Dean Erickson sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so we can learn more about her. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Dean.
What is your full name?
Dean Everett Erickson – My middle name is after my Grampa.
How old are you?
I’m getting ready to turn the big 3-0.
What is your profession?
I’m a police officer in Covington, Wisconsin, and in training to become a detective. Before I joined CPD, I was with the Indianapolis Metro PD, and also served in the US Marine Corps.
Do you have a significant other?
I sure do! I immediately smile just saying her name.
What is their name and profession?
My amazing and beautiful Emmy Cooper. Not only is she a talented interior designer who started her own business, Cooper Designs, but she helps run her family’s business on Lake Covington- Cooper’s Cove Resort. It’s a really special place.
Do you have any children?
No, but hopefully someday.
Who is your best friend?
Is it cheesy to say that Emmy is? I have so many really close friends here in Covington – Marcus, Whitney, Sam, Quentin, Abby. Back in Indy, my friend Cameron is still one of my closest friends. You could say we’re trauma-bonded. I lost my best guy friend, Officer Jason Blanton, in the line of duty a few years ago. Even though I was critically injured too, his loss has been the hardest to heal from.
Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
No, but I love Emmy’s crew. Plus, my Aunt Amy and Uncle Harry foster a lot of animals, so I get to play with them.
What town do you live in?
Covington, Wisconsin… way up in the Northwoods, very close to Lake Superior.
What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I rent an apartment above my Aunt Amy’s vintage goods and antiques store called The Blueberry Patch on Main Street. Uncle Harry and I restored the old brick building a few years ago, and the apartment upstairs is perfect for me.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
Hmm, I’d say my couch. Because I work crazy schedules, I don’t get much downtime. I like to be active, but getting to just relax on my couch with Em watching a movie or a game is great.
What is your favorite meal and dessert?
That’s a tough one! This guy likes to eat. Aunt Amy’s chicken and dumplings and Claire’s (Emmy’s mom) fried chicken are definite favorites. Emmy has learned to make sugar cream pie, which is an Indiana staple and one of my faves. And don’t get me started on Whitney’s red velvet cake!
Do you have any hobbies?
I love all things outdoors – hiking, boating, kayaking, fishing, skiing, swimming, etc. I gotta give props to Emmy. She’s the first to admit she’s a klutz and accident-prone, but she is always up for an adventure. I just make sure I’m within arm’s reach to catch her… we have plenty of those stories!
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I haven’t been to many places that didn’t involve work or the military. I have so many bucket list destinations I’d love to visit with Emmy. But one place I loved was Maine. I went there with Jason for a spur-of-the-moment trip. Amazing seafood… oh yeah- another favorite food!
What is your idea of a really fun time?
A boat day out on Lake Covington with Emmy. Relaxing, swimming, water skiing, just spending time together. Reminds me of when we were kids.
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Surviving for Tomorrow
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Professional. My mentor is CPD’s Detective Tom Norton. The man is the epitome of a great cop.
What is a typical day in your life like?
Typical? Well, no two days of mine are quite the same. If I’m working day shift, I’m up before dawn and then head to the station. I patrol around Covington, take any runs that come out (which are pretty different from when I worked in Indy). We work twelve-hour shifts, so it’s tough to have much time for anything else but eating (with Emmy, hopefully) and working out.
YULE REGRET IT – A “Northwoods” Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: December 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
From author Annie McEwen comes a holiday ho-ho-homicide!
It’s Christmastime in the Northwoods, and Emmy Cooper is ready to deck the halls, frost the cookies, and enjoy Covington’s biggest event of the year—the annual Christmas Celebration. Visitors flock to the festive lakeside town, where Emmy’s family runs the Cooper’s Cove Resort, for holiday treats, handmade crafts, and the beloved tree-lighting ceremony, led by none other than Santa Claus himself.
But when Emmy stumbles across a very dead Santa, the season takes a chilling turn.
With Emmy’s boyfriend, Officer Dean Erickson, trying to keep the investigation under wraps, Emmy and her best friend Whitney find themselves more tangled in this mystery than in last year’s Christmas lights. Between town gossip, a Scrooge of a new health inspector, and long-buried secrets rising to the surface, Emmy’s holiday cheer is draining faster than Ol’ Robert’s eggnog. Unraveling the killer’s identity might take a Christmas miracle—and Emmy’s running out of time. If she’s not careful, she just might be the next one sleighed.
About the author
Annie McEwen is the author of the Northwoods Mysteries Series, set among the tall pines and sparkling lakes of northern Wisconsin, where she spent her vacations as a kid and now visits her sister and family, who live in the very area she writes about. A former farm kid, Annie and her husband are empty nesters living in their rural Indiana home. Their grown children and two young grandsons live nearby, so they enjoy lots of family time. Being grandparents is definitely the best gig ever! They also have four fur babies, one of whom is a very important character in her books. When Annie isn’t writing or tackling trash-to-treasure projects, she works as a radiological technologist. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime and loves attending mystery conventions and meeting readers.