When the second is first

In my last post, I discussed a potential change of strategy in getting my first novel published. The change involved not so much a change in the way I'd packaged, wrote, or marketed Lying in Judgment but rather a more wholesale shift. The new strategy: shift books.

Since completing the first draft of LiJ four years ago, I've spent many hours over many months writing query letters to agents, sending drafts or partials to friends and agents and anyone else who would share their comments, and then editing and rewriting the story in consideration of the feedback received. Agents, editors, critique groups, friends, family, knowledgeable experts about forensics and criminal procedure - you name it, I tried them.

The results were a tighter, more readable story; a more likeable protagonist; many favorable comments on the premise, plot, and writing; no agent; and no book contract.

There was another, unexpected result, also. An agent took note of the writing – the actual prose laid over the plot and main character that she found troubling – and said, basically, pitch me something else. When I told her the premise of my next book, she said, yeah, send it – when it's ready.

That next book is The Mountain Man's Dog, a romantic thriller of sorts about Lehigh Carter, a forester who is afraid of dogs and women - but suddenly finds both enmeshed in his life. In so doing he gets ensnarled in the nasty underbelly of Oregon gubernatorial politics, and must run for his life from people who'd just as soon kill him as say hello.

This story is written in the voice of Lehigh, a man of simple words (his nemeses consider him a bumpkin) but sharp intellect, a man with an innocent outlook but a savvy observer who keeps his wits about him… except where Stacy, his once-again lover, is concerned. Like most men, he does his worst thinking when his pants are off, or itching to get there.

There's much more to the story, and you're welcome to preview an excerpt of it on the CreateSpace site (https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1065184) and leave comments. (Welcome, hell. You're invited. Encouraged. Urged. Hell, I'd beg, but then I'd look just like every other writer out there.

I've entered it into the Amazon Breakout Novel Award competition, too. I can't say I have high expectations of winning with this draft (only my second), but that's not my ambition. My goal is to reach the second round of the competition where the manuscript will receive critical feedback from the panel of judges.

A secondary goal is to get it out there in the view of helpful, critical readers who will provide encouraging, constructive criticism. For while MMD has none of the drawbacks of LiJ, it lacks one thing that the earlier work has in spades: many, many hours of edits based on the feedback of many interested third parties. Um, that'd be you, by the way.

The excerpt contains only a synopsis and the first chapter. Anyone interested in seeing more can do so simply by telling me, either on that site or here or by email. There's a catch, though: I only send early drafts to people who promise to send critical feedback. No commentary, no doggie-woggie story. Sorry.

Well, what are you waiting for? Clicky-clicky, kids!