By Tim Smith (Guest Blogger)
Once upon a time I had an idea for a
romantic adventure story. I had a ripped-from-the-headlines plot and
the ideal hero, a former CIA spook that walked away from the spy biz
to live in Key Largo, Florida. He would be cool, tough and sexy,
(something most of us aren’t), and would get involved in cool,
tough, sexy adventures (something most of us can’t do). There was
only one little problem – what should I call him? I had his first
name picked out but needed a surname that was unique and wouldn’t
conjure up a preconceived image. That eliminated names like Callahan,
Savalas, Columbo, Rambo and Bond. I christened him Nick Seven and his
first couple of adventures became best sellers and critical hits.
Then I conceived another series
featuring a leading man who was light years removed from this
character. I named him Vic Fallon and he’s a former police
detective in northern Ohio who was discharged for using unnecessary
force. He’s now a private investigator, but with a twist. He
doesn’t really have to work and only takes jobs when he’s bored
or something intrigues him. He’s also the only recurring character,
leaving him free to romance a different woman in each story.
Now comes the hard part. How do I keep
these two characters straight when I’m writing about them? There
are some similarities but I want each to have their own personality.
I recalled that when Mickey Spillane wrote about someone other than
Mike Hammer, the names might have been different but they were
basically the same person. I didn’t want to stumble over that
rabbit hole.
Nick Seven is a rather dark character,
due to some past experiences when he worked around the globe as a
spy. He’s damaged goods and that usually comes into play in each
adventure. He lives with a Barbadian beauty named Felicia, who is a
former co-worker. All they want to do is live anonymously in The Keys
but their former employer has different ideas and each story has a
topical theme. Here’s an example from my newest release, Never
Look Back:
* * * *
The last bit of moonlight over Key
Largo slowly faded with the arrival of daybreak. The emerging sun was
quickly overshadowed by dark clouds rolling in, accompanied by
thunder that rumbled over the Gulf of Mexico. Soon the inevitable
rain began, pelting the ground with an instant cloudburst, washing
away the grime and guilt of the previous night.
Nick Seven watched from the
kitchen of his condo that overlooked the Atlantic. He leisurely
puffed a cigarette between sips of coffee while his mind wandered,
dredging up things from the long ago past.
Pre-dawn has to be the
loneliest time of night. It’s worse than midnight, when all the
animals come out to play. That’s when you face the ghosts, the bad
memories that won’t leave you alone, the ones you can’t exorcise
from your soul. Those ghosts are always needy and desperate, like a
lot of people. Things happen to average people when they’re
desperate. It drives them to do things they’d never think of doing
when they’re rational.
Those are the people you watch
out for.
* * * *
Vic Fallon, on the other hand, is a
throwback to the pulp fiction characters of Chandler, Hammett and
Westlake, but in a contemporary setting. Vic is a tough wise-ass who
always finds himself in unwanted situations, and his cases can take
him anywhere. The women he meets are straight out of an old B movie
where the hero takes one on the chin in the name of love. This is the
opening from his latest adventure, Lido Key:
* * * *
I had the craziest damn dream.
I was standing on a cloud of white satin while angels strummed their
golden harps all around me. I swear one of them looked like Taylor
Swift. Then this guy showed up, dressed in a double-breasted blue
pinstripe suit and a gray fedora. Looked like he stepped out of an
old Bogart movie. No, wait, it wasn’t Bogart, it was Robert
Mitchum. Yeah, that’s it. Mitchum handed Taylor a bottle of cheap
whiskey and she poured a healthy slug into a tumbler. She smiled when
she handed it to me, you know, one of those smiles that tells you
everything’s okay even though your gut tells you it isn’t. I
drank it down in one swallow then felt lightheaded so I curled up on
that satin cloud and fell asleep. Probably shouldn’t have eaten
sushi for dinner last night.
Vic Fallon slowly awoke from a
deep slumber and looked through one drowsy eye at the clock radio.
8:30. I never sleep this late. Must’ve been more tired than I
realized. He stretched his arms and yawned. I never sleep this
well in a strange bed the first night away from home, either.
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, blinked a few times to
wake up then looked around. His brow furrowed. This isn’t where
I fell asleep last night.
* * * *
When I come up with a story idea I have
to decide which series it would best fit. If it’s drawn from
current events, it would probably work as a Nick Seven spy adventure.
If it’s something quirkier I’ll develop it into a Vic Fallon
crime caper. The online consequences of sexting inspired Lido Key,
and the Wiki-leaks affair served as the jumping off point for Never
Look Back.
Someone proposed a wild idea to me
recently. They suggested that I put both characters in the same
story. Hmm, Nick versus Vic. What a concept! I could also throw in
some supporting characters named Rick, Mick and Dick to really
confuse things.
Never Look Back - Buy here!
Lido Key - Buy here!
Bio:
Tim Smith is an award-winning,
bestselling author whose books range from romantic mystery/thrillers
to contemporary erotic romance. His website is
www.timsmithauthor.com.
