Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Off the Chain by Janice Thompson

by admin August 2, 2022

Book: Off the Chain

Author: Janice Thompson

Genre: Christian Fiction / Mystery

Release date: July 1, 2022

The Town of Brenham, Texas, Has Gone to the Dogs!

Curl up with your pup and sink into a delightful small-town mystery as riddles and rescues stack up in book one of a new cozy mystery series.

Marigold Evans’ first attempt at rescuing an abandoned pooch lands her in a drainage pipe in Brenham Texas. . .and almost in jail, until Parker Jenson comes to her rescue. Then a bad day only gets worse as the Lone Star Vet Clinic, where they both work, is vandalized and the list of suspects starts to climb. With the help of her fellow employees, Marigold sets out to simultaneously solve the crime, rehab the rescued dog, and help more dogs in crisis. But why would anyone continue to work against all their good efforts?

Click here to get your copy!

I LOVE a Cozy Mystery book, add in a bit of Romance and I know I will enjoy it. Off the Chain by Janice Thompson is Book 1 in a new series, Gone to the Dogs. The book is the first one that I have ever read by Janice Thompson books and she has an extensive Book List.

Marigold Evans works at The Lone Star Vet Clinic Brenham, TX and she enjoys her job. She also loves to rescue pets, but her first rescue ends up with her in a drainage pipe. Co-worker, Parker Jenson, helps get her and the pup out of the drainage ditch. The pair return to the Vet Clinic only to discover it has been vandalized. Parker and Marigold are both frustrated about this, but they are determined to figure out who could be sabotaging the Vet Clinic. The pair begins their "detective" work to find the Vandals, as well as taking care of the Pup they rescued and the Clinic. Will Marigold and Parker find out who vandalized the Clinic? Will there be a romance between Parker and Marigold?

I have to say the storyline started out a little slow, but as soon as I read about the Vandalism, the book picked up. I really like Marigold's determination and love for the Animals. Parker Jenson is a wonderful character and his passion for the Vet Clinic is shown also. I LOVE Grandma Peach, Mari's grandmother, who is intent on being a matchmaker. The book has Humor, Mystery, and Romance and has a lot going on, but is a FAST-paced read. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next books in the series. GREAT BOOK!

Janice Thompson, who lives in the Houston area, writes romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, nonfiction devotionals, and musical comedies for the stage. She is the mother of four daughters and nine feisty grandchildren. When she’s not writing books or taking care of foster dogs you’ll find her in the kitchen, baking up specialty cakes and cookies.

More from Janice

Dogs, dogs, and more dogs! My world is full of dogs. If you follow me on social media you’re probably overwhelmed with dog photos, but I simply can’t help myself. I’m in love with pooches of all shapes and sizes.

My fascination with dogs began when I was six years old and I got my first pup, Spunky. He was a mixed breed terrier. From that day until now I’ve had the pleasure of owning many, many pups—some purebreds, some street dogs that needed a safe place to stay, some elderly with chronic or acute health issues. I can’t get enough. They offer unconditional love, after all!

A few years back I was asked to foster for a local rescue, My Chi and Me. The rest, as they say, is history. For a quick glimpse at some photos, follow this link. You’ll see that I’m mostly enamored with small dogs. (Hey, I live in a tiny townhome and have limited space!) That said, I’m always willing to take on one more.

My most recent rescue ventures landed me squarely in the middle of a book idea: Why not use a dog story as the basis for a cozy mystery? My editor at Barbour Publishing wanted something dog-themed and I was happy to oblige. That’s where the idea for Off the Chain (and the whole Gone with the Dogs series) came from—a simple idea involving dogs and crime.

I took the opportunity to focus solely on rescue dogs as the idea developed. These days (especially post-Covid) the need for homes for these pups is great. I linked arms with my BFF, Kathleen Y’Barbo, and together we set our series in Brenham Texas, not far from our stomping ground in the Woodlands. I felt strongly that we should merge two separate dog worlds: rescue and veterinary. (Hey, Brenham is close to A&M and they know a thing or two about veterinary training!)

Thus, the Gone with the Dogs series was born. And writing the first book, (Off the Chain), was a blast! I hyper-focused on one primary point of view character, a vet tech. (As the owner of three dogs I feel like I’m always in the vet’s office!) My stories, which is written in first person, took me back to my writing roots. I love, love, love writing in first person because I “become” the character. Fun, right?

My editors loved the book and it got some fun endorsements, so I’m excited to see what my readers think. I can’t wait to get their feedback. I hope it’s not too “Ruff!”

But, seriously. . .I’m hyped! And I’m feeling so blessed to merge my worlds—dogs and writing!