Finally finished up the first rough draft of that “serious” mystery I’ve been promising. Seriously, a forest fire threatens wildlife, a toddler is kidnapped, and search and rescue dogs are called into the dangerous situation, along with county sheriff’s deputies, the Forest Service, and the FBI. Can’t get much more serious than that. I got so stressed writing it, I very nearly lost my sense of humor.

Unfortunately, the whole thing came in at 61,000 words, which is short by at least 5,000. And to complicate matters, I tend to be a Trimmer rather than an Embellisher when editing. I once cut a non-fiction manuscript from 160,000 words down to 120,000. So where am I going to get another 5,000 words for this new mystery? Am I finally going to be forced to add in a romance? Ugh!

Whatever I do, I’d better do it quickly because it’s time to get back to drafting the fourth book in the Estela Nogales series. Whatever have those quirky residents of Arroyo Loco been up to lately? As you know, many former residents of Arroyo Loco are now either guests of the state in various prison facilities, or they reside six feet under. Several houses are empty. Given those circumstances, I’ve decided the next exciting mystery to challenge Estela and the gang will take place on the university campus where she works in the counseling center. A university campus, hmmm. Should be plenty of material there for a captivating mystery or two…

Thanks for your support!