The Next Big Thing, Part 2

I was asked to participate in another of The Next Big Thing. I was recently involved but thought it would be a good opportunity to help promote one of my works in progress. Unfortunately, I am unable to tag other authors, but if anybody would like a future tag or to be highlighted in the weekly Author Spotlight, please let me know. Because of this project, an due to the fact I will be gone this Friday to a tournament, I'm posting early this week.

1: What is the working title of your book(s)?

New Year Gone

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

I wanted a change from my usual quirky Mallory Petersen private detective. I thought of all the noir era hard-boiled detectives and wondered how one would react to the modern world.

3: What genre does your book come under?

Private Investigator mystery.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Too bad Bogart or Mitchum aren't still around. Either wold be perfect. Maybe a younger Nick Nolte or even a younger Harrison Ford. Russel Crowe might work as well as a few others if they scruffed up a bit.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

World weary private investigator John Habeck, still recovering from to much end of year partying, tries to find his ex wife's nineteen year old niece who went missing New Year's Eve.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

None of the above. I'm still working on rewrites and editing, but I will try for a traditional publisher.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Nearly a year. Right now it's not as long as some mysteries, but there is still a lot of editing left to do. I'm hoping to add more scenes.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer novels.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Ditto to the above answer. I wanted to try my hand at writing something cerebral, where the investigator speaks to a lot of people and each person fills in a piece of the puzzle. Most of Archer's mysteries are complicated affairs with lots of characters, intricate plots, and a veil of gray over everything.

Many of the characters in my other books are fun-loving and light-hearted. Sure, Mallory gets serious and Harry Reznik tackles some tough cases but with Habeck, I wanted someone different. A person who smokes, drinks, can't understand modern technology, drives a heap. Someone on the other side of the spectrum of my usual cast.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Although I give a salute to MacDonald, the reader won't lose the story. There is dark humor, ironic moments and I think the characters stand out, are memorable.