My sleuth, Elizabeth "Maxx" Maxwell, is a blues singer trying to keep her band together. She's a creative person who's willing to give up a lot in the way of creature comforts in order to pursue her dream. She lives in a grungy apartment in Hackensack, New Jersey, and drives a beat-up old Bonneville. She left her guitar-player boyfriend because she couldn't trust him to be faithful, and she's willing to live on her own rather than compromise just to have a man in her life. I admire her vision of what she wants in life and her determination to reach that goal. In a way she's a projection of me. Before I became a mystery writer I was a college professor, teaching English. My journey toward my Ph.D. wasn't always smooth. I paid my own way and struggled for years, but I couldn't imagine living my life as anything but a scholar and teacher so I didn't give up. Teaching English isn’t as glamorous as being a blues singer, but in my mind Maxx's struggles are my own.http://www.PeggyEhr
