Annette Dashofy--When Sidekicks Take Over

DEBORAH CROMBIE:  We have a "favorite author" bonus for you here on Jungle Red today! Just back in October Annette Dashofy was on the blog, sharing the third novel in her Detective Matthias Honeywell series, THE DEVIL COMES CALLING.

And now there is fourth Detective Honeywell, NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED! How lucky are we to have another book in this terrific series! This one has a super premise, too, as Annette will explain!

When Sidekicks Take Over

 Annette Dashofy

Fictional sidekicks come in all forms, shapes, and sizes from Snoopy to Robin to Chewbacca to Dr. Watson. If you think about it, what would our favorite heroes be without them. Charlie Brown without his beagle? Batman with no Robin? Who besides Chewy would put up with Han Solo? And Sherlock would be intolerable without Dr. Watson.

I think it’s safe to say, as readers and viewers, we love our sidekicks. As writers, we love them, too.

Generally, when we’re creating our cast for a new book or series, each character tends to have their own specific “purpose” within the story. Protagonist AKA hero, love interest, mentor, villain, and the previously mentioned sidekick. Often one character takes on dual roles. A sidekick might also become the hero’s love interest. Think Pepper Potts in the Iron Man movies. Lois Lane might fit the category as well. A sidekick might also be a mentor. Or as in the Star Wars example above, they can provide comic relief.

And sometimes, the sidekicks or other secondary characters outgrow their small roles to become fan favorites. It’s almost as though they don’t realize they’re only sidekicks.

For instance, Pete’s father Harry in my Zoe Chambers mysteries was never meant to appear beyond the end of Lost Legacy, which was the second in the thirteen-book series. Readers, though, kept hounding me. When’s Harry coming back? How’s Harry doing? We want more Harry!

It took a while, but I did find several more stories for dear Harry.

Something similar has been happening with my Detective Honeywell mysteries. In this case, Detective Sergeant Cassie Malone is Matthias Honeywell’s partner. She’s older, taller, and carries a higher rank, all of which she never lets him forget. From the very beginning, I’ve described her as part Amazon warrior, part mother hen. She’s also better with people than he is. But Matthias knows Cassie has his back no matter what.

She’s been a great counterpoint to him in so many ways. Matthias dates frequently, but rarely (until he meets Emma Anderson, that is) gets to a second date. Cassie has been happily married to a veterinarian for decades and is raising her 8-year-old granddaughter whose mother (Cassie’s military daughter) is deployed overseas.  

It’s been a blast writing her as the Wise One of the pair.

While it was never my intention, it became a natural progression to give her a featured role in No Stone Left Unturned, my fourth Detective Honeywell Mystery. Instead of simply being a smart, savvy cop, we get to see her deal with tragedy in her own family. She’s still tough, but she’s also vulnerable. Forced to sit on the sidelines in an investigation into her husband’s shooting, she must rely on Matthias and the rest of the police force to do what she’s used to doing—tracking down the bad guy. And we get to meet the rest of the Malone family, who up until now have only been mentioned in passing.

And ultimately, we get to see Cassie as a victim. Will she be tough enough to save herself?

You’ll have to wait to find out!

I’ve had a lot of fun shifting much of the focus and storyline to a secondary character and getting to flesh her out. How about you, Reds? When have you brought a sidekick or minor recurring character to the forefront of the action? And, readers, do you enjoy getting to know more about the peripheral members of the cast? Are there sidekicks you would like to see more of?

DEBS: I have certainly had my sidekicks decide they want to be major characters! Looking at you, Melody Talbot and Doug Cullen!

Here's more about NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED:

When a local Erie vet is shot during a robbery, Erie City Police Detective Matthias Honeywell and his partner Cassie Malone are tasked with pursuing the perpetrators. But as they close in on the truth, a mysterious sniper targets those involved in the case.

Emma Anderson has seen more than her share of cases since becoming a journalist in Lake Erie, and with news of the shooting becoming local interest, her instincts kick in. What she didn’t expect to uncover was a secret that could cause an ethical dilemma between Matthias and Cassie.

