My Next Project


A lot of thought goes into selecting my next project. Writing a novel is a HUGE commitment. Unless I’m head over heels in love with the idea, I’ll never make it to “the end” of the story.

No amount of love can save a flawed idea. I’ve wasted hours and hours trying. All I got in return was heartbreak and a folder of abandoned manuscripts.

Each abandoned manuscript suffers from the same problem: A tragic lack of understanding about the role of the main character. I’ve written extensively about figuring this out in previous posts, so I’ll spare you the details here.The point is, I finally got it. #SlowLearner

Portions of The Case of the Missing Drag Queen were salvaged from an abandoned manuscript, including intro scenes for Luke Tanner, Aunt Callie, Buddy Sinclair, Amber Berger, Millie Maxwell, and Vince Patrick. More pieces from the abandoned manuscript will likely show up in future Luke Tanner Mysteries.

For my next project, however, I’m revisiting an abandoned manuscript for a sequel to Happy Independence Day. The missing character arc wasn’t the only problem with the original. Attempts to drag the Ku Klux Klan into the story fell flat too.

The fourth Philip Potter Story picks up where Happy Independence Day left off. As the new housemother gets to town, someone with an ax to grind sets out to ruin Philip Potter. Everything around him is at risk — including the residents of the shelter.

The working title is Cold Revenge. My goal is to finish sometime before the end of the year, which may be a tad ambitious. As always, I’ll keep you posted.