Duck, Duck, swim? A little bit of history and a tease of Spring.

It's supposed to be Spring here in upstate New York, or so I imagine, but it's been a tease this year. One day in the 70's and the next in the 50s. The other day, I caught a male duck and his lady friend taking a stroll on my pool cover. I wonder if they were hoping for the temperature to be a bit warmer, not that I want them splashing in my pool.

My latest book, Muskets, Mutts and Murder, has a bit of local history included. Like many areas in our great country, and I'm sure yours included, a lot of our nation's history took place here in upstate New York. Fort William Henry is located not far from where I live. It was involved in the French and Indian Wars. It is a very interesting place to visit and learn from reenactors about what occurred there. The opening scene of this book takes place during one such reenactment. I am very fortunate that in my writers' group, one member was a reenactor for over nine years, so of course, I quizzed that person to make sure I was keeping things accurate. I'd love to hear from you about where you live and what part it played in our nation's history. You can order Muskets, Mutts and Murder at my website, www.sakazlo.com