Books by K.D. Hays
 
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I write contemporary fiction under the name K.D. Hays. The K.D. is pretty obvious. The "Hays" is my grandmother's maiden name, which our family liked so much that we used it for my sister's and daughter's middle names. And now I'm using it again!

Coming Soon! Toto's Tale ...

see below
(due out next month)

George Washington Stepped Here

blacksmith

minivan

 

 

Worth Its Weight in Old

 

The Karen Maxwell Mysteries

George Washington Stepped Here

Karen Maxwell, a divorced mother of two, is struggling to balance her life as a soccer mom with her need to have a life of her own. After working as a bookkeeper in her brother's private investigation firm for years, she finally gets the chance to go undercover and handle a case on her own. Her first assignment is to find out who has stolen the local historical society's greatest treasure. Along the way she makes some new friends, one of whom is very attractive, unmarried, and unfortunately a prime suspect in the case.

"I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! George Washington Stepped Here is a delightfully funny who-done-it." -- Debra Gaynor, ReviewYourBook.com

"Hays has penned a very likeable, funny character in Karen, and mixed suspense with an enjoyable romance. The family dynamic between Karen and her children is so realistic it is priceless."
--Susan Sleeman, The Suspense Zone

"K. D. Hays has a great start on a very unusual mystery series that offers doses of both modern life and history. Very well done!"
--Janie Franz, MyShelf.com

This book and its sequel were initially released as part of the HP Presents Mystery Book Club from Barbour Publishing, but now are available through Amazon and other online retailers. 740-922-7280.

Click here to read what Karen's son has to say about having a private investigator for a mom

Click here to read her daughter's diary (or visit www.kdhays.com).

 

Worth Its Weight in Old

An art and antique gallery hires Karen to find out if one of their employees is damaging merchandise. But her attention is divided between a son playing soccer in the house, a daughter who analyzes everything based on the latest issue of her favorite teen magazine, and a boyfriend who expects her to share dates with three "Crabby Candy Canes" and a "Moping Model Airplane." On top of that, her boss decides to bring in a new office manager who decides that Karen is out of date and that she shouldn't drink so much coffee...

"Worth Its Weight in Old is a fun, fast-reading mystery."
-Betty, Mysterious Reviews

"...a delightful glimpse into the chaotic life of Karen Maxwell. Her struggles as a working mother embarking on a new career really resonate with readers. I find K. D. Hays' characters believable and very eccentric, and her plots are often the stuff of real private investigators, not the glitz and glamor of Magnum PI."
--Janie Franz, My Shelf Reviews

From Barbour Publishing, 2008

**now available through Amazon and other book retailers**

 

Maybe Toto?

 

 

boy with dog

My son with his new puppy, Shannon
(also known as SDI or "Small Dog Issues")

This picture is old now. Both the boy and the dog are much bigger. But they still both have issues.

Toto's Tale

If you want to know what really happened in Oz, you need to hear the story from someone who was there with his ear to the ground.

As my daughter says, "this time, a dog is telling the story, and they don't lie."

She should know. She helped write the book.

Toto's Tale is our take on the Wizard of Oz story, complete with never-before seen characters and told by someone who can fully understand the Witch's hydrophobia.

Toto doesn't like baths either.

The book is aimed at a middle grade audience, although it will probably appeal to parents and grandparents as much as children. It's scheduled for release in 2010 from Zumaya Thresholds, an imprint of Zumaya Publications.