Time to get down to business!

For two years, I followed a schedule of writing a manuscript for six months, then spending the next six months editing, proofing, getting comments from beta readers, followed by the back-end work of cover design, formatting into e-book and print versions, etc. That translated to completing a book a year, which I was happy about.

This year, however, I’m a little behind schedule. I would’ve started in March and April, but went to Left Coast Crime in Hawaii, then stayed for an art cruise around the Hawaiian islands. When I returned, it was time to get into high gear on our “Boa Babes” production, which just closed on May 21, and there was no time to do any writing.

Now, after a couple of days of catching up on sleep, I’m ready to dive into “Bleeder,” book #3 in the series “Behind the Mic Mysteries.” All my titles are from actual radio terminology, and “Bleeder” refers to “audio from an unwanted source.”

I managed to eke out a general outline while in Hawaii, and it will include a continuation of the cop shooter story from “Dead Air.” This is loosely based on a true story I covered during my television news reporting days at an NBC affiliate in Iowa, where the trial of the suspected killer was moved across the state on a change of venue. I still have my legal pad notes from the actual trial, along with cue cards and “carbonless carbon paper” copies of my stories that I’ve been reviewing. So, I will include the “trial” of “Matthew T-Bone Peters” in “Bleeder,” and intend to have it moved to Prescott. In reality, that’s where my parents live, and I’ve been traveling to the beautiful mountain town for decades. I bought a condo there a couple of years ago, and will spend several weeks this summer escaping the Valley heat, and getting more writing done.

In addition, I’ll be recording the audio book narration for “Dead Air” this summer, and will be introducing you to more great actors who will perform in the “podcast” portion of the story with “L.N. Pane, P.I.” Once again, my audio engineer son will handle the editing and mastering duties, with which he does a great job.

Now it’s time to get back to my Monday through Friday morning schedule and WRITE!