As the search for the sniper continues and the investigation taking a dark turn, Cassie and Emma find themselves caught up in a kidnapping plot. As the women are forced to draw on their resourcefulness to survive, will they manage to escape or is time against them?

I can't wait to find out!

 

Christmas Reading Treasures

DEBORAH CROMBIE: One of my favorite traditions of the holidays is getting out my well-loved Christmas books. Some of them are quite bedraggled! Look at this much-patched copy of Clement C. Moore's THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Other than the dust jacket, the book is in beautiful condition.

And the book plate, with my maiden name in my still loopy schoolgirl handwriting!

Or how about A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1961 edition, illustrated by Ronald Searle? This one is stamped inside with my parents' name and address.

And this is a replacement copy of my decades old paperback copy of Dylan Thomas's A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES, illustrated with woodcuts by Ellen Raskin. I still have the tattered original, and I have different, newer editions, but none of them have quite the same charm.

There is also a 1984 edition of THE NUTCRACKER illustrated by Maurice Sendak!

Aren't these illustrations fabulous??

But most treasured of all is my copy of the Christmas story published in 1973 by my late uncle, A.C. Greene, A CHRISTMAS TREE, illustrated by the painter Ancel E. Nunn, who was his great friend. It's about his childhood Christmases in west Texas, and one particular year when the Christmas tree didn't quite fit. If ever you can find a copy, snap it up!

Unfortunately, the book was at one time shelved on a lower shelf in one of our bookcases and some puppy or other, I don't remember which one was the culprit, chewed a corner quite thoroughly.

Now the book is kept safely stowed on a top shelf!

All of these have pride of place on our coffee table for the season, just waiting to be read. The only problem is finding the time to sit down and enjoy them!

Dear REDs and readers, do you have treasured Christmas books? And which is your favorite?

Paula Munier--The Snow Lies Deep

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I adore Paula Munier's Mercy Carr books when they are set any time of the year, but Christmas, and Christmas in snowy Vermont, is the icing on the Buche de Noel!! And if a new adventure featuring Mercy and Troy with their search and rescue dogs Elvis and Susie doesn't get you in the mood to curl up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, Paula has a few more suggestions to get you in the mood!

Winter Solstice

Paula Munier

“You can’t get too much winter in the winter.”

 — Robert Frost

Winter is my favorite season. I love everything about it: the snow, the soup, and most important, reading and writing snuggled up with a cat and a dog (or two or three or four) by the fire. That’s why, for me, the Winter Solstice is a very important holiday.

So important that in my latest Mercy Carr mystery, THE SNOW LIES DEEP, the Winter Solstice plays a big role, as do the Druids who observe the longest night of the year in a grand way in this story. And while I’m no Druid—fond as I am of trees—I do honor the solstice in my own way. I thought I’d share some of those ways with you.

Some of these may seem surprisingly familiar to you, since the winter solstice was the precursor to many of our modern-day holiday traditions. Pagan peoples of old welcomed the turning point that was the winter solstice, with its promise of longer, warmer, more sunlit days to come. They celebrated the return of the sun by burning Yule logs, lighting bonfires, decorating with evergreens and mistletoe, singing and drumming and feasting. I know, very familiar, right? 

Perhaps we are all pagans at heart. But no matter what your tradition or how you typically celebrate this time of year—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, etc.—you might enjoy incorporating some of these Winter Solstice customs into your holiday season this year (if you don’t already):

        Go for the Light. The winter solstice is all about the light in the darkness, so anything that represents that light is apropos:

                 --Yule log. Burn a Yule log in your fireplace or outdoor fire pit for the twelve days between the Winter Solstice and New Year’s as is the tradition—or whenever you wish. The kind of log is up to you: The English Druids use oak, the Scottish Druids prefer birch, and the French Druids like cherry, with a little wine sprinkled on top because, well, they’re French.

