Every dog I have owned has been a rescue dog, some from very horrible situations. I love building up their confidence, getting them over their past, and then training them in obedience, rally, or agility. I also enjoy writing about Veronica and Leda, her Chesapeake Bay Retriever, out in the backcountry on search and rescue missions because it is quite fun to include a thrilling rescue! 

Tracy Carter – 23 August 2023

The Back Flap

The debut book in the Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery series opens with escalating suspense and intensifies into a resilient fight for survival. With its engaging combination of canine and human personalities, thrilling plot, and gorgeous Colorado backdrop, Dogged Pursuit will appeal to dog lovers, outdoors enthusiasts, and mystery lovers alike.

Veronica Kildare cannot believe her luck – being shot at, again, by the bad guys. The sound, the feel of the bullet, and the hatred resonate for more than just the transitory moment of impact. She has relocated to a new state, but brutality has rampaged into this life as well.

As the survivor of a senseless act of violence in her former life, Veronica struggles to recover from the lingering physical and emotional scars by working as a dog handler near Boulder, Colorado. Empowered by her intense bond with her search and rescue and drug detection dog, Leda, she finally begins to shake off the pain of her past. Then Veronica is drawn into the puzzling search for a scientist who has vanished near Rocky Mountain National Park. Dr. Randy Jeffers has inexplicably disappeared on the eve of his testimony in the high profile murder trial of a pro basketball player and the police are baffled.

As Veronica and Leda traverse rugged Roosevelt National Forest in a desperate search testing the limits of their abilities, it is not initially clear who has targeted Dr. Jeffers, or why. But it becomes shockingly obvious that someone will stop at nothing to silence him forever. The kidnappers with murder on their mind have guns, but Veronica has Leda and her own blossoming resilience as her weapons in their struggle for survival.

About the book

What is the book about?

At its heart, Dogged Pursuit is the story of the powerful, healing relationship between a mistreated former rescue dog and her traumatized owner. Working as a team with an unbreakable bond, Veronica and Leda search for lost individuals and illegal drugs in Colorado. In addition, Veronica trains dogs to be service animals in a variety of fields, including a peanut allergy detection dog and a contraband sniffing dog at a prison. Along the way, Veronica and Leda partner with friends and family to decipher a puzzling mystery or two.

When did you start writing the book?

I began writing Dogged Pursuit in 2020 (after a number of years of thinking about writing the first book in a mystery series involving lots and lots of dogs, and the varied jobs they can be trained to do). Finally, my best friend, who had listened to me describe the plot and characters to her over 20 years of hiking together around Ohio, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, kindly told me to just get on with writing it. So, I did.

How long did it take you to write it?

I researched material for the red herrings and concepts I had planned for the book for several months. The actual writing of the rough draft took about eight or nine weeks, writing four to six hours a day. My elderly dog supervised the entire process while napping after her morning rambles in the woods. (She has just completed oversight on the completion of book two.)

Where did you get the idea from?

The formation of Veronica’s back story was rooted in my career as a legal assistant, during which it occurred to me decades ago (prior to the era of mass shootings which have devastated this country), that it probably was not extremely safe for those of us employed by the prosecutor’s office to be accessible to anyone just walking in off the street. Defendants could be very unhappy with us and threats were made.

I also have a background working as an assistant trainer for a highly respected dog obedience school. I decided to focus on the diverse ways dogs can be trained to assist humans, and have my main character begin a new career as a professional dog trainer far away from her past and the workplace violence she had experienced. A mystery crops up in each book, and Veronica, with Leda’s invaluable assistance, and her father and friends work together to solve the puzzle.

I lived in Boulder, CO for several years and that beautiful territory filled with mountains seemed to be the perfect place to set the series—and a location where it is plausible that an inordinate number of hikers could go missing.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

For me, writing descriptions of people, scenery, or atmosphere probably slowed me down the most. It is a definite talent to be able to memorably set a scene or convey a mood. I keep working on that skill as I expand the series.

What came easily?

I love writing the scenes with the dog training since I have such a feeling of familiarity with that world. Every dog I have owned has been a rescue dog, some from very horrible situations. I love building up their confidence, getting them over their past, and then training them in obedience, rally, or agility. I also enjoy writing about Veronica and Leda, her Chesapeake Bay Retriever, out in the backcountry on search and rescue missions because it is quite fun to include a thrilling rescue!

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Bob is the father of the main character, Veronica Kildare. He is absolutely patterned after my own late father, who was a tremendous writer, outdoorsman, public relations guru, and all-around great dad. Bob’s intelligence, warm personality, and protectiveness of his daughter definitely come right from experiences with my own father. And my siblings and I also called him “Mr. Safety” because he always wanted us to be safe and stay cautious—just like Veronica’s father does in the books. My sister sends me an amusing text whenever she reads a scene pulled from real life with our father.

