Hell’s Heart follows a small-town sheriff whose dying father asks him to look into a cold case to prove a man innocent and find the real killer. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I live in Florida so I feel at home writing about it. I wanted a fictitious small- town police department so I didn’t get entangled with department hierarchy. The west coast north of Tampa seemed a good out-of-the-way place. The idea started as a short story, two classmates in abusive families conspire to kill their abusers, but figure out how to get away with it. The story expanded into a more complex story about murder, illicit drugs, and a deadly assassin who uses snakes to murder her victims.

What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

Jake Long was the easiest. He’s a troubled guy on a lot of fronts, he committed a crime in the past, his crumbling marriage, and his dying father. I enjoyed writing the banter between Jake and Maxine, his rookie cop. And, of course, the bad guys are always fun, especially a beautiful, deadly woman. Poor Nell was fun also.

I felt that there were a lot of great twists and turns throughout the novel. Did you plan this before writing the novel, or did the twists develop organically writing?

I knew the twist at the end but was stumped as to how I’d pull it off logically. I do some outlining, but very loosely. I have to know the direction the story is heading and then I fill in details as I go along. Sometimes the story takes a turn I think is good, so I go with it.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?

I have four other books on Amazon. All have won top prizes in The Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Awards. Two, Hell’s Heart, and Downhill Fast won book of the year. I have one I haven’t put on Amazon yet. The title is Dirty Hazel and the Cat Woman. And I’m in the middle of one I’m having a blast with titled, Sundown Highway. Stay tuned.

Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/06/15/complex-story-about-murder/