I’m sure everyone has a favorite movie or television chase scene permanently embedded in their memory. Right? My childhood was spent glued to the television, mesmerized by the chase scenes taking place on our tiny black and white screen. Back then the action consisted of heroic cowboys riding after villainous bandits or stone-cold killers. You could identify the bad guys by their black hats and masks, although occasionally a TV writer would go crazy and cover the hero’s face as well.   

Yep, that’s me with Hopalong Cassidy. Anyone remember him? But Zorro was my favorite fictional hero. You can’t beat the combination of a dude wearing a mask, a cape AND a sword. To this day, I’m still enthralled with chase scenes. Not to mention cowboys. And dudes. Okay, getting a little off topic here.

As I matured, so did the film industry. And the chase scenes kept getting better and better. James Bond, dressed in a designer tux could take out a team of villains while driving a sports car, a boat,  a plane or even on skis. Moonshine truckers outraced local cops. And there’s my personal favorite—the chaotic Mini Cooper getaway in The Italian Job.

I was determined to write a truly unique chase in Dying for a Date, the first book in my Laurel McKay Mysteries. Unless some other author has written a scene consisting of dueling backhoes, I think I succeeded. Slowest chase scene ever, but it will make you giggle.

My first chase was so widely applauded I decided to expand on the theme. If Stephanie Plum could experience exploding cars in every book, certainly Laurel McKay could devise creative ways to catch a killer. 

Dying for a Dance upped the suspense when I created a snowmobile chase on the shores of Lake Tahoe.  Then things really heated up in Dying for a Daiquiri when the action moved to balmy Hawaii, and Laurel ends up being chased by a crazed killer on a zip line. Laurel declared it so harrowing her screams could be heard 2,500 miles away in Sacramento.

In Dying for a Dude I finally wrote a chase scene worthy of those fine cowboys I’d idolized for years. The action takes place during the annual Wagon Train Parade in Placerville  and features what one reviewer claims is the funniest chase scene ever. Picture a stagecoach, a runaway surrey with the fringe on top, a motorcycle and a horse that can evidently leap over small cars!  

I won’t spend time here sharing the details of the chase scenes in Dying for a Donut and Dying for a Diamond. You’ll just have to read them yourself. But I do need your help crafting my latest chase scene in Dying for a Deal.

Much of the action takes place in the Lake Tahoe area, but this time during the summer. There are so many options to choose from. Paddle-boards, jet skis, year-round gondolas or an old fashioned sternwheeler. Help me choose or come up with an original idea of your own.

If I use your suggestion, you will receive a signed copy of Dying for a Deal and also be featured in the acknowledgements. And one lucky person who comments on this blog by July 20th will receive a $20 Amazon gift card.

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