Published!

Publication day arrived December 12, 2018. It was the moment I had anticipated for over a year and a half. The book was released in both paperback and Kindle formats just in time for Christmas.

It felt incredibly satisfying to search Amazon for the title and see the cover of The Disappearance of Millicent Hart: A Detective Scott McGregor Mystery pop up on the screen. I peeked at a behind-the-scenes graphic and saw that book sales had already begun!

I’m pretty sure my publisher purchased the first copy. (Thank you for all your hard work! I expect it took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to pull a first-time author through the process of getting out a debut novel.) The sales continued … and I probably know everyone who bought a copy the first few days. I suspect some people bought them just to stop my excited babbling.

“The publication of your first book only happens once,” my publisher insisted, and she treated me to a celebration lunch.

Then I went to my day job.

The Mystery is Solved!

"I have meticulously followed the leads in The Disappearance of Millicent Hart and have solved the case. As soon as I finish writing my reports, they will be posted for all to read." Detective Scott McGregor

At long last, the first book in the Detective Scott McGregor mystery series is in the final wrap-up stages before it goes to the publisher for formatting and uploading for print-on-demand (POD) publication and distribution. My publisher at E. Gads Hill Press sent me Page 1 to show me the formatting. I am really excited!

By the way, Detective McGregor is planning a long weekend vacation in Las Vegas with his girlfriend, Lynn, and his best friend, Ryan, to attend a computer conference. What could possibly go wrong there? Join him in 2019 for his next case, Murder Goes on Vacation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s Thanksgiving week and I’m juggling work, family, and plans for a large weekend get-together. Although it’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org) and I’m working on the second Detective McGregor mystery, I had intended to put down my pen (shut down my computer) a few days to prepare for the holiday party.

I’m learning about the craft of writing and how to weave subplots into the main story line. When I wondered if the way my detective, Scott McGregor, celebrates Thanksgiving might lead to a subplot, I realized I’d started viewing the world through the eyes of an author.

Recently I’ve heard the saying ‘Ideas are a dime a dozen; the only ones worth anything are the ones you write.’ A few years ago, I couldn’t fathom having a dozen book ideas waiting to be written; now, I’m not surprised when ideas materialize unexpectedly.

Write and allow your creativity to flow. The creation of a book draft, short story, journal entry, blog post, poem, song lyric, whatever – is fulfilling, even if you don’t choose to publish.

Searching for Millicent Hart

I’m Veronica Hart. My grandmother, Millicent Hart, is missing. She lives in the San Joaquin Valley just outside Fresno, CA. I’m sure she didn’t disappear of her own accord because she left without making plans for someone to take care of her dog. She’s 79 and the police seem to think she’s senile and just wandered off. But they’re wrong.

Fresno Police Detective Scott McGregor is assigned to the missing person’s case. Please contact him if you have any information about my grandmother.

Writing the Rails

My end-of-the-summer vacation was a weekend in Portland, Oregon sandwiched between round-trip segments of multi-day train rides. The gentle rocking of the train was conducive to nodding off and I dozed several times the first day. The second day I accomplished a bit more. Train rides are also conducive to looking out the window and daydreaming; I did a lot of both. No matter how often I travel by train, I never tire of looking at the scenery and getting glimpses of how people live their lives near the tracks.

I booked the train for the opportunity to write undisturbed by the interruptions of my normal life. Inspired by the trip, I ignored my pre-planned work agenda and laid out a storyline about a woman who was followed on a train.

Draft Submitted to Editor!

What a strange sensation! I just emailed the draft of “The Disappearance of Millicent Hart” to my editor.

I feel a mixture of subdued elation and numb disbelief, with a bit of shock throw in. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in that my very first novel has moved to the next step along its way to being published.

August 17 - Update

I had waited so long for the first novel to be finished so I could get back to work on the second, “Murder Goes on Vacation.” But after a day of almost not thinking about writing, I launched right back in… developing the characters and plotline for the eighth in the series.

Writer Support beats ‘Learning on the Run’

Being a new, unpublished, aspiring author, I’m just getting my feet wet in the writing and publishing world. I don’t know all the questions yet but I’m beginning to get a few of the answers.

Recently I ran across a local library’s ‘Writers and Aspiring Writers’ Meetup group online and attended an author talk featuring Anne Cleeland discussing ‘Creating Memorable Characters.’ Her talk and concept of the reader as a baby duckling needing to imprint immediately on the protagonist inspired me so much I rewrote the opening scene of my work in progress.

Today I joined the ‘Sisters in Crime’ national organization. They offer authors and aspiring authors support and resources including regional chapters and an online support and critique group for unpublished writers.

I still have a lot to learn but I’m feeling more confident every day.