Georgia mystery author Maggie Toussaint to sign ‘Doggone It’

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, November 15, 2016

THOMASVILLE — On Friday, Nov. 18, at noon, author Maggie Toussaint will be at the Thomas County Public Library to sign her latest release. She will begin with a presentation about the book.

“Doggone It,” Toussaint’s newest mystery in her Dreamwalker series, features Baxley Powell, a young widow with extrasensory skills. A double homicide at a haunted house puts this amateur sleuth and police consultant into the investigative hot seat. One victim is from the movie crew that’s in town filming, and the other victim is a local charter boat captain.

Throughout this series, Powell’s motto is to “give solace to the living and justice to the dead.” She’s not alone in this effort, as a team of ensemble characters and pets help her achieve those goals.

Georgia author Toussaint says a few elements from this story are inspired by real life. “We’ve had movie crews come through McIntosh County, and everyone is interested in seeing the movie stars up close. The county rolls out the red carpet and facilitates things the film crew wants to do.

“I took that extra courtesy accorded to our visitors and went an extra step to where something went dreadfully wrong. That’s all fiction, of course. No movie stars or boat captains were harmed in the making of this book!”

The main character of the book also owns and runs a small business named Pet and Plants. Through time, Powell’s accumulated a menagerie of pets, including one that’s a therapy dog. Elvis the Chihuahua mellows out those who hold him, a handy resource for this dreamwalker’s anxious clients.

Even so, Elvis isn’t the main dog character in this book. A ghost dog has the honor of being top dog. Like any walk-on character, nothing runs smoothly around the ghost dog until its problems are addressed.

“People love their pets, and nearly every pet owner will tell you they believe their beloved pet will go to pet heaven when they pass,” Toussaint said. “While I don’t claim to be an expert on the afterlife for people or pets, I made the assumption for this series that the indefinable essence of a person and a pet changes and survives death.”

Friendship is another theme in “Doggone It.” Two women who’ve been lifelong friends find themselves on opposite sides of an issue. 

“It’s easy to be friends with someone when you like the same things, but when life pits you against each other, what happens?” Toussaint said. “The dynamic between friends can wither or flourish depending on what the parties involved do. There are times when friends like Baxley and Charlotte must decide if a friendship is worth more than a personal goal.”

Haunted houses, lost pirate treasure, conniving in-laws, supernatural baddies and a determined ghost dog test amateur sleuth Baxley Powell’s mettle in book three of Toussaint’s Dreamwalker Series.

“Doggone It” is Toussaint’s 16th published book. Book 4 in the Dreamwalker Mystery series, “Dadgummit,” is contracted for a 2017 release.

Connect with the author at http://www.maggietoussaint.com.