Doc Yackley

How would you describe Doc Yackley?

Doc Yackley has been a mainstay throughout all of the ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble mystery series. Doc, a local man, now in his 70's is a small town general practitioner who delivered most of the local characters in the book. Not only an excellent doctor with a head full of practical experience, Doc Yackley has always viewed himself as somewhat of a Sherlock Holmes type when it comes to solving mysteries. Often times he offers his theories on crime and criminals up to Sheriff Zeb Hanks. While Zeb listens respectfully he takes Doc's suggestions with the proper grain of salt.

Tell us about Doc’s history.

To know Doc you must know that he was born and raised locally. The only time he really left town is when he was drafted and did a two year stint as a medic in Viet Nam which inspired him to ultimately go to medical school. As the series advances the reader learns that Doc saw much during the war and that it has had a profound affect on how he lives his life.

What makes Doc tick?

To date we haven't learned about his wife or children, but their stories will appear at some point. Doc lives in a western style house in the country outside of Safford, AZ in a house full of Native American art, historical artifacts and paraphernalia. His land is also a rather large ranch on which he keeps cattle as a hobby. He is always inquisitive and always learning. There is no task he will not take on. He is a man who maintains long term friendships and the type of person everyone trusts. He is one of the true believers in the Hippocratic oath and takes it very seriously.

What’s in the future for Doc?

While Doc has played and will always play a role in every book, he is aging but in denial of the possibilities of his own human frailties. Readers will watch him face his own aging process as the series carries on.

Who or what was your inspiration for Doc?

Doc was originally based on a South Dakota Doctor/Rancher who was a neighbor of mine in Arizona. He was a gentleman among gentleman who died on the golf course. Even in his 80's he would drive straight through from the Phoenix area to Rapid City, SD for the calving season. The real man whom I base the character on was a good friend and I admired him greatly. I honor him by keeping his memory and ways of being a good doctor alive in these books.

Shelly Hamlin

How would you describe Shelly?

Shelly Hamlin is a computer genius. She has the ability to hack just about any computer no matter its level of protection.

How did Shelly come into the Zeb Hanks world?

Originally she enters the ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble series when Sheriff Zeb Hanks hires her on an hourly basis to do some research for him. He can only afford her because of money left behind through an insurance policy on his late wife Doreen Nightingale. He almost always pays her fees out of his own pocket as opposed to having the county pay.

Shelly has become an integral part of the team, how did that happen?

Shelly, who is from Tucson, at first works remotely, then visits Safford and eventually falls in love with the town and its people and decides to live there where she builds herself a mini-mansion. Each time she enters the scene she is a unique problem solver by using the computer in a way that Zeb never could. She obviously does other work than just jobs required by the Safford County Sheriff's Department.

What’s with Shelly and her fast cars?

Shelly has a predilection for all things that move fast and often times within a single book will have multiple high end cars or motorcycles. She dresses the part as well. Always dressed to the nines, she is never haughty because of her advanced intellect and specialty skills. She is down to earth and can relate to anyone and everyone. She is particularly close to Helen and they share secrets. She is becoming closer and closer to Echo Skysong.

Helen Nazelrod

Who is Helen Nazelrod?

In the Zeb Hanks series, Helen Nazelrod serves as Zeb's secretary. In a more politically correct time and place she would be called his administrative assistant. But, this is a part of the west where such niceties are unnecessary and would seem out of place. However, she gets as much respect as someone of equal power to Sheriff Zeb Hanks.

What does Helen do?

Her work at the Graham County Sheriff's Office pre-dates Zeb. She has been there most of four decades. She is essentially the eyes and ears, mostly the ears, of the sheriff's office. In a running joke throughout the series, Helen never shuts Zeb's door all the way when she leaves his office so she can overhear anything and everything. Zeb is wise to her snoopy behavior and is fine with it. He often uses it to his advantage. Other times he closes the door so she can't hear what is going on behind them.  Certainly, unless directed otherwise, Helen will pass on the gossip she hears at the office. Her words never hurt Zeb's cases. In fact spreading a little gossip is often helpful in solving the mysteries of the ZEB HANKS series. 

Helen serves as the constant memory for the series.  If it happened and she knew about, she remembers the details of any and all situations.  Her memory serves the office well and often triggers Zeb's personal remembrances of instances that he may have shoved to the back of his mind.

Why are Zeb and Helen so close?

Helen Nazelrod is Sheriff Zeb Hanks' aunt, sister to Zeb's mother. Zeb is close to Helen for many reasons. Being his favorite aunt is merely one of them. When Zeb was a child, his alcoholic father brought fear and danger into the home. Zeb's mother, quite wisely and often, sent Zeb to Aunt Helen's house until the air cleared at home. This brought about a very protective relationship between Helen and Zeb. This protection Helen provided Zeb as a child is implicitly evident in the books of the series.

To this day Helen watches out for Zeb's health. Zeb has a weak stomach. Helen believes this is a constitutional issue from an uncertain childhood. She holds fast in her beliefs.  

What else does Helen believe in?

One of her beliefs is a strong Mormon faith.  Helen is very active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and follows its system of beliefs quite closely.  While it bothers her that Zeb is somewhat of a lapsed Mormon, she tolerates his indifference for many reasons.  

