LoginJanuary 2023 Notable Author: Tim Cockey
Tim Cockey is the author of The Hearse You Came In On, the first in the “Hearse” series starring Hitchcock Sewell; a dapper undertaker caught up in murder investigations, political blackmail, dirty videos, and corruption within the police department.
Cockey was born in 1955 in Baltimore, Maryland and spent his childhood there. He completed his education overseas and then returned to Baltimore after graduation to work for a local paper. His work was advertising sales and design as well as book reviews.
While young, he knew he wanted to write, especially after reading DC comics’ Batman series as well as Howard Pyle’s Robin Hood'. He liked the idea of outsiders taking drastic or heroic efforts to stop evil and help good.
After a stint in North Carolina, he moved to New York City and promptly wrote The Hearse You Came In On. This was after his first book remained unpublished. The book became A Book Sense "Top Ten" pick and was nominated for a Dilys Award. His third book, The Hearse Case Scenario won the "Lefty Award" from the Left Coast Crime Association. The Hearse series runs to four books. In addition to writing books, Tim has been a story analyst for American Playhouse, ABC, and Hallmark Entertainment.
Tim Cockey also writes under the pen name of Richard Hawke.
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Focuses on the efforts of a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a problem or crime, usually a mysterious death. The plot often centers on the deductive ability, prowess, confidence, or diligence of the detective as they attempt to unravel the crime or situation.
Sample Reading List: The Hearse You Came In On, Hearse of a Different Color, Hearse Case Scenario, Murder in the Hearse Degree.
Writer's Prompt - Fun With Words
Fun With Words - Maryland Writers’ Association (MWA) invites you to have fun writing mystery like Tim Cockey. Using only 100 words, place a character from a profession not associated with solving mysteries and begin a mystery with something found under the snow.. Title your work and submit to: https://marylandwriters.org/Notable_Maryland_Authors by the 22nd of the month to receive an MWA Fun With Words submission certificate. Selected responses to be published with next month’s article as well as posted on the MWA website.
Submit Your FUN WITH WORDS Prompt
The MWA is a 33-year-old state-wide association (501c3) dedicated to encouraging and mentoring Maryland writers, poets, playwrights, and authors. Go to: www.MarylandWriters.org for more info.
Jeanne Ward
Feb. 1, 2023NIP IT IN THE BUD - Ward noticed that one of his blacksmith tools was missing. His nippers had a red handle and fit his huge hands perfectly, but they were gone. The sheriff rode up to Ward's Blacksmith shop. He showed Ward some nippers he had found in the snow. A man had been bludgeoned to death and the nippers were, more than likely, the murder weapon. Ward stood quietly, looking at the red handled tool. He needed to nip this in the bud.
Mackenzie Tate
Feb. 1, 2023Missing Teacher - I sit at my desk, as I wait for my students to get back. I keep thinking about how the teacher across the hall is gone. No note, nothing. No one even went to look for him. I stand up as I put my coat on. I will go look for him. I walk outside as I see my kids line up. I walk through the parking lot and through the woods. I then see dug up snow and a shovel. As I step closer, I see hidden under the snow is the teacher from across the hall.
Beth Smith
Feb. 1, 2023Snow Gift - Struggling through snowdrifts, Sue wished she had postponed her walk. Then, spying a small box tied with blue ribbons perched precariously on a nearby drift, she cautiously picked it out of the snow. “That’s strange. Why would…” Suddenly three boisterous boys surrounded her. “She found our box,” the chubby one yelled. Sue looked at the trio – all about twelve, ski jackets covered in snow, all out-of-breath. “It’s Gram’s birthday gift,” cried the tallest. “We were jumping in drifts, and we … forgot.” “Sometimes we’re dippy,” stammered the one wearing glasses. “Mystery solved.” Laughing, Sue tossed him the box.
Viola Robinson-Boone
Jan. 25, 2023Burly Mae Vertis - Snow crunched under my feet as I ran toward the house. Something wasn’t right. Rap music blared throughout Burly Mae’s house. Mercy! Slumped over the table, a fork protruded from her midsection. Face down on her Bible, an arm from her glasses lay beside it. Water from her dentures jar polluted the floor. Seized with fear, I choked! The back door slammed shut. I raced to the rear window. I noticed something suspicious. The dentures and glasses were half buried in the snow. I pulled my phone from my pocket, dialed 911. “I’m a social worker. My client was murdered.
Lawrence McGuire
Jan. 25, 2023CRYPTID WARNING - Red light from Eusebius "C.B." Kant's headlamp rose and fell on a pair of huge, hairy feet. They stuck out from under trackless snow. The amateur astronomer cinched the straps of his backpack telescope over his parka's shoulders. Had his health department co-workers violated his secret hill, southeast of Bryantown, with a prank? He crept, snow squeaking under hiking boots, toward the head. In death the eyes of the man behind the mask showed white, a bullet hole in his brow. Such a costume, C.B. thought, should come with a warning label: Impersonating Sasquatch could be hazardous to your health.
Roy Maier
Jan. 25, 2023The Leprechaun - Soft perfect snow had arrived overnight. Grandson Dylan and I went to look for animal tracks. We found bird and squirrel tracks. Some small footsteps walked away. “What could they be,” he asked? “A little man. Perhaps a leprechaun.” “Gramps, does he have his pot of gold with him?” “Don’t know. Could be?” We followed the steady tracks to a digging. Snow was pulled up and then replaced to cover what he hid. We did not disturb it “Did he bury his pot of gold here?” “Perhaps. It is a mystery.” “Let’s continue following his tracks and catch him.”
