How to Write a Mystery Novel: Behind the Scenes - Creation of a Crime Series

by Gene Grossman

Overview

Gene Grossman created the popular 15-book series of Peter Sharp Legal Mysteries, all featuring Suzi, an adorable little 12-year-old Chinese girl who is attorney Peter Sharp's legal ward. She’s also a computer genius and the real brains behind Peter’s successes in court.

If you've enjoyed reading mysteries and ever thought about trying your hand at creating one of your own, you will find this book a valuable aid because it reveals Gene's thought processes as he created the series, and provides you with valuable information that will help you with your own writing efforts.
Among topics covered in the book’s 20 Chapters are:
Getting Started;
Naming the Characters;
Plot Devices;
Resources;
Character Development;
Finding Your Voice;
Tying up Loose Ends;
Working Backwards;
Having Fun while writing;
Creating Suspense;
Also included are many more subjects every beginning mystery/crime novelist must become familiar with in order to write a mystery novel complete with a proper beginning, a lucid middle with side-plot, and a logical, satisfactory ending.
The book also contains first chapters from many of Gene’s Peter Sharp Legal Mysteries, showing that he practices what he preaches, so you can have some idea of how to 'grab' a reader's attention while they're browsing in a bookstore - plus valuable tips about formatting, marketing and more.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940000819111
Publisher:	Magic Lamp Press
Publication date:	01/25/2010
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	427 KB

About the Author

GENE GROSSMAN was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in the North side neighborhood of Albany Park, where he attended Hibbard Elementary and Von Steuben High School.

He pursued majors in psychology, chemistry and mathematics at Wright Junior College, Roosevelt University and Illinois Institute of Technology - all the while working his way through high school and college by playing piano in clubs on Chicago's then-famous "Rush Street."

After moving to Southern California, he worked his way through law school playing piano in night clubs and appeared as a musician in seven major motion pictures.

While slowly building his law practice, Gene purchased a truckload of movie equipment he rented out to film production companies and then started his own production company which over the years produced more than 50 educational programs on subjects ranting from Boating and Celestial Navigation, to legal subjects (Depositions, Bankruptcy, etc.) Sign Language Instruction and many more.

Always having been interested in boating, getting divorced prompted him to buy and move onto a 45-foot Chris Craft motor yacht in Marina del Rey California,.

Years later, while serving as navigator on a yacht delivery from the U.S. to Tortola, Gene wrote his first book, "Celestial Navigation for Dummies" (before the popular series of 'Dummies' books was created). He used his own production equipment to shoot a video on the subject Celestial Navigation - "Sextant Use and the Sun Noon Shot" and unintentionally started the nautical video industry in this country.

Over the next few years he followed that first title up with more than 50 other educational DVD titles, all displayed on his production company's website at www.MagicLampDVDs.com.

Having moved on from doing scripts for his video productions, Gene turned to writing fiction, and now spends most of his time in the marina on his new boat, where he created the 15-book series of 'Peter Sharp Legal Mysteries,' all now available both in print and as eBooks at Smashwords via www.LegalMystery.com

In addition to the 15 Peter Sharp novels, Gene compiled a group of fiction and non-fiction titles that he has either written or edited for others, plus some classic stories: the publishing company he formed (www.MagicLampPress.com) now has more than 60 books in print.

The Peter Sharp Legal Mystery Series
#1: Single Jeopardy
#2: ...By Reason of Sanity
#3: A Class Action
#4: Conspiracy of Innocence
#5: ...Until Proven Innocent
#6: The Common Law
#7: The Magician's Legacy
#8: The Reluctant Jurist
#9: The Final Case
#10: An Element of Peril
#11: A Good Alibi
#12: Legally Dead
#13: How to Rob a Bank
#14: Murder Under Way
#15: The Sherlock Holmes Caper
The Suzi B. Mystery Series (a spin-off)
#1: ...Sorry, Wrong Number
#2: Movie Magic
#3: Two Perfect Crimes
#4: He's the Guy
#5: The Magic Bullets

All 20 of Gene's mysteries are described in detail in a free eBook: The Mystery Books of Gene Grossman: Summaries with the Author's Comments.