CL Pauwels at Large

What fun to write my guest post for Patricia McLinn’s blog this past week, in a whirlwind trip down memory lane! I revisited one of my many past lives – this one as a police/fire/9-1-1 dispatcher in the late ’70s/early ’80s (go ahead, do the math…it is what it is), thanks to her depiction of a county dispatcher in her “Caught Dead in Wyoming” series.

Pat and I were on a panel together at the 2016 Magna cum Murder conference in Indianapolis. When I learned she had a mystery series set in Wyoming, of course I had to share my tales from five years in the state. She told me about her dispatcher, Aunt Gee, the only fictional character I know of who shares that fascinating profession. Pat and I compared notes, and she kindly asked me to offer Aunt Gee some advice. Or at least share a war story or two.

It took longer than I’d hoped to weave my memories into Pat’s (the urgencies of life and not a little procrastination pushed me way past deadline – thanks, Pat, for your patience!), but then the tornado blew into my brain. What a day that was! Check out her blog for more on that terrifying experience, including a link to a grainy video compilation of scenes from 1979…long before smartphones.

And check out E.M. Danniher’s stories in the “Caught Dead in Wyoming” series. I’m her newest fan!