We were having dinner last night with good friends and talking about TIFF, and anti-semitism –subjects that will soon become bigger news (too bad about that). Then my friends switched the conversation to the topic of writing a novel.
My friend Bernice said to me, “look Patti, I do enjoy reading your blogs but I am less interested in your political opinions that I would be in how you brought your book to where it is now. And some insights on what it takes to sit down and write a book. And tell me, where did you get that title? I thought the book was about murder, betrayal and sex…your favourite subjects, or so you say”.
“Yes, we agree”, said Putch and Barb P. nodding their heads. “Give us the scoop”.
Okay, so no politics in this blog. How did I decide to title my latest novel, The Third Hole? And why did it take me ten years to write it? My first three books were on the shelves in 1993 – the last in 2002.
Five years ago I received a call from an agent in California (he was listed in their directory) asking for more information about my 2nd novel, Final Justice, published in 2002. Like Deadly Justice, it had sold around the world and he said he had some questions about it. Now as an aside, nothing is weirder than seeing your book in Japanese, or Greek, or some other foreign language with a gorgeous chick on the cover that you hope is mistaken for you. Sadly, the Greek lady was blond so there was little chance of that.
Anyhow, for those of us who are writers, we know that calls like the one I got are usually vague and iffy – suggestions but no specifics. In my case, he was asking questions about my marital status, my former friends in the Italian community and what kind of contacts I still had. I wasn’t that interested to begin with and I am always wary of questions from strangers so I just brushed him off.
Not surprisingly, I soon had second thoughts – was he for real? Was I stupid to have brushed him off? Maybe I was falling into that deadliest of traps – believing my own press clippings. So I sent him an email about a month later – to the address listed in the agents’ brochure – but no answer.
But I kept thinking about it – about sitting down and doing an outline for another book that focussed on the younger members of the DeLuca and Brattini families – where they were, how had the last ten years impacted on their lives – were the sons as quick to kill as their fathers had once been? So I started to make some notes. But something was missing – I didn’t know what – I wasn’t excited. And life moved on.
Then, fate stepped in. Last year I bumped into an old friend who had been the senior editor at Stoddart Publishing before they closed down. He had worked on my first books but I hadn’t seen him in over ten years. He had moved on and was doing very well in his own company, focussing on non-fiction subjects.
“Hey”, he said when we met at a book launch. “How come you haven’t written another book? Ten years is too long a hiatus. Soon, no one will remember your name”.
Just the jolt I needed. I nearly crushed him with my version of a bear hug. We soon did lunch and talked writing and publishing for two hours and then agreed that 90% of it was luck. But a great publisher still had to be the first step. So I called Greg Ioannou of Iguana books and we met and we made a deal. Book launch in April, 2013. I had to get to work, serious work. I expanded on my notes and soon created an outline.
Now what about the book’s title?
I am a golf freak – unfortunately my pen is mightier than my Nike driver so I am not very good. But I am part of a terrific group of girls who all love to play – remember my blog on Fifty Shades of Grey? We try to start playing in April and continue until the frost hits in late October. Last June, after two seasons of being boarded up while being re-designed, the 3rd hole of our favourite golf course, down in the valley, was ready. We were all excited as we had heard it was ‘beyond magnificent’. And so it was.
On the first round I finally managed to get my ball over the first hill (only took 2 strokes). I could then see the vista – close to 500 yards of fairway surrounded by hills, trees, flowers and vegetation all around, and of course, water. When I finally made it to the green and up to the flag (7 strokes) I looked down the other side of the green’s slope and saw huge rocks, bushes and more water that were only visible if one was standing next to the flag.
And it was then that I knew, absolutely, that a murder had to happen here –that it would have to be a really good murder –that I was ready to finish writing my third novel –and that it had to be titled… The 3rd Hole.
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