Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Fur Boys
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.canewsome.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: American
http://www.newleaf.carolannnewsome.com/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:University of Cincinnati, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Fiction writer and painter. New Leaf Global Good-Will Guerrilla Art Project, artist.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Painter turned mystery novelist Carol Ann “C.A.” Newsome holds an M.F.A. from the University of Cincinnati. After a bike accident left her with a serious head injury, she turned to books and audiobooks to help her recovery. Vowing to write a book that she would like to read, she began the romantic suspense “Lia Anderson Dog Park Mystery” series based on her activities at the Mount Airy Dog Park. Newsome’s own paintings grace the covers of her books. She is also known for her New Leaf Global Good-Will Guerrilla Art Project. She has several rescue dogs.
A Shot in the Bark
Newsome began her mystery series with the 2011 A Shot in the Bark. Luther Morrissey, the deadbeat boyfriend of artist and dog lover Lia Anderson, is found dead from an apparent suicide. Believing Luther’s death to be linked to a serial killer, Detective Peter Dourson adopts Luther’s dog so he can infiltrate the Mount Airy Dog Park to gather clues from the tight knit group he suspects knows something about the killings. Dourson begins to fall for Lia as he enlists her help to find the killer.
On the C.A. Newsome Website, Newsome explained the theme of the book: “The first book, A Shot in the Bark, deals with the premise of the serial killer hiding in plain sight. We see people every day at the dog park. They become our friends, but what do we really know about them? Not much. Who’s to say there isn’t a serial killer at your dog park?” According to an IndieReader contributor online, “The tension makes for a fast moving narrative that…is kept light and manages to uncover clues that lead to plot twists that throw you off the scent of the true murderer.” A reviewer on the Mystery Suspense Reviews Website commented: “I didn’t like being left without a conclusive conclusion! While the characters are expected to recur, and their lives will change as the series moves along, it would have been better (to me) if the murder had been resolved within the book.”
Drool Baby, Maximum Security, and Sneak Thief
Book two of the series, Drool Baby, finds Lia betrayed by her best friend, working with a therapist, looking forward to a new art commission, and investigating new questions about Luther’s murder. Investigating the case with boyfriend Detective Dourson, Lia learns she might be in the killer’s crosshairs. Writing on the IndieReader Website, a reviewer noted some weaknesses in dialogue and character development, but admitted nevertheless, “The strength of Drool Baby lies in the rag tag group of dog park regulars that the author creates. The in-depth character development happens quite naturally.”
Maximum Security, book three in the series, follows Lia and Dourson’s next case when Lia’s foster dog comes home with a human femur. While the dead man’s high school sweetheart is blamed, Lia and her friends believe she might be innocent. In book four, Sneak Thief, Lia’s friend Desiree, a pint-sized sexpot, has a strange new boyfriend who gives her figurines made out of aluminum foil. When Desiree is found dead, Lia adopts her kleptomaniac beagle as well as her stalker. Lia believes Dourson and the police are on the wrong track looking for the killer.
Muddy Mouth and Fur Boys
In Newsome’s fifth book in the series, Muddy Mouth, the dog park patrons are preparing for the Fourth of July parade to showcase their dogs. Lia makes a parade float to honor local crime writer Lucas Cross, but Cross goes missing, last seen at a book convention. Meanwhile, Cross’s accountant is mysteriously attacked. The group that commissioned the float, Fiber and Snark, a group of cat rescuers who knit, ask Lia to investigate what happened to Cross.
Commenting on how Newsome creates an inventive plot and a sharp and compelling protagonist, a writer in Kirkus Reviews said she “writes with flair and humor, balancing the tension of the novel’s mystery against the lighthearted backdrop of the Mount Air dog park. The charmingly idiosyncratic characters—human and animal both—set the book apart.” The writer added that dog-obsessed readers will enjoy this mystery that keeps dogs central to the action.
Book six in the dog park series, Fur Boys, involves hated yet talented Dr. Geoffrey Lawrence, a Machiavellian voice professor and conductor at the Hopewell Music Conservatory. He destroys careers, manipulates students, and abuses staff. When he is found murdered, the suspect list is long. When homicide detectives bungle the case, a secret informant suggests that Detective Dourson investigate, but a Cincinnati law moving homicide cases to a new unit prevents him. Meanwhile, Lia befriends Hannah Kleemeyer, a school administrator who is taking care of Lawrence’s three dogs. Because Lawrence’s will leaves everything to his dogs, Hannah might be added to the suspect list. “The characters are well-drawn; the dialogue is sharp and funny; and the pacing is precise….Another satisfying Lia Anderson mystery from a true talent of the genre,” noted a Kirkus Reviews contributor, who added that Newsome is a master at juggling a dozen different characters.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2016, review of Muddy Mouth; September 15, 2017, review of Fur Boys.
