The Blue Coyote is an IndieBRAG Medallion honoree and a finalist in the 2013 CLUE Awards. Frannie and Larry Shoemaker love taking their grandchildren, Sabet and Joe, camping with them. But at Bluffs State Park, Frannie finds herself worrying more than usual about their safety, and when another young girl disappears from the campground in broad daylight, her fears increase. The fun of a bike ride, a flea market, marshmallow guns, and a storyteller are quickly overshadowed. Accusations against Larry and her add to the cloud over their heads. Frannie begins to puzzle out the mystery: Are the itinerant road workers as much of a threat as Frannie thinks? What about the lone woman camper who also disappears? Or is the girl’s deadbeat dad behind it all?
Targeted Age Group:: Adults
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Campgrounds are perceived to be, and generally are, safe places for children. But we once witnessed an incident similar to the inciting incident in the book when a young girl had been told if she felt threatened to approach anyone else for help, stranger or not. That’s not always a good idea.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I wanted my characters to be active retirees who are curious enough to get involved in a mystery. I have four main characters: Frannie Shoemaker, a retired teacher; her husband Larry, a former small town cop; his sister Jane Ann, a retired surgical nurse; and Jane Ann’s husband Mickey, a former English teacher and the clown of the group. Between them, they have skills useful in solving a mystery.
Book Sample
When they made the turn onto their own road, a dark green pickup sat in the road by their campsite, surrounded by several people. Frannie spotted the top of the ranger’s hat but didn’t recognize anyone else.
When she got to the group, she guided Joe around the outside of the people toward the trailer but was puzzled by some angry looks on several of the strangers’ faces. Now she recognized the parents of the training wheels girl in the middle of the group, the mother looking rather frightened. Ranger Sommers was talking quietly with Larry, who was gesturing cautiously, backed up by the rest of their friends.
“Sabet, take Joe in the camper and help him find some dry clothes, okay?” Frannie said, and turned to her husband and the ranger. “Larry, what’s going on?”
“The little girl who was riding her bike past here—they can’t find her,” Larry said quietly.
“Oh, no,” Frannie said. “We saw her talking to that woman down by the tent loop. Did anyone see her after that?”
Mickey jumped in. “Her parents think Larry has something to do with it!”
Ranger Sommers shook her head. “No one’s accusing anyone—we’re just trying to track where she…”
“I am!” the mother interrupted. “He’s a Blue Coyote! Taylor told me so last night!”
The ranger turned slowly. “A Blue Coyote?” Even the eyebrows went up a little bit.
“Stranger Danger—it’s our code word, and she told me he’s a Blue Coyote,” the mother insisted. “He wouldn’t leave my daughter alone!”
“I just commented on the training wheels—that she needed to get rid of them. The noise was very annoying,” Larry said helplessly.
“You better check on that little boy with them, too,” one of the mother’s companions almost yelled in the ranger’s ear. “Did you see the bruise on his face?”
Frannie stood by, stunned. What were these people accusing them of? Larry, a life dedicated to law enforcement, a loving father and grandfather…of course, they didn’t know that, but still the charges burned. She started to protest to the ranger but Sommers waved her away.
Author Bio:
Karen Musser Nortman, after previous incarnations as a secondary social studies teacher (22 years) and a test developer (18 years), returned to her childhood dream of writing a novel. Karen and her husband Butch originally tent camped when their children were young and switched to a travel trailer when sleeping on the ground lost its romantic adventure. They take frequent weekend jaunts with friends to parks in Iowa and surrounding states, plus occasional longer trips. Entertainment on these trips has ranged from geocaching and hiking/biking to barbecue contests, balloon fests, and buck skinners’ rendezvous. Karen has three children and eight grandchildren. She also loves reading, gardening, and knitting, and can recite the 99 counties of Iowa in alphabetical order.
Links to Purchase Print Books
Link to Buy The Blue Coyote Print Edition at Amazon
Link to Buy The Blue Coyote Print Edition at Barnes and Noble
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy The Blue Coyote On Amazon
Social Media:
Author Interview on BookGoodies
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Leave a Reply