Steve Maraboli said, “If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.”
Can you savor an orange? See a sunrise? Hear a bird sing?
Can you walk to the mailbox?
Is there one person in the world who loves you?
It’s easy to lose sight of these precious gifts. Yet, so important to remember them.
This is why I love Thanksgiving. (This, and Mom’s mashed potatoes and gravy!) It’s also why I was thrilled to be asked to write the Thanksgiving story for this anthology.
You see, mostly, I write gritty PI novels about things like dysfunctional families, the Tennessee Walking Horse soring controversy, and human trafficking. I love writing those books, which are about a man who is not himself dark, but who lives in a dark world. My favorite review called the Jared McKean books “the perfect combination of noir and human hope.”
In contrast, the Trouble tales are a walk in the sunlight. Yes, they deal with mayhem and murder, but these things happen off the page. They happen in a brighter, kinder world, where a fastidious cat and a potbellied pig can help a couple solve crimes and find love.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to write about Trouble and am already looking forward to writing The Trouble with Bigfoot, my next adventure with everyone’s favorite black cat detective.