ONLINE
C.A. Newsome Website, http://www.canewsome.com (May 1, 2018), author profile.
IndieReader, https://indiereader.com/ (September 18, 2015), reviews of Drool Baby and A Shot in the Bark.
Mystery Suspense Reviews, http://www.mysterysuspensereviews.com/ (July 18, 2015), review of A Shot in the Bark.
ABOUT C. A. NEWSOME
Newsome-GypsyC. A. (Carol Ann) Newsome writes the Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries, a series of fun, romantic suspense/mystery novels inspired by and centered around her mornings at the Mount Airy Dog Park with two former street urchins named Shadda and Chewy (Chewbacca Wonderpup, Master of Confusion), along with a furry piranha named Gypsy Foo la Beenz (see picture at left).
A life-long lover of fiction, Carol turned to books and audiobooks during her decade-long recovery from a head injury. Years of immersing herself in popular fiction lead to imagining the book she wanted to read, and wondering if she could write it. The result was the first book in her mystery series.
She is also an artist with an M.F.A. from the University of Cincinnati. You’ll see portraits of some of her favorite four-footed friends on the covers of her books. She enjoys creating community-based public artworks. As an artist, she is best known for her New Leaf Global Good-Will Guerrilla Art Project.
Her other interests include astrology, raw food and all forms of psychic phenomena. She likes to sing to her dogs. The dogs are the only ones who like to listen.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH C. A. NEWSOME (Digital Book Today)
What does the C. A. stand for?
Carol Ann. I needed my name to fit on one line on book covers, so I shortened it.
How would you describe your books?
My dog park mysteries are a genre mash-up. I love fun mysteries and romantic suspense and thrillers, so I put all of that in, the way I used to pile everything I liked on my peanut butter sandwiches as a child. You could call them the love children of Nora Roberts and John Sandford. One Amazon review referred to A Shot in the Bark as a “cozy with backbone.” I really like that.
What inspired you to write dog park mysteries?
I knew what I would write long before I ever knew I was going to write.
I take my three rescues to the Mount Airy Dog Park every day, have for ten years. There’s a regular morning crowd. We’re always watching the parking lot to see who comes in, if they’re a friend, or if they have a dog that’s known to be aggressive.
People without dogs often pull in, sometimes to take naps, sometimes to meet someone for what we assume is an illicit assignation. We’re always speculating about these folks. It reminds me of oddball bands of detectives, like Scooby-Doo or the Camel Club. I kept joking that we needed to have dog park mysteries. Then one day a dead body turned up, and the speculation ran rampant for days.
A Dead Body? Seriously?
A women drove her white panel van into the parking lot one night and shot herself. Three of my good friends found the body the next morning. By the time I arrived, the police had the park blocked off.
Since only serial killers and career criminals own white panel vans, I was convinced it was an execution of some kind. We were all comparing notes. One regular said she saw the van the day before and two guys got out of the van (without dogs) and walked back in the woods. I just knew it was a drug deal gone wrong.
It was all nonsense. Sometimes a suicide is just a suicide.
What’s different about your books?
I have fun with the books, but I try to keep the characters real. Several of my characters are based on long-time dog park friends. We’re all really different, but we do our best to get along.
Lia Anderson is an artist who gets by, but barely. When things happen, they affect her. You see her hurt and you see her grow as a person and you see her struggle with her relationship issues. In my world view, if someone dies, you should grieve. If someone betrays you, you should be hurt. And If someone tries to kill you, you should be traumatized. Events have ripples that carry through the series.
The first book, A Shot in the Bark, deals with the premise of the serial killer hiding in plain sight. We see people every day at the dog park. They become our friends, but what do we really know about them? Not much. Who’s to say there isn’t a serial killer at your dog park?
How about Lia? Is she based on anyone?
I spent many years pursuing an art career, and I draw on that. Lia is more successful at selling her art than I ever was. She has the social skills to make her living that way, which I didn’t. She’s also nicer than me.
