Romance, mystery writer dies in Cape Charles

Judi McCoy, a passionate writer and animal lover who, with her string of 22 romance novels and mysteries, charged the gantlet of mainstream publishing, has died in Cape Charles.

She did not live to see the publication of her newest Dog Walker mystery, "Fashion Faux Paw," due March 6 from Penguin/Signet. That will be the last in the series, a Penguin spokeswoman said by email this week.

McCoy died Saturday of complications from diabetes, wrote romance novelist Renee Bernard in a tribute Sunday on her blog. Twitter posts said McCoy had planned readings as recently as Nov. 12 but, shortly after Thanksgiving, a health crisis was evident.

Since Sunday, word spread. Bernard wrote: "I'm weeping like a fool.... Except when I remember that voice, like nails and glass in a metal coffee can sometimes.... She could drive you crazy one minute and then make you thank every angel in heaven that you had her close at hand."

McCoy's first romance novel was "I Dream of You," published by Kensington in 2001. It won Waldenbooks' best-selling debut novel award. She published other romances through Kensington, Avon, NAL's Obsidian imprint and Crescent Moon Press. The dog series launched in 2009 with "Hounding the Pavement," featuring dog walker and amateur sleuth Ellie Engleman.

McCoy's commitments involved other writers. Since her death, bloggers often noted how much she had helped them. In Hampton Roads, that extended to groups like Hampton Roads Writers. Founder Lauran Strait recalled in an email:

"Judi was passionate in her desire to help writers improve in their craft in order to increase their chances of achieving publication success," leading workshops, judging fiction writing, reviewing manuscripts, even sponsoring a raffle for character (and dog) naming in a coming book. McCoy was also involved with crime and romance writers groups, Strait said.

McCoy's obituary listed survivors as her husband of 44 years, Dennis; their four dogs - and then their human kin. A memorial service was to take place Wednesday at Wilkins-Doughty Funeral Home in Cape Charles.