When Marc Jedel asked me to write a character post, I told him I’d rather rewire an entire Victorian house without turning off the power. Naturally, he took that as a yes. Apparently, “are you kidding” counts as agreement in author-land. After a few conversations we’d had about technology, I assumed he’d finally figured out how to use video. But no. Once again, he expects me to write. Another sign he has yet to move out of the stone age. He thinks I’d want to type instead of saying what I need to say and moving on with my life. I’m practically using a hammer and chisel here.

I do enjoy giving Andy a hard time. Don’t tell him, but I like the old guy so I won’t even give him a bill for this.

Writing doesn’t come naturally to me—give me a wrench or a soldering iron and I’m fine, but a keyboard? That’s torture. Still, I owe him for writing me into existence—and also because Andy dared me. He said, “You couldn’t possibly write anything coherent without emojis.” Challenge accepted, old man.

Let’s start with the most interesting part of his book—me. I’m Charlie Blaylock—plumber, electrician, and occasional wrangler of chaos here in Monte Rio. I like fixing what’s broken, mostly because things don’t talk back to you. Some folks are surprised to see a woman show up to unclog their toilet, but that’s their problem. I easily win them over by repairing whatever disaster they caused. And if not, I at least enjoy the look on their face when they realize I know what I’m doing. I should add a surcharge on those jobs.

People say I’m blunt. That’s fine. Life’s too short for long explanations and fake smiles. My mother—Chief Joann Blaylock—calls it “attitude.” I call it “genetic inheritance.” She runs the Monte Rio Police Department with the same subtlety as a bullhorn. We’ve got a complicated relationship, which is just a polite way of saying we drive each other crazy but would also take a bullet for one another.

Andy Shirley, on the other hand, is… well, he’s something. Retired copy editor turned bed-and-breakfast owner turned reluctant amateur sleuth. Grumpy, sarcastic, allergic to optimism. Basically the human version of an unfiltered cup of black coffee. When he first moved here, I thought he wouldn’t last a week. I’m truly impressed by his fortitude, But the town’s betting pool is still open.

I try not to get dragged into his nonsense, but somehow it always happens. One minute I’m working on an outlet, or resolving a plumbing issue, at the inn, the next I’m helping him hunt down murderers, liars, and other local weirdos. Honestly, though, it’s kind of addictive. There’s something satisfying about watching him bumble around accusing everyone and their chickens until he finally manages to put the pieces together and nails the guilty person.

It is shocking that Andy has such an adorable dog. Clearly his late wife picked her out. Fifi around makes hanging out with Andy worth it. That dog has more personality than most of the men I’ve dated. She gives everyone the side-eye like she’s judging their life choices, which, to be fair, she probably is.

If you’re wondering what I do for fun, it’s not writing blog posts, that’s for sure. Monte Rio is small, but it has its charms. I like going to local concerts with my friends, taking hikes through the redwoods, and rafting down the Russian River. Recently you could say the latest hobby that’s entertained me is watching Andy try to understand TikTok, or literally any other social media.

Marc Jedel, the guy behind all this, thinks he knows me pretty well. He doesn’t. He gets close sometimes—like when he gives me a good sarcastic line, but then he ruins it by putting dumb words in my mouth. I wish he wouldn’t write about murders in our tiny town. I keep telling him dead bodies are gross. But apparently, a “cozy mystery” still requires the mystery part.

If I could change one thing about my life, it’d be fewer corpses and higher fees for my work. But let’s be honest—without the chaos, Monte Rio wouldn’t feel like home. Besides, someone’s got to eat Nadia’s latest creations, keep Andy out of too much trouble, cause my mother’s blood pressure to rise, and prevent Fifi from declaring war on the vacuum cleaner.

So, there you have it. I’ve written another blog post. I’d say “never again,” but Marc keeps bribing me with promises of new scenes and threatens possible romance subplots (which—nope). Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, Andy just texted that he “found something suspicious.” That could be anything from a poorly worded comment in the town newspaper to a dead body, so I’ll go help the old guy out of whatever mess he’s found himself in this time. If I don’t survive (or get thrown in prison by my mom), give the snacks in my toolbox to Fifi.

You can find all Marc’s cozy mysteries at: https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Jedel/e/B07H7MVKJL. They’re available in e-book, paperback, and audiobook formats. His novels are free to read by Kindle Unlimited members.

Marc loves hearing from readers as that motivates him to keep going on the next blank page. Let him know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you’d want to see more of in the next book.