We do have the same schizophrenic diet, though. Green smoothies one day, cheeseburgers and pizza the next.
Speaking of food, what exactly did you put on those peanut butter sandwiches?
I’d start with white bread, then a layer of margarine on one side with peanut butter on top. Then I’d add banana slices, put marshmallow fluff on the other side, and Yum!
I didn’t learn about whole wheat bread, butter or cream cheese until I left home. Today, If I wanted to make a treat, I’d brown a whole wheat tortilla in butter and layer on chocolate chips and pecan pieces while it’s heating.Maybe toss on banana slices. When it’s done, I’d add a slice of cream cheese and fold it over. And I’d pretend it’s good for me. Darn it, now I want one.
You mentioned romantic suspense. Where’s the romance?
A dead body brings detective Peter Dourson onto the scene, and he is smitten with Lia. He’s a country boy with old-fashioned ideas about romance. He’s quieter, more of an observer. Not Lia’s type, and the timing is bad. But he’s a “still waters” kinda guy. He runs deep.
What can we expect next from Lia and her friends?
In Maximum Security, Lia takes on a foster-dog inspired by my escape artist, Max. If there’s a way out, Max will find it. And she likes to bring back souvenirs. She’s old and creaky now, but I will never trust her off-lead, no matter how many times Tom (A.K.A. “Jim”) insists she’s too old to run off. If they neglect to lock her coffin, she’ll jump out of the hearse on the way to the cemetery.
There is a dead body, of course. And I think maybe Peter is shopping for a ring. I wonder if Lia is ready for it.
Sounds like fun! Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If one of my books entertains you, I’m happy. And I love hearing from readers. Thanks For having me!
C. A. Newsome
C. A. Newsome
Follow
C. A. (Carol Ann) Newsome writes the Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries, a series of fun, romantic suspense/mystery novels which are inspired by and centered around her mornings at the Mount Airy Dog Park with her trio of rescues (rowdy hooligans).
A life-long lover of fiction, Carol turned to books and audiobooks during her decade-long recovery from a head injury that occurred when she and her bike were struck by a car. Years of immersing herself in popular fiction lead to imagining the book she wanted to read, and wondering if she could actually write it.
She is also an artist with an M.F.A. from the University of Cincinnati. You’ll see portraits of some of her favorite four-footed friends on the covers of her books. She enjoys creating community-based public artworks. As an artist, she is best known for her New Leaf Global Good-Will Guerrilla Art Project.
Her other interests include astrology, raw food and all forms of psychic phenomena. She likes to sing to her dogs. The dogs are the only ones who like to listen.
Newsome, C.A.: FUR BOYS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Newsome, C.A. FUR BOYS Two Pup Press (Indie Fiction) $14.99 6, 13 ISBN: 978-0-9963742-9-3
Newsome (Muddy Mouth, 2016, etc.) pits Lia Anderson against a murderer in this latest installation of the
Dog Park Mysteries. Painter and seasoned mystery-solver Lia thinks she's going to a choral concert with her
boyfriend, Detective Peter Dourson, but she arrives to find the door to the venue locked. Once the crowd
gains entry, they find the conductor, Hopewell Music Conservatory professor Geoffrey Lawrence, dead
behind the organ: "Dr. Lawrence stared heavenward, eyes fixed and mouth agape in a macabre echo of the
awestruck apostles in the stained glass window overhead." Lawrence was a tyrannical teacher and a
philanderer with no respect for the boundary between educators and students, and there is no shortage of
potential suspects: Leander Marshall, his lover; Toby Grant, his favorite student; Constance DeVries, his exwife;
Hannah Kleemeyer, the admin who knows too much. Peter can't work the case; homicides in
Cincinnati have been moved to a new unit, which happens to be staffed by incompetents. Even so, a curious
informant seems to trust him with sensitive information. Lawrence's will leaves everything to his three
beloved dogs, which must have something to do with the killer's motive...right? Civilian artist Lia,
commissioned to paint a mural at Hopewell, may be just the person to untangle the nest of interpersonal
relationships that obscures the truth of the murder. As usual, Newsome writes in a clever, energetic prose
that buoys the reader while slowly dispensing clues. Here Hannah describes Dr. Lawrence in a way that
manages to characterize them both: "He's a malicious and whimsical little god, making and destroying
careers at will." The characters are well-drawn; the dialogue is sharp and funny; and the pacing is precise.
