The life of an author, part ....

It's time to let the proverbial (and cliched) cat out of the bag. Publication of my third book looms on the horizon. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping to see it in print by mid- to late summer.

This time, I've turned my pen to fiction, specifically historical fiction. And I'm going the novella (short novel) route. I've completed a rough first draft of about 44,000 words, which I plan to trim to about 42,000 words and then turn over to my very capable editor, Craig Lancaster. He edited both of my previous books and is a fine Billings-based author himself. (Craig will launch his latest novel -- I've lost track, No. 10, No. 12? -- later this winter or spring.)

The working title of my next book is "Whiskey Pilot." Here's a summary:

When Prohibition creates an insatiable thirst for illegal booze among Montanans, and most Americans, a young Billings man, Arne Schmidt, tries to profit by using his World War I vintage airplane to transport booze across Montana. But can he outwit federal revenue agents on the lookout for rum runners who want to put him behind bars and slap him with a big fine, thereby also endangering' his prospects of marrying Hazel and settling into a life of respectability in his hometown? 

As an historical novel, this will be grounded in fact, with (I hope) whatever creativity I can muster to flesh out a good story. Places like Billings and Miles City (both of which I claim as my hometown) were hotbeds of early aviation, not just in Montana but in the West, back in the teens and '20s (1900s). In fact, Charles Lindbergh spent time in Billings in 1922 as a wing walker with a barnstorming outfit that came from Lincoln, Nebraska. He'll appear in the book in a supporting role.

My plan is try to land an independent publisher by pitching the manuscript for a few months. If I get no nibbles or nothing worth my while, I'll go the self-publishing route again. To any others thinking the same thing, I recommend Ingram Spark over Amazon's Kindle publishing arm for a print book. Ingram gives one's book a higher patina of respectability, and getting into the Ingram catalog means that indy bookstores and libraries can easily find your title and order it for their customers and patrons.

I hope I've caught your eye. Thanks in advance for your interest.