It’s a rare feeling to have confidence in your creation. When I write, I oscillate between ecstasy and despair. Sometimes I write hard, on a roll, the words burbling out, and I think, “Readers will love this!” But then I have a tough day and think, “I’ll just have worms for dinner.”

That’s why getting my mystery novel edited by a professional was so critical. I had written as far as I could, to DONE. But I was worried about a few things, and it was time for objective eyes. In this case, I chose writer and editor Bev Rosenbaum, sent it off and held my breath for a week (don’t try that – the “not breathing” part). Bev’s job as development editor was not to proofread, but to consider characters and plot and tell me where things weren’t working.

Have you ever given someone something you’ve poured all your passion and creativity into and said, “Rip it apart!” Well, that’s what writers do, willingly (if not happily), in order to make a book the best it can be.

Bev did her job well, offering specific suggestions where things were heading in the wrong direction, where the writing needed more clout, and where the reader would have expectations I hadn’t met. And she did it kindly, so I didn’t feel like a desiccated jellyfish by the time I finished reading her suggestions. In fact, I felt pretty good about things, that I could make those changes and deliver a compelling story.

And, with that rare, brief feeling of confidence, I made those changes and have used the creative excitement to outline Book Two in this mystery series. My plan is to have Book Two nigh finished before Book One gets to readers eyes and hopefully, hearts. So, for readers who have been waiting for my latest book, I have a couple of bits of good news: Book One will be worth the wait, Book Two will be just as good, and (here’s the surprise ending) Book Three will not exist. I’ve realized that a two-part series is the right amount of story for this group of characters. And that means that my mystery will be coming to you sooner!

Want to know more? Here ya go! It’s the first draft of the back cover of The River Answered.

The River Answered Back Cover Description

“As she struggled to get to him, she could see his small hand, pale in the murky stream. Was he reaching for her, or was his arm just pulled by the powerful current, his limp hand fluttering? She tried to reach it, barely brushing the fingers that looked sickly yellow in the strange light. They were so cold.”

Ash feels broken after an accident left her with nightmares and unbearable guilt. She seeks safety in her career and comfort in her fiancé’s arms, but the past torments her, along with the sorrow and shame about how things ended with her childhood friend, Ben.

That’s when she gets a call with terrible news: Her grandmother is in the hospital, close to death. Ash hurries to her rundown hometown to be with the woman who raised her and soon realizes that her grandmother’s fall might not have been an accident. With meth suddenly wrecking the normally sleepy city, Ash can’t convince the overworked police detective to focus on her concerns, and she is driven to act on her own. In seeking justice, Ash hurtles down a perilous path toward a dangerous – possibly deadly – collision with the truth.

Not everything is what it seems. The people and solutions run deep in The River Answered.

Thriller author A.H. Gilbert brings you an intriguing, present-day mystery set in a struggling town in rainy, lush Upstate New York.

_{The photos used here are by Jr Korpa and Tim Marshall, provided free on Unsplash.}