When I started writing the Hot Dog Detective series of urban cozy mysteries, several factors greatly influenced my writing. The first, and most important factor, was of course the character of the Hot Dog Detective himself. Based on a person I actually saw selling hot dogs outside of the Denver City Hall, I knew that he was the hero I was searching for. I was too shy to greet the hot dog vender in person, so I ended up basing his character on one of my brothers. And of course, MacFarland’s brother was based on my other brother. I’m not creative enough to come up with totally new characters. So many of the people in my stories are based on people I have met. (This is probably one good reason not to piss me off…you’ll end up being either a victim in a horrible crime or the perpetrator of that crime. Writers are usually a timid lot, but we do have ways of helping to distribute karma.)
The second factor that influenced my Hot Dog Detective series was the city of Denver itself. I have worked in and lived in a large number of cities, and each of them has their own personality. Take New York City. It has always said to me, “I dare you to be better. If not, get out!” Boston – “Do you have something to say? Speak up!” Washington – “I’m busy, I simply don’t have time for you.” Houston – “Why isn’t there a freeway exit here? Never mind, I’m making my own exit!” Chicago – “What do like most? Sex or violence? The Windy city has both!” San Francisco – “We have the Golden Gate and Nob Hill. What do you have?” Los Angeles – “Who are you? Are you important? Famous? Never mind, I’m late for my party.”
But Denver was different. Denver always said to me, “Rest yourself here…you’ll need that energy on the slopes of the Rockies!” It didn’t matter where you were from. Denver gave you a place to define who you were, but then expected you to do something greater. This is what MacFarland is doing. He’s discovered that the definition of himself that led to the loss of his wife was the wrong definition. He needs to come up with a new way to view himself, and it’s a long, difficult struggle. But it is one that he is determined to do.
That, for me, represents the spirit of Denver. It is filled with people who are working to redefine themselves. In that process, the inhabitants of the Queen City of the Plains don’t worry about what others think. They pursue their own paths, whether those are trailways up a mountain or a ski slope down that mountain. That’s the kind of person I wanted Mark MacFarland to be…someone courageous enough to recognize his own faults, willing to change himself, and perseverant enough to see it through.