The opening sequence--Newsome has to juggle a dozen different characters milling around a crime scene--
is nothing short of masterful. This remains at its heart a series for dog lovers, but even mystery fans who are
ambivalent about dogs will be caught up in Lia's latest quest. Another satisfying Lia Anderson mystery
from a true talent of the genre.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Newsome, C.A.: FUR BOYS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A504217499/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e85007a3.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A504217499
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524533081648 2/2
Newsome, C.A.: Muddy Mouth
Kirkus Reviews.
(Oct. 15, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Newsome, C.A. MUDDY MOUTH Two Pup Press (Indie Fiction) $14.99 4, 15 ISBN: 978-0-9963742-4-8
Newsome (Sneak Thief, 2015, etc.) returns to the adventures of artist and canine lover Lia Anderson. In this
fifth Dog Park Mystery, Lia, the committed owner of two pooches--a miniature schnauzer and a golden
retriever--is finally dating Detective Peter Dourson. She met Peter when he investigated the death of her
boyfriend at the beginning of the series. But Lia and Peter haven't had enough time to enjoy each other's
company because she has been commissioned to build a float for the Northside's famous Fourth of July
Parade. Shaped like "a giant Browning Buckmark .22 pistol," the float means to celebrate the work of local
Cincinnati crime novelist Lucas Cross, even though he vanished while attending an authors' convention in
Austin, Texas, at the beginning of June. It's a strange situation but, as Lia notes, even if Cross is still
missing by the time of the parade, the gun "will only be in slightly worse taste than the usual Northside
parade float. [Cross'] books are coming out next month, regardless." When the accountant of the Crossaffiliated
knitting club that commissioned the float is inexplicably attacked one night in an alley, the sense
of foul play begins to grow. Lia must put down her artist's cap and return to her role as amateur investigator
in hopes of discovering the truth behind Cross' disappearance before anyone gets killed. Newsome writes
with flair and humor, balancing the tension of the novel's mystery against the lighthearted backdrop of the
Mount Air dog park. The charmingly idiosyncratic characters--human and animal both--set the book apart
from more noirish works, and the slight goofiness (parade floats, knitting circles) puts the reader pleasantly
off balance. The stakes are never so high that the reader feels anxious, but the author delivers an inventive
plot and a sharp and compelling protagonist. Dog-obsessed readers in particular should enjoy this riff on the
whodunit genre that keeps its canines central to the action in a way pet owners likely feel is lacking in other
works of fiction. An entertaining and well-crafted addition to a dog-centric mystery series.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Newsome, C.A.: Muddy Mouth." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2016. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A466329145/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4ebec4cb.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A466329145
Shot in the Bark, by C. A. Newsome
BY MERRYCI@YAHOO.COM · PUBLISHED JULY 18, 2015 · UPDATED JUNE 28, 2015
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A Shot in the Bark: A Dog Park Mystery (Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries Book 1)
Shot in the Bark is first book of the Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries series. Considered a cozy mystery, you will find it a rather gentle read without overt violent, explicit sex or bad language. You will find plenty of pets along with their sometimes suspicious owners.
The story and the series takes place around visitors who are regulars at the dog park. When one of their own in murdered, detective Peter Dourson is assigned to investigate. He also takes possession of the victim’s dog, giving him an excellent reason to join the others at the park. That turns out to be a good thing since It soon appears that one of the dog park people may be a serial killer.
Lia Anderson is the main and recurring character in the series, though Peter will no doubt be back, along with several others from the neighborhood.
What I liked or maybe not…
I enjoyed hearing the story from different views. We’d hear Lia, Peter the detective, and the Murderer.
I also liked the characters, though at times Lia would seem to go back in time and come off sounding almost victorian. It didn’t seem to match the story.
It was also interesting hearing tips on dog care and training. Yet while I liked the knowledge of treating dogs, I didn’t feel much of a connection between people and their dogs. They were just there. Perhaps I expected them to be more involved in the story itself.
Even though the cozy is based around a dog park, it felt like they were dogs that happened to be with the characters, rather than characters themselves. That may be unfair, since they were mentioned. There were a few scenes where they played an important part.
I didn’t like being left without a conclusive conclusion! While the characters are expected to recur, and their lives will change as the series moves along, it would have been better (to me) if the murder had been resolved within the book.
