Emmy sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we can learn more about what makes her tick. Let’s see what she has to say.

What is your full name?
Emmerlyn Rose Cooper – My parents combined their middle names, Emerson and Lynn, to create my name. Everyone around Covington calls me “Emmy,” except my buddy Marcus. He calls me “Emmylou.”(eyeroll!)

How old are you?
I’ll turn twenty-seven at the end of July.

What is your profession?
I was a full-time interior designer for an architectural firm in Chicago until April of this year. Now, I do freelance design work while helping my family run our lakeside cottage resort called Cooper’s Cove Resort.

Do you have a significant other?
If this were Facebook, I’d click “It’s Complicated.” We hang out and have a blast together, but no official title has been given to our relationship status. I must admit, my heart skips a beat when I see him… either I’m sweet on him, or I need to see a doctor.

What is their name and profession?
His name is Dean Erickson. He’s an officer with the Covington Police Department.

Do you have any children?
No, hopefully someday, though.

Do you have any siblings?
Yes. My brother Noah is five years younger than me. He attends a local college while working here at Cooper’s Cove. Plus, he’s in the United States Air Force Reserves. I’m pretty proud of him.

Are your parents nearby?
Very nearby. They live in the farmhouse-style house just up that little hill. Since I now live in what we call “the apartment” attached to the resort’s lodge, we can see each other in a couple of minutes. We love it, especially since I lived in Chicago and was away at college for so long.

Who is your best friend?
Whitney Overland. We have been best friends since we were in diapers. We like to say we’re like peas and carrots, the wind to each other’s wings, and the sister the other never had.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
Our family has a lovable golden retriever named Spooner. He’s the sweetest boy ever. Then there’s Chappy, our Yorkie. He has a little kleptomania problem and refuses to walk on a leash, but other than that, he’s the perfect snuggle buddy. They both are also pretty good judges of character.

What town do you live in?
We live on Lake Covington in Covington, Wisconsin. We are surrounded by the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in the Northwoods in the northwestern part of the state near Lake Superior.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
Cooper’s Cove Resort has twelve cottages and a log cabin-style lodge with a large main gathering room, a rec room, and a small indoor swimming pool. My two-bedroom apartment used to be my family’s home when Noah and I were little until my parents built the bigger house for us. I’ve got a cozy little kitchen and living room. This property has been in my family for almost one hundred years. I’m so proud of all the sacrifice and hard work the generations of Coopers have put into it.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
Hmm, that’s tough. I have so many special spots for different reasons. Since it’s summer, I enjoy sitting on the private balcony off my apartment. It’s filled with planters full of fragrant flowers, pots of veggie and herb plants, a table and chairs perfect for a relaxing dinner while looking out at the lake, and a porch swing just right for reading with a glass of sweet tea.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
Pretty much anything Mom or Whitney makes. But I will swim across Chequamegon Bay for some really good, deep-fried cheese curds and homemade mac and cheese… what can I say? I live in the land of cheese! My favorite summertime dessert is strawberry shortcake with vanilla poundcake and homemade whipped cream.

Do you have any hobbies?
One of my favorite hobbies going thrifting or “junking.” I love taking items no one wants or vintage pieces and restoring or repurposing them. I’m also a huge reader, especially mysteries.

What music do you listen to?
I listen to a bit of everything. My friends laugh at my favorite playlist because it’s so random. I might be playing a bouncy Andy Grammer tune, and next up will be Doris Day from one of her classic rom-com movies. Then, it’s a country ballad followed by a throwback from the Jonas Brothers. I just don’t like hard rock or rap.

What is your favorite color?
Being an interior designer, I LOVE color. If I HAVE to narrow it down, I’m partial to red and blue… ooh… and pink. It’s hard to pass up a cute pink sundress.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I love the Caribbean. I’ll never turn down a chance to hit a tropical beach. My dream vacation is a trip to Europe… I could eat my way through Italy and France! (Can you imagine all the cheese and pasta?)

Are you a morning or night person?
In Chicago, I was a night person. Here in the Northwoods, I’ve become a morning person.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I missed my family and true friends when I lived away. So now, an evening relaxing around a bonfire, munching on s’mores and snacks, and laughing with my family and friends(and, of course, the dogs!) is the definition of a fun time for me.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Think Again!

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur, for sure. Whitney is always a willing accomplice in my shenanigans, as is Marcus and his mullet. Of course, Detective Tom Norton of the Covington PD and Dean are the ones usually working a case. Detective Tom isn’t too happy when I start getting nosy.

What is a typical day in your life like?
I typically get up early to ensure everything is tidy and ready to go in the lodge. I sure can’t beat my commute! I’m in charge of the resort’s social media, so I’ll try to snap some pretty pictures of the property before our guests start to move about the property. I post whatever I come up with. I open the lodge for our guests and ensure the groceries in our little gift shop/merchandise area are set. We have two lines for the resort, one at the lodge and one at the house, but I try to manage the incoming calls. Sometimes, I run special activities for the kids staying here with their families. Those are usually a hit. Even though Dad and Noah tend to take care of the maintenance of the resort, I’m pretty handy with a hammer, too. So I’ll work on little projects. In the afternoon, someone else mans the reception desk, so I have time to work on my freelance designs or trash-to-treasure projects. Sometimes I’ll head to town, after Whitney is done cooking at her family’s diner, and we’ll hang out. If Dean’s not working, we’ll have dinner with our friend group or, once in a blue moon, just the two of us. Saturdays in the summer are turnover days when all the guests check out in the morning. The extensive cleaning of the cottages gets underway before a new group of guests arrives in the late afternoon.

Dead, White, and Blue, A Northwoods Mystery Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: July 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

It’s the 4th of July in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and no one is more excited than Emmy Cooper. She’s happy to be back in her hometown, settling once again into small-town living and helping her family run Cooper’s Cove, their lake cottage resort. Emmy and her teen crush, police officer Dean Erickson, are enjoying getting reacquainted, while she and bestie Whitney are closer than ever.

Lake Covington and its quaint namesake town are bustling with visitors celebrating during the annual three-day Independence Day Freedom Fest. Everything is Yankee Doodle Dandy until a local man with a reputation for trouble starts fireworks of his own. And the explosions just keep on coming when Emmy stumbles over a dead body at the celebrations!

The dead man is Jordan James, and as Emmy soon finds out, there are no shortage of people who might want him dead. From a jealous jerk to a conniving cousin and even a former friend from his past, suspects are more plentiful than ants at a July picnic! Despite promises to stay out of the investigation, Emmy finds herself smack in the middle of it. Can she and Whitney figure out the truth and find liberty and justice for all?

About the author
Annie McEwen is the author of the Northwoods Mysteries Series, set amongst the tall pines and sparkling lakes of northern Wisconsin, where she spent vacations as a kid and now visits her sister who lives in the area she writes about. A former farm kid, Annie and her husband are empty nesters living in their rural Indiana home. Their children and two young grandsons live close by, so they enjoy as much family time as they can. 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, tackling trash-to-treasure projects, or gardening, she works as a radiological technologist, aka, she takes pictures of bones…you can’t hide much from her! She’s a member of Sisters in Crime and loves attending mystery conventions.