Recently, we moved from Orlando to a small town east of Knoxville, TN, into what we hope is our forever home. I have a long list of things to accomplish during retirement. You need to retire TO something, not FROM something. One of my goals is to write a novel. I enjoyed creative writing when I was younger, but the past four decades have been focused on technical writing, proposals, and patent applications.
I had been thinking about this novel during morning runs for nearly 20 years. In February of 2025, I started on it. I had scraps of ideas and a number of plot points, but it took a while to weave those ideas into (what I hope is) a coherent, compelling story.
This is a cover mockup I made myself. If the book is ever published, I’m sure it will look different.
Malt Shops, Mine Shafts, and Murder is an 80,000-word, semi-cozy historical mystery with emotional depth, clean content, and a vivid sense of 1950s small‑town life. It will appeal to readers who enjoy the warmth and community of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson mysteries.
Nineteen-year-old Frank Serafini returns to his Illinois hometown in May 1953, carrying survivor’s guilt from the Korean War and remorse for abandoning his childhood sweetheart and fiancée, Sylvia Martinelli. He hopes to rebuild his life and repair their relationship, but his homecoming is overshadowed by the recent, suspicious death of his father.
Sylvia is torn when Frank reappears. His sudden departure shattered her trust, and before she can risk her heart again, she needs to understand why he left—and whether he intends to stay.
When Frank receives a threatening phone call demanding papers his father supposedly possessed, the danger becomes unmistakable. After Sylvia’s father’s car is set on fire as a warning, Frank and Sylvia follow the clues his father left behind and uncover evidence implicating the town’s mayor in a far-reaching criminal enterprise. As the racketeers close in, Frank must confront the man he became in Korea and risk everything to protect Sylvia, expose the truth, and save the town he once fled.
This is the first in what is meant to be a series. The second and third books are written. I am outlining and plotting the fourth book.
I have done extensive research to ensure the story is accurate to the 1950s. While I enjoyed Grease and Happy Days, neither is an accurate depiction of the era.
As mentioned earlier, it is clean. There is no graphic violence, sex, or language. As such, it won’t appeal to some. I don’t think you have to watch guts fly out of people, gratuitous sex scenes, or foul language to enjoy a story. But there is action, romance, and mystery.
In preparing this book for submission to literary agents, I used two different “developmental editors.” Katherine Picket at POP Editorial Services helped me greatly improve the story. Katherine, the second editor, was not shy about ripping into the manuscript and providing voluminous, uncomfortable notes. I sent her a revised manuscript, which recently came back relatively clean. I made a number of additional revisions and sent the revised manuscript to some potential literary agents.
I had an opportunity to attend the Tennessee Writers’ Conference a few months ago and pitch the story concept to three agents. All three asked me to submit the manuscript. One wanted just the first four chapters. Based on those, she wanted the full manuscript, which I understand it a big milestone. The second one read the first few chapters of the manuscript earlier this week and said she liked it. So, perhaps the light up ahead is the end of the tunnel and not an oncoming train. Of course, finding an agent is not the same as getting a book deal, but it would be a huge step forward. I am allowing myself to become guardedly optimistic.
I hope the book finds an audience that will enjoy the story. While I cannot sell ice water to men in Hell, I am looking foward to meeting with people who have read and enjoyed Malt Shops, Mine Shafts, and Murder.