Novel Number Eleven – First Draft

HART RULES  the 3^rd in the MURDER IN PANAMA series has reached the first draft stage.  Now it’s rewrite time; the opportunity to include the birds singing, the grass growing, and the fish making love.  At this stage the word count is 60,000.  By the time I add the sight, sound, smell, and feelings it will probably puff it to around 65K. 

I have a dilemma, however.  This is number book # three.  Do I tie it off as a trilogy or continue with the series?  Sales numbers suggest I tie it off with a loose ending in case I want to come back for a fourth or fifth.  I have two more outlined but why write what doesn’t sell.  I’m not a purist – perhaps it’s time to move on with other novel ideas.

I want to thank my talented friend Ed Wheeler for the loan of his Black and White photo for the cover of HART RULES.  He is perhaps more artistic than Ansel Adams when it comes to B & W photography.