Tumbling under the Harvest Moon

Welcome to On the Prowl.

Did you get to see that beautiful moon on the 20^th? While I was not able to pull this newsletter together on time, I did get outside that evening to gaze up at a moon that glowed like an LED light. My 5 month old puppies, Kane and Skye, wrestled on the moonlight dappled grass. A sight impossible to photograph. The photo below was captured in daylight (obviously) by my husband when our bundles of fur were a bit younger.

Skye and Kane no holds barred in the back yard

It doesn’t take imagination to understand how the Harvest Moon got its name. Here’s a link to our favorite source, The Farmer’s Almanac, if you want the official background. Taking a page from Kane and Skye, let’s be more playful. Looking around my world, if I were to name the moon today, I would call it….

The Spider Moon. Charlotte isn’t the only on spinning her web this September. There are spider webs in my shrubs, in the grass, in our woods, and between our house and our hockey goal. This last was spectacular and I tried to take a picture for you…but it didn’t work. A heavy rain last week undid the spider’s hard work and he has yet to rebuild.

The Concert F Moon. It is marching band season here in Indiana. The marching band Jack (of Mysteries to Die For fame) is in uses Concert F for tuning the band. I hadn’t known marching band was sport until moving to Indiana. The hours these kids, director and techs, and volunteers put in is a cause for applause.

The Pigskin Moon. Nothing screams it’s fall like football. Since the mid-1970s, footballs have been made from cow hide instead of pig but it’s nice that we keep the outdated tech reference. It’s sort like saying “change the dial” on anything today.

I want to know, if you named the moon based on your life, what would it be? Email me at tina at tgwolff.com.

Read the first in my series.

From Down & Out Books. Amazon Link

From Down & Out Books. Amazon Link

From Entangled Publishing. Amazon Link

Down the Rabbit Hole: Exchanging American Dollars…or American Dollars

A one dollar bill from Citizen’s Bank of Louisiana

Episode 3 in Season 3 of Mysteries to Die For is an adaptation of the Allan Pinkerton Story “The Detective and the Expressman.” This story may be the first financial mystery. Written about a Pinkerton case in 1858, the story is the investigation into the misappropriation of $50,000 from the Adams Express Company. One of the things I enjoy about reading these original mysteries is the casual, everyday look into normal life. Sometimes, though, it is challenging to understand because our life today can be so very different. In this case, let’s talk about money.

Throughout the story, there are several references to various characters having to “change money.” Today, we certainly have to change money when we travel to other countries. You can’t use a ten dollar bill in London. You can’t use a 10 euro note in the states. You have to exchange one currency to another – or use a credit card in which a bank will do it for you in the background for a nice (not nice) fee.

But this story takes place in the United States, such as it was in the 1850s (31 states plus four territories). The story begins in Montgomery, Alabama and includes activities in New Orleans, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York. So why were these characters “changing money”? Click HERE to read the full article

Sights and Sounds: South Haven, Michigan. A Great Spot on a Great Lake One of the fun things about being an author is exploring new places and then bringing those places to life on a page. People who live there or visited get a little thrill recognizing the places they came to cherish. People new to the places get to explore and make a new entry to their bucket list. In the 3rd book of the Diamond series, Diamond tracks a witness to the lake town of South Haven, Michigan. South Haven is located at the mouth of the Black River and Lake Michigan. Her +/- 4,400 residents love everything water, beach, and fishing. According to the LindyLou captain, South Haven has been a vacation spot for Midwesterners since the 1800s. Click HERE to read the full story.

Mysteries to Die For. Season 3: Enter the Detective

Mysteries to Die For Season 3 has arrived! This season is titled Enter the Detective. Each of the 11 episodes features the first case of a detective who went on to an illustrious career. Some you know by a single word: Holmes, Poirot, Chan. Others may be new to you but were cutting edge and set the standard for our modern day detectives. Episodes 1 and 2 are live! Episode 3 drops on October 8. Jack and I recorded it this morning. Oh, boy, ragweed was messing with my throat.

New to podcasts? An easy way to start is through my website. Click PODCAST

A woman of high esteem is being blackmailed. She turns to the head of the Paris police for the return of her purloined letter. He turns to the first master detective – C. Auguste Dupin.

The young, beautiful Countess de Tremoral is found murdered on the banks of the Seine River. Her home has been ransacked but the only thing missing…is her husband.

Episode 3 Pinkerton’s The Expressman and The Detective

Dropping October 8

It was daring plot. Two thefts, months apart, leave the Adams Express Company missing $50,000. The company turns to the original private eye, Allan Pinkerton, for answers.

Our podcast is supported by my publisher, Down & Out Books. I am very proud to recommended these new releases to your reading pile, smart phone, or Kindle. It doesn’t matter how you read…just read!

In the psychological suspense thriller Stalker Stalked, Lexi Mazur learns the only way to beat her stalker is to use her own stalking prowess to turn the game back around. That’s her plan, but has she finally met her match?

Buy, download, and read Stalker Stalked by Lee Matthew Goldberg. From publisher All Due Respect.

Amazon Link, show Lee some love!

Steve Harrison, thirty-five years old, handsome, has the world in his hands. He is admired by his co-workers, his friends, his wife, and his mistress. And then he gets a call. “Bill” informs him that his wife has been kidnapped and if Steve wants her back alive, he has to do exactly what he says. If Steve deviates from Bill’s plan, tries going to the police, or tries to involve others, his wife won’t be breathing when he brings her home.

Buy, download, and read Person Unknown by Michael Penncavage. From publisher Down & Out Books.

Releases on October 8. Pre-Order NOW! Buy Direct from D&O HERE