Tessa sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we can get to know her better.

What is your full name?
Teresa Jane Treslow. I go by Tessa.

How old are you?
I’m 43.

What is your profession?
I am a mechanic and I co-own a vehicle restoration company with my aunt, Edna Harridan. We are both veterans, so we named our company “Band of Sisters Services” and our logo says “Call the She-can-ics!” I was a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army before retiring, gosh, almost two years ago now. Aunt Edna was a WAC (Women’s Army Corps) in Vietnam, and has been a mechanic her whole life—she’s in her 70s!

Do you have a significant other?
Do I have to answer this? Sort of? I’m not sure how to define it, but as my mother and aunt would say, I have a “special friend.” I lost my fiancé in Iraq, so I’m not in a hurry to rush into anything, and he doesn’t seem to be either.

What is his name and profession?
Nick Hunt. He teaches math at the New Oslo Senior High School. He’s a veteran as well, but left his leg overseas.

Do you have any siblings?
Yes, I have one sister, Tru. Her daughter, Summer, is here in New Oslo getting ready for college nearby.

Are your parents nearby?
Yes, they live within running distance!

Who is your best friend?
My bestie is Freddie. We grew up in New Oslo and went to school together, and even joined the Army together after high school. Everyone has always called her Freddie—her real name is Petunia Frederickson, and then she goes and marries a guy named John Flower, so her nickname is not going anywhere. She is the sheriff’s deputy here in New Oslo.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
Yes! My boxer dog Vince has a crazy energy that keeps me on my toes! And he’s fairly good at warning me when we are about to run into Magnus the Moose on our morning runs.

What town do you live in?
I live in the country near New Oslo, Idaho, population 852. Give or take one or two…

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I live with my Aunt Edna in the house her family has owned since the 1900s, a “Prairie Box” or four-square style house. People often ask why I don’t live with my parents, since my room is still available (complete with 1990s Johnny Depp posters on the walls) and my answer usually is “would you live with your parents if you were 40?” I’ll let them enjoy their empty nest while I live with my favorite-slash-only aunt. We’re two peas in a pod! And we have joint dinners a few times a week with my parents, so its not like I’m trying to avoid them. Besides, Aunt Edna says the house will be mine someday and I’m saving myself a move, but I don’t like to dwell on that.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I love our office / library. There’s a soft chair by the window for reading, and old-fashioned roll-top desk for working, bookshelves—and a six-foot black taxidermy bear named Jameson who watches over us in his monocle and newsboy hat. My great grandfather shot and taxidermized him but my grandma dressed him up. She liked doing that, much to everyone’s amusement. I miss her.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
I’m a simple, meat and potatoes gal. For dessert, there’s nothing better than a brownie and vanilla ice cream. I’m also a big fan of the London Fog tea latte my friends at the High Octane Café make for me.

Do you have any hobbies?
Working on cars used to be my hobby, but now, I’m lucky enough to get paid for it! Now my hobby is evading the Prunn sisters’ efforts to get me to volunteer for them at the “Hysterical Society” and town museum. I do volunteer work with my local vet’s group, in fact, we have a “fun run” fundraiser coming up soon.

What music do you listen to?
A little bit of everything, but my favorite genre is classic rock, like Led Zeppelin. We decided to listen to music from whatever year the vehicle we were working on was from, and that has been fun.

What is your favorite color?
Green. Yeah, like Army green. What of it?! lol

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I haven’t gone on vacation since I retired. I traveled a lot when I was active duty, both for work and fun, so I’m satisfied being close to home. Aunt Edna and I are talking about a cruise to Alaska one of these days though.

Are you a morning or night person?
Morning, but not necessarily by choice. Getting up at 0530 was a necessity for PT (physical training) when I was active duty and my internal clock sort of got stuck there. I wish I could sleep longer.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Being greasy underneath a 1970s muscle car.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Engine Repair. I’ve had some difficult times dealing with some of the things I’ve seen or experienced, and repairing my own “engine” is a work in progress. After my fiancé was killed, I came home and Aunt Edna helped me jumpstart the healing by putting me in the barn with a 1948 Chevy 3100 truck. She knew trying to talk wouldn’t be as helpful as getting my hands dirty fixing something. As we rebuilt the truck, we rebuilt me. At least enough that I could function. I suspect she may have known that from her own experiences.

I proudly drive that truck now after she got the body work finished for me. I do go to veteran meetings, and see a VA counselor to help me process everything. It’s getting better, but it’s a work in progress, not unlike restoring a classic car.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur. Aunt Edna and I usually get involved with solving a crime whether we want to or not… Sometimes we work with (and sometimes against) the county sheriff, Joe Erikson, who was my high school sweetheart. (It didn’t end well.) When it’s not Freddie being accused, we work with her, or at least she’ll drop me some tidbits of intel.

What is a typical day in your life like?
I get up way too early, and a few days a week Vince and I go for a run. I love running out along the country roads. (I’ve learned to always take my cell phone though after a close call with Magnus.) Aunt Edna usually meets me on the porch with a coffee and we discuss our day ahead. Then I shower and eat, and we get started on the day’s vehicle work. Sometimes “emergency” auto repair is thrown into the mix, but we don’t mind as even though our company specializes in vehicle restoration, engine repair is our bread and butter.

Home Is Where the Murder Is, A Hometown Mystery Book #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: February 2023
Format: Print and Digital
Purchase Link

Retired US Army officer Tessa Treslow has settled in with her Aunt Edna in her hometown of New Oslo, Idaho. After the disasters of the previous fall, Tessa and her family are back on their feet as they start a new dream venture: a vehicle restoration business, “BOSS—Band of Sisters Services, call the She-canics.”

Tessa and the enticing local math teacher, Nick Hunt, are also working together to organize a charity run during the New Oslo Pioneer Days festival. All seems to be going well… until Tessa finds a dead body in the town park!

The murder victim is a stranger to their small town, who claimed that she was the illegitimate cousin of Tessa’s best friend, Deputy Petunia “Freddie” Frederickson. The victim’s bloody finger is pointing to a mark on the veterans’ honor roll sign, circling the names of Freddie and her grandfather. Complicating matters, Freddie was witnessed in an altercation with the woman just before her death, and it was Freddie’s knife found at the scene.

In order to help her best friend, Tessa and Aunt Edna search for the real identity of the victim. Was she actually a long-lost family member? Who would want her dead? And what was she doing in New Oslo? Tessa is determined to find out… even if the answers lead her straight into the crosshairs of a killer!

About the author
Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband in a rapidly emptying nest. For more information on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter, go to rosalie-spielman-author.com.

All comments are welcomed.