Work Wednesday – Annie DeMoranville

The Evolution of TJ Wilde: Full Sail, Pt 1

Full Sail cover Golden Fishing Pier with sailboat and dolphin in the background

And here we are, in the final chapter of TJ Wilde’s journey. This was a hard one to write. Not because I didn’t know what to write; I did. I’d known before I even ended Run Aground how TJ’s story would end. And the unfolding mystery had been in the back of my mind for years. The Hollywood-ness of it all.

Unfortunately, a few things happened along the way. One was Covid, which threw all of us off our game. But for TJ and me, it meant I couldn’t wrap up her journey. So I pivoted to the Duxbridge series, which felt a little lighter and more accessible. It also meant I could write with one of my Covid bubble buddies. Win-win for all of us who needed connection back then.

I kept up my research and plotting. I had an entire notebook of scribbles when it was finally time to begin. Still, I struggled. Trips to LA for locations were hit or miss, until the third trip, which I’ll detail more next week.

But probably the biggest hurdle? I wasn’t ready to let go of TJ, Colby and Mimi. So I lingered.

Work Wednesday: New Duxbridge Novel

I am heavy into the second book in the Duxbridge Mysteries. I don’t have a title yet, but do have a solid story.

Because of that, I haven’t written the first installment of the Evolution of TJ Wilde: Full Sail, yet (you can see the stories about Run Aground and Underway here).

1950 typewriter, 1940 Art Deco phone and Italian cat sculpture on a desk

How about a few photos of my birthday thrift store finds to make up for it? The 1950s Royal typewriter (with the green keys!) absolutely stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t even hesitate to grab it. It works great, was clearly well taken care of or restored. Types great, looks even better.

The Evolution of TJ Wilde: Underway, Pt 3

This was our view from a second floor restaurant in Havana

One of my favorite parts of writing is the improbable puzzle of it all. I usually set up an idea of what I want to write, create a compelling (or at least I hope it’s compelling) opening sequence, and generally know where I’m going to end up by the final chapter. Then the magic happens.

The Evolution of TJ Wilde: Underway, Pt 2

Boston skyline with tall ship in the harbor

Location, location, location. As important in fiction as it is in real estate.

So I had SoWa. I had Long Island just off Boston Harbor. I had a unique Cuban gallery that participated in a Cuban artist exchange program. All that was left was a quick trip to Cuba. Once I had the locations, the artists’ community, and the historical context I needed to craft TJ’s Boston world, then the mysteries began to unfold.

Long Island viewed from Quincy MA — Long Island in Boston Harbor

Before she even unpacks, TJ finds new friends in SoWa, thanks to an abandoned kitten, and is quickly thrust into another mystery, thanks to a break-in and a missing gallerist. A Cuban art gallery, with a Cuban exchange program, and an abandoned hospital on a mostly abandoned island, offer a tangled web of intrigue. And she still needs to navigate her new job, along with suddenly becoming responsible for a rambunctious kitten, all while actively avoiding Colby’s many texts.

The Evolution of TJ Wilde: Underway, Pt 1

You can leave Boston, but Boston will never leave you, white letters on black background

Boston is one of my favorite cities and my home for many years. Underway was born, not of my adventures there, but a week of new and unexpected adventures not long after I published Run Aground. My friend and I were driving around, exploring possible locations for Underway, when we came across the SoWa (South Washington) Art District. We stepped into the world I’d envisioned, yet didn’t know existed.

There TJ could find her new home, new work and maybe a new life.

Another day, exploring our old stomping grounds, I point out across the water and ask, “are those the islands you used to camp out on as a kid?” She tells me no, that the island where the old hospital is, that was in use for various things until the bridge to the island was demolished.

After I got over the shock of never having realized that after decades of walking the beach across from it, I knew it would have a starring role in the book.

Underway opens in Boston, where TJ feels most at home. Back to where she was happy. Back to where she could heal from all that had come before. It also had the advantage of steady employment and a loft apartment. Oh, and her best friend in the world.

But of course, it could not be that easy, could it?

ONE

Colby: I’m not giving up on us. XO