This was another listen for me through Audible. The narrator’s voice was fine, but much to slow. Even listening at 1.25 sounded too slow. I did not care for the way the book was read or for the way she did the male voices. I always hesitate to say I don’t like a narrator, because she could read another book and I might love her. I am never sure if she was following the director’s instruction or not.
It’s a popular series, I’m happy to say, especially since it wasn’t my favorite. I usually enjoy books about dogs. After I finished it I read other reviews and many enjoyed it a lot. Be sure to read them too before you decide to pass on this one. I will try another book by Ms. Newsome down line. At times, you just aren’t in the right frame of mind for some books. Perhaps I just read this cozy mystery at the wrong time.
A SHOT IN THE BARK lets you get cozy with a murderer – if you can find out who it is . . .
by C.A. Newsome
September 16, 2015/in Indie Book Reviews, IR Approved, Mystery/Thriller /by IR Staff
Verdict: A SHOT IN THE BARK brings murder and romance to the dog park.
IR Rating
4.0
IR Rating
An apparent suicide in Mount Airy unsettles the dog park community. Things get complicated when tongues start wagging and the detective falls for the victim’s ex-girlfriend.
This mystery, the first in the Lia Anderson Dog Park Mystery series, gets started quickly when Luthor Morrissey is found shot in his car in an apparent suicide. Detective Peter Dourson suspects foul play and, using his guardianship of the victim’s dog, begins to sniff around – only to find himself falling for Lia Anderson – Morrissey’s ex-girlfriend. Though life goes on in the quaint community, with Anderson’s landscape designing for Catherine Laroux’s big garden party, tension mounts as the victim and suspect list grow.
While police bulletin descriptions and introductions of the players and their dogs can be a bit overwhelming, especially in the opening chapter, author C.A. Newsome has a lively bunch of eccentric characters who are developed enough that their interactions and dialogue add to the semblance of a quiet community and offer motives for murder.
The romance between Anderson and Dourson is gradually developed, endearing and adds another dimension to the plot – though it does leave unresolved issues. Anderson’s seemingly mundane and calm day-to-day gardening activities don’t necessarily forward the plot, they do effectively contrast with Mount Airy’s seedy side as she and Dourson try to figure out who the identity of the murderer.
The murderer’s point of view is successfully interwoven into the narrative to heighten the suspense with his/her eerie observation of the park and its visitors. The tension makes for a fast moving narrative that, in true cozy style, is kept light and manages to uncover clues that lead to plot twists that throw you off the scent of the true murderer.
A SHOT IN THE BARK brings murder and romance to the dog park.
~IndieReader.
Death amongst the dog owners in: DROOL BABY
by C.A. Newsome
September 18, 2015/in Indie Book Reviews, Mystery/Thriller /by IR Staff
Verdict: A quirky tale of pets and their owners, art, and intrigue DROOL BABY is a satisfying and engaging mystery set against a unique backdrop.
IR Rating
3.0
IR Rating
When bodies start to pile up like a stack of well-chewed bones, will the mystery be solved by Lia and her loyal wolf pack or is her life actually in peril like her boyfriend believes?
After surviving an assault from her former best friend and the murder of a boyfriend and patron, Lia spends her time recovering through her art. Although the dog park she frequents was near the scene of the crime, she remains there socializing with a motley crew of owners and their charges. As she spends more time with her new beau–a police officer–she begins to realize that there may have been more forces at work in the violence she encountered.
The strength of DROOL BABY lies in the rag tag group of dog park regulars that the author creates. The in-depth character development happens quite naturally both as a circumstance of lots of park socializing scenes as well as the main character’s attempts to get to the root of her former friend’s murderous behavior. While the sheer amount of characters is a bit overwhelming at the beginning, their ties to their dogs as well as the unique facets of their personalities make each person, or suspect, equally compelling.
While the story is engrossing and fast-paced there are some weaknesses in dialogue and character agency. The back-and-forth banter between Lia and her beau, Peter, is clichéd at several points. Peter becomes a trope of an overprotective boyfriend/caretaker who is actually right in the end, which makes Lia seem foolish for not taking the situation seriously enough.
A quirky tale of pets and their owners, art, and intrigue DROOL BABY is a satisfying and engaging mystery set against a unique backdrop.
~IndieReader.