Getting to know Jennet Ferguson

I’d like to welcome Jennet Ferguson, the main character in Dorothy Bodoin’s Foxglove Corners mystery series.

Patricia: Jennet, where did you grow up and where do you live now?    

Jennet: I grew up in Oakpoint, Michigan, a city in the southeastern part of the state with a population of about 60,000.  Now I live in Foxglove Corners, an hour’s drive from Oakpoint.  Foxglove Corners is a magical place, very rural, with woods and lakes and more than its share of haunted houses.  I live in a green Victorian farmhouse on ten acres with my husband, Crane, and six collies: Halley, Candy, Sky, Gemmy, Raven, and Misty 

Patricia: What’s your occupation and how did you come to choose it?

Jennet: I teach English in Marston High School which is located in Oakpoint.  That means I have an hour-long commute, but I car pool with my good friend and fellow teacher, Leonora.  I sort of drifted into teaching.  English was my favorite subject in school.  I thought my classes would be like the ones I’d attended as a student.  I was wrong.  Teaching can be a real challenge, but it adds an exciting dimension to my life.  Sometimes it adds danger.

I love collies.  When I first moved to Foxglove Corners, I had one tricolor collie (black, tan, and white), Halley.  I always seemed to come across collies in distress and finally joined the Lakeville Collie Rescue League.  Often I become involved in mysteries and crimes as a result of rescuing a collie.  Since moving to Foxglove Corners, I’ve had several supernatural experiences.  Recently I started writing a book about them but had to set it aside when I ran out of material.  Maybe someday I’ll leave education to become a full-time writer.

Patricia: Tell us about one of your most memorable “adventures.” What drew you into the mystery?       

Jennet: One of my hobbies is reading, and my passion is reading Gothic novels.  Naturally one of my special friends is the town’s librarian, Miss Elizabeth Eidt, who donated her family home to the town as a library.  During a renovation, contractors discovered a furnished room sealed off from the rest of the house.  Miss Eidt, who was raised in the house, never knew it existed.  Jennet is curious, especially when it appears that the room is haunted.  I refer to this adventure as “The Secret Room of Eidt House.”

Patricia: Are you married or involved in a serious relationship? Tell us about that.        

Jennet: My move to Foxglove Corners was a lucky one for me.  On my first full day in Foxglove Corners, I met Deputy Sheriff Crane Ferguson, and it was practically love at first sight.  We’re married now, and I’ve never been happier.  Anyone would think I wouldn’t risk my life by getting involved in mysteries.  Well, I never set out to do that.  It just happens.

Patricia: How would you describe yourself, physically and personality wise? How do you think others see you?    

Jennet: I’m of average height with shoulder length dark brown hair and bangs.  I’m on the thin side and usually don’t gain weight even though it seems as if I’m always eating some rich dessert.  Sort of like my creator, except she does gain weight.  I’m generally easy going; I try to cultivate a calm exterior which helps me cope with rebellions teenagers.  But if I encounter someone who hurts a dog—watch out. 

Patricia: What are your plans for the future?

Jennet: I’ve often talked about leaving Marston High School, but I don’t do it.  I’m attached to the staff, with the exception of the Principal Grimsley who is a thorn in my side, and to the classes I teach, especially Journalism.  I suppose I’ll continue my life as it is now and maybe finish that writing project that I call my “spirit book”.  Maybe the next time mystery rears its head, I’ll try to look the other way.  In my latest adventure, I faced down a gun on two occasions.  But in neither of those instances did I court danger.  It came to me.

 

To purchase one of the Foxglove Corners mysteries :   

www.wings-press.com  

www.amazon.com            

Link to website: www.dorothybodoin.com

Dorothy Bodoin, a full time writer of mystery and romantic suspense novels, lives in Royal Oak, Michigan, with her collie, Kinder, who provides plenty of inspiration for the fictitious collies in her books.  Prior to attending Oakland University where she majored in English, Dorothy worked for two years as a secretary in southern Italy for Chrysler Missile Corporation.  

After earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English, she taught high school English for several years and wrote short stories and one Gothic novel, Treasure at Trail’s End, later published by Wings ePress.  Her first published work was Darkness at Foxglove Corners, the first in the Foxglove Corners Cozy Mystery Series.  Dorothy is also the author of five novels of romantic suspense which were recently reprinted for the Harlequin Worldwide Mystery Bookclub.

Confrontation

I think it’s safe to say that most people don’t like confrontation. I completely understand that because I’m one of those people. I would love a world where I never had to confront anyone about anything. Unfortunately, I don’t live in a world like that and neither do you. At times, people are going to say and do things that hurt our feelings and/or make us angry and, if we confront them, although things may or may not turn out the way we’d hoped, we've taken a huge step in building our self-esteem.

Of course, there are people who choose to avoid confrontation. There are those who say what they think we want to hear instead of having the courage to tell the truth. Others, simply nod their heads as if they agree with us. I don't trust those people. I prefer to interact with people who say what they mean and mean what they say - with kindness and tact, whenever possible.

When someone offends us, we have a decision to make. Do we ask them what they meant by what they said or did and talk it out (sometimes people don’t mean things the way we take them) or do we refuse to deal with it? If we choose the latter, we’re going to have problems because, if something really bothers us and we pretend it doesn’t, there will be repercussions.

1. Some people turn those feelings inward, rather than dealing with them, setting themselves up for depression because they've refused to stand up for themselves and they've allowed someone to mistreat them. 
2. Some let resentments build up and, sooner or later, they're going to explode. Not necessarily on the person who offended them; it’s usually someone close to them who they feel will tolerate their abuse. 
3. Some would rather end a relationship, even a close and/or long standing one, and walk away rather than confront someone to attempt to resolve the issue. How sad is that?

So, how does this topic relate to writing? We can use it to show the growth of our characters. For example, in my Malone Mystery series, Ann Kern is married to an alcoholic and, in the first book, Mixed Messages, she is nervous and leery of confronting her husband, David. One reviewer referred to her as “wimpy.” And, while I wouldn't use that word to describe Ann, she is timid and non-assertive – at first - but there's a reason for that.  Alcoholism affects the family members of alcoholics in different ways, depending on their personalities, and Ann, who was raised by an alcoholic father and a passive mother, learned to adapt to her situation in order to avoid David's rage.

Fortunately, Ann began to attend Alanon meetings and, as the series progresses, she’s learning how to overcome the effects of the disease and to stop “walking on eggs” with David. In other words, Ann grows. I hope you’ll follow her journey as she becomes a more assertive woman and gets involved in a few mysteries along the way.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B007VDDUPQ_B007VDDUPQ_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Patricia+Gligor&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1396017920