The Last Note: A Miami Music Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Cat Press (January 24, 2018)
Paperback: 268 pages

Synopsis

Killer songs and a killer voice, but a killer at her gig?

Vy has always found herself at the center of attention as the lead singer for one of Miami’s top cover bands, but when she finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, while performing at the Steel Horse Bar, that changes the tune of the night. Someone believes that Vy knows the truth behind the murder of the bar owner Ricky, and now that person is after her. Vy better figure out quickly who wanted Ricky dead, who is threatening her with her favorite band’s song lyrics, and why she’s falling for the handsome Detective Houston, before she too sings her last note. With a mixture of mystery, mayhem and comedy, you will find yourself immersed in Vy’s musical and murderous world.

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Guest Post

I have been asked a lot recently, What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

And my answer will always remain the same, the best advice I can give is to not give up.  Do not give up on not just writing, or what your goals are, but in yourself overall.  Discouragement started in my musical career.  Granted, I was 17 years old, and I was still trying to figure out who I was.  At that time, being signed to an independent, music label, was a dream come true.  So many promises, yet nothing had transpired, so yes, it was only a dream.  I blame myself, only because I relied solely on my producer, instead of learning.  Again, I was only 17, but the upside was, after that disappointment, I grew up quickly.  So I wrote more songs, and self-produced my second record, Little Box of Secrets.  Mind you, I did not become the next Madonna, as I had hoped, but I did make a name for myself, locally (Miami, FL).

My creative journey continues to my first cozy mystery novel, The Last Note: A Miami Music Mystery.  This story is very much entwined with my musical path.  Many years ago, I became an avid reader of cozy mysteries. It all started with my sister buying me my first cozy mystery book by Joanne Fluke.  My sister and I are similar in the fact that we buy wine based on the label.  It just so happens she bought the book based on the cover.  It had a teddy bear on the cover, it mentioned murder, and recipes.  Needless to say, I ended up reading her entire series.  Then, I expanded to different cozy authors for more reading material.  The story lines were intriguing, engaging, and funny at the same time. I was so inspired by the authors, that I then decided to take my musical experiences, and put it on paper.  I meet very interesting people at my gigs, and so my friendship with a homicide detective ensued.  Later on, he not only became my ‘how to get rid of a person on paper’ guru, but also became my drummer for my band.  I began writing this first novel in 2009. In between my full-time job, my weekend gigs, and my personal life, I finally completed the novel. The phobia’s, the dream sequences, and the quirkiness of the main characters, are all based on facts.   I received so many rejection letters, that I was on the verge of not sending out any more query letters.  Then, I attended a book signing for one of my favorite authors.  Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for her, I was the only person that attended the signing.  I was able to sit with her for an hour and talk to her about my novel and the hardships.  And I finally asked for her advice.  She said to me, “give yourself a deadline of a year before you resort to self-publishing. Do not give up just yet.”  So, when I left that signing, I calendared a year from that date (I have to calendar everything.  And not on my cellphone, but an actual physical planner).

Six months had passed, and I was still receiving rejection letters.  One day, as I was working out (it’s the responsible thing to do after you have eaten two mini bags of skittles), I had received an e-mail alert on my phone.  I saw a brief caption, and it was from a publisher.  I automatically assumed it was another turn-down email, so I proceeded to stretch, do a thousand more crunches, and sweat out the last of the purple skittle that I ate that afternoon.  When I was walking back to my car, I decided to be one of those people who distract themselves by being on their cell phone and avoid running into phone poles, and I checked my e-mail.  The e-mail from thepublisher, it was not a rejection e-mail but a ‘if you make these changes’ e-mail, we will consider signing you on.  Needless to say, I ran to my car and called my sister to tell her the great news.  And so, I started making the said changes, and all of a sudden, a hurricane was on its way to Miami.  It just so happens, the hurricane was heading directly towards my vicinity.  So, I needed to evacuate and head to a safe location.  Miami lost power, phone contact, and the internet for about ten days.  Needless to say, I was panicking because, a. I couldn’t complete the changes to my novel, b. I couldn’t contact the publisher to tell them that I would be delayed in turning in my changes because of the hurricane, and c. we were not given a set date when the power would return.  When communication returned, the first thing I did was inform the publisher, then I completed the changes requested, which totaled 5000 changes.  It felt surreal the moment I clicked on ‘SEND.’  I stared at my sent screen for about two minutes to make sure that I had sent my finalized novel to my, at the time, potential publisher.  Two days later, I received an e-mail welcoming me to the family.  It was one of the happiest days of my life.

So, what I am trying to say with this post, do not give up.  Give yourself a deadline, and send out as many query letters as you can.  There will be one publisher that will believe in your work, but make sure that you believe in your work first.

About the Author

The Last Note’s main backdrop, the amazing city of Miami, Florida, is beloved and well-known to me. I was born and raised in Miami, and like the novel’s main character Vy, I am a singer/songwriter, as well as the lead singer to a self-proclaimed cover band. All things relating to music or literature are my passion. I keep a journal, and I am constantly writing poems, stories, and any thought that comes to mind. I have a fascination for black and white films, that have the element of mystery. As I have been told by many, I have a very creative imagination.

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