Rosalie Rayburn uses her experience as a former journalist to write her Digger Doyle Mystery series whose main character is a reporter adept at exposing corrupt politicians. Rosalie’s July 2026 release, The Solar Deception, is “a fast-paced political mystery featuring a determined lesbian sleuth, high-stakes intrigue, and twists that expose the human cost of greed and ambition.” Look for Rosalie on her website RosalieRayburn.com and blog, as well as on Facebook and her Amazon author store. Read more about her work in her 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.
What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in The Solar Deception?
The solar project at the center of the plot is based on real reporting I did for the Albuquerque Journal. During my first six years at the Journal, I covered the energy beat. Two solar projects I covered, one near Deming, New Mexico in 2004 and one in Rio Rancho, New Mexico in 2010, never materialized and my investigation showed the people behind the projects had “questionable” backgrounds.
When you began the project, what did you hope to accomplish? By the end of the journey, do you feel you were successful in your goals?
When I finished The Power of Rain, my first Digger Doyle novel, readers said they wanted to know what happened to the main characters. I did too. I wanted to weave a story where Digger and Maria could have a relationship. I wanted to create more of a mystery, so I developed the revenge plot as part of the story. I think I succeeded in achieving those aims.
What makes Digger Doyle, your main character in the series, the kind of protagonist readers connect with and root for?
I think readers like Digger’s tenacity as an investigative reporter. I also think they can empathize with her personal story because of the loss of her parents, her longing for a family, and her love for Maria. I enjoy Digger’s satiric sense of humor about politicians and corporate spokespeople.
Why did you choose New Mexico as the setting for The Solar Deception?
New Mexico was a natural fit because I lived in Albuquerque for many years. I love the high desert where I have done a lot of hiking, camping, and cycling. I was familiar with the political discussions about solar and wind energy development in the state. I had also visited Chaco Canyon, where a scene is set, and I knew my way around Santa Fe.
Tell us more about how the book came together.
I wanted to continue Digger and Maria’s romance, and I also wanted to create a mystery. I remembered the two solar power projects I investigated, and that gave me the idea for the plot. I used Newspapers.com to research my own articles and stories by other reporters. I used Google Earth to make sure I described place details accurately. It took about six months to write. I had problems with the editor so that phase took about three months. I worked with the same book designer, Sara DeHaan of DeHaan Arts. She has worked on all three Digger Doyle novels. She does a wonderful job.
Any “Oh, wow!” moments while doing research?
Not really. But I enjoyed making the front man for the solar scam a lapsed preacher who talks like a smarmy used car salesman.
What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
I love writing mysteries. It is like working a puzzle backwards. I have the idea for how it will end, i.e. the finished picture. I have to put it together, weaving the story threads and planting clues. But I must make sure the clues don’t reveal the plot too soon. It takes a lot of mental energy, but it’s fun!
When did you know you wanted to be a writer? When did you actually consider yourself a writer?
I have wanted to be a writer ever since I learned to read. I used to tell my brother stories when we walked to school. I was eight, he was six. I wrote short stories in my twenties when I lived in Ireland. Radio Telefis Eireann accepted several stories for broadcast. Then I was a finalist in the Maxwell House Women Writers’ Competition, a writing contest for emerging writers in Ireland. So, I guess that’s when I started to consider myself a writer.
Looking back to the beginning of your writing/publishing career, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
I wish I had known more about marketing a book; how hard it is and how much energy it takes.
What are the challenges of writing a series?
Making sure you have the timelines correct between books, making sure the names and personal details are accurate. Also, I try not to plagiarize myself by using the same descriptive language for scene setting.
What writing projects are you working on now?
I recently finished the fourth Digger Doyle mystery. It continues Digger and Maria’s story and it is a murder mystery. I drew inspiration for part of the plot from the unsolved case of the West Mesa murders. The working title is Secrets on the Mesa. I hope to launch it in the late fall of 2026.
Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
All three of my Digger Doyle mysteries are set in New Mexico. If you enjoy reading thoughtful mysteries with a deeper social commentary, please leave a brief review on Amazon or Goodreads, saying what you like about the characters, the setting and the plot. It will help more readers to discover the world of Digger Doyle.
KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.
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