Releasing Thursday!
She’s Back!
Quotables…
Houston, we have a problem…
The Dead Dog Trilogy is out but…
Apparently, there is a problem with the universal links from the previous post and/or email, if you’re on the newsletter mailing list, so we are just going with the standard links for the books, below.
The Dead Dog Trilogy is the story of Lottie Stark, Chief of Police of a small town, pursuing a serial killer, whom she believed was dead. But apparently isn’t. Since this trilogy is considered ‘serial fiction,’ the books in this series are interconnected and the final resolution occurs in the final book.
However, each book in the series does resolve some issues, and you, the reader, are not left ‘hanging.’ The first book of the series is intentionally priced very low so that you can get a taste of the trilogy and decide if you want to continue reading the next two books, without having to make a large investment.
You also have the option of obtaining the boxed set “The Dead Dog Trilogy – Boxed Set” which contains the full series in one volume.
Let Dead Dogs Lie, Book 1 
In Book 1 of this gripping crime thriller trilogy, a dead serial killer comes calling
Lottie Stark, Chief of Police of small town Regal Reef, California, has a problem. A serial killer she caught when an FBI agent, is murdering young women again—but in her town. Donald Brown Stoker’s victims were blonde and blue, young and attractive. Just like her current victims. And the MO is eerily similar to Stoker’s—the strangled girls are left naked on the highway, wearing only a dog collar.
But Stoker has been dead for three years, so it can’t be him. Can it?
Unhappy with Lottie’s progress, the town mayor and city council go over her head and bring in the big guns. Profiler, Jack Brady—Lottie’s former partner and lover. Brady’s presence complicates her life and the murder investigation but also dredges up past failures and secrets that Lottie wants to keep buried.
Meanwhile, this calculated killer is leaving clues that feel personal. So when a close friend of Lottie’s is threatened, she fears the killer is going after people she loves to punish her. Who will be next?
Every Dog Has His Day, Book 2
In Book 2 of this exciting crime thriller trilogy the killer targets his next victim
Politics and backstabbing has thrown an unexpected twist into her path and Lottie finds herself on the sidelines of the murder investigation. Disgruntled and ready to chuck it all, Lottie decides to lick her wounds.
Until disaster strikes and another girl goes missing…
This time, a local and a much younger girl than the other victims. Time works against her, as she and Brady search for the girl, hoping to find her before the killer claims his 4th victim.
Meanwhile, the killer lurks ever nearer in a twisted game of cat and mouse. And his fixation on Lottie ramps up at a maddening pace. She has no idea the plans he has in store for her.
In a twist you won’t see coming, Lottie gets snarled up in her own trap. Will she be able to free herself before it’s too late?
Dog in the Hunt, Book 3
In the conclusion of this fast-paced crime thriller trilogy, the man-hunt is on and somebody’s going down. Is it the cop or the killer?
With the killer identified and law enforcement agencies across the country searching for him, the illusive sociopath manages to avoid capture.
As opposing agencies stake out territory and angle for their piece of the glory, Lottie can only trust Brady to have her back. They’re anxiously on the hunt, chasing leads across the country and back again. But who is the hunter and who is the hunted? As they begin to put the pieces together, they have to face the mistakes they made and the signs they missed in Stoker’s case.
With the killer taunting them at every turn, will Lottie and Jack win the day – or does the day belong to the killer? Can they right their mistakes and catch the killer that seems to be a ghost?
In the final faceoff, Lottie finds herself risking everything to confront this sadistic killer who won’t go down without a deadly fight. But is she willing to pay the ultimate price to rid the world of this monster?
Dead Dog Trilogy, Boxed Set
With every dead girl, they found a dead dog…
Donald Brown Stoker, a.k.a., the Keeper, brutally killed seven women before he was cornered in an abandoned barn by FBI agents. Rather than surrender, Stoker, set himself and the barn on fire—preferring death to spending the rest of his life in a federal prison.
And with him, went his sick secrets.
Former FBI agent, Lottie Stark, didn’t mourn the loss of Stoker, nor the death of her FBI career. She moved on to a quieter life as a small town police chief, where, though life could be tedious and a pain, she had no trouble sleeping. Because she no longer dreamed of monsters.
Until Stoker came back from the dead…
Three unidentified dead girls, all with Stoker’s MO, dumped in her town is giving Lottie a case of déjà vu all over again. With little evidence and no viable suspects, Lottie is ready to for a meltdown.
Frenemies and allies alike urge her to bring in the FBI but she’d rather die than churn up her past failures. But thanks to the town mayor and her underhanded lead detective, the past is headed straight for Lottie’s door. Not the least of which is, profiler Jack Brady, her former lover and partner.
As Lottie struggles to maintain control of her case and her town, the lunatic is still out there, free to kill again. And daring her to catch him.
The End
There’s still time to enter the contest to win the complete boxed set of the Dead Dog Trilogy. Just answer one simple question:
WHY DO YOU LOVE MYSTERIES?
Winner announced tomorrow.
