A Wicked Welcome to Annette Dashofy!

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by Julie, wintering in Somerville

I am thrilled to welcome Annette Dashofy back to the blog, and the celebrate the release of her new book, Keep Your Family Close.

Changes

I remember my mother always grumbling about changes. She wanted everything to stay status quo. Of course, change is inevitable. According to Ben Franklin, “Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” I would never want to argue with one of our founding fathers, but I feel “change” needs to be added to that quote.

We all undergo changes, some good, some bad. In the final months of 2023, I ran into a few weeks of both. I’d been cruising along, thinking I knew what I was doing and what I would be doing for the next few years of my writing career. All was blissfully moving along according to plan.

Then my agent and friend, Dawn Dowdle, passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack. I’d just spoken to her days earlier, mapping out a plan of action, discussing writing projects and contracts. The news that she was gone had me in tears. Not only would I not have any more of our laughter-filled phone conversations, but what the heck was I going to do now? My “plan” had been torpedoed.

After a number of days, I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and reached out to some author contacts. Before I knew it, I was signing an agency agreement with Paula Munier and Talcott Notch Literary. Had this not happened as a result of my friend’s untimely death, I’d have been dancing on my rooftop. As it were, I felt immense relief. And no small measure of terror. I’d been playing it safe in many ways for years. Paula is challenging me to up my game. It’s a challenge I’m excited about and am embracing. But in the unknown, there is that terror that I mentioned.

“Change” may have been forced upon me near the end of last year, but I’ve decided it’s my Word of 2024. I’m still terrified, but the excitement of a new project is simmering. The bones of a new story are rattling around in my brain.

But as I think about change in my life, I’m also thinking about my characters. They’re as “real” as other humans (my change-fearing mother also worried about the imaginary friends I talked to as a kid), so they need to face change as well.

Granted, there are characters out there who live through dozens of books and who never change—not naming names—but I want my characters to grow.

In Keep Your Family Close, my recent release and the second in the Detective Honeywell Mysteries, both Matthias Honeywell and Emma Anderson are faced with circumstances that change who they are. Matthias is set in his ways. He’s single. He likes playing the field. He feels safe keeping those walls up between him and anyone who might make him think about commitment or that “L” word. But along came Emma in the first book (Where The Guilty Hide). The feeling she provoked in him scared the bejeezus out of him! As the new book starts, he has tried really hard to back away and stay in his safe zone—until he finds Emma’s missing sister, deceased in an abandoned warehouse. Not only does he feel Emma’s anguish and want to protect her, when she shows up with a male friend in tow, Matthias discovers a deep well of jealousy.

Of course, very little is as it seems, and both of them face changes to their lives that they didn’t expect. By the end (no spoilers!) they’re both different people than they were at the beginning.

I’m currently drafting the follow-up novel and they’re facing even bigger problems and going through even harder changes.

For characters or for humans, change is often difficult. But like diamonds, we need the pressure in order to change from a rock to a gem.

What about you? Are you planning to make any big changes in the coming year? Or are you hoping to stay the course for a while?

About the book:

When a badly decomposed body is found in the basement of an abandoned warehouse, Erie police detective, Matthias Honeywell, is called in to investigate.

Meanwhile, freelance photographer Emma Anderson is desperately trying to find her drug-addicted sister, Nell. Then a devastating piece of evidence found at Detective Honeywell’s crime scene brings her world crashing down, a driver’s license belonging to her missing sister.

In need of her assistance, Matthias asks Emma to help with the case, hoping to solve the mysterious disappearance of Nell Anderson. But in doing so, will the investigation uncover more questions than answers?

Buy the book here.

About the author:

Annette Dashofy is the USA Today bestselling author of fifteen mystery novels including six Agatha Award finalists and one Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award winner. Keep Your Family Close is the second in the Detective Honeywell series set on the shores of Lake Erie.

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Published by J.A. Hennrikus

One woman, three names, many books. As Julia Henry I wrote the Garden Squad series for Kensington. As J.A. Hennrikus I wrote the Theater Cop series, and as Julianne Holmes I wrote the Clock Shop series. I've been an arts administrator for my entire career, mostly in the performing arts. Currently I'm the ED of Sisters in Crime, a wonderful organization that promotes and supports crime writers. www.sistersincrime.org Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram! @JHAuthors

34 Thoughts

  2. I’m so glad you landed with Paula! She works hard for her clients. And congratulations on the new book, my friend – it’s next up on my Kindle.

