by Sue Hawley (Author)
Peg Shaw has a gift not just for fending off hot flashes but also for talking to the dead. One morning while waiting for the caffeine from her coffee to pulse through her veins, Peg is thrust into the midst of another investigation. Jack, the local police chief, calls to inform her of a hit-and-run that has left a ten year old girl clinging to life. With the girl's father breathing down his neck Jack all but begs Peg to contact her friends from Deadsville.
This case is not all it appears to be, however. Nana appears from the spirit world and tells her that more is at play than a simple accident. Dark forces are at work- forces that want Peg to stop her meddling. Helped by Bob, her bumbling but kind ghostly friend, Peg must now decipher a pile of strange letters, determine whether the girl's father can be trusted, and attempt to piece together a complex mystery. Peg is on a dangerous path where nothing is certain-except her night sweats.
Midlife Chaos continues the story of Peg Shaw's journey through menopause as she relies on her special abilities and ghostly friends to reluctantly solve another local crime.
Author Biography
Author Sue Hawley proves that writers become writers by reading. With little formal writing instruction but years of avid reading, Sue Hawley began writing a series of cozy mysteries. Her stories surround the adventures of menopausal Peg Shaw who sees dead people. "The first one almost wrote itself," Sue said of Hot Flashes Cold Cases, which she wrote in 12 weeks. "My sister, who is now my biggest fan, loved it." When asked where she gets her ideas, Sue explained, "Characters show up when they are ready. It's not something that can be forced." She goes on to say "One day I was writing about Peg when a character showed up ringing the doorbell. I had no idea who was going to be on the other side of that door when Peg answered it. It turned out to be Amy, someone who has been important to Peg ever since." Mostly self-taught, Sue has read a lot about how to develop a back-story and develop characters. On her writing table, she is surrounded by the world of her characters and their stories, all on 3" x 5" index cards or sticky notes attached to her corkboard. Writing from her farmhouse, Sue says, "I am very happy on my hill. I'm not a joiner; I'm a rather private person." However, she maintains, "Everyone has a story. Write your story."