Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Out of Bounds - Plot Synopsis

Framed for murder and trapped in a conspiracy set in motion by a narcotics trafficking network, a cash-strapped man soon regrets accepting an easy and well-paid job. It was simply too good to be true.

KYLE HUNT, an over-anxious thirty-three-year-old security equipment installer, living in Charleston, South Carolina, with his girlfriend PILAR TELLEZ and their two daughters, is having difficulty making ends meet. When local businessman HECTOR RAMIREZ and his tough associate RAY DUPREE call on him for an off-the-record installation of a surveillance system and offer twenty thousand dollars in compensation, Hunt recklessly carries out the task. In the process he inadvertently sees private information about stored merchandise, which ultimately backfires on him as a cargo facility is soon after robbed and a homicide is committed.

Relentlessly looking for the killer of the cargo facility employee, veteran homicide detective JACOB BORNHOLM has earmarked Hunt as his prime suspect. And, to make matters worse, Dupree also reckons Hunt is responsible for the heist. The threats begin. With a view to protect his family, Hunt keeps Pilar in the dark regarding the events.

Alone in the struggle, and in an attempt to unravel the set-up, Hunt begins his own investigation and must fend off his doubts and uncertainties, as well as the emotional demons of his past and present to prove he is merely a fall guy.

Bornholm, meanwhile, pursues his search for the bigger picture, counting on his experience and determination to tackle the obstacles in his way. Be it the false trails, supervisor pressure, inter-agency confidentiality, or the comeback of DEA legend HARVEY WHITE, Bornholm must venture beyond the boundaries of his limited local authority in order to seek justice.

Hunt and Bornholm’s interwoven investigations go crescendo and pit them against a complex interstate narcotic trafficking network as well as a sadistic Ray Dupree on a weak link elimination rampage.

As the trap closes on Hunt, and his world goes increasingly haywire, he is forced to take matters into his own hands and put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Hunt, Dupree, and Bornholm: Three different men with different game plans, but all ultimately following the same trail of death and deceit in a journey that will take them, in turn, from Charleston to the exotic, yet dangerous streets of Miami’s Little Havana, and the Florida Keys.

With the escalation of violence around him, Hunt must push himself to the limit to save his loved ones. Defeat is not an option.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

No Turning Back


The novel's title is "Out of Bounds".

No it wasn't chosen at random.
 
"Out of Bounds" reflects the crazy situation Kyle (my main protagonist) is facing. It also implies that, in addition to the circumstances, the characters are all acting beyond the ordinary limits. The killer, Ray, brings in scenes of mayhem. The police detective has several dilemmas and must act out of his capacity and jurisdiction. Finally, I suppose "Out of Bounds" leave some room for guessing.

I've also reached a critical publishing milestone.

I've submitted my work to the publisher, made a few decisions on publishing outlets and prices (that ultimately impacts the royalties I will hopefully perceive). It took some thinking, I assure you.

Last week, I finalised my manuscript and managed to survive a very tedious page layout process, making sure the work fits Amazon's requirements. It was long and, as a novice, quite challenging. Still, I got to grips with issues such as page size, margins, paragraph indents. Margins were the main pain in the neck.

This week, I placed my work on the Amazon's online DIY book submission service, Createspace. I also submitted a pdf of the book cover, which was designed by a friend, Bertrand. I got the front cover photo from Oscar, a photographer based near Barcelona, Spain. And the back cover palm tree photo was sent to me by a talented amateur called Kaytee. She's based in Michighan, USA.

Here's a screen shot of the cover I'm using. The front cover photo makes me think of Kyle.
 
 

So what next?

The book is currently undergoing review and I will soon be able to order a sample copy of the paperback. Once that arrives in the post and I'm happy with it, I'll push the required buttons on Createspace and the book will be available on Amazon.com. That's what will happen in an ideal world, but I'm optimistic and not considering delays just yet.

Of course, my chances of success are undermined if I go the print route only. So I'm also actively looking at ebook publishing and this will allow readers to obtain copies of the book at a lower price.

I'm aiming for compatability with Kindle and Kobo and various other ebook readers. I am primarily submitting my work to a website called Smashwords, which offers exposure with online retail platforms such as Barnes & Noble.

That's it for now. Light at the end of the tunnel.

