Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery

A little over three years ago, when I started writing the first Johnny Denovo mystery, which would ultimately be called, “Spam & Eggs,” I never once thought that by the end of 2010 I would have three novels on the market. At that point, writing one novel — to completion, with a satisfying cast of characters and a cathartic ending — seemed well beyond my skills.

Today, I approved the internal pages and cover for the third novel, completing a trilogy.

Nobody’s more surprised than I am.

From a few basic ideas, the series and characters have taken on a life of its own. I’ve mentioned before that some of the most enjoyable parts of writing these books is when the characters take over the plot, and I find myself describing surprising decisions and transcribing inspired dialog.

And while the trilogy wasn’t the goal, there is a magic about three books. In this case, there is also coincidentally an arc binding all three together — one that emerges in this newest novel, “Entanglement.”

So my bookshelf will have a little section now with three very special books in it — “Spam & Eggs,” which was my first completed novel; “The Green Monster,” which let me amp up the Denovo crowd; and “Entanglement,” which wraps up three cases which, in a way, were also one case.

Will there be another Denovo mystery? I don’t know. But I’m happy there are three.

"Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery"

Two firm steps toward publication of the third Johnny Denovo mystery were taken this week. First, the text was completed and sent to the publisher. Second, the cover design was completed and approved.

Entitled “Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” the third book in the series picks up where “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery” left off — with the lingering worries about a mysterious fire, an infected detective, and someone still at large.

The cover design was done by Kevin Smith of AndSmith LLC, using a photograph we located using Flickr. The photographer, a woman from Northern Ireland named Nicola McAree, was kind enough to grant us permission.

The blurb on the cover comes from Fred Dylla, who heads the American Institute of Physics. Since the book delves a little into some theoretical physics, I was especially pleased that he agreed to read the book, and that he liked it.

Look for “Entanglement” in late November or early December, just in time for the holiday season.

The cover isn’t complete — the cover blurb hasn’t arrived yet, the spine and back still need some details, etc. But the overall effect is a vast improvement over the cover for the previous book, “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” and gets us back on a strong design trajectory reminiscent of the widely praised cover for “Spam & Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery.”

The new cover is previewed below. There may be some last-minute changes, but I’m really pleased with it so far. More about the specific designer and artist will follow as the cover is finalized.

Preview of the cover for "Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery"

The third Johnny Denovo mystery, entitled “Entanglement,” is nearing completion, and should be out this fall. The story picks up where “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery” left off, and answers many questions from the first two mysteries, even one that only one reader I know of has picked up on so far.

Look for more updates soon as the cover is finalized and a select chapter or two are pre-published here.

I’ve recently had some time on trains and planes to work on the third Johnny Denovo mystery, “Entanglement,” and I’m finding myself excited by the possibilities the book has to mystify and entertain.

The first two books (“Spam & Eggs” and “The Green Monster“) have been widely praised as well-written, fast-paced, exciting, complicated, and fun, with characters you like and stories that have you guessing until the end.

“Entanglement” has all these elements, as well, but working on it in the draft it’s in makes me realize just how many ideas and twists still have to be fully developed and revealed in the writing.

A major part of writing a  novel for me is moving the ideas I have completely toward the reader, and that means writing out everything that needs to be seen by the reader so that the flow is consistent.

In early drafts, I often short-cut scenes, just putting in placeholders for exchanges I ultimately flesh out. It’s like that old saw of writing, “show, don’t tell.” Early drafts have more “tell” than “show,” and a lot of the writing of later drafts for me is about showing.

I’m also excited by the way that some characters emerge in this story, and how more of Johnny’s backstory is seen through some interesting lenses.

And it’s fun to have the characters traveling around the US, seeking the perps and grappling with local settings and their challenges.

OK, enough of this. I have a book to finish writing!

Backword Books

Christopher Meeks, author of “The Brightest Moon of the Century” and a member of Backword Books, interviewed me recently about the Johnny Denovo mystery series, the writing process, the concepts behind the books, and other matters of interest to readers and writers. Here’s a brief excerpt:

CHRISTOPHER MEEKS: Your third book is due early next year. What are you discovering about your continuing characters as the series evolves? Do you have plans for any novels outside of this series?

ANDREW KENT: Well, Mona and Johnny have a relationship that’s getting more intense. That’s nice. I had them hook up early since I didn’t want the titillation of “will they or won’t they.” That’s overdone. They’re adults, so they will. Mona’s also not a helpless female, and she’s rather mighty in the third book, I’m finding. She’s getting the hang of the detective shtick. Other characters are developing or coming forward as needs arise, and other relationships are forming. Also, in the third book, the almost telepathic friendship Johnny and Tucker share gets tested. That’s fun.

I have ideas for other books, one in the fantasy genre and one non-fiction. I have initial outlines for the first, and about half an unstructured book for the second. But right now, I’m focused on finishing this little trilogy of Denovo mysteries. Oh, and I have an outline for a prequel for Johnny, a book about the case that changed his life. It’s pretty cool, so I might write that someday, too.

You can read the entire interview here.

In addition, you can enter a contest to win two books — a copy of “Spam & Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery” and one of “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery” — just by guessing which Dr. Seuss book was my favorite as a kid. The contest ends Friday, November 13th. I hope your luck lasts through that ominous date.

UPDATE: A winner emerged Tuesday night, with the correct guess of “Fox in Socks” netting the successful reader two new books — “Spam & Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery” and “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery.” Congratulations!

Author RJ Keller

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing RJ Keller, author of “Waiting for Spring,” a great novel about a woman in Maine dealing with divorce, rediscovery, and reinvention. The interview can be found at Backword Books, where she and I are part of a consortium of independent literary authors.

Not only is the interview a great read for authors and readers alike, but you can enter to win a signed copy of RJ Keller’s novel through a “Tweet2Win!” approach detailed at the site.

I’m just finishing “Waiting for Spring” right now, and I can tell you that it’s an excellent book with some stellar writing and witty observations, memorable characters, a palpable atmosphere, and a storyline that’s very engaging.

Read the interview and enter the contest to win a free book. The contest is open until Friday, November 6, 2009.

The Johnny Denovo Mysteries

The secret behind the author of “Spam & Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery” and “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” has been revealed, thanks to a podcast from the Copyright Clearance Center’s “Beyond the Book” audio program.

Christopher Kenneally interviewed me in mid-October about the inspiration for the books, what I’ve learned through the publishing process, and reader reactions. His intrepid reporting (as well as the fact that we’ve known each other for a few years now and enjoy working on things together) allowed him to penetrate my pseudonym and reveal the true person behind Andrew Kent.

You can listen to the podcast here.

In the interview, I also talk about the incredibly talented authors I’ve become acquainted with through Backword Books, a consortium of independent literary authors. There’s a series of author interviews going on over there, as well, so if you like to hear how authors think and work, check these out.

Later this week on the Backword site, yours truly will be interviewing the very talented RJ Keller about her book, “Waiting for Spring.”

It doesn’t begin to do the scene, characters, or book justice — Johnny’s much cooler, Mona’s much sexier, they’re supposed to be at a sidewalk cafe in France, and both speak accurately inflected English instead of gritty computerese, but there you have it.

I thought I’d post it as evidence of why human actors get major dollars to emote: