The ExPat Returneth

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Recharging on Drummond Island, WS Gager #bookgiveaway


Thank you so much for allowing me to be here today. Larissa asked for a post on living abroad or an international setting.  My fifth Mitch Malone Mystery Series will be set on Drummond Island, Michigan, a stone’s throw from Canada in Lake Huron, an hour from the Mackinaw Bridge.
Drummond Island
The island is only accessible by ferry and hasn’t been inundated with cell towers. It is a popular place to vacation in July and many who own or rent homes, make it an annual pilgrimage. I admit, I’m addicted to the island. It has been a great place to recharge, reconnect and just plain relax. Doing research has been anything but work. 

There is just something about waking up in the morning and looking outside and watching the sun dance on the water for as far as the eye can see. Neighbor’s houses could be within hailing distance but because of the tree cover and sounds of the waves rocking against the stony shore, any noise is lost. That doesn’t mean neighbors don’t pop over to check things out especially if strange cars are seen.

Transportation on the island can take many forms. Sometimes the fastest transportation can be by boat or kayak because roads are scarce. Motorized off-road-vehicles also can take more cross -country routes. My favorite is biking but it is hard to bring home any groceries that way. After the main roads that cross in the little commercial center, many of the roads to homes can be little more than two-tracks that twist and turn as it follows the coastline. You never know if you will see a beautiful vista of water, rock and color, or just more trees.

The residents who live year-round are made of hearty stock and have formed a tight-knit community that watch out for each other and help in times of need much the way I picture settlements that dotted the prairie as America spread west early in our country’s history.

While Drummond Island isn’t international, it is a foreign way of life for many that runs on its own time frame and newcomers only arrive as often as the ferry runs and in the heart of winter, strangers are rare and stick out because everyone knows everyone’s name. For my main character Mitch Malone, this presents all sorts of problems that he enjoys and hates. 

While Drummond Island is part of Michigan, when you are there, it is like you are in your own little world. I hope that is enough of an international flair. What is your favorite place to recharge?


W.S. Gager will be giving away a single copy of each of the first three books in the Mitch Malone Mystery series: A CASE OF INFATUATION, A CASE OF ACCIDENTAL INTERSECTION, and A CASE OF HOMETOWN BLUES from comments made on her blog: http://wsgager.blogspot.com or on her guest blogs from the Murder We Write Mystery Tour. 

A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS 
Mitch finally scores a weekend dinner with a cute receptionist, but true to his reporter instincts an explosion in a high rise office building makes him stand up his date as he runs for an exclusive.  When he investigates, he learns his date is the only casualty in a botched robbery at a real estate office. When femme fatale Patrenka Petersen returns, Mitch learns that much of what he knows about his date and her work aren’t what they seem. His world continues to twist when the police captain asks for his help and a city hall informant is found floating in the river. Mitch must keep his head down or a cute dog with a knack for finding dead bodies will be sniffing out his corpse.  

When Pulitzer-winning reporter Mitch Malone's editor presses him for a favor, Malone breaks his vow to never return to his hometown. It seemed simple enough--lead a seminar for Flatville, MI's newspaper, keep a low profile and get back to the city post haste. But memories of his parents' death swarm him, and, to avoid solitude, he stops for a beer. In the crowded bar, Mitch is dismayed to see many of his former classmates--including the still-lovely Homecoming Queen, Trudy. Once the object of his teenage crush, Trudy joins Mitch. He quickly realizes she is upset and inebriated. Always the gentleman, Mitch sees her safely home, and returns to his B&B, still trying to shake memories of his parents' sad demise. The next day, he is stunned to learn Trudy was murdered and he is the prime suspect. The locals treat the murder charge as a slam dunk, and Mitch realizes he must track down the real killer to keep his butt out of jail. As he investigates, facts he thought he knew about his family unravel, and danger ratchets up. Can Mitch discover the truth that will allow his parents to rest in peace, or will he be resting with them?


