Release day for Mirage is almost here — so how about a final set of teasing tidbits about the book? I’ll try not to spoil it too much, but if you’re worried, it might be better to order the book first and then come back to read these later. 🙂
Robbing the rich? Really?
Yes – but in a very modern way. I came across a security bulletin a while back detailing how most major scams wind up erasing people’s bank balances and started to wonder if the wealthy among us were just as susceptible as those with fewer zeros on their bank balance. While I don’t have a concrete answer to that, it did lead to an interesting what if…? moment that generated the major plot line in Mirage.
Your inner geek is showing.
No kidding. Then again, after spending three decades in the tech business, I’ve seen a thing or two – especially when it comes to this sort of digital legerdemain.
The last blog post said it was hard for Alex and Vas to travel now that they have a cat.
Like any pet parents, traveling just requires finding someone to take care of their fur baby when they decided to get away. While we don’t get to that wonderful beach house in St. Lucie this time out, the guys do get a well deserved long weekend in Palm Springs.
Palm Springs? Again?
What can I say – I like what I like. Then again, that desert city is far larger than you realize, allowing for a vast panoply of possible locations just far enough from Los Angeles that it feels exotic, but I can get my characters there in short order. For nothing is less sexy than writing scenes for them while they wait in an airport terminal.
Something tells me Alex and Vas would make the most of their time together at an airport.
Hey – have you been looking at my notes? Stop that!
Are the budget cuts you keep hinting at going to affect Vasily’s position in Rancho Linda?
I’ll never say never on that, but for now, no. The most visible part of the ongoing budget crisis in our fair city is the plan to raze the current headquarters building and move the department to a new facility in another part of town. I’m honestly a bit excited about this prospect, for it allows me to craft a new set (as it were) for Vasily’s professional life, without him having to leave his role with Rancho Linda. The situation also lets me explore the pitfalls of centralization and consolidation — a periodic infatuation that seems to grip both the public and private sectors with alarming regularity without regard to the consequences.
Okay, that’s it until the book comes out; don’t forget to order your copy today. Be on the lookout for our podcast discussing Mirage, which will hopefully drop within a few days of the book being released.