Thursday, 6 February 2014

Getting There


I have nearly finished with the edits, and the final copy of the novel should be ready in the upcoming days.

I hope the reading of the end result will flow better after having trimmed the word count. I am also in the process of formatting the manuscript for submission to the online publishers and annexing new pages such as the acknowledgements, copyright, and "about the author" sections (what the hell am I going to put in the latter?!).

On another note, I have finally chosen the title. I'm 99% sure I will use it, but I'll only announce what it is when I reach the 100% threshold. Sorry to keep you waiting, but it's a big commitment. Once you've made the title public, there's no turning back.

I have found help for the book cover. Mastering image formatting software is simply beyond me. So a kind friend has come in to design something decent for me. I have also secured permission to use two photos and I'm sure they will look good on the cover. They should reflect the darkness of the gritty world I have written about. My friend is currently working on the project and I'll soon be able to see the first samples of what he is doing. This is exciting!

Online publishers have templates for book covers and I could have easily opted for one of those. However, I think it is important though to produce something which leaves a visual impression and not a generic, bland, and easily-forgotten cover. My cover needs to convey some kind of crime fiction imagery, without exaggerating too much and being 'giallo'. That way the reader can easily categorize the book and not be tricked into reading a sci-fi or erotic fiction novel, for instance.

Sure, my book will only be available online and these comments apply mainly to books in retail stores, but it's crucial to try and stand out.
 

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Linguistic squirrels

I have reached the half-way mark of my revised manuscript and I am realistically still a few weeks away from completion.

Many suggested edits were of value. I've tried to make the text look as American as possible - quite a task being an Franco-Englishman living in France - and the difficulty is in reducing the British-English and Gallicisms from creeping in. A small number of friends and I call these oddities 'linguistic squirrels' (my slip of the tongue for the word 'skills').

Progress has been made on other matters relating to the book's publication. I'm investigating possibilities for use of photos on the future book cover and I'm in touch with a few people who may just help me turn my blurred ideas into material reality. I'm a dinosaur when it comes to image remodelling software and I know my technical limits. Outside help, as I have mentioned before, comes in handy at this stage. People tell you they never judge a book by its cover. Well, after reading on the subject, I discovered they were dead wrong. Apparently a decent book cover and a good title come as the most important criteria in a book purchase, after price naturally.

Speaking about the title, I'm 90% sure of what it will be. My draft title was 'A Turn for the Worse'. But after weighing the pros and cons, I decided to drop it. I thought it sounded nice, well in a British-English sort of way.

Monday, 20 January 2014

The Edits Have Arrived

Hello everyone.

My trusted proof-reader sent me the edits to my novel over the weekend. Lots of red words and comments on the side. The task will be challenging.

Having my manuscript proof-read was crucial. No matter how many times you go through a text, the chances of leaving careless mistakes always remain high. After a while you become oblivious to what you have written and it's necessary to seek outside help. To be frank, some issues my proof-reader highlighted are painfully obvious and quite embarrassing.

In my case, it was the first time I let someone read the full manuscript and sharing work that is so personal isn't an easy thing to do. You have to be open to honest and sometimes harsh judgement. There's no room to hide any more. It took a lot of courage to ask him.

Anyhow, the end result looks great and I'm looking forward to working on the final draft of the manuscript.

Tuesday, 14 January 2014

Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2014 short story competition

A few months ago I submitted a short story to the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2014 short story competition. Entitled "An Evening with Walter", the story is just under 2,000 words long.

The competition, organized by the Bloomsbury Publishing Group, leaves a lot of room for writers to expand and work on basically what they want. The theme is "The Visit".

Should you be interested in contributing, you can do so, but before February 15th. Check this link to find out more: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions

The winners of the competition will be announced sometime in March. Who knows, perhaps some agent might spot "An Evening with Walter"?

On another note, I am literally days from receiving comments and revisions from my trusted proof-reader. I am sure that there will be many matters to rectify and that there will be some wise advice for the further shaping of my novel. I guess I have several busy weeks ahead of me.

Thursday, 2 January 2014


January 2, 2014.

Today, I officially inaugurate my crime fiction writer's blog. I have already written my first novel, which I aim to publish early this year. Stay tuned for more updates.

Simon Duke