Wednesday, March 21, 2007

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....

In the meantime, stop by my website and Whiskey Mattimoe blog. Happy reading--and happy travels--to you. Welcome to Inkspot!

8 comments:

Sue Ann Jaffarian said...

A shitzapoo named VELCRO! Nina, that's hysterical. Congrats on your first posting to Ink Spot!

Sue Ann

Bill Cameron said...

Hey, Nina! Have a great trip. House on the beach, mmmmm.

Joe Moore said...

Welcome to South Florida, Nina. You're gonna love it!

Mark Terry said...

Sounds like the I-75 run. Doesn't Georgia seem to last forever?

My agent just sent off a manuscript for a children's fantasy novel I wrote, plus she's marketing a YA proposal. How do you feel the marketing/contracts/etc differ between writing for so-called adults and writing for kids?

Beach house, huh? Sounds good to me.

Nina Wright said...

Thanks, Sue Ann, Bill, Joe, and Mark! Yup, I'm doing the I-75 run...with a zigzag along I-95 and I-4. Apparently everyone visiting Florida this week except me is going to either Disney or Daytona.

Mark, you asked about marketing YA: different players, slightly different rules, same basic game. Have fun with it! --Nina

Anonymous said...

Love the beach, love your books, Nina! Keep Abra at it. She and Whiskey are hilarious.

Anonymous said...

Nina,

I like your photography AND your books. Keep writing and snapping!

Anonymous said...

Is that Naples Beach? God, that's gorgeous. Maybe you'll start a series set in Florida next???