Hi all! I’m totally swamped trying to get my sixth Downward Dog Mystery, Murder Likes it Hot finished. The bad news is, due to my collarbone injury it’s almost a month overdue. The good news is, I’m almost done! I just finished the 8th draft. One more proof read and I’ll turn it in to my editor at Midnight Ink. If I’m lucky, I’ll finish by the time I leave for the East coast for Malice Domestic on Thursday. If not, well, I’ll have lots to do on the flight!
Since I didn’t have time to write a blog article this week, I decided to share an excerpt. Please remember, this is a work-in-progress, so it hasn’t been edited. The final may end up different. This scene introduces Lonnie. His brother, Ed shows up soon.

Lonnie!

Ed!
CHAPTER 5
Something small, brown, and furry with a hairless tail scurried past my right ankle.
“Aack! it’s a mouse!” I shrieked.
Gabriel’s demeanor changed in a heartbeat. From easygoing to frustrated, with a dollop of fear thrown in for good measure. “It’s not a mouse, it’s a rat! Catch him!”
He had to be joking. I was frozen. Stuck between irreconcilable impulses to run for the street and leap on the desk. I had no time to chase after scaly tailed vermin.
Don’t get me wrong, I love animals. All animals.
Except rats.
Gabriel pushed past me, and I stumbled into the hallway.
“God dammit, Lonnie!” He yelled. “Get back here.” He chased the nine-inch-long rodent toward the kitchen.
The young men at the pool table doubled up with laughter. Gabriel paused long enough to chastise them. “Don’t just stand there. Check on Ed!” A brunette tween leaped from the couch and ran into Gabriel’s office.
Ed? Did that mean there was a second one?
My eyes whipped back and forth across the carpet. My feet danced. I hopped from left foot to right foot and back again, terrified that a second rodent was about to crawl up my pant leg.
The way I saw it, I had two choices: stay here and hope that Rat Boy’s twin didn’t chomp on my ankle or run after Gabriel to the kitchen, where hopefully one of the vermin would soon be corralled.
I chose option two.
To learn more about “the boys,” stay tuned for additional excerpts!
Tracy Weber
My newest Downward Dog Mystery, Pre-Meditated Murder is available now in e-book and paper back copies everywhere! Check this link for some local ideas. http://tracyweberauthor.com/buy_premeditated.html