intrigue

Like Carl Lewis, this one got me from out of the gate. But unlike Lewis, the promise that “The Confession” reeled me in with vanished down the stretch.

This book had it all: successful shrink with a penchant for infidelity, sexy Marin, intriguing (if not fresh) plot, a sleazy prosecutor, an angry wife, and a crooked cop. But where did it go wrong?

Good question. But I want to start with where it went right.

The first thing that stood out to me was the complexity written into the hero’s character. He’s a self-made man from humble beginnings. Yes, I know, lots of cliche right there. But what I liked about this character is that he was well aware of his shortcomings from a perspective we really don’t get in such books. He’s a shrink and early on he lets us know what to expect with him.

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I submitted this story to a magazine called The First Line. It didn’t sell and I didn’t think it would. I tackled the piece because the premise of the magazine intrigues me — each story in the publication begins with the same first line — and I wanted to submit something.

I didn’t think it would sell because I’m still learning my craft and I knew what I ended up with wouldn’t be very good. Frankly, I hadn’t written much fiction since I was in college. Read for yourself.

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