Mystery Writing-The John Keegan Mystery Series

When Two Paths Diverge: Crafting Parallel Stories and a Dual Narrative For years, Keegan's wife, Pauline, has nudged me for more space in the novels. So, in The Fallen , she gets it, taking a bigger role in the story. But that didn't satisfy the call for more attention. I felt she deserved something more detailed, that she had a larger story to tell. So, I took a shot at doing something I thought I might regret. Turns out, I hit on something that rang true. One of the most exciting turns in writing the John Keegan Mystery Series arrived with The Lies That Bind Us . In that novel, I experimented with a dual narrative—shifting between John Keegan’s investigation and Pauline McCrory Keegan’s covert search for answers. It created an immediate tension: two detectives (though Pauline technically isn’t one) entwined in the same case, yet walking very different roads. The challenge was to capture both perspectives within a single book without diminishing either character’s depth or mot...

  Wrapping Up Third and Long : Editing, Continuity, and Crafting the Keegan We Know Today Let me tell you something about editing: it’s a game of chicken between you and your manuscript. You sit there, coffee in hand (or whiskey, let’s not pretend we’re all virtuous here), daring the words to blink first. With Third and Long , I stared into the abyss of Detective John Keegan’s third retro outing and, let’s just say, the abyss gave me plenty to work with. This book, more than any before it, is about becoming . It’s the story of a younger Keegan navigating the messy road to becoming the detective we know today. But here’s the catch: when you’re writing someone’s "origin story," you’re walking a tightrope. How do you make the rookie version of a beloved character feel fresh, while still leaving breadcrumbs for the readers who know his future? Oh, and let’s not forget the continuity errors. Those little gremlins lurk in every draft, waiting for the sharp-eyed reader to pounce. Ch...

Crafting Mysteries: Writing Intrigue and Building Relationships in the Keegan Series When it comes to creating a compelling mystery series, it’s not just about the cases—it’s about the people solving them. The relationships between Detective John Keegan, his wife Pauline, their trusted allies, and the adversaries they face add depth and resonance to the series. These connections, professional and personal, form the backbone of each story, weaving together a narrative that’s as much about the people involved as it is about the crimes they unravel. The Intricacies of Relationships in the Keegan Universe Detective John Keegan is the quintessential flawed hero. He’s introspective, sarcastic, and deeply committed to his work. However, his relationships—especially with Pauline, Karl Lavin, Jacob, Captain Geiger, and Amy—are what make the series stand out. Pauline, an undercover officer and John’s wife, shares a partnership that blends humor, tension, and unwavering support. They’re not the p...

Writing The First Cut Is the Deepest felt like time travel—not just to a younger, brasher Detective John Keegan, but to the start of a journey that shaped a man, a marriage, and a career in solving impossible crimes. Revisiting the roots of Keegan's character while knowing what lay ahead in the timeline gave me a unique opportunity: to plant seeds in the current books that could bloom retroactively in the past. This concept—creating echoes that resonate backward—has become a hallmark of the Keegan series. The Power of Looking Back Detective Keegan in 1999, just starting in homicide, was eager, inexperienced, and idealistic. By the time we meet him in later novels, he's a seasoned, jaded detective grappling with personal demons and a relentless pursuit of justice. This duality allowed me to explore how and why he became who he is. For instance, when I wrote The Lies That Bind Us , Keegan's chance encounter with Elena—his ex-girlfriend—hinted at a shared history. In First ...

Going Back to the Beginning Soft Case will always hold a special place in my mind and heart. It's my first (published) novel and I love it for all it represents, including how far I have come since. I usually do some small updates every two years to my books but Soft Case has long needed more than that. And I guess I avoided it because it was a huge endeavor. Now, it's done. It was quite an experience. When I first wrote   Soft Case , I was a first-time author with big dreams, a decent amount of self-doubt, and, let’s face it, very little leverage. My goal back then was simple: get published. It’s a goal many writers share, and one that can overshadow other creative aspirations. The publisher and editor had their ideas about what the book should be—ideas I didn’t always agree with but wasn’t equipped to challenge at the time. Let’s just say I didn’t yet have the gravitas (or courage) to tell the editor “no.” In hindsight, some of those compromises gnawed at me over the years. T...

  Is Writer's Block Real? There's long been a debate about writer's block. Maybe there's no scientific evidence for it but more than enough writers suffer from periods of staring at a blank screen. No one seems to know exactly what causes it because it's different for everyone. Well, maybe not no one  but there isn't much agreement either. It can go on for a few days or a few weeks, even months. Much like an athlete can hit a slump or lose their ability one day, a writer can just blank. This can come from overtaxing your mind or by not following a regular schedule. So, be mindful of those. Take breaks (writer's block rarely comes after rest) and make a sdchedule and stick to it. There are as many solutions to this as there are for hiccups. Below are some strategies that work for me. And to provide context, I've gone from struggling to finish a novel for months to writing eight books in the last twelve months. Even during that time, I battled with cogniti...