Nineteen percent done! That's such an odd percentage, but it is what it is. I typically write 86,000 words or so for my books, and I'm at 16,800 now. Woot! It hasn't been easy either. I'm not as enthused about this one as I will be once I get into it. It's like driving down an old long dusty hot road without anything to look at on the way to where you're going -- which is exactly what the two main characters of the book are doing right now. they are driving down Route 66 in 1931 from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas, Nevada. I know...Route 66 doesn't exactly go that way, but they'll hang a right when they need to.
On the bright side, I'm learning a lot about Route 66 and it's history. I'm learning a bit about each of their stopping points too. I'm able to spend a little time on each in my mind so I can pretend I'm right there in the Buick with the boys, as they fuddle their way through the badlands in order to find the bad guys. It's a process. I'm in the middle of it. I have at least one good end to tie up before heading overseas to see how Nick's wife and son are doing over in Scotland.
Right now, the two lawmen are in Albuquerque and they'll be making their presence known to a group of law men who have similar cases to pursue. You just never know when one will help the other, and maybe two or three bad guys can be taken off the roster permanently. It could happen - - but then again, something could go south, and we could see a disastrous end to a good family man and lawman too.
You can't tell with Nick and Ralph, they seem to find trouble when they're just relaxing at hotels or driving down the road. It could be a snake in the grass or a real snake in the real grass. Sooner or later one or the other of them will have to break the seal of that fifth of bourbon left to them by their good rancher friend and comrade. It will happen...sooner or later.
With 19% done I'm almost to the point where I can freely write without worrying about too many details. Once I get past all the introductions and the plot of the whole book, then I can get into the story itself and the characters can play a bit more. They can breathe and do what they do. They can live. I'm going to play down the roles of those over in Scotland in this book. This is a book about the doings and goings on in America. I'll mention the others, and I'll even dedicate one chapter to them to keep them in the loop but this is more about Ralph and Nick, and their close friendship as well as them becoming life partners in crime solving.
I'll end up with 12-14 books in the series I'm sure. This is the 4th book, and though Ralph won't be in all of them the way he is in this one, he's a good and steady part of Nick's adult life. He needs to be seen, heard, and loved even if he is a Yankee. He can't help where his parents fell in love.
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