with C. L. Swinney
We are delighted to welcome novelist C. L. Swinney to Omnimystery News today.
C. L.'s debut mystery introduces Miami Dade Police Department Narcotics detectives Dix and Petersen in Gray Ghost (Oak Tree Press; July 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats).
We asked Chris to tell us how his book came to be published and what a wild ride it turned out to be!
— ♦ —
Photo provided courtesy of
C. L. Swinney
I came up with the concept for Gray Ghost almost fourteen years ago. I sat on it for that long wondering if I could write well enough to tell a captivating story. Well, that and I had to do a ton of research, interviews, work full time (in narcotics), get married, have two kids, and get hundreds of rejection letters before finally getting my foot in the door. And, I read over a hundred books in the crime/thriller/suspense genre during that time to see what worked and what did not.
After getting all that stuff done, I dove head first into my first novel. I decided I'd help my wife get the kids to bed, and then write from 9 to 1 or 2 am, every day. Within five months, the story took shape and the characters were thriving. I'd work on the manuscript for another four months before I wrote ‘The End' for the first time. It was a great feeling, but just like the police work I do when the real work doesn't start until after I arrest a bad guy, the real work starts for an author when s/he needs to find a home for their manuscript.
I went to a few classes on writing, bought a few books on "how to get published", and began working on a query letter that would "wow" publishers. After I was fairly satisfied I had a superb query letter and began sending them out to ANY publisher. Mistake number one. Folks printing Erotica, YA, or any other novels besides crime fiction are only interested in what they print. I learned it did not matter how well I wrote, if it wasn't presented to the right people, it wasn't going to get legs. One of the main things I've learned about this business is to target the right people. This includes publishers, agents, audience, markets, and readers. I struggled with this. I decided I would strategically plan my mission to get a traditional contract just the way I planned my complex narcotics investigations. To be successful with long-term dope cases, you have to know the entire organization you are investigating. Similarly, to be successful in writing, you must know the entire business inside and out.
After awhile, I started getting people to jot a few notes when I queried them, which for me was great because it was better than the impersonal rejection chain letter I normally got back. I took to heart what folks were taking their time to tell me about my work and I re-tooled the manuscript. A few months later and I wrote ‘The End' for the second time. I'd studied my craft during this time as well so I made calculated shotgun blasts of my manuscript to the people it was meant for.
This went on for several months, me thinking I was going to get my shot any day, and the industry slamming the door in my face day after day. My wife and kids supported me every single day; without them, I'm not sure I'd be writing this piece or have a book out right now. I brainstormed with my wife and she suggested I join a group of fellow authors and see what they were doing to get published. A brilliant idea. I joined a group of law enforcement and first responders who happened to be writers. One of the perks I got by joining was the ability to send the first 20 pages of my manuscript in to get edited. I was nervous, but did it anyway. After all, it was a real life editor in the business who was going to see my work. I needed to know where I stood. I sent it in and waited nervously. After a month or so, I got my critiques. The person looking at my manuscript said there was a lot of work that needed to be done, but the concept was interesting and told me NOT TO give up. I read and re-read that last line numerous times. I felt like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber when the girl of his dreams says there is a one in a million chance they'd be together and he replies, "So, you're saying there's a chance."
I re-tooled the manuscript based on the input of the editor, as well as some ideas I received from friends, and some ideas I had of my own. A month later and I wrote ‘The End' for the third time. I re-tooled my query letter, bumped up my presence on social media, and narrowed down the list of prospective publishers even further. I kept plugging away and did not give up.
Finally, it happened. An acquisitions editor for a mid-size publisher took a shot. I was so excited! I sent her my manuscript and waited for a reply. It came back and she was not very impressed, but she shed some light on the business, my writing, and left the door slightly open. I responded back that if she gave me one more chance, I'd re-tool the manuscript. She said yes. I re-tooled the manuscript and sent her the edited first three chapters. Man, I've purchased narcotics in an undercover capacity and been in some gnarly scary situations, but none of them was as scary as waiting for her reply. All she said was, "Send the rest." WOAHHHHHHHHHHH! Problem with that was I had only re-tooled the first three chapters, not the rest of the manuscript. I hustled as the blood pounded in my chest and wrote "The End" for the fourth time! I sent it in and waited. It felt like an eternity.
Then, the acquisitions editor asked me to meet her and the publisher. I cleaned up my looks (I was working dope and undercover so I looked rough) and met them at a writing conference. It seemed to go all right; I turned on the charm and sense of humor. They said they'd get back to me. Eventually they did get back to me and said they WANTED me to make a few changes and they would send me a contract!!! I can't tell you how excited I was about this. It was amazing. But, like I mentioned earlier, my journey didn't really start until after I had a contract.
I'll give you the abridged version. I had a contract, things were moving along, and then we hit a wall. A few months before the scheduled release date, the publisher said the manuscript was not very good …Talk about a smack in the face. I get a contract and now it's no good. I was told to work with an editor. I sent the manuscript to her. I was panicked and in shock. I'd been building up the release date and had family from all over coming to it. The editor read the manuscript and said I was an idiot, didn't know how cops talked, and had no business writing. I guess I could have crumbled right there, but something inside told me I could make this work. I worked feverishly on the manuscript, changing things the editor, the publisher, and a third-person reviewer said I needed to do. I did take to heart some of what the editor said about my issues with point of view and timing. So, I cleaned up the manuscript and wrote ‘The End' for the fifth, sixth, and seventh time. My life has never been as stressful as it was during this time. I honestly don't know how I pulled it off. Eventually, the editor was off the project and I worked with the publisher directly.
Then I waited for the big day and worked on all the little things that needed to be done. My book was launched at a conference in Las Vegas. I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe it. Unfortunately, the final edits I sent in were not addressed before the book was out. Copies sold because I had generated a buzz, but this could have stopped my writing career in its tracks. I had another editor, myself, and the publisher go through the book up again. The corrections and edits were made and the "clean" copy was out about a month after the original launch date.
As with many things in life, we're faced with critical decisions and the likelihood of making sacrifices in an effort to accomplish something that is important to us. I made it through some crazy stuff and my book is a lifetime accomplishment that I will always be proud of. I didn't do this to make money. When I read the reviews or speak to someone at events I still get choked up. For me, if people, random strangers even, ask me to tell another story, I know I've been successful. If I inspire others never to give up along the way, well, that's the secret to life and I feel pretty good about spreading the message.
— ♦ —
C. L. Swinney is a narcotics investigator currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has investigated hundreds of narcotics, homicide, gang, and Mexico cartel cases along the west coast of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He has been invited to speak at law enforcement conferences throughout the United States and is recognized as an expert in narcotics, homicides, and cell phone forensics.
His passion for the outdoors and law enforcement is intertwined throughout his writing. For more information about the author, visit his website or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
— ♦ —
Gray Ghost
C. L. Swinney
A Dix and Petersen Mystery
Be careful who you ask for help … it may turn out to haunt you …
Miami Dade Police Department Narcotics detectives on a fly fishing vacation to Andros Island in the Bahamas quickly learn their fishing guides are suspected of being murdered while transporting a hundred million dollars worth of cocaine in a speed boat.
Local law enforcement and the visiting detectives decide to try to apprehend a master mind, known simply as the "Caller", while following leads in Miami as well as the Bahamas.
An elaborate trap is set to snare the "Caller"; however, he knows about the trap as he is one of the people who the detectives ask to help design the trap. The "Caller" uses other people to steal the cocaine; however, even he doesn't see the ending coming.
Click on the Amazon button to see also the special Whispersync offer associated with this title.
