I'm happy to welcome Danny and Wanda Pelfrey to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Together they write the Davis Morgan Mystery series. LIKE A TREE is the fourth book in the series and was released last week.
Kathy: The Davis Morgan Mystery series is classified as an “Inspirational” Cozy Mystery. How is that different than a regular cozy mystery?
DP: An inspirational cozy mystery, like any cozy mystery, is primarily to entertain. While it does not contain in your face religious content, it is written from a Christian world view. It will usually discreetly promote some spiritual point. The author hopes it will lead readers to examine their own lives considering that principle.
Kathy: In LIKE A TREE, the movie industry comes to Adairsville, Georgia. Have you ever been involved in a film production?
DP: No, we haven’t. However, Central and North Georgia where we live is very rapidly becoming the major movie making area in our nation. I don’t know how accurate it is, but I heard a TV report recently name Georgia as the number one location for film making in the U.S. So, a story about a movie company in Adairsville is not farfetched.
Kathy: You write as a team. How does that work? Does one person work more on the plot while the other writes the actual words.
DP: I (Danny) am the storyteller with the wild imagination, while Wanda describes herself as the sounding board and fixer. Usually, after I write a chapter or two, I turn it over to Wanda and ask her to see what she can do with it. We follow that process throughout the book with each contributing heavily to the finished product. Might not work for everyone, but it works great for us.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
DP: Both of us were off and on non-fiction writers for much of our adult lives. When we decided to write fiction, there was no question about the genre. Both of us had read mystery for most of our lives, going back to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
DP: In the past Wanda wrote curriculum, and educational material for religious publishing companies. Her most successful book was a parenting book, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHILD"S TEACHABLE MOMENTS published by Moody Press in 1989. I have written one book of an inspirational nature and another of local history.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
DP: The Davis Morgan Mystery Series consist of four volumes, all set in the small north Georgia town of Adairsville. Davis Morgan returns to his hometown, after the death of his wife, to open a used and rare bookstore. His daughter, having recently finished college, is starting her teaching career there. She has a roommate by the name of Deidre who catches the attention of the grieving widower. A young policeman, Charley Nelson, early on, becomes Davis’s closest friend. From there a procession of unusual bad guys and mystifying circumstances start to appear and do so throughout the four volumes along with a lineup of colorful characters. Area history always plays a major part in the various plots.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
DP: Wanda responds, probably young policeman, Charley Nelson, because of the way his character has developed. Though I am partial to Davis, I cannot disagree. Charley seems to be the one a lot of people latched onto. One lady said to me at a book signing, “I worry about Charley.”
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
DP: We did not start out to do a series, rather just the one book. The inspiration for OUT OF THE DEPTHS, the first book, was the true story of Dixie Adair. The little infant was found still alive, buried in a shallow grave beside the Dixie Highway near Adairsville, thus she became Dixie Adair. We simply asked that important question concerning the mysterious tot, “what if?” and OUT OF THE DEPTHS was the result.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
DP: I literally worked on OUT OF THE DEPTHS for several years, trying to learn the art of writing fiction. Once I felt I had done all that I knew how to do for it, I wanted to know if others could appreciate it. I felt the way to determine that was to publish it. We self-published OUT OF THE DEPTHS but received a contract from a traditional publisher for the three books that followed. A close look at that first book reveals an exceptional story, but a lead writer who obviously was not ready for prime time, but you must start somewhere.
Kathy: If you have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
DP: Wanda says Madeline L’Engle, Gladys Taber, C.S. Lewis, and Max Lacado. I would probably replace her two ladies with Harper Lee and Terry Kay (who I recently had an opportunity to meet).
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
DP: Wanda is currently reading Joel Rosenburg’s THE PERSIAN GAMBLE & Max Lacado’s NO WONDER THEY CALL HIM SAVIOR. Most recently I read a Louis L’Amour western, MOJAVE CROSSING. However, I am about half way through writing the first book in a new series and thus reading nothing. I am taking the advice of a wise author who says while writing, it is best not to be reading anyone else’s work to avoid being unduly influenced or unconsciously lifting someone else’s work. A new concept for me, but at least for now I’m taking his advice.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
WP: Wanda’s answer – Reading, knitting, & quilting.
DP: Danny – Collectable books and baseball (no longer as a participate, but as a fan).
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
DP: Peanut butter, oatmeal, orange juice, & blueberries
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
DP: Yes, we have started a new mystery series with the same, Adairsville, Georgia setting, but with a new set of characters. Local fans almost demanded we stay in Adairsville. We decided not to resist. We are about half way through the first draft of the first book and are finding it extremely enjoyable.
Kathy: What’s your favorite thing about being an author?
DP: Danny’s answer – Writing! I thoroughly enjoy the creative process. Someone once asked me, “which is most enjoyable, writing fiction or non-fiction?” My reply, “writing fiction. You get to sit around and make stuff up and that’s a lot of fun.”
Another favorite thing about being an author is that it is something my wife and I can do together.
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Like A Tree (A Davis Morgan Mystery) by Danny Pelfrey & Wanda Pelfrey
About the Book
Like A Tree (A Davis Morgan Mystery)
Inspirational Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
CrossLink Publishing (March 26, 2019)
Paperback: 175 pages
The movie industry spreading across Georgia has finally made its way to the little foothill village of Adairsville. Bookseller and police chaplain, Davis Morgan along with a young female clerk discover the body of a member of the movie company on a historic site at the foot of a large oak tree. Davis, despite his promise to his wife, cannot resist investigating the mystery. He and his young pal, policeman Charley Nelson, quietly dig into the case even though it is officially under the jurisdiction of the county sheriff. There is no shortage of suspects: the mysterious red headed man, sister of the victim, the fiancée and others. During the investigation an already troubled Charley is framed for a drug crime, and Davis receives word that an old enemy is on his way to Georgia after escaping from prison to make good on a threat against him. Late one afternoon it all comes to an astonishing conclusion beneath the same sprawling oak where it started.
About the Authors
Danny & Wanda Pelfrey are a husband/wife team who in the past wrote helpful non-fiction books and material. Recently they have turned to producing “mysteries with a message.” Their stories are usually set in a small southern town in Georgia called Adairsville. Danny grew up in a poverty situation where he was often without access to TV for entertainment so he found books. It was not unusual for him, in his high school years, to read three or four books a week. So his love affair with books developed early. Danny received a degree from Point University and a Master of Ministry from Kentucky Christian University. He spent many years serving pastorates with churches in several states. Danny is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Wanda started her writing career writing curriculum for various publishers. Among books she has authored is the popular, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHILD’S TEACHABLE MOMENTS. She spent twenty-four years as a primary teacher in a Montessori school. She enjoys quilting and has never lost her love for reading. The Pelfreys have two daughters and five grandchildren. LIKE A TREE is the fourth Davis Morgan Mystery on which they have collaborated.
- Website www.pelfreybooks.com.
- Facebook www.facebook.com/danny.pelfrey.566,
- Twitter Danny Pelfrey@dwpelfrey
Amazon author page www.amazon.com/Danny/e/B001KMIKHM,
CrossLink Publishing,
Barnes & Noble etc,
www.pelfreybooks.com
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