by Thomas E. Cochrane (The Sea Ranch)
Why did I think I could write a novel? After all, I’m a scientist and read mostly scientific articles and nonfiction books. I have had no prior background in writing, other than authoring various scientific reports. My first book was published in 2017, Shaping the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast, Exploring the Coastal Geology of Northern California, and my second book was published a year later, Tornados, Rattlesnakes & Oil – A Wildcatter’s Memories of Hunting for “Black Gold” which recounts my days in the Midwest oil patch of yesteryear. Possibly, some of my oil tales sound like fiction though—a few of my friends have accused me of exaggerations.
But my third book has indeed just been published, Entwined – In Mystery & Murder…x 2 and it’s my own perhaps unorthodox take on the genre. The story definitely moves at a rapid pace, taking our entwined heroines, Karen and Gee, through many adventures and into numerous countries and cultures. (Note: Ah could ‘av done a better job wit de lingo and accents in deese stories.) My characters and those they interact with have accents ranging from Boston (their home), New York, the deep south, Chinese and Japanese, Mexican, and other Latino regions. Capturing these distinctive ways of speaking is not as easily dealt with in writing as on the stage or in movies.
The tales therein are permeated with ‘spoofs’ a plenty, nicknames vs. formal names, idioms, funny sayings, asides of the author and also from some of the main characters. Do these digressions snatch the reader away from the story―or give it colour? The public will be the judge.
The multi-beginnings of this novel are also different from most but speak to a foreshadowing of future events. I wrote the poem Fear of Waking and purposely had it positioned opposite the beginning of the book’s journey to underscore the unsettling feeling we experience when awaking in a strange place, or following a traumatic event.
Overall the experience of entering the realm of fiction was a total hoot―which is what I hope the reader experiences inside the pages of Entwined. Although I must admit it became a bit alarming how frequently “the girls” would awaken me from my slumber night after night, pestering me with this new idea to inject or that “what if” question about something I’d written in the manuscript in process.
As it happens, they pestered me to such a degree that I’ve also recently finished its sequel which is now with the editor. And it’s wilder yet!
June 5, 2020: Check out the Sonoma County Gazette featured article with more on all Thomas’ books:
Entwined – In Mystery & Murder…x 2 is in stock at Copperfield’s in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Sebastopol plus eight other Sonoma County retailers and, as is invited at the book’s conclusion, I welcome your feedback…and am delighted to have drafted myself into “your club” of mystery writers — thanks, Thonie! For any reason at all (geology question perhaps?), I can be reached via my website: http://www.RiverBeachPress.com. Entwined – In Mystery & Murder…x 2 is available on Amazon in paperback.
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