If there is one thing I've learned in these past twenty + years of writing, it is that you never know where a story or a character will take you. Way back in the beginning of this writing thing, I submitted a short story to a contest in Writer's Digest. The story received an honorable mention. Then a friend read the story and suggested it really should be developed into a novel.
Okay, well, I considered that for a few years. Then one day, I opened the file and began to tease out the story. The book, A Private Practice was born and the character of Detective Susan Wycoff took the lead. It was not until five years later that I got the inspiration to follow up with another Det. Susan Wycoff suspense and published Child's Play. I thought that was that.
But, no. Another story wiggled its way into my brain and, all of a sudden, I've written a series featuring Pittsburgh police detective Susan Wycoff. Portal to Murder was published last month.
Where did the idea come from? I was visiting Dublin, Ireland last fall. I read about portal art installations that had been set up to link cities around the world where people could interact in real time. I didn't get to see the one in Dublin, but of course the 'what if' idea that starts all stories struck: What if a family on vacation in a city that had a portal installation connecting to Pittsburgh arranged to meet at the portal with a friend on the Pittsburgh side? And what if they witness a brutal murder? And just like that, the plot for Portal to Murder was born.
So, now I've written a suspense series. I'm not saying there will be a fourth book. And I won't say there won't be, because I never intended to write a series in the first place. All three are available on Amazon.com