                 --Bonfire. Traditionally, bonfires were lit from sunset to sunrise on the night of the Winter Solstice to welcome the sun. you can burn yours—safely—any time. All you need is wood, family and friends, and maybe a guitar. I’m just saying.

                --Ice Lantern. Lanterns of any kind are good ways to honor the solstice, but if you’re looking for a fun crafty activity to do with your kids or grandkids, making ice lanterns fits the bill. There are a number of how-tos on YouTube; researching different methods is half the fun. Note: If you live where it’s warm in the winter, you can freeze the water in your freezer in plastic tubs. Let there be light!

                --Candles. Advent candles, Menorah candles, Kinara candles…whatever warms your heart and soul. Any and all candles brighten the gloom on a winter’s day. Enjoy!

        

        Mistletoe. If you’ve never hung mistletoe, now’s the time. Mistletoe has always been sacred to the Druids because it grows on trees—and even while trees go dormant in the winter, mistletoe does not. Its host trees are “dead,” but the parasitic plant grows on, despite the cold and lack of sunlight. We’re talking a symbol of fertility here. Which leads us to kissing. Kissing is good.

        Evergreen. Wreaths, garlands, centerpieces—however you decorate with pine or spruce or fir, you’re participating in an age-old tradition that honors the trees that survive the winter with strength and resilience and vibrancy. Go for it! 

        Nature Tree. Adorn a living pine or spruce or fir in your garden or the nearby woods with unsalted popcorn, fresh cranberries, and dried fruit. Be sure to use sturdy string, and do not use fishing line, which can harm birds. Note: If you live in bear country, skip this—and stick to planting native plants that attract birds and other pollinators.

        Bûche De Noël. This is the traditional Yule log dessert. Mercy Carr’s grandmother Patience bakes one in THE SNOW LIES DEEP—a homemade chocolate sponge cake with cocoa hazelnut whipped cream rolled it into a log, with a chocolate ganache icing topped with fresh sprigs of rosemary and sugared cranberries. Not exactly easy, but here’s a recipe from the kitchn that tries to streamline the process.

What are your holiday traditions that echo back to the Winter Solstice? Let’s chat about it here on Jungle Reds! Here’s to a lovely holiday season for us all—and the coming of the light!

 

The seventh Mercy Carr Mystery in which Mercy and Elvis must track down who’s killing the Santas of Northshire’s Solstice Soirée before another St. Nick goes up in the flames of a burning Yule log….

It’s December in Vermont—and Mercy is determined to give her baby Felicity the very best first Christmas ever. Starting with a visit to see Santa at Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée. But when Santa abandons his post and runs into the woods, Mercy and Elvis go after him—and the shepherd finds the jolly old elf flat on his back in a small clearing, dead, a Yule log ablaze on his belly.

 

Mercy wants nothing more than to stay at home at Grackle Tree Farm taking care of Felicity, but as this St. Nick is really “Uncle” Lazlo, her family presses her to help solve their old friend’s murder and save the Solstice Soirée. She demures, but when another Santa ends up dead and the bones of a long-missing trapper turn up in the woods, Mercy and Troy and the dogs team up with Thrasher and Harrington to rid Northshire of the bad elements ruining the holidays for their town and their family.

 

Together they chase down clues leading to poachers and endangered lynx, evangelical zealots and Russian emigrés, and the terrible secrets haunting the village, past, present, and future. It’s not just Santa at risk, it’s everyone in town—including baby Felicity. It’s up to Mercy and Troy and the dogs capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.

 

 

PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the  USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. Home at Night was named Library Journal’s Mystery Pick of the Month. The Night Woods, the sixth book in the series, earned a starred Library Journal review among other acclaim. THE SNOW LIES DEEP debuts in December 2025. Along with her love of nature, Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue animals, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences. She’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle. She lives in New England with her family and four rescue dogs and Ursula The Cat, a rescue torbie tabby who does not think much of the dogs. For more, check out www.paulamunier.com.

DEBS: Paula, I thought you might get a kick out my daughter's Instagram post on Monday!

Because of course she is a big fan, too!