    I’m hoping for only good changes this year.

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  3. Congratulations on the new book! Condolences on the loss of your agent and friend. Here’s hoping for good changes in the coming year!

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  4. Annette, congratulations on your new book and my condolences on the loss of your previous agent.

    As for me, I’m just hoping to stay the course and keep my head above water. The last thing I want is any big change…unless it is a lottery jackpot win.

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  5. While more difficult, I think we all seem to accept change better when it’s trust upon us. I know this is the way it is with me. I may talk about change, but it often gets pushed to the back burner and forgotten. Although I’ve never been a good person to accept change, the last several years have given me several times it was unavoidable. Change at retiring, change when deciding to downsize and move, change due to medical limitations all were things I had none or very little choice in, but in the end all worked out – extremely well I’d say. While still not really one to start the change, I have become more accepting of changes that come my way.

    “Keep Your Family Close” sounds absolutely amazing and on my TBR list. Can’t wait to dive into Matthias and Emma’s story and the mystery to solve. Love the freelance photography part too since I do so love photography myself. Wonderful cover too. Loving the choice of old houses and the addition of the birds.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Thanks, Kay. I agree. The biggest changes seem to be the one thrust upon us. We (meaning I) react with resistance at first, but then learn to adapt.

      Maybe “adapt” should be word of 2024 instead of “change.”

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  6. Annette, I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend and agent. I am sure that Paula will take good care of you. I love your stories and this book is at the top of my Kindle TBR pile.

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  7. Of course you know I love this book Annette. And I went through the same change/loss with Dawn.

    I’m sure there will be changes coming for me. I just don’t know what they are right now.

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    1. Liz, you know if there’s anything I can do, just holler. And you had a rocky 2023 all the way around. Let’s hope 2024 brings brighter days.

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  9. I am so sorry for your loss. I also am not a fan of change and resist it in most, if not all, aspects of my life. I particularly need to be able to depend on my fictional characters to provide some stability in an unstable world, at least in their romantic interest. Don’t pull that rug out from under me, please. I am a huge fan of your Zoe Chambers series and do hope it continues. As an audiobook addict, I am holding out hope that the Honeywell series will release in audio. I was introduced to Paula Munier’s Mercy Carr series recently and binge listened to it on Audible. So, now I am anxious for more Zoe and Mercy and meeting Honeywell in audio. I hope 2024 is an amazing year for you.

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    1. Just so you know, the next Zoe Chambers mystery comes out in May! As for Matthias Honeywell in audio, I’m waiting to find out right along with you.

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  10. Congratulations on Keep Your Family Close, Annette, and on signing so quickly and successfully with a new agent. I like change, but I hate surprises–good or bad–and you had two horrible surprises with the loss of Dawn and along with her, your charted career path.

    I am sure you will land on your feet and better because you are such a talented writer.

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    1. As I mentioned above, the next Zoe Chambers mystery is set to come out in May! And thank you so much, Jackie!

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  12. I’m impressed and excited for you in your quest to embrace “Change” this year, Annette. You are an inspiration!

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  13. Love all of your characters because they do grow and change. It makes them more real and believable and adds more dimension to the plots. I am expecting changes in 2024 and keeping my fingers crossed that they will be good ones.

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  14. Congratulations on your latest, I read it and loved it. A true five star read! I’m so happy you landed with Paula, she’s an ace of an agent.

    I’m planning to up my game this year. Not sure if there’s a word for that, but it’s my goal. For the record, I embrace change, always have. Strange, no?

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  15. I need to make a change this year. Several, actually. But it is hard without someone pushing you. As much as the status quo can be bad, it is still familiar, and there is some comfort in that.

    But change is really hard when it is something that you don’t want. Those changes are the worst.

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  16. Welcome back and congratulations on the new book! I like having change be a word for the year! I’m sorry your big change had to come from Dawn’s death, but you landed in a great place!

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  17. Thank you so much for sharing. We need to go through my Mom’s things. She passed away a year ago. I am hoping that we will be able to do that soon. God bless you.

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  18. No more changes for me. Just staying the course. Change is inevitable but not always what we want. I have been through too many changes in my life, mostly not what I wanted, and I do not want to go there again. I made it through all of them but am too old to do that anymore.

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  19. Several authors have discussed change this year. So sorry for the loss of your friend/agent. see change is not good in that respect but good in that you got to carry on. Good luck,

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