A number of readers have asked me if Leda is based on a real dog, and the answer is a resounding yes. Like the fictional dog, my Leda was an abuse and neglect case who had been seized by the county dog warden in horrible physical condition. I adopted her on the very day she was scheduled for euthanasia for a whopping $19 and set about restoring her to good health and building her confidence. Leda grew into a gorgeous, strapping, self-assured girl who repaid my devotion to her by saving me from an attempted middle of the night home invasion just weeks after I moved to a cabin in Boulder, Colorado. She and my Golden Retriever accompanied me as I hiked and jogged solo around Boulder and the surrounding counties. I had the joy of their companionship and the reassurance of Leda’s protective streak.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Mary Stewart and her wonderful mysteries were a big influence on me in terms of creating a strong heroine for the center of my books. I adored her feisty and intelligent female characters and her ability to create atmosphere in her books. You can actually feel the heat, hear the ocean, and smell the wildflowers in her descriptions of Greece in My Brother Michael and Crete in The Moon-Spinners.

Also, on a more modern note, I love the way Connie Berry crafts every character in her Kate Hamilton Mystery series. As soon as I read her debut book, A Dream of Death, I was sure I would be fast friends, and have fascinating conversations, with Kate. And her descriptions of the lovely scenery in Great Britain are spot on.

Do you have a target reader?

By combining engaging canine and human personalities, a thrilling plot, and the gorgeous Colorado backdrop, Dogged Pursuit is targeted to appeal to dog lovers, outdoors enthusiasts, and mystery lovers alike.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

Most likely since I was a History and English major at university and wrote A LOT of papers, I spend several months doing research for the issues and red herrings I plan to incorporate into each book. Then, I review my notes to determine what I am going to use, and finally, start writing the manuscript. I try to write for at least four hours a day, or until I get to the end of a pivotal scene in the book. Once I finish writing for that day, I read those pages over a time or two for editing and proofreading.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I do not outline, and I believe that is because I mentally outline a large portion of the book in my head as I am collecting my research. I scribble down tons of notes throughout the writing of the book however. I keep a notepad by the bed and write the ideas down when they come to me. They have a habit of occurring to me just as I am falling asleep!

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit the pages I have written at the end of each day. Then, I edit the previous day’s pages before I start a new day of writing. Once my rough draft is complete, I edit it several times, before finally sending the manuscript to a professional copy editor.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes, as I appreciate the input and perusal by a professional. Friends and family are sometimes reluctant to tell you what needs work!

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I do not listen to music, but I play a recording of a babbling brook in the background!

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I submitted my manuscript to dozens of agents. I got some good feedback from several kind agents, but nobody took me on for my first book.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Once it appeared likely that no agent was going to take me on as a client, I investigated going the route of self-publishing. I found a firm with an excellent reputation and great staff and have been pleased with the process overall.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I hired a professional to do the cover, with my input, as I could picture the concept in my head clearly. Interestingly, my designer is also the official photographer for a thoroughbred race track in Ohio.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I marketed by using different ad platforms, and making sure my positive reviews from professionals were easily spotted on my Amazon book page. I have engaged Books Forward to create the marketing plan for the audiobook of Dogged Pursuit.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

If you feel strongly that you want to write a book and have a phenomenal idea or plot or main character, don’t be shy. Your fellow writers are generous and helpful, and there are professionals available to assist you with any editing, proofreading, or publishing needs. And so many ways exist now to get your work out into the world. Give it a go, and you won’t be sorry!

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up near Pittsburgh, PA and then spent 50 years near Cleveland, OH.

Where do you live now?

My husband and I escaped the blizzards and moved to Santa Fe, NM last year.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I love animals and sports, especially college football. Go Ohio State Buckeyes! Every one of my dogs has been a rescue, and I enjoy working with them to overcome their pasts, and watching as they become happy and healthy much beloved companions. The only thing better than a great mystery is a great dog!

What are you working on now?

I have just completed the second book in my Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery Series. It will be released later in 2023.

As Lawyers, Dogs, and Money unfolds, Veronica joins her search and rescue partner, a Deputy Sheriff for Boulder County, in trying to ascertain the source of threats against Kadri Ilves, a co-worker of Sgt. Donovan’s daughter at a high-end import/export business. The woman being targeted is a native of Estonia and has a long history of advocating for social justice issues. Veronica’s father assists the investigation by researching Kadri’s background, including her work to end racial disparity in prison sentencing, and legal claims she has filed relative to disputed lands in Estonia—a cause which may have put her in the crosshairs of the California branch of the Russian mafia. The book concludes with a stunning showdown involving all the main characters, and a shocking final twist related to the central mystery.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Dogged Pursuit from Amazon US or Amazon UK.