Award winning mystery author W.S. Gager has lived in Michigan for most of her life except when she was interviewing race car drivers or professional woman's golfers. She enjoyed the fast-paced life of a newspaper reporter until deciding to settle down and realized babies didn't adapt well to running down story details on deadline. Since then she honed her skills on other forms of writing before deciding to do what she always wanted with her life and that was to write mystery novels. Her main character is Mitch Malone who is an edgy crime-beat reporter always on the hunt for the next Pulitzer and won't let anyone stop him. Her third book, A CASE OF HOMETOWN BLUES, was a finalist in the 2012 Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS, her fourth in the Mitch series will be out this February.


25 comments:

  1. Sounds like a lovely place, Wendy!

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    1. Joyce: It is a lovely place. Totally untouched by commercialism and a great escape.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  2. Thanks so much for sharing your island, Wendy! So glad to have you on. And thanks for sharing your pictures. Looks beautiful! I love your Mitch Malone interviews. He's quite a character and I look forward to reading your books.

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  3. Wendy, what a lovely description of a lovely place. You took me there... Looking forward to Mitch's adventure there.

    Madeline

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    1. Thanks Madeline. I have it about a third done but have another project burning in my brain to come out and have left it for a time.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  4. I loved learning about a new place. You described in wonderfully, Wendy.

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    1. Thank you Marilyn. That is high praise from you and I appreciate it so much!
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  5. Larissa: Thank you so much for having me. Your request for an international post really made me think. This one just came out easily.
    Wendy
    W.S. Gager on Writing

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  6. Wendy,
    What a gorgeous place! Ever since I watched the movie "Somewhere in Time," I've wanted to go to Michigan's upper peninsula. A few years ago, I went lighthouse exploring in Michigan - even toured one that was haunted - but I didn't make it as far as that. One of these days I will.

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    1. The lighthouses are gorgeous and so varied. There are at least two by Drummond Island you can see.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  7. I know this area quite well, Wendy. It was also the original setting for my debut romantic suspense novel, but I changed it at the last minute to Minnesota. Northern Michigan is a perfect place to set a novel. As well as the perfect place to recharge one's batteries. Great post!

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    1. Really? Have you spent some time there? It is beautiful and so untouched.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  8. That is a beautiful place to visit in Michigan. I have just returned from a visit to my home state, but didn't get to visit the most scenic spots. I'm thinking this island would be a good place to have a writer's retreat. Imagine what we could get done if we were disconnected from cell service. (smile)

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    1. It would be perfect. I get lots of writing done when I am there and still have plenty of time for my family. I write in the morning and when they roll out around 11, I am ready for action. Of course I fall asleep during the movie we rented at night.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  9. Photos make me want to put on traveling boots & hop a train. Thanks for posting.

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    1. Me too Jake. As long as the train had electric to plug in my laptop. LOL
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  10. I grew up in Michigan but have not been to Drummond Island although I've been to Mackinaw Island many times. Good luck and best wishes for your success with your Mitch Malone Mystery Series!

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    1. Thanks Stephen. So glad you stopped by. Mackinaw Island is sooooo commercial compared to Drummond Island. You should plan it into your next trip to Michigan.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  11. Thank you for introducing me to another unknown retreat in Michigan. I discovered the Upper Peninsula two summers ago and wonder at what must be endured to live there during the winter months!

    Good luck with your new book!

    Monti

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    1. Monti: So glad to see you. You would love it. So many colors and hues to paint. Let me know when you return to Michigan.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  12. Drummond Island sounds like a place I'd like to go to unwind. Too bad it's so far away. Looking forward to the next Mitch Malone book.
    Marja McGraw

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    1. Come to Love is Murder and we will do a side trip if you don't mind eight hours in the car to get there! Maybe I will pop in on you. My family has discovered Laughlin, Nev, and made a side trip to Bull Head City. They were so impressed I knew that was in Arizona.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  13. I also admit, I've always wanted to visit Michigan just so I could go to the island where Somewhere In Time was filmed. I know, I know... cheesy. But cheesy goodness. :)

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    1. It's a a great marketing ploy but the island doesn't really want visitors or at least a lot of them. They like it to remain wild.
      Wendy
      W.S. Gager on Writing

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  14. What a great place to recharge, Wendy, and to set at least one of your novels. I don't blame the residents for wanting to preserve their island's natural state.

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