Oceano Beach Bedlam follows a former forensic accountant turned private eye, and his fierce partner, as they investigate the mysterious disappearance of a teenage surfing prodigy. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I have an “idea catcher.” I bet you have one, too. Mine is a little notebook on the nightstand where I jot down all the little inspirations I get while I sleep, dream, or ponder. It’s chock-full of ideas for the next murder mystery. The howdunnits. The whodunnits. The whydunnits.

But getting from a brilliant idea to a fully developed manuscript sometimes takes more than a notebook. Sometimes it requires a mentor. A force majeure.

This is the story of the man who inspired me to write Oceano Beach Bedlam.

The year is 2019, Spring. I’m taking a class entitled “So You Want to Write a Novel” through the Institute for Continued Learning at Utah Tech University (then Dixie State). Dr. Warren Stucki, local novelist and author of the Dr. Cooper Mystery Series and six standalone books, is teaching the class. He challenges us to write a novel and gives us an assignment:

Write a one-page summary of your novel’s setting. Then write a one- or two-page setting scene. And, in just one sentence, write your theme.

At that point in my writing journey, I had just finished the complete rewrite of my first murder mystery, All That Glisters. In the final chapter, amateur sleuth Thad Hanlon is exploring options for rebuilding his life after suffering major personal loss. He tells his sleuthing partner, Bri de la Guerra, “This is going to sound totally wackadoodle, but I was considering getting a PI license. I thought, maybe, I’d hang out a shingle as a Private Investigator.” Given how the first book ends, I asked myself if a sequel made sense.

So for Dr. Stucki’s assignment, I outline Oceano Beach Bedlam and sketch out the scene where Thad Hanlon lands his first client. Months later, on the way to the final draft of the sequel, the original plot takes a few detours. But that first scene from Dr. Stucki’s writing assignment? The scene where Thad brings in his first case as a newly licensed PI? That survived almost completely intact as Chapter 3. Also intact? A brand new character—Mrs. Dudamel—the client in search of her missing son.

What was my takeaway from Warren Stucki’s class?

Take the dare. It might lead to a series—in this case, the Thad Hanlon & Bri de la Guerra Mysteries.

Thad Hanlon is an engaging and complex character. What scene was the most interesting to write for that character?

My favorite scene in Oceano Beach Bedlam, and the most interesting to write, was Chapter 7, where private investigator Thad Hanlon goes on his first date since losing his wife. The scene captures all the awkwardness of first dates after being out of the singles circuit for several years. And all the vulnerability. What makes it even more intriguing is that during the date, Thad tries to reveal to the woman he’s courting (the town’s detective), that he was not entirely forthcoming when, earlier in the week, down at the Sheriff’s Station, she took his statement about a recent incident that may have led to a murder. Secrets, grief, clumsiness, and even a little humor. A perfect blend.

At the time I wrote the chapter, I, too, was re-entering the dating scene, having just lost my wife of 47 years. Talk about awkwardness! I was living it.

How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?

I’m a big fan of the late Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat!® approach to story development, so I tend to “beat out” the major plot points in my novels, complete with scene cards. Each card has a short scene description identifying the Hero/Heroine, Goal, Obstacles, and Stakes, along with notes on the emotional change from scene opening to scene close. And each scene is designed to either advance the plot or develop my characters. My most effective scenes often manage to do both.

As I write the scene, sometimes magic happens and the “players” don’t behave as I expect. So, I end up channeling the characters, leading to surprises (“shocking plot twists”) I never would have imagined during the outline phase of the project. In that respect, I’m neither a plotter nor a pantser, but more a plantser, allowing for organic plot twists. For me, you could make the case that story development and character-generated plot twists can be the same thing, taking the tale in a new but logical direction.

Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Hanlon & de la Guerra and the direction of the next book?

Book Three in the mystery series is nearing completion. The story takes place eight years later. Zael is eleven and quite the surfer himself. He’s a member of the Five Cities Surf Team, Grommet category—junior surfers ages eleven to twelve, or “groms” in surf jargon. Zael and two other members of his surf team are in the water north of Pismo Pier, competing in the California Central Coast Surf Trials, when a crazed marksman starts taking potshots at them. The sniper vanishes. Panic ripples through the Five Cities beach community.

Thad and Bri are hired by a group of terrified parents to protect these local youth as they train for the West Coast Surf Championships. The duo soon discovers that the surf team members aren’t the only ones in the perp’s crosshairs. In a mad scramble, Hanlon and de la Guerra must keep the Five Cities Surf Team safe while unmasking the sniper before he strikes again.

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