Lynn Slaughter

I’m delighted to welcome veterinarian-turned-author Millicent Eidson as a guest contributor to my blog today. Dr. Eidson’s expertise in public health and zoonotic diseases (like COVID and monkeypox originating from animals) grounds her alphabetical series that emphasizes entertainment, education, and enlightenment. She just released her second book, Borrelia: A Microbial Mystery. Below is Dr. Eidson’s playful riff on her mystery twists, her bio, contact links, and buy links.

Blessed with a teacher and a librarian as parents, I’ve always been a voracious reader. I was a fan of medical thrillers before veterinary school. With my current focus on science communication, I yearned to create something unique. The MayaVerse is named after the series’ primary protagonist, Dr. Maya Maguire, a public health veterinary epidemiologist with the CDC.

The novels are on the long side (~95,000 words) and include complex themes that impact the characters like climate change, immigration, and #MeToo. As Maya travels the world to investigate relapsing fever in “Borrelia,” she struggles to balance extreme work demands with loyalty to a loved one infected by anthrax in the first novel. By the end of “Borrelia,” she bravely battled personal impacts related to her work and moves forward with renewed confidence. 

Here are my intriguing twists on famous mystery and romantic suspense authors and their characters who inspired me:

A public health veterinarian solving an alphabetical list of invisible microbial threats [Sue Grafton’s private eye advancing through alphabetical criminal puzzles]

Veterinary medical detective Maya Maguire and infectious disease physician Manolo Miranda [Tess Gerritsen’s homicide cop Rizzoli and medical examiner Isles]

An adopted Chinese American [Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective]

Fieldwork in wildlife refuges and petting zoos [Hospital setting of Robin Cook’s Coma]

A nerdy woman too young for her job [Agatha Christie’s elderly spinster Miss Marple]

Real microbes lurking in animals ready to leap into humans [Extraterrestrial microbes in Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain]

Maya’s knowledge of zoonotic microorganisms [Edgar Allen Poe’s understanding of the criminal mind]

A scientist prone to panic attacks [Chris Bohjalian’s hard-drinking flight attendant]

Maya’s statistical analyses [Sherlock Holmes’ deductive reasoning]

Spores hiding in Southwestern soils [Murderer’s footprints for Tony Hillerman]

Maya’s passion for piano and Broadway show tunes [Sam’s ‘happy place’ playing the piano in Lynn Slaughter’s Deadly Setup]

Intense interracial friendships and family relationships [Nicholas Sparks]

Maya Maguire seeking the bacteria, viruses, and parasites that are out to get us [Nancy Drew sleuthing for human criminals]

 

Each of my novels concludes with personal growth, hope, and happy for now (HFN) [Nora Roberts and other authors often end with happily ever after (HEA)]

Want to delve deeper into these unusual trope twists? The first two novels are widely available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and large print formats through multiple distributors at the links below. 

BIO:

Millicent Eidson’s MayaVerse includes prequels, “El Chinche” in Danse Macabre and “What’s Within” in Fiction on the Web, and a side story, “Pérdida” in El Portal Literary Journal. Author awards include Best Play in Synkroniciti and Honorable Mention from the Arizona Mystery Writers.

Dr. Eidson’s work as a public health veterinarian and epidemiologist began with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and continued at the New Mexico and New York state health departments. She is a public health faculty member at the University at Albany and the University of Vermont, and the author of over a hundred scientific papers, articles, and book chapters.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

WEBSITE: HOME (drmayamaguire.com)

FACEBOOK: Maya Maguire Media | Facebook

LINKEDIN: Millicent Eidson | LinkedIn

TWITTER: Millicent Eidson (@EidsonMillicent) / Twitter

BOOKBUB PROFILE: Millicent Eidson Books – BookBub

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: Amazon.com: Millicent Eidson: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

GOODREADS: Millicent Eidson (Author of Anthracis) | Goodreads

YOUTUBE: The Power of the Dog: Confused by the Surprise Twist Ending? – YouTube