Does Helen have a family?

Helen, who is in her 50's and 60's in the ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble Series, has two children and two grandchildren.  She is a doting grandmother and a strong parent.  Her children and Zeb, while friends and family, are not particularly close.

Anything else?

Zeb would do anything for Helen.  The same can be said for Helen in that she would go to the ends of the earth for Zeb.  In her mind she is like a second mother to Zeb and filled in the gaps his own mother failed to fulfill.  Her heart is huge and full of love, not only for Zeb but for anyone who is unnecessarily suffering.  

Helen is an idealized mother, aunt, co-worker and friend.  Her faith carries her forward.  Her love of others creates a little better place for everyone she touches.

Jake Dablo

How would you describe Deputy Jake Dablo?

He is truly a man’s man.  He looks and acts like a cowboy from the west.  He is weather-beaten, smart, tough and has his own way of looking at the law.  Like Zeb, he has his own unique view of how and when to enforce the law.  Being older and more experienced than Zeb, his decision making process varies from Zeb’s.  Although, ultimately, they unite in a common purpose, serving the good people of Graham County.  

What is his background?

Jake grew up in Graham County.  He lived there most of his life.  He is ex-military, having done a two-year stint in the United States Army.  He graduated from Safford High.  He never went to college.  He learned the old school style of law enforcement from those who served before him.  His family has been in law enforcement for over 100 years. He is the former Sheriff of Graham County.  He served multiple terms as sheriff before tragedy struck his life and he “lost it” for seven years.

Care to add to that?

The murder of someone near and dear to Jake took a terrible toll on him.  Not only did he lose someone very close to him, but he became a drunk because of his failure to solve the murder. His actions cost him his wife of many decades, his job and for seven years, his future.  His compassion comes from having suffered greatly.  He understands all too well the darkness that can overtake a man’s soul.

Is he redeemed?

In NATIVE BLOOD the story of the entire circumstance is told.  Is he redeemed?  I hate to give away a major  plot point, but yes, he eventually sees the light of day through clearer eyes.  His redemption, if indeed he has complete resolution of the demons that overtook him, well, that is for the reader to decide.

How does Jake know Zeb?

They have a long-standing relationship that goes back to Zeb’s childhood. This will be explored in book 10 of the Zeb Hanks Series. It is a relationship that also involves medicine man, Jimmy Song Bird. In many ways Jake mentored Zeb, even though Zeb is truly his own man. The relationships between the families of Jake Dablo and Zeb Hanks are lengthy in time and woven together in the history of Graham County.

Did Zeb work for Jake when Jake was sheriff?

Yes.  In fact, you might say that Jake taught Zeb the tools of the sheriff trade, among many other things.

Such as?  

Jake Dablo and Apache medicine man Jimmy Song Bird are also life-long friends.   Part of their friendship is based on the heavens, astronomy to be precise. Both men share a fascination with the stars and the stories they tell.  They teach valuable lessons to Zeb based on the heavens.  In a long established relationship such as the one with these three men, what is taught outright and what is observed in everyday life leads to deeply rooted complexities.  These men may not always agree on how to handle things but they always have each other’s backs.

When and where did Jake learn about astronomy?

His grandfather taught him.  In turn his grandfather was taught by his father and so on going back a long time.  The Diablo family has a multi-generational love of the stars.

You almost make it sound like Jake and Song Bird are surrogate fathers to Zeb.

In many ways they are exactly that.  Zeb has great admiration for both men.  He feels towards them how he would feel toward a strong father figure, which he did not have.  Interestingly Jake’s family and Zeb’s family have a very long string of lawmen in their respective families.  Both families have had been directly related to lawmen before Arizona became a state in 1912.  There is true Graham County, Arizona blood running through their collective veins.  Both families have been keepers of the law in that area since lawmen arrived on the scene and even likely before.

I take it both Jake and Zeb have many friends and many enemies.

Fortunately for both of them their friends outnumber their enemies.  But indeed, the bad guys don’t easily forget who keeps them in line.   Grudges in the old west and in the new west run long and deep. Sometimes bad blood can span multiple generations. 

Did Jake have children when he was married?

Yes.  He had one daughter, Jenny.  Jenny and Zeb shared a very special bond that is part and parcel to the denouement of NATIVE BLOOD.

Care to share what that special bond is?

It is so integral to Zeb’s character and his relationship to Jake that you will have to read NATIVE BLOOD to find out the answer to that.  I will say this, Zeb and Jenny Dablo were close, but moved apart and became much less close for specific reasons.  Jenny ends up having significant life issues that Zeb can’t be a part of.   

Tell me about Jake’s habits and a little more about his life.

Jake, like I said earlier, is a western cowboy at heart.  His skin is leathered from the sun, smoking and time.  He is a loner at heart as evidenced by the fact that he lives in a trailer out in the desert.  He is as tough as nails, but inside can be a real softy.  His faith has been shattered and he understands what it is to lose all hope.  Yet, he has a deep well of faith and belief in right and wrong.  He can easily spot a fool and knows that it is foolish to be cocksure of anything.  He is an expert shot with both a handgun and a long gun.  He rides a horse with the best of them.

How would you sum up Jake in one sentence?

He is a real honest to goodness cowboy.