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I first saw Jared McKean
leaning against a wooden fence. His arms were crossed, and he was
wearing jeans and a brown leather bomber jacket that I knew had once
belonged to his father. He was waiting for me to give up trying to write
a novel featuring a feisty female detective I didn't understand, come to
my senses, and give him a series of his own. It makes not a whit of
difference that this encounter occurred entirely in my mind.
On the surface, my character
and I have little in common. Jared is a man; I'm a woman. He's tall,
rangy, and athletic; I'm built like a potato bug. He's brave; I'm the
kind of woman who, when I go into a Laundromat, checks to see which
dryer I will hide in if a knife-wielding maniac comes through the door.
Yet, I understand him better than I have ever understood anyone in my
life. He has a journey to take and a story to tell, and I am honored to
be the one to tell it.
"You know he's not real," a
friend once said.
"I'm a writer," I answered.
"Half the people I know aren't real."
As for the site, please feel
free to explore. You'll find information about
the Jared McKean mystery series, links for readers, links for
writers, FAQ's, and a special section on writing tips and techniques.
Whether you're a reader or a writer, I hope you'll find something to
enrich your day, spark your creativity, or simply pique your interest.
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"Nashville Private Investigator Jared McKean has a son with
Down Syndrome, a best friend with AIDS, an ex-wife he can't seem
to fall out of love with, and a weakness for women in
jeopardy--until one frames him for murder."
His DNA and fingerprints
are found at the murder scene. His voice is on
the victim's answering machine. A man of his
height and build was seen leaving the scene of
the crime, and the victim was killed by a bullet
from his gun. To further
complicate matters, his
teen-age nephew who has just come out of the
closet and run away to join a dangerous fringe
of the Goth subculture. As the mystery deepens and the body count
rises, Jared is forced to confront the
possibility that the killer may be someone close
to him, someone he trusts. This time, an
unsolved case could cost him his life.
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For reviews and reader comments,
click here.
>>Read the first 10 pages<<
Adobe Acrobat
Available from
www.amazon.com,
www.bn.com,
www.booksamillion.com. Or, special order from your local
bookstore.
Some people have found it difficult to order through these
channels and have had better luck ordering through the publisher
at
www.iuniverse.com.
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A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Listed Pages: Home
is where the heart is, and also where, when you have to go
there, they have to take you in, and also where you are right
now.
Click on
Jared McKean Mysteries, and you'll find a
link to the first ten pages of Too Close to Evil, as well as reviews from authors,
reviewers, and readers.
About the Author is where you'll find FAQ's and a few
personal items, such favorite
links unrelated to reading and writing, articles, and
interviews. Like dreams? (Zombies? Magic? Polar Bear Kings?) Check out the Dream Journal
in the "About the Author" section.
Links for Writers includes links to sites about
conferences, marketing, writing techniques, research, books on writing,
and other writing-related goodies.
Other Authors is a list, including links, of
other authors that might interest you. Some are mystery writers, some are fantasy
writers, some work in other genres. Some you will have heard of.
Others may be new to you, but if you can't find something here
to like, I'll eat...um...a hot fudge sundae.
Calendar of Events is where you can find out where
I'll be signing, speaking, or otherwise hobnobbing around.
News is just a place to keep you up-to-date on what's
been happening with me, the book, other writers I know, and
anything else I think you might find interesting.
The
Online Writing Course has a series of lessons on writing
in general and on crime writing in particular. There's a strong emphasis on character
development; you'll also find sections on plotting, dialogue,
revision, and just plain having fun with Storytelling. Parts of
it are still under construction, but go ahead
and dive in. It's free.
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