Kate Lassman
Jan. 25, 2023Skating By - “Coach Nina! Coach Nina! I landed my triple axel combination!” Nina Myers smiled at her thirteen-year-old figure skating protegee. “I saw!” she said. “Good work, Vivian! Now, that’s enough for today. Come off the ice, and let’s get you home.” Nina marveled inwardly at Vivian’s boundless energy as the teen skipped her way to the parking lot in her excitement over landing the jump. It had snowed while they were training. The asphalt and the vehicles parked on it were all coated in white. Halfway to Nina’s SUV, Vivian suddenly tripped on something under the snow and fell. “Vivian? You okay?” Nina asked. The young skater made no move to get up. “Um, Coach? Somebody lost their boot out here, and it looks like it’s all bloody!”
Jon Ketzner
Jan. 25, 2023SNO-CAT - Tyrone looked very Currier & Ives after last night’s snow. Laura Hanna, Analytics Chief at Chicago’s Northwestern Fidelity loved that she had returned home to work remotely. Her kids adored it here. Laura took her morning walk up Vanscoyoc Hollow Road. The snow set in relief an abandoned railbed. An old marker denoting the site of the 1893 circus train wreck poked out the drifted snow. A tall tree had fallen. Laura heard mewing from the tangled tree. A white puppy was trapped in its snowy branches. As she stepped closer to help the pup, Laura stopped short. The little ball of fur was actually a tiny white tiger cub. “The heck?”
Nikita Elliott
Jan. 25, 2023Tom’s Knife - Tom, a local farmer, walked back from the grocery store carrying a bag of groceries. His wife, Elaine, was cooking Thanksgiving dinner but forgot some ingredients. Every year, the Pritchard family got together for a big Thanksgiving at Tom and Elaine’s house in Kentucky. As Tom pulled into the driveway, he stepped out of the vehicle and planted his foot. Hearing a metallic clang he stooped down and froze. There under the snow was a knife with frozen blood on it and a card attached to the handle of the knife, which read: Find me, or your family is next - 370-382-3957.
Linda Elliott
Jan. 25, 2023The Snow Curl - The neon red OPEN sign glowed on Cassie Lynn’s Curls as she entered her beauty salon. Stooping to pick up the supplies she had dropped in the snow drift, reaching for the last comb that hid under a bush, she plucked something green out of the snow pile. It was a barely soggy $20 bill scrunched around a ring. The words “HELP ME” scrawled inside. It was her high school class ring but, hers was still on her finger! Initials on the inside of the ring LMJ. Leonard Maverick James ...her fiancé? He disappeared 10 months ago...... What is going on?
Brett Dimiao
Jan. 25, 2023Stone Sloan: Sloth Sleuth - I was just hanging around in my tree by the diner…like I do…Saw the old man sit by the window…like he does…Saw the waitress switch out the sugar dispenser from her purse…like she does every day…Every day the man gets sicker…and the girl gets sweeter…Something bad is happening…If I start now, I’ll get to the cops by…
Jim Coleman
Jan. 25, 2023Snowfound - Snow. No work for his roofing crew today. He saw the big fluorescent orange dog harness lying in the fresh powder. Odd. Wasn't there yesterday. Couldn't have missed seeing that. An address was on the tag. Florida?! How did it just appear on his front walk here in Maryland? He dialed the phone number. The woman was ecstatic. "You found our dog? In Maryland?!! She's been gone five years! We'd given up. How is she? Can you send a picture? When can we get her back? We'll pay expenses to return her, of course!" "Well…ma'am…here's the strange thing…"
Doris Brady
Jan. 25, 2023What Lies Beneath - Claire had both hands full. Why, oh why, did she decide to be a dog walker? Struggling to keep Missy on the shoveled path, the terrier had other ideas. Straining on her leash, Missy pulled away and pounced on a snow mound. Claire caught up in time to see the butt of a revolver. Missy ran ahead to dig up another mound. This time she pulled out a ski mask. Before Missy could go any farther, Claire found the trailing leash and pulled hard. It didn’t take a detective to see the blood droplets, bright red against the snow, leading to the back yard.
Steve Baker
Jan. 25, 2023Pearlberg -The-Snowplow-Driver - Pearlberg -The-Snowplow-Driver walked into the Last National Snowbank. Pearlberg discovered missing lollipops and an empty vault. Back outside, Pearlberg found a lone pink snowshoe under a snowdrift. Pearlberg then followed some tracks (evidently made by a getaway snowmobile) to an icy lair with a sign: "Snow-Bunny Bandit / No Crime Too Small / Free Estimates." Pearlberg spotted a gal wearing a fluffy pink parka and a single pink snowshoe. She DID NOT look as pure as the wind-blown snow. Pearlberg shouted: "YOU'RE GUILTY OF ROBBERY IN THE FIRST DEGREE....below zero!" [rim-shot] The Snow-Bunny Bandit spit out a lollipop and retorted: "Keep shoveling plowboy! If you think you're burying me with THAT snow job...you're a flake!