Back in 2007 I worked as the head of the Alternate Conflicts Counsel in Humboldt County. I worked long hours and dealt with all kinds of crazy problems. One day in May I was called in to my supervisor’s office unexpectedly. I thought I was doing a pretty good job as Alt Counsel. Evidently, I was delusional, as I was fired unceremoniously.
After this disaster I found myself at home being paid for my 30 days’ vacation time before being “separated.” I decided to live my lifelong dream of being a professional writer and I wrote a book. I wrote a mystery book.
The Heart of the Beast was actually my second novel about Jackson James, a sergeant with the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations. But the first one was a mess–there were four different groups of detectives James worked with in that book. Beast was a better book. It had a single plot, good clues, some interesting moments and a satisfying solution.
I have never really tried to get it published, though. I ended up deciding to run a solo practice. That sucked down all my attention for about 10 years.
I still had the book sitting in my computer. I reread it recently and decided it was pretty good. It won’t find a publisher these days because it has too much sex, as well as other “problems” that weren’t difficulties when I wrote the book.
I didn’t want the poor book to stay dormant in my computer. So I have put it up on Kindle for those of you who would like to see how my development as a mystery writer has come along.
I admit that the Minerva stories are far better than this book. But this book is the first time I feel like I really understood what a mystery novel was, how it was put together, the planting of clues, the outlining of chracter.
And I like Jackson. He’s my avatar. Indeed, when I wrote another good book some eight years later, I went back to Jackson and had him work as a Public Defender Investigator just out of the Air Force.
I remember the thrill of writing this book. For a month it was my “work.” Writing the book helped me work through my angst about getting fired (someday I will tell you that story, which is somewhat galling to relate). It helped me retain my dignity as a human, as a lawyer, as a writer. It helped me feel like there were bigger things out there for me to do.
I hope there are. Check the book out. I’ve got it in the ebook form for $5.99 and paperback for $7.99. When you’re done, email me at mcbruce56@gmail.com and tell me what you think.
But be nice.
Mark Bruce, Writer 