Hurray and hurrah! Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine has accepted the short story “Minerva James and the Gods of Sleep and Death.” This is the 8th Minerva Short story to be published since her first appearance in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine in August 2019.
Now, eight short stories in two years might not sound very impressive to you, but given the dearth of Mystery Magazines and anthologies in this day and age, it’s very encouraging to me.
As you know, right now I am rewriting–for the eighth time–my novel Minerva James and the God of War. I went into the novel thinking, no problem. I knew the characters. I knew what Minerva does and how she operates. I had success in writing some good short stories. And I’ve written (but not traditionally published) a lot of novels in my many years of writing.
Piece of cake.
Well, yeah, if the cake has bits of glass and rusty nails and small rodents embedded in it.
Truth is, writing the first version of the novel was hard. There was a lot wrong with it, even after I paid a development editor to work with me.
Weird thing is, on the rewrite everything is moving smoothly. I think it’s because I already know the story. I’m not referring to the first version at all during the rewrite. This turns out to be a blessing, because I’ve already added a character (the prosecutor) and some extra twists and turns that come up while I write. Which is a good sign.
With the news of the latest acceptance, I see it as a sign that this version of the novel will be a success.
Of course, only time can confirm that.
In the meantime, however, I’m celebrating. Woo hoo. Have some cake. Please don’t mind the rusty nails.
Mark Bruce, Writer 