Good luck!
Win the Complete Boxed Set of the Dead Dog Trilogy
Hey, if you want a chance to win a free copy of the boxed set of the complete Dead Dog Trilogy releasing one week from today, enter the contest. It’s easy, it’s fun, and you could WIN.
Just follow this link and post your answer on my FB page.
If for some reason, you can’t post on the page – you can post your answer in the comments below. Winner announced on Monday.
Good luck!
Here’s the blurb for the trilogy, in case you haven’t seen it:
With every dead girl, they found a dead dog…
Donald Brown Stoker, a.k.a., the Keeper, brutally killed seven women before he was cornered in an abandoned barn by FBI agents. Rather than surrender, Stoker, set himself and the barn on fire—preferring death to spending the rest of his life in a federal prison.
And with him, went his sick secrets.
Former FBI agent, Lottie Stark, didn’t mourn the loss of Stoker, nor the death of her FBI career. She moved on to a quieter life as a small town police chief, where, though life could be tedious and a pain, she had no trouble sleeping. Because she no longer dreamed of monsters.
Until Stoker came back from the dead…
Three unidentified dead girls, all with Stoker’s MO, dumped in her town is giving Lottie a case of déjà vu all over again. With little evidence and no viable suspects, Lottie is ready to for a meltdown.
Frenemies and allies alike urge her to bring in the FBI but she’d rather die than churn up her past failures. But thanks to the town mayor and her underhanded lead detective, the past is headed straight for Lottie’s door. Not the least of which is, profiler Jack Brady, her former lover and partner.
As Lottie struggles to maintain control of her case and her town, the lunatic is still out there, free to kill again. And daring her to catch him.
Things You Don’t Know About the Dead Dog Trilogy
- The main character, Lottie Stark, is named for my paternal Grandmother – Carlotta. But everybody called her Lottie.
- The male lead, Jack Brady, is a recycled character from an unpublished novel I wrote called, Deadlock. Though this new Jack Brady is younger, more brash, and less world weary, the ‘bones’ of the character are still there.
- The villian is based on a monologue I wrote for an actor to perform in his acting class, to which I was the teaching assistant.
- The main location, Regal Reef, California is a fictional town that exists in the ether of my imagination somewhere between Fresno and Visalia.
- The only good cooks in this series are men.
- I “finished” the trilogy twice before this final finish. The first time it was finished I ended up tearing it apart after beta reader feedback. The second time it was finished, I just happened to stumble upon the ‘Storygrid’ method as I was doing final edits, and again, I ended up tearing it apart for structure. This time is the third finishing – but I believe the third time is the charm.
- Two of the best characters in the series are dogs.
- Though the story takes place in a small fictional town in Central California, the main character, Lottie Stark, is a Texan.
- The dog theme of the books comes from Lottie Stark’s love of dogs and that she has a dog rescue in addition to being the Chief of Police of the town. The killer also uses her love of dogs against her.
Just for fun, I’ve also put together a playlist for the series.
Back in the Saddle Again (Gene Autry)
My Best Friend (Heidi Winzinger)
I Shot the Sheriff (Eric Clapton)
Someone to Watch Over Me (Amy Winehouse)
The Monster in Me (Twisted Country)
Here We Go Again (Aretha Franklin)
Every Move You Make (The Police)
The Dead Dog Trilogy will release as single volumes and boxed set in the last week of August 2018.
Almost Ready for Liftoff
Okay, so yeah, we’re almost ready to release the new trilogy…
eBook files formatted for both single volumes and a boxed set
Print files formatted
Covers done
Can’t wait…
Oh yeah and here’s the blurb…
Donald Brown Stoker, a.k.a., the Keeper, brutally killed seven women before he was cornered in an abandoned barn by FBI agents. Rather than surrender, Stoker, set himself and the barn on fire—preferring to die than to spend the rest of his life in a federal prison.
And with him, went his secrets.
Lottie Stark, one of the aforementioned agents, didn’t mourn the loss of Stoker, nor the death of her FBI career. She moved on to a quieter life as a small town police chief, where, though life could be tedious and a pain in her behind, she had no trouble sleeping because she no longer dreamed of monsters.
Until Stoker came back from the dead….
Three dead girls, all with Stoker’s MO, dumped in her town, is giving Lottie Stark a case of déjà vu all over again. With little evidence to go on and no viable suspects, Lottie is ready to blow. Frenemies and allies alike urge her to bring in the FBI but she’d rather die than revisit her past failures. But if the town mayor, and her conniving lead detective have anything to say about it, the past is headed straight for Lottie’s door. Not the least of which is, profiler Jack Brady, her former lover and partner.
As she struggles to maintain control of her case and her town, the killer is still out there, free to kill again. And daring Lottie to catch him.
UPDATE: If you’re interested in listening to me narrate the first chapter of book 1 (in a really bad Texas accent), you can download the mp3 here.
Coming Soon….
…with every dead girl, they found a dead dog…
Anita Rodgers Mystery Writer 