Hounding the Pavement!

The local pet store had a Saint Bernard for sale for a long time. I have wanted a dog of this breed for years. Even if the dog didn't have such a hefty price tag, I wouldn't have been able to get him anyway. The kids and I would go over to visit with him every time we were shopping in the area of the store. He was just so darned cute! One day he was gone and I just hope he went to a good home.

I recently met Judi McCoy and heard about her Hounding the Pavement series. For the first book, all of her royalties are going to the Best Friends program. I thought it was wonderful so I got to interview Judi so I could share it with everyone I could!

Blurb for Hounding the Pavement:

The newest dog-walker on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has a talent—she can hear what her canine clientele is thinking. So when a dog’s owner turns up dead, Ellie must bone up on her sleuthing—and perk up her ears to find a killer.

Me: Can you tell us about your charity for Best Friends?

Judi McCoy: Best Friends is located in Kanab, UT. They are the largest no-kill shelter in the US. They also run a television series called Dogtown (Friday nights after the Dog Whisperer) They recently accepted 22 of Michael Vicks pit bulls for rehab and adoption. All animals they accept live on the ranch for the rest of their lives (if not adopted out) they are generous, giving, and wonderful.

Me: The characters in Hounding the Pavement seem dear to your heart. Why are they so special to you?

Judi McCoy: Rudy is MY boy. I wrote the books with him in mind because I knew he was getting older and didn’t want him to be forgotten. He passed away in January, and I’ve cried every day since. But one thing good did happen. The day after Rudy passed I received word that Publisher’s Weekly gave Hounding the Pavement a STARRED review. I’m confident my boy is in doggie heaven, making all the good things that I receive in my writing career happen.

Me: How did you come up with the idea for the Dog Walker series?

Judi McCoy: Actually, my agent called one day and said she thought it was time I did ‘something different.’ I told her I’d always wanted to write about a dog walker who communicated with her animals and she suggested the mystery series (instead of a single title) I had a long talk with my sister Nancy and we decided I had to do it.

Me: When you are not busy writing, what do you enjoy doing?

Judi McCoy: In the past, I’ve judged women’s gymnastics, but it’s become too time consuming. This year is retesting, something I dread, so I decided to hang up my judging clipboard and dive into the dog walker series fully. I also raise orchids, play bridge, and I teach writing at a few venues around the US during the year.But the dog walker books are my main concern.

Me: Where can readers find more information on Hounding the Pavement or any of your other books?

Judi McCoy: I have a gorgeous new website: http://www.judimccoy.com/ and it tells all about Best Friends plus gives excerpts from my past books. Rudy writes a blog and there’s a contest running. It’s very cute and informative.

Me: Thank you, Judi, so much for telling us about Hounding the Pavement and Best Friends.