The Delicate Art…
So here we sit, thirty-four days from the release of my latest thriller, “The Delicate Art of Death.” It’s been quite a journey getting here, and, to be honest; I’ve barely had time to hype it since the start of the year. Life gets in the way sometimes, but we make the best of it.
When I first started crafting the story that would become “Tears of the Dragon,” I didn’t put much thought into where the story was going past that. If I’m being truthful, I initially figured it would be a solo book, and I would move on to other stories and universes. But as I learned more about writing and what is considered best practices for modern writers, I decided to stick to this story and build it into its own universe.
While crafting “Tears of the Dragon,” I made sure to give each character time to shine. Xavier was the main protagonist, but his supporting cast was also essential to the story. Both Logan and his partner Stacy Martinez received plenty of time to shine. In fact, once Xavier and Logan were incapacitated during the climax, Stacy was the backbone that ensured the group survived. What I was surprised to find after the release of the book was the groundswell of support for Stacy that I received from readers. The support was so much that when I wrote “The Osiris Initiative,” I wrote it as an actual ensemble piece instead of a Xavier book with supporting characters. We caught up with Stacy, still pursuing the truth, and Logan, who preferred to put everything behind him. In the end, Stacy was once again pivotal to the mission’s success, although she bore the scars this time.
That brings us to “The Delicate Art of Death.” It is the first full-on Stacy Martinez adventure. In it, Stacy deals with the aftermath of her involvement in the incidents that comprise “The Osiris Initiative.” Physical scars are slow healing, but slower still are the mental scars that Stacy bears after all she has experienced. After discovering the much larger, sinister world of the Citadel, Stacy can’t view the world the same way and questions her place in it. So, she does what many of us would do. She goes to her family, in this case, her sister, in Jackson, Kansas, for comfort. But as the tagline says, this small town has its own dark secrets. As if that weren’t enough, Stacy finds her recent past is not finished with her after all.
I’m grateful for all the feedback I’ve received from my ARC Readers so far. I felt like I was taking a chance doing an entire story about Stacy. I also wrote this story from a first-person perspective. It’s a much more personal, intimate story, and I worried about how people would receive it. So far, it’s received high praise, with one reader remarking that “Stacy rises like the literal Phoenix from the ashes.” I’ve also had several readers who found the story completely addictive. So much so that they tore through the book in one sitting. All of this makes me so happy. It feels like the chances I took with this story paid off. I can’t wait to see what the public thinks of it.
I plan on being more active here after taking a break, so more info about the book before its release. Until then, know that I appreciate you all so much. I’m still relatively new in my writer’s journey, but the support I feel from you all makes it all worth it. As always, feel free to contact me. I reply to every email I receive. Until next time!
