Scarlett Jefferson is a sleuth in the “Dog Club” mysteries. One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions. So, let’s get to know Scarlett.

What is your full name?
Scarlett Jefferson, but everyone calls me Dixie.

How old are you?
50

What is your profession?
Dog trainer and judge.

Do you have a significant other?
Yes.

What is their name and profession?
My husband, Jeremiah Beauregard Jefferson, Beau.

Do you have any children?
Not the 2- legged ones.

Do you have any siblings?
No, I’m an only child, but my best friend is like a sister.

Are your parents nearby?
My parents are dead.

Who is your best friend?
Lilly Ann Echosby. Click here to get to know her.

Do you have any pets?
I have 2 standard poodles, Ch. Chyna 9th Wonder of the World “Chyna” and GCh. Galactic Imperial Resistance Leader “Leia.”

What town do you live in?
I was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Would you say you live in a small town or a big city?
I’d say Chattanooga is mid-sized.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
My husband and I have a lovely older home on Lookout Mountain. It was in horrible shape when we bought it, but we’ve renovated it and turned it into our dream home.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I love sitting out at the pool and looking at the city lights in the valley below.

Favorite meal and dessert?
There’s a dive in Chattanooga that makes the best hamburgers and milkshakes on the planet. When it comes to dessert, there’s nothing like cheesecake.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’m active in competing and judging in canine performance events. I also teach at my dog club.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
When Lilly Ann and I were in college, we spent a semester abroad. I loved visiting England and especially loved eating scones with clotted cream.

What music do you listen to?
I love country.

Do you have a favorite book?
I love all kinds of books. I was an English Literature major in college and when I’m nervous I tend to quote literature. My favorite book is Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I love shopping, spending time with the poodles and going to eat with my friends.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
** My Life as a Southern Sleuthing Side Kick **

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I’m definitely an amateur sleuth. My best friend, Lilly Ann is the sleuth-master. I’m content to help locate clues along with our friends at the dog club, so she can help unravel the mystery and see that justice is done.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Showing and competing with dogs, especially poodles is a lot of work. If we have a dog show, then I get up early and bathe them. It can take hours to get a show poodle ready. I do some of the work at home and then I load up the RV and head to our show. Sometimes, I pick up my friend, Lilly Ann and her toy poodles, since she’s afraid to drive up Lookout Mountain. At the show, I enter into my final preparations making sure Chyna and Leia look perfect before going into the ring. After we compete, then there’s hours of breaking down the hairspray, brushing out their coats and getting them ready for the next day. Taking care of a show dog is a full-time job.

Paw and Order is the fourth book in the “Dog Club” cozy mystery series, coming August 11, 2020.

Dog-loving divorcée and amateur sleuth Lilly Echosby is not the only one who wants her new foster poodle. Some are willing to kill to have him . . .

Lilly’s best pal Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson has done it again! She’s convinced eccentric poodle-loving billionaire Archibald Lowry to sponsor a grand fundraiser for the Eastern Tennessee Poodle Rescue. Tragically, it’s too late to rescue Lowry, who is murdered at the event. His pet poodle is now orphaned, so Dixie begs Lilly to foster the adorable pup. Of course, she already has a poodle—her beloved Aggie, named after Agatha Christie. Fortunately, Aggie seems to like the new addition to the family, whom Lilly renames Rex, after her second favorite mystery author, Rex Stout.

But she’s barely welcomed Rex into her home when there’s an attempted poodle-nabbing, foiled with Aggie’s help. As desperate characters try to get their hands on the canine cutie, Lilly turns to Dixie’s dog training class to help her sort through a litter of suspects. Ultimately, she may have to unleash Rex as bait to collar the killer . . .

Purchase Link
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About the author
V. M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. She lives in Eastern Tennessee with her poodles. V.M. Burns is also the Agatha Award nominated author of The Plot is Murder, the first book in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series; and the RJ Franklin Mystery series. Visit her website at vmburns.com.

All comments are welcomed.