JanDunlap.com » The Boreal Owl Murder

The countdown is on for 3rd Bob White Birder Murder

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:32:19 +0000

A funny thing happened on the MOU listserve last week. (If you aren’t familiar with the listserve, it’s the Minnesota Ornithologists Union’s means of keeping all the birders updated on what bird was seen where, along with other items of interest to Minnesota birders. Since I am a member of the MOU (as is my fictional protagonist Bob White), I get all the emails, and the one that caught my eye last week was a sighting of Northern Bobwhites, which is the premise of my third Birder Murder, titled “A Bobwhite Killing”. Another birder responded to the one who saw the bird, explaining that Northern Bobwhites are no longer considered wild in Minnesota because they have been so domesticated by farms. This is true, as I point out in my new book. Because it IS fiction, though, I do take a little creative license in my story…and that’s all I can tell you because I don’t want to spoil the story. I just thought it was one of those funny coincidences in my life – just as my book about a Bobwhite is about to debut, Bobwhites pop up in the MOU listserve.

This reminded me of when my first book, “The Boreal Owl Murder” came out. Boreal Owls were almost impossible to find in the northernmost reaches of the state for many years….until the year my book came out. Then there was a flood of sightings of them that winter of 2008. Everytime I had a book talk, I’d explain how Boreals were very hard to find…usually. The owls were making a liar out of me publicly. Actually, this profusion of a bird wasn’t unique – I recall some winters back when we had Great Grey Owls all over the place, and other years have likewise been marked by unusual numbers of an atypical bird for the region and/or time of year. It’s all part of the intrigue and variety of the world of birding.

A final note – I just saw that “A Bobwhite Killing” is now listed on Amazon.com for advance orders. That means I’ll be out promoting the book in another month. I hope to see you soon!

What a difference a year makes…

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:10:58 +0000

Great news! The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is going to be carrying my Birder Murders! I’ve been trying to place “The Boreal Owl Murder” in the gift shop there for the last year, and now it’s a done deal, complete with some book signings for both “Boreal Owl” and my newest, “Murder on Warbler Weekend,” scheduled for the busy holiday shopping season. The Arb has visitors from all over the country (not to mention the world), so I thought it would be a great spot for some high visibility, not to mention all the birdwatchers that frequent the extensive grounds there. Another new spot I’ve landed is on the internet – my books are currently featured on a new website called Reading Minnesota that celebrates Minnesota books. Check it out at http://readingminnesota.blogspot.com.

Making the rounds…

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:26:38 +0000

With only two months left before the second Bob White Birder Murder is released, I'm still making the rounds talking about "The Boreal Owl Murder," my debut of the series. Recently, I spent an evening with a local book club, chatting about the writing process and the characters in the series. Our hostess for the evening, Mary Thomas, really set the stage for our conversation by decorating her home with owls, not to mention our owl-themed entree for dinner. It was a hoot!! ...more...