Fido and Friend in Five: Laura DiSilverio and Marco!

Laura DiSilverio

I love reading mysteries. I'd even like to try writing a mystery, but I just don't think I'm smart enough. I think you have to have a mind that works in certain ways, sees things that others don't see. You not only have to "see dead people," you have to have a mind that likes to create complex knots, and then untie them. And some people have the background that lends itself well to creating these knots.

Take Laura DiSilverio. Yes, she always wanted to be a writer, and like many of us, she wrote some truely awful first attempts and put them away in a drawer. But unlike many of us, she went on to join the Air Force and became an intelligence officer! She served with an F-16 wing in Korea, helped resolve reports of live-sightings of Vietnam prisoners of war, and worked at the Pentagon. Oh, and then she decided to get her Master's degree and taught English at the air Force Academy. Did I mention she also commanded a squadron in England? I can't even command a squadron of shelties! Along the way, she married and had two children. She retired from the Air Force in 2004 to pursue her long-lost dream of being a writer. Given her background, it's no surprise she writes mysteries. It's also no surprise that she has not one, not two but four different mystery series! And she writes under another name--Ella Barrick--as well as her own. I think I need a nap...

Let's meet today's dynamic Fido and Friend in Five duo, Laura and Marco:

Puppies!!!!

1. How did you and Marco find each other?  After my chocolate lab died of old age in 2002, we waited two years before we felt ready to adopt a new puppy. We did a lot of research and finally settled on a Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon because they're smart, good with kids, and low-shedding. There were no litters in Colorado, but we found one in Alabama, near where my folks lived, so I corresponded with the breeder, and my mom drove me over to look at the pups. She gave them and the breeder a "thumbs up," so when the puppies were old enough, I flew back to Alabama, spent a morning playing with the litter, and selected Marco to bring home. He flew with me in a crated tucked under the seat in front of me on the airplane.

2. What makes Marco's tail wag?  Walks, walks, walks. Rides in the car. Being patted (non-stop). Play 'tug', chasing squirrels. Rolling in grass or snow. Did I mention walks?

3. What's your all time favorite dog story?  The Big Red books.

Let's Play!

4. If Marco could change just one thing about you, what would that be?  The fact that we leave him alone sometimes. He'd like to spend every minute of every day with his "pack", and he gets sad that we go off to jobs and schools and church and restaurants (and many other places) without him. He knows when we're leaving, and he tucks his tail under and looks convinced we're never coming home again.

Best Buds

5. In five words, tell us what Marco means to you:  Love. Companionship. Comfort. Long walks.

Thanks to Laura and Marco for taking out time from writing and walking to visit Fido and Friend in Five. If you're a mystery lover, be sure to check out Laura's mystery series. You can find out more about them and her on her website.
**Laura informed me yesterday that sweet Marco is recuperating from
an attack by a neighborhood dog. Please leave Marco words of encour-
agement in your comments!