idea of a good time. Wish me luck!
Donnell: Good luck! Thanks for being my guest, Margaret! Best wishes on Hanging Falls! I thought it was sensational.
About the Book: Murder stalks the rugged Colorado high country–and sends Mattie Cobb on a quest to uncover the darkest secrets from her past in the sixth gripping installment of Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 mysteries
A deluge has flooded the high ground near Hanging Falls–but heavy rains aren’t the only menace descending on Timber Creek. While on a scouting mission to pinpoint trail damage, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo stumble upon a body floating at the edge of a lake. Robo catches human scent, which leads to an enigmatic forest-dweller who quickly becomes suspect number one.
With help from veterinarian Cole Walker, Mattie identifies the victim, and discovers an odd religious cult whose dress and manners harken back to the 19th century. As the list of suspects grows, an unexpected visit from members of Mattie’s long-lost family sheds new light on her childhood as they help Mattie piece together details of the fateful night when she was abducted at age two.
The tangled threads of the investigation and family dynamics begin to intertwine–but darkness threatens to claim a new victim before Mattie and Robo can track down the killers.
About the Author: Margaret Mizushima is the author of the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. She serves as president for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, was elected the 2019 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and is also a member of Northern Colorado Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Women Writing the West. She lives in Colorado on a small ranch with her veterinarian husband where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals. She can be found on Facebook/AuthorMargaretMizushima, Twitter @margmizu, Instagram at margmizu, and her website at www.margaretmizushima.com.
Nothing like having two of my favorite authors in conversation! Another great interview, Donnell! And thank you, Margaret, for sharing some insights about your writing process and where things are headed for Mattie, Robo, and Cole. I love your books!
I loved this interview, Margaret and Donnell. So fun reading about the behind the scenes of your books. I look forward to reading the entire series! 🙂
Barbara and Francelia, you’re too kind! Such a great read and Margaret makes interviewing easy! Have a great Friday!
Wonderful interview!
Barbara, Francelia, and Cynthia: Thank you so much for stopping by to read our interview, Sisters! Donnell created a great set of questions, and it was so fun visiting with her. I really appreciate your comments and hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Donnell, great interview. ( You asked many of the same questions I would have asked.)
Margaret, I became a fan of yours — and your characters — with my first read, which happened to be Book 6. I so look forward to Hanging Falls!
Patricia, we really appreciate hearing from you today and thanks so much for your interest in reading Hanging Falls! I completely agree that Donnell asked some great questions that were perfect for highlighting the action and characters in the book. Thank you for leaving a comment and hope to see you soon at SinC CO Book Club!
Cynthia and Patricia, thank you for stopping by!
Fantastic interview! Margaret, I loved learning about your writing process and I’m thrilled to hear there will be more books in the series! Donnell, love your blog! You have the best interviews. 🙂
Awesome interview! I love Margaret’s books! I can’t wait to read Hanging Falls!
This sounds like a wonderful book from a marvelous author. Thank you ladies. I enjoyed your interview very much.
Kathleen, Alma, and Micki,
I’m so grateful you stopped by to read our interview! I enjoyed visiting with Donnell about Hanging Falls and the series and appreciate you taking the time to visit with us. Thanks so much for leaving comments!
Take care,
Margaret
I love your books, Margaret and Donnell. How wonderful Hanging Falls was spared in the recent fire. It’s always interesting to hear about authors’ writing process. And I really enjoy learning about K-Nines. Keep writing.
I loved this interview. I’ve read several featuring Margaret and you did an incredible job. She did a great job answering your questions. Well done! I have the book in my queue.
Karen and Chris,
You guys are awesome for leaving comments, and thanks so much for reading the interview and the books. Donnell made this interview extra fun and asked great questions! You both take care and happy writing!
Margaret