I recently received a note from a delightful gentleman who'd enjoyed the audio version of a Chloe Ellefson mystery. He wrote that listening to it let him forget his worries for a while.

There have been periods in my life when books, and writing, have helped me escape worries too. That's the power of story. 

Readin g a nd thinking about people long gone inspires me. Imagining the challenges that 19th-century immigrants faced makes my own problems seem a bit smaller.

This phenomenon can be found in the newest Chloe mystery,  Mining For Justice. Part of the story is set in the 1830s as miners and their families from Cornwall, England, began settling in the raw frontier lead-mining town of Mineral Point, WI.

In those days single women and young girls often did surface labor at Cornish mines. My fictional heroine, Mary Pascoe, began mining at age 6 and immigrated with little except the resolve to create a better life. Imagining her story inspired me.

I hope Chloe and Mary's stories will entertain and inspire you. And never fear,  Roelke fans, your favorite Eagle police officer plays a prominent role -- and makes a life changing choice.