Please Welcome Mystery Author Jorge E. Goyanes

We are delighted to welcome mystery author Jorge E. Goyanes as our guest blogger today.

Jorge's new crime novel is Miami Beat (Ampersand Editions, April 2012 trade paperback and ebook editions) introducing Cuban-American private investigator Jose Castillo.

Today Jorge tells us how a cynical, cigar-smoking car guy became a published author.

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There are quite a few reasons why I decided to write a book.

Last year, during the week between Christmas and New Year's, my wife made the suggestion that since I write a car advice column for our hometown newspaper, The Lake Worth Herald, and I write a political blog for a digital/online magazine, Arketipo187.com (and wasn't getting paid for either), that I should write a book and maybe I could make some money from that.

Photo provided courtesy of
Jorge E. Goyanes

So I started writing the book that week and finished it in the last week of February of this year.

I thought I had been writing a lot until my editor checked the word count and Miami Beat was just under 30,000 words, so the first installment in the Jose Castillo mystery series (I'm already pretty deep into the second) is a novella rather than a novel. The second installment is already proving to be much longer — in fact, my editor may have to trim it a bit.

I have always read that you should write about what you know, so I made my main character, Jose Castillo, a restorer of classic cars (I own a Goodyear Independent Dealer and have worked on cars for most of my adult life) and a smartass (which I happen to be). I also made my character a Cuban-American that was raised in Miami, the same as I was.

I tried to portray the point of view of those from my generation who assimilated into the United States but kept one foot planted in the traditions of their parents' homeland. It was also very important to me that I give an insider's view of Miami and South Beach and its international flavor.

My main goal is that a book and series like mine bring the same enjoyment and entertaining escape that I experience when reading John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee stories or a Spenser book from Robert B. Parker.

As far as the publishing tightrope goes, it was fairly easy for me to navigate since my daughter Ily Goyanes is a published writer and editor and had just launched a publishing house. I'm pretty fortunate that getting published was a fairly painless procedure as I've heard quite the opposite from my writer friends.

All the reviews that Miami Beat has been receiving have been positive and all clamoring for the same — more Jose Castillo adventures and longer books. I am answering both calls and hope that readers enjoy each new installment as much as they have enjoyed the first (and as much as I enjoy writing them).

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Much like his wise-cracking, fictional private eye, Jose Castillo, Jorge Goyanes also owns a car repair shop, enjoys a good cigar and relies on the common sense of the love of his life, Kat. When he isn't writing about Jose's latest adventure or behind the counter at Car Clinic, he can be found on the greens of his local golf course or writing his political column for Arketipo 187 Magazine (Arketipo187.com). For more information, visit his website at JorgeGoyanes.com.

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About Miami Beat:

Jose Castillo is a cynical, wise-cracking Cuban-American who restores classic cars. He's also a private eye whose sarcastic ways sometimes get him into trouble. One day in the process of installing a four-barrel carburetor on a 1965 Mustang, into his shop walks trouble — in the shape of a mysterious, beautiful woman surrounded by an entourage of goons. Mrs. Santana is the wife of one of Miami's most well-known, successful and untouchable mobsters and she wants to avail herself of Jose's services. What starts out as a job mediating a multi-million dollar casino land deal rapidly escalates into a case involving deceit, betrayal, blackmail and even two of Jose's long estranged relatives. With the help of his fiancée Kat and best friend/police detective Nate, he hopes to untangle the mess quickly so he can enjoy a stiff drink and a fat stogie, but when things get hotter than usual in tropical Miami and a murder is committed, Jose has no choice but to keep his Glock close and his enemies closer. There's no telling who you can trust when the temperature rises in Miami Beat.