Driving with Whiskey (Not as Dangerous as it Sounds)

by Nina Wright

Don't worry; I'm not drinking and driving! But I am driving a very long way. Or so it seems. I'm on the road from the Land of the Great Lakes, where my fictional protagonist Whiskey Mattimoe lives and I've been visiting, to south Florida, where this writer will put the finishing touches on the fourth book in the series, Whiskey and Water. In a highly un-Whiskey-like move, I've lined up a two-week house- and dog-sitting gig on the beach. Okay, so the beach part is like Whiskey Mattimoe, but dog-sitting? Never on purpose...though often by accident. And that's usually where Whiskey's troubles start.

I'm heading for Naples on the southwest coast of the Sunshine state, traveling by way of St. Augustine, up in the northeast. The detour is not for sightseeing purposes only. And it's not Whiskey-related (although I may have a cocktail while I'm there). My stop in the Nation's Oldest City is connected to other books I write for Llewellyn, the parent publisher of Midnight Ink. You can find out more about those here.

But back to Whiskey: Each book in the series takes us through an adventure during the next tourist season on the calendar. In the fourth mystery Whiskey and Abra, her felonious Afghan hound, are up to their proverbial necks in Lake Michigan during water sports season. And the cast of canine characters is larger and more diverse than ever--including Norman the Golden (retriever) and a shitzapoo with the ominous name of Velcro.

I'm thrilled to report that the third Whiskey Mattimoe mystery, Whiskey and Tonic, will be in stores soon. It's about a jinxed property and a mysterious century-old curse that may have the power to ruin Mattimoe Realty. More about all that in another post....