Where You Can Find Me

Researching My Next Novel

I'm reading a book of the same title by my friend and former teacher, Sheri Joseph.  It is a wonderful book, I really think her best yet, and draws you in all unaware into the lives of these believable but distinct characters.

The reason I write this particular blog, however, is not to praise Sheri's writing, as much as it deserves it.  The book is primarily set in Costa Rica where, my understanding is, Sheri finagled a paid sabbatical to visit for the purpose of "research."  Now this is genius.

My first novel was set in Georgia, my second in central Florida, and my third - currently being shopped around by my agent - in Georgia again.  Do you see the problem here?  I mean, Georgia and Florida are nice, but...  And the one set in Florida wasn't even the glamorous part of Florida, like, say Panama City Beach with all those cool water-slides and miniature golf and that restaurant, The Captain's Table, where you can get the all-u-can-eat fried platter.  No, it was central Florida.  Picture Gainesville, but without the hustle and bustle.

So I'm pretty sure my next novel is going to be about some guy struggling to return captive kangaroos to the wild, very eco-conscious stuff - that's the first chapter - but then he's in this Italian villa and there's lots of comic mix-ups and funny colorful characters - but then!  The discovery of a long-forgotten treasure map takes him to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt where he must uncover...  I won't give away the ending, but I'm pretty sure he'll be in London for the theater season, and maybe sample the night-life at Cannes.  It'll be a wonderful book, full of tears, laughter, and the sort of folksy humility for which I am so wide-spreadedly beloved.

Any backers?