fuonlyknew

Are your characters based on real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? 

Mostly the latter. One of the two primary protagonists in PISMO BEACH SNIPER, Bri de la Guerra, is pure fiction. The other primary protagonist, Thad Hanlon, while also make-believe, was inspired by my nephew, who has competed internationally in surfing like Thad. But that’s where the similarity ends. Unlike Thad, who washed out of the pros, my nephew still competes. And my nephew’s a firefighter, not a private eye.

The ocean feels almost like a character in PISMO BEACH SNIPER. What role does the California Central Coast play in shaping the story’s mood?​ 

The Pacific Ocean is a moody presence. At times, she provides solace from the daily grind. A chance to take a dip, cool off, and catch a few waves. And at other times, when big weather rolls in and the swells kick up, she can be a cruel monster, lashing out with rip tides and pounding surf. In Thad Hanlon’s world, the ocean is simultaneously a source of comfort, danger, and wisdom. When life becomes complicated, he paddles out beyond the break. The rhythm of the waves helps him untangle the Gordian knot of mysteries he’s facing and decide what to do next. In that sense, the Pacific isn’t just a setting—it’s a trusted companion in the story.

The novel blends PI procedural, action suspense, family drama, and coastal noir. How do you balance those elements while keeping the story moving?​

By ensuring tension in every scene. That’s the secret to keeping the story moving when you’re juggling multiple elements.

For each scene, I work from a cinematic framework inspired by Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat!® approach to screenwriting. I start with a simple structure: where the scene takes place, what is happening, and—most importantly—the emotional arc of the point-of-view character.

From there, I focus on what really drives momentum: the conflict. Who wants what, what stands in their way, and what’s at stake if they fail. If I can clearly define Hero—Goal—Obstacles—Stakes, the tension takes care of itself, and the story keeps moving.

Thad’s fear for Zael gives the mystery a strong emotional charge. How did you approach writing him as both a father and an investigator?​

For the father side of Thad, I simply tapped into my own experience raising two sons. While I had the good fortune of a supportive wife to share the journey, there were still plenty of nights spent worrying about our boys—especially during their tween years, when sports, adventure, and growing independence seemed to present a new reason to worry every week. No parent survives those years without a healthy concern for their children’s safety.

For the investigator side, I drew on my professional training as a CPA, software developer, and college professor. I’m analytical by nature. I like patterns, puzzles, and problem-solving. I can be methodical to a fault and have been known to spreadsheet just about everything.

The challenge—and the fun—was bringing those two sides together. When Thad is investigating a case, he wants to follow the facts wherever they lead. When his son is in danger, he’s a father first. The tension between those roles gave the story much of its emotional energy.

Who inspired you to write PISMO BEACH SNIPER?

I have an “idea catcher.” I bet you have one too.

Mine’s a little notebook on the nightstand where I jot down inspirations that arrive while I sleep, dream, or ponder. It’s chock-full of ideas for the next murder mystery—the howdunnits, the whodunnits, the whydunnits, even possible book titles.

But getting from a brilliant idea to a fully developed manuscript sometimes takes more than a notebook.

Sometimes it requires a mentor. A force majeure.

This is the story of the man who inspired me to finish PISMO BEACH SNIPER.

The year is 2022. Mid-January. I’m taking an eight-week novel writing class through the Institute for Continued Learning at Utah Tech University. Dr. Warren Stucki, author of the Dr. Cooper Mystery Series and six standalone novels, is teaching.

On day one, he tells us, “This is the year you write your novel,” and challenges us to complete Assignment #1—NOVEL IDEA SUMMARY SHEET—by the following week.

All we have to do is fill in the blanks:

(a) Working Title

(b) Genre

(c) Protagonist

(d) Antagonist

(e) Main Supporting Character

(f) Setting

(g) A one-line story idea describing the central problem the protagonist faces and the primary obstacles.

Piece of cake, right?

I had a possible title, but that was it.

Something I had come up with in 2016, years before I had even published the first two books in the Thad Hanlon & Bri de la Guerra Mystery Series.

For the assignment’s Working Title, I wrote down:

CowaBANGa!

A mashup of two exclamations that seemed incapable of belonging together.

Cowabunga!—surf slang for “Dude, that was Awwwwsome!”

BANG!—the sonic crack of a high-powered rifle.

It was high concept.

Excited surfers and unexpected gunplay.

But that was all I had.

Assignment #1 forced me to take the next step.

I scratched out the remaining fill-in-the-blanks, relying heavily on the backstories from my first two books. By the end of the eight-week course, I’d developed a working outline, key plot points, three sample chapters, and a draft query letter complete with a three-paragraph blurb.

I was well on my way to writing PISMO BEACH SNIPER, book three in the series.

My takeaway from Dr. Stucki’s class?

A force majeure can make all the difference between a middle-of-the-night inspiration scribbled into an idea catcher and a finished book on the shelf.

When all you have is the germ of an idea, sign up for a workshop. Let the instructor—and the energy of fellow writers—propel you from a mere notion to a fully realized story complete with character arcs, themes, and purpose.

Muse + Force Majeure = Your next masterpiece on the shelf!

What can we expect from you in the future? 

Book Four, of course.

The next installment in the Thad Hanlon & Bri de la Guerra Mystery Series takes place two years after the events of PISMO BEACH SNIPER. Bri is out drumming up new business for the duo’s detecting agency when she stumbles upon a murder that will test both detectives in ways they never imagined.

Here’s the opening scene:

***

Even in the moonlight, Bri recognized the man floating face down in the cliffside pool as Dr. Yicheng Zhang. Potential client. The world-renowned fertility researcher was fully clothed in his signature charcoal wool-blend blazer with well-worn elbow patches, and he didn’t look so good. Pale, bluish skin, and that wild black hair of his fanned out like sea grass. 

Bri sprinted to the rescue hook hanging on the cabana wall and used it to snag the good doctor, pulling him toward the pool steps. She strained to flip him over. His lips, forehead, and tip of his nose were a blotchy purple. There was a fine white froth around his nostrils. She checked for a pulse in a Good Samaritan move she knew didn’t have favorable odds. Still, she had to try. 

The odds didn’t pan out. 

Across the glass wall of the pool that faced the Pacific—brooding more than usual— someone had spray-painted in angry caps:

PERFECTION HAS A PRICE

***

True to cliché, the Five Cities Sheriff’s Department immediately suspects the spouse. But Mrs. Zhang insists she’s innocent, has an ironclad alibi, and hires Bri and Thad to find the real killer.

That’s when the case heats up.

As the investigation deepens, frozen embryos—including those intended for Thad’s future family—become a bargaining chip in a deadly game where science, ambition, and obsession collide.

Shell Beach Slayer (working title) is part mystery, part thriller, and brings back familiar faces, including Thad’s son Zael, now a teenager, and Naiya Ygnacio, his new bride. The stakes couldn’t be higher as Bri and Thad navigate a case that explores designer children, genetic engineering, and the meaning of perfection itself.