The Seafarer's Secret
by
Carol Ann Collins
Cozy Mystery
Setting - North Carolina
Publisher: Beaufort Books
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Paperback page count: 310 pages
ISBN-10: 0825310288 / ISBN-13: 978-0825310287
Digital ASIN: B0BZBCSG86
Publisher: Beaufort Books
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Paperback page count: 310 pages
ISBN-10: 0825310288 / ISBN-13: 978-0825310287
Digital ASIN: B0BZBCSG86
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SYNOPSIS:
Secrets are revealed. Lies are exposed. And in order to have a future, William and Eva will have to delve into the past.
William Templeton, widower and police chief of Eden, North Carolina is working the scene of a local woman's drowning when the body is found with an old gold coin in her pocket – identical to a coin that was discovered on Catherine's body, his estranged wife, over a year ago. Catherine's case, originally deemed a tragic accident, has been reopened, forcing William to step down as police chief. Historian and Blackbeard expert, Eva Knightly, is brought into the investigation to help identify the coins and can't understand why her good friend Catherine never mentioned anything about it. When more coins surface at a local church, Eva and William know it's more than mere coincidence. With the entire town whispering about Blackbeard, cursed coins, and lost treasure, it becomes hard to separate what is true and what is a myth. The Seafarer's Secret is a thrilling cinematic mystery featuring the exigent slow-burning romance between William and Eva as they work together to reveal the secrets and lies of Eden, North Carolina. Though, in order to have a future, they'll have to look deep into the past to keep from being a modern-day killer's next victim.
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GUEST POST:
In my acknowledgments for THE SEAFARER’S SECRET, I mention that the manuscript saw three different presidents. Trust me when I say that is not an exaggeration. I wasn’t making minor edits, either, but rewriting the entire thing over and over. It got to the point I finally admitted that I’d lost all objectivity and could no longer tell the difference between “Hey, that’s not bad,” “Ehhh, it’ll do for now,” and “Omg, burn it so it never sees the light of day.”
So, as a writer, how do you know when something’s not quite right, and how can you fix what seems unfixable? I don’t claim to know all the answers, but having recently experienced both, I can share what worked for me.
LESSON FROM THE BIDEN YEARS: YOU NEED A MAP
Some people call this an outline, but not only are they wrong, I’m allergic to the o-word. To me, an outline is too formal, too linear. It’s what you were forced to do in school. Telling someone like me to outline is like telling that person who does math in their head to show their work.
But that was my initial problem with the manuscript. I thought it would work itself out in my head and it didn’t. My first draft was one novel told in two parts, the past with Mary and Edward (Black Beard) and the present with Eva and William. And to be honest, the present was kind of ho-hum at its best and downright boring at its worst. I was stuck with two stories that didn’t work together. An outline wouldn’t cut it. I needed a map.
A map is better than an outline because not only can you see where you want to go, but you can also see there are multiple ways to get there. I liked the history side of SEAFARER, but I didn’t want to write a historical. After much thought and numerous attempts at other ways to combine the two (one draft had Eva finding half of the journal very early in the story), I finally decided to include bits of the historic story before each chapter as journal entries from an unknown woman.
LESSON FROM THE TRUMP YEARS: YOU NEED TO LAY IT ALL OUT
The absolute most helpful thing I did was to take my draft and create a chapter spreadsheet. This forced me to look at the story a new and different way. On a spreadsheet, it looked more like a puzzle, and looking at it that way allowed me the freedom to move the pieces around, to see what needed more details, and what needed to be cut.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to do this. It sounded boring, and I was certain it’d be a waste of time. And while it was a bit tedious, it was time well spent.
LESSON FROM THE OBAMA YEARS: YOU NEED PEOPLE
I’ve always said every writer needs two types of beta readers: those who cheer for you and those who challenge you. If you only have cheerleaders, you’ll never improve, but if you only have challengers, you may give up. Be strategic with whom you share your early drafts with, make sure you have someone who will be honest with you. But remember, no matter what, it’s your story, the characters are talking to you, and you get to make the final decision.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Writing allows Carol Ann Collins to combine two of her favorite things, history and romance. Her work is a combination of historical fact, pure fiction, and a vivid imagination. Though she is an introvert who had no problem staying inside during quarantine, she enjoys traveling with her husband and two adult children. In her spare time, she is an avid book collector and bargain shopper who loves to combine the two. To date, her favorite find is an 1869 edition of Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain purchased for $10.
TOUR PARTICIPANTS:
May 15 – Christy's Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 15 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 16 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – REVIEW
May 17 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
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May 22 – Ruff Drafts – REVIEW
May 22 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read! – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 23 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
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May 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
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