Debi Graham-Leard

The creation of “Regrets Only”… the 5th story in the Gwen Andrews mystery series… required more hours than the previous tales. Opting to take Gwen and her sister out to Nantucket for a Halloween party brought with it an entirely different challenge.

And here’s why. The first four stories in the series took place in the fictional town of Harbor Falls, Massachusetts, a place of my imagination with street names I’d chosen and buildings where I needed them.

But on Nantucket, streets carry established names. The ferry docks, police station, and mid-island grocery store are located in particular sections of the island. Because I couldn’t fake these details, my daytrip friend suggested we ride the ferry to explore the island’s nooks and crannies. After three days of gaining a good sense of the island and its details, we headed back to the mainland and I continued the writing.

But as usually happens, my original plot veered off, taking twists and turns, leading me to a ending different than I’d planned.

Now here I sit, working through my completed manuscript one scene at a time. Adjusting character dialogue. Eliminating unnecessary words. Summarizing repeated passages. Tightening the prose. Making sure the foreshadowing matches the events that eventually take place.

When I finish this last edit and feel proud to release “Regrets Only” to mystery lovers, I’ll place the file in the hands of my very capable publisher for her review and final suggestions. When all adjustments are applied, she’ll upload to my Amazon page, and submit the order for printed copies to be autographed.

When that banner day arrives, I’ll turn to Gwen in my mind and ask, “What mystery would you like to solve next?”

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