Tag Archives: Dane McCaslin

A day in the life with Autumn Season by Dane McCaslin

Photo FinishedGreetings from Aloha Lagoon. My name is Autumn Season and I’m the resident photographer at the Aloha Lagoon Resort. Yeah – I’ve heard all the jokes before, but this is the kind of name you get when your parents are hippy leftovers. At least my name sounds fairly normal: my brothers are Trout, Quail, and Buck. Try living with one of those handles!

I happen to think that I live in paradise, and judging by the amount of visitors we get, I’d say a lot of you out there agree with me. Luckily for me, my boyfriend Jimmy Toki works at the resort as well. In fact, he’s the one who helped me get the job here. I was freelance for a long time, and I loved the fact that I could set my own schedule…when I had the work, that is. I certainly do appreciate the regular paycheck, you know?

I love taking pictures of nature, and our island has some of the most beautiful scenery on this planet. Orange bougainvillea grows rampant along the roadways and over fences, and a gorgeous sky blue Climbing Dayflower adds the perfect touch in public gardens. Add in the sandy beaches and the sparkling water, and you’ve got the recipe for paradise. And speaking of beaches, that’s got to be my fave place to shoot. I love it when there’s a wedding or a luau on the sand; I get to work on my tan and make money at the same time! What could be better, right?

It was at one of our luaus that I happen to catch a murder in progress via my trusty Nikon camera lens. I’d just focused in on a plate of food when the person sitting there fell over dead, face down in the poi. Needless to say, that was the end of the luau – and the end of my film. While I was off comforting one of the hula dancers, someone opened my camera and removed it. This was the beginning of a mystery that took me and Jimmy from one end of Aloha Lagoon to the other, from the beach to the resort.

Join me in Aloha Lagoon for some tropical adventure. You can find me doing my thing in Photo Finished, one of the Aloha Lagoon Mystery Series. If you can’t wait to head to the island, you can always find me on our resort’s website: Aloha Lagoon. Come on over for a taste of paradise. . .and mystery.


You can read more about Autumn in Photo Finished, the fourth book in the Aloha Lagoon mystery series.

When photographer Autumn Season gets a job photographing a wedding party at the Aloha Lagoon Resort, she’s ecstatic. But when one of the guests winds up dead, Autumn realizes she may have accidentally snapped a picture of a murder in progress! Now the killer will go to any lengths to protect his (or her) identity, and Autumn is clearly in his sights. With the help of her best friend, super hottie and head of the Aloha Lagoon Resort Security, Jimmy Toki, Autumn sets out to find the killer’s identity before the killer finds her. Stolen camera equipment, angry wedding guests, and a group of jealous surfers mix together to make for a deadly brew. Another luau, another body: Aloha Lagoon Resort might be headed for infamy instead of fame. And if Autumn doesn’t get to the bottom of it all soon, she may just be the next victim to wipeout!

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About the author
Dane McCaslin, USA Today bestselling author of the new Proverbial Crime mystery series, resides in the state of Arizona with her very patient husband. She has been writing all of her life: poetry, short stories, journals, letters (yes, those old-fashioned epistles that require pen and paper), and now she brings her talents to the cozy mystery genre.

In addition to being an author, Dane McCaslin is an educator. She currently teaches advanced language arts classes for grade 11; additionally, she teaches beginning writing classes at the local university. Being an educator is an important part of her life, and passing on her passion for reading and writing is one of her great joys.

All comments are welcomed.

A Day in the Life of Caro Layton-Browning as documented by Dane McCaslin

A Bird in the HandSince Caro only gets out of bed for coffee, she depends on her hubby to fire up the ol’ Keurig first thing in the morning. When that happens, she can begin her day semi-sane. Here’s a truncated look at how she begins her day.

Trixie, the spoiled dachshund, has taken over my pillow: I’m up already! If I can just navigate the hallway toward the kitchen, I know that today will be good. If, that is, Gregory has remembered to push the ‘on’ button so I don’t have to wait for the coffee machine to warm up. . .

Post-coffee: Off to the shower. No- wait! I see something happening next door. Better nip into my study and pretend to do some birdwatching. . .

Still in study: And still ‘birdwatching’. In the name of getting ideas for my next book, of course.

Back to kitchen for a post-spying cup of coffee and a delicious apple turnover: Unless the neighbor is bona fide CIA, there is definitely intrigue happening over there. Wonder if I can get Greg to help me figure this out? Strictly in the name of research for my book, of course.

Deciding not to wait for Greg and heading across the lawn to the neighbor’s house: I wish I had waited. I don’t do so well with dead bodies first thing in the morning. . .

About A BIRD IN THE HAND:

Caro Layton-Browning, an accomplished writer of mysteries, never imagined she would unwittingly stumble into a series of real-life murders good enough to be in her own books. But when the Cat Lady next door, who Caro is convinced is out to make life miserable for her, is found dead among her feline collection, Caro finds herself in trouble far more dangerous than her neighborhood HOA has ever dished out before. Suddenly she and her professor hubby, Gregory, find themselves on the trail of a murderer far more sinister than Caro’s imagination could conjure up.

As the bodies begin to pile up in picturesque Seneca Meadows, Caro sees the possibility of a plot for her newest book, and the killer sees someone who needs to be moved out of the way. . .permanently.


You can read more about Caro in A Bird In The Hand, the first book in the NEW “Proverbial Crime” mystery series, published by Gemma Halliday Publishing.

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on June 5 for the chance to win a copy of A Bird In The Hand. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be notified within 48 hours after giveaway closes and you will have three days to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your SPAM folder.

Dane McCaslin, author of the new Proverbial Crime mystery series, resides in the state of Arizona with her very DaneMpatient husband. She has been writing all of her life: poetry, short stories, journals, letters (yes, those old-fashioned epistles that require pen and paper), and now she brings her talents to the cozy mystery genre.

In addition to being an author, Dane McCaslin is an educator. She currently teaches advanced language arts classes for grade 11; additionally, she teaches beginning writing classes at the local university. Being an educator is an important part of her life, and passing on her passion for reading and writing is one of her great joys. Visit Dane at her website.