Mistaken Identity Crisis
A clever thief with a sinister calling card has invaded Braxton campus. A string of jewelry thefts continues to puzzle the sheriff, given they’re remarkably similar to an unsolved eight-year-old case, back when Gabriel vanished one stormy night.
When a missing ruby, and a body, are discovered at the campus, Kellan must investigate the killer’s motive to protect his brother. As if the latest murder isn’t enough to keep him busy, Kellan partners with April to end the Castigliano and Vargas crime family feud. What really happened to Francesca while all those postcards showed up in Braxton?
The mafia world is more calculating than Kellan realized. If he wants to move forward, he’ll have to make a few ruthless sacrifices. And as the summer heat begins to settle in Wharton County, a couple more surprises are also in store.
Guest post: 5 questions to answer before you start a new story
I’m thrilled to be back on the Great Escape Virtual Book Blog Tour with Lori Caswell and team. Today, I’d like to share a little bit about my writing process. Below are the key points that I analyze and prepare when I’m working on a book for the Braxton Campus Mysteries.
1. Will this be a holiday/theme book? For instance, the first two books did not contain themes; they were pure mysteries that didn’t focus on anything other than the primary plots. In the 3rd book, Flower Power Trip, it was all about springtime. The 4th book also didn’t contain a theme even though it ends with a double wedding and the 4th of July. Those were purely small things going on around the time of the story. However, next in the 5th book, it will be a Halloween / fall theme, so I had to plan it out carefully to ensure the timeline in the book was in sync with Halloween to match when it would be published.
2. Which family will be the focus? In the 1st book, we got to know all the main players, but in the 2nd book, we focused on the Paddingtons. In the 3rd book, we focused on the Roarkes and Nutberrys. In the 4th book, we focused on the 5 core/major families involved in the creation of a sorority, but in the 5th one, it will revolve around the Grey family. Once I decide the main family, I broaden out the family tree using names from my own ancestry (both last and first names). I always drop hints in previous books about all the characters to come, so readers will remember and connect the larger stories. While it’s all planned out in my head and on paper, it’s just a high-level synopsis. The actual details for each successive book are addressed in the outline.
3. My first true documentation for a new book is the outline. I draft a ~30 page summary of the main mystery, the sub-plots, the cliffhangers that need to be addressed from the prior book, the cliffhangers that will be dropped in this book, and the main characters to share clues and red herrings or pop in for consistency / connection points. Then, I focus on the murder scene and creation of all the potential suspects. From there, I summarize the critical scene where I unmask the murderer and resolve the clues. As part of the outline, I decide the number of chapters and list the basics of 3 scenes per chapter. By the end of the 30 pages, I’m left with a fairly robust approach for telling the story.
4. Now, I finalize the title and the cover. I use three words (except in the first book, which was supposed to be three but Curve Ball versus Curveball looked too funny!) where word 1 and 2 together mean something and word 2 and 3 together mean something else. So… in this book, Mistaken Identity Crisis, it’s actually “Mistaken Identity” and “Identity Crisis.” One is about the main plot, the other is about the primary sub-plot revolving around Kellan’s life with his ‘wife.’ I provide a few details to the cover artist at my publisher, usually a key building type, a prominent color being used, and three or four images that would work. They come up with the cover and we finalize it together, then I work with the marketing team for a big cover reveal blog post. Afterward, I begin to schedule the blog tour with the marketing folks and search for early ARC readers who will help with initial reviews.
5. Then, I write the book. I try to write 2 chapters per day. At roughly 22 chapters per book, it works out to be 3 weeks to write a first draft of the book, including some down time for research. It takes me 2 weeks to edit those chapters and 1 more week to do a final review and fix anything that doesn’t work well. At the 6-week mark, it goes to my one alpha reader, who has been with me from the beginning (almost). She is amazing and finds EVERYTHING I mess up… and we ‘fight’ over the resolution, then it comes together, and within another 2 weeks, it’s ready for beta reading. I spend 2 to 3 weeks with beta readers, then make my final changes and deliver it to the editor for final proofing and formatting. All-in-all, it’s a 3-month process if I am focused.
I hope you enjoyed a ‘day in the life of an author’ when it comes to my 3-month cycle for writing a book. If I am writing a non-Braxton, family drama book, it’s usually about double the effort, e.g. Watching Glass Shatter or Father Figure, my first two books. By the way… I’ve drafted the outline for the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, which will be published in late 2020! Thanks for stopping by today.
About the Author
James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College with a degree in English literature. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries. I frequently blog and publish book reviews on everything I read at ThisIsMyTruthNow via WordPress.
Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow—all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.
Braxton Campus Mysteries
Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
Flower Power Trip – #3 (March 2019)
MistakenIdentity Crisis – #4 (June 2019)
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