Macy Hatfield sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better. Macy, take it away!
What is your full name?
Macy Jane Hatfield
How old are you?
38
What is your profession?
I run the dog section at the Barks & Beans Café, which means I sit with shelter dogs all day.
Do you have a significant other?
Yes, I do now! After a rough divorce, I now have a very sweet boyfriend.
What is his name and profession?
His name is Titan, and believe it or not, his last name is McCoy (I’m a Hatfield). 🙂 He’s an FBI agent and close friend of my brother.
Do you have any children?
No
Do you have any siblings?
Yes—my big brother, Boaz “Bo” Hatfield, who co-owns the Barks & Beans Café.
Are your parents nearby?
No, they died in a creek flood when I was a child. But my great aunt Athaleen adopted us and was basically like a father and mother rolled into one.
Who is your best friend?
That’s tough! My brother and I are very close, and Titan and I were friends first, but as for a girl who’s also a friend. . .I’d say my friend Della (I just did an exciting girls’ weekend getaway with her), and my shelter owner friend, Summer (who is also my brother’s girlfriend).
Do you have any pets?
Yes! I’ve always loved having dogs, and my current dog is a rescued Great Dane named Coal.
What town do you live in?
Lewisburg, West Virginia, voted one of the “Coolest Small Towns in America.”
Do you live in a small town or a big city?
It’s a small town set in the Appalachian mountains.
Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
My brother basically gave me my great aunt’s large old house, which is where I live. The Barks & Beans Café is in one renovated half of the house, and I’m in the other.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
Probably my bedroom, where I can curl up and sleep well, knowing my Dane is sleeping at the foot of my bed.
Favorite meal and dessert?
One of my favorite meals is Thanksgiving dinner—especially when my brother does the cooking, since I’m not the best at it. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs—I could eat that for days. As for dessert, our café baker makes amazing pastries. . .one of my favorites would have to be her maple cream puffs.
Do you have any hobbies?
I’m a huge art fan, and I love visiting my friend Dylan’s art gallery in town, since he likes to spotlight up-and-coming artists. I also enjoy reading, although I don’t get a lot of time to do it.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I’m not a beach girl. I love living in the mountains and I’m a real homebody, so probably just a secluded cabin in the woods where I can have some fun adventures.
What music do you listen to?
I like relaxing, folksy music, like Cody Francis.
Do you have a favorite book?
My all-time fave would be Little Men by Louisa May Alcott, since I love the sibling relationships portrayed, and since I have a brother.
What is your idea of a really fun time?
Having a relaxing cookout on the porch with my brother, his girlfriend Summer, my boyfriend Titan, and my dog Coal.
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
“Dogs and Death. . .The Story of My Life“
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur, and I often work with friends or my brother, who’s a retired DEA agent.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I head over to the café that’s attached to my house after saying goodbye to my Great Dane, Coal. Summer brings over the shelter dogs that we’ll be showcasing for the day, and I get them situated with water and food. Throughout the day, I’ll walk the dogs, play with them, and help them get to know café customers who come to visit. My favorite part is when a customer bonds with a shelter dog and I get to send them to the shelter to do the adoption paperwork. At night, I often putter in my perennial flower gardens, then relax with Coal on the couch.
What is a typical day when you are on a case?
My cases are very random, so each one has a different kind of flavor. One day, I might be hunting around the scene of an armored truck wreck, the next, I might be following someone suspicious at the state fair. I’ve been in the woods, in the Greenbrier Resort, on a golf course, and, most recently, I ran into a ghost at a Halloween retreat at an inn. Pretty soon, I think I’m going to run into some trouble in some caves. . .but you’d have to check the Barks & Beans Café series out to find out more. Thanks for having me here today!
Trouble Brewing, A Barks & Beans Café Mystery #5
Genre: Cozy
Release: October 2021
Purchase Link
Welcome to the Barks & Beans Café, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java. . .and where murder sometimes pays a visit.
Convinced that the elderly lady in her care didn’t die of natural causes, Macy’s friend Della determines to look into the broken relationships surrounding the woman. She books a Halloween-themed getaway at a local inn and talks Macy into coming along with her to spy on her prime suspect.
As they join a ghost tour of the candlelit town, Macy and Della feel their guide is a little too fanatical as he shares his spooky tales. He tells the story of the Greenbrier ghost, a newlywed who supposedly came back from the grave to tell her family that her husband murdered her.
When a disturbing apparition makes its presence known, guests at the inn become apprehensive. . .and for good reason, because soon after, a young bride turns up dead. Although everything points to a copycat killer replicating the historical Greenbrier murder, Macy has her doubts. She’s discovered that the inn harbors secrets of its own, and when she pokes into one darkened corner too many, she might not stand a ghost of a chance.
Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown. . .with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Café cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
About the author
Award-winning novelist Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing mysteries and Viking historicals. She brings authentic family relationships to the page, and she particularly delights in heroines who take a stand to protect those they love. When she’s not plotting stories, this native West Virginia gal can often be found hanging out with her husband and four children, playing video games, or reading Agatha Christie novels.
All comments are welcomed.
Thanks Macy for sitting down with dru’s book musings