Lumen could not move, but she could let her imagination run riot. So far there had been a David who wasn't really David, and a Sir Bertram who was a tiger, but the tigers weren't really tigers, not to mention Taylor Finch, with and without his hand. And a ghost of Rebecca. It always came back to Rebecca. Tigers, tigers everywhere. "Nice kitty. Good kitty." Lumen couldn't control the inanities coming out of her mouth, she was so scared. But boy, oh boy, how soft their fur! "It's not really a tiger," Rebecca hissed. Or is it? Tiger Tiger Burning Bright a haunting

Gretchen Rix--I write Texas cozy mysteries in the Boo Done It series set in Lockhart, the barbecue capital of Texas. Tag line: Where there's more than indigestion brewing.

I've worked as a bookstore clerk, a newspaper writer, and a book reviewer. I've had jobs as a professional typist, a truck dispatcher and a health insurance claims processor. I learned a lot from these jobs. But my true inspiration for these mysteries was our family's stubborn, huge, skittish and always-hungry dog Boo Radley. This dog could drag anybody into an adventure.

My sister and I created and ran an international ghost story writing contest. It lasted four years. Now I no longer ever desire to be a magazine editor. I go to science fiction conventions. I'm a member of RWA. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I take the motto "Keep Austin Weird" seriously even though I live 35 miles away.

"Talking to The Dead Guys" is the first in a series of murder mysteries about a dog, strong women, and small-town living (or is it dying?). Check out all my books at http://rixcafetexican.com and my blog at http://gretchenrix.com.