Authorpreneur Dashboard – Robert Sparkman
Prisoner Prodigal Pawn
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
A young attorney digging in his law firm's past in order to free his father from prison, is warned to be careful, "some things are like sacred burial grounds, and are better left alone... out of respect." He charges ahead nevertheless, and confronts those he believes are responsible, but when a close colleague is found dead and the evidence points to him as the murderer, Elton Mozingo is faced with his greatest fear; ending up just like his father, an innocent man in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Prisoner Prodigal Pawn, follows the adventures of the Mozingo family as they try to unravel a conspiracy that has led to one of their own, Elton Mozingo, to be set up for murder. The story is an insider’s tale, set in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico and revolves around a law firm, an Indian casino, tribal politics, and delves into questions of race and identity throughout. The Mozingo brothers, Elton and Charles, as well as their convicted-felon father, BP, are the eponymous prisoner, prodigal son, and pawn caught up in an elaborate embezzlement scheme that its perpetrators would kill to keep hidden.
Book Bubbles from Prisoner Prodigal Pawn
Research and Imagination
As a writer of fiction, I make an effort not to get bogged down in too much research. I use research to get a flavor of what I'm looking for and use my imagination for the meat and potatoes. This scene portion looks into the political and personal machinations, and inner workings of a tribal council. I've never been on an Indian Reservation, nor observed a Tribal council at work, so a little research came in handy, but my imagination carried me forward to even coming up with a cool unique sounding name for my fictional tribe.
The Big Meeting.
The protagonist and his estranged brother finally meet. The reader knows it will happen at some point in the story, but how will they react is the huge unknown. The protagonist is defiant, and just can't bring himself to trust his brother. When his brother drops a bombshell that shatters his purpose, what will he do? Does it break the barrier between them, or does the dust, dirt and debris reinforce it?
Scene description
I like writing scenes with vivid description. I want the reader to imagine that she is there experiencing what the main character is seeing, and in this case smelling. Hopefully, this scene produces a little bit of an "icky" factor for the reader.
Ess Eee Exx and Violence
This scene uses sex and violence to show the beginnings of the tawdry relationship between two professionals. It's difficult to write action packed fight scenes, or sultry scintillating sex scenes. I've tackled both here and must admit that I'm pleased with the result as it produced one of the best sentences I think that I've ever written... An orgy of life’s extremes, death and sex, collided in that kitchen that night,...
A chase scene, in hot air balloons.
It ain't easy writing a thrilling chase scene. Some may say -- if you've seen one chase scene, you've seen them all. That said, I endeavored to make this chase scene as unique as possible, and I'm happy to say that I think that I pulled it off. This is my favorite scene from my novel in that I was able to integrate the operations of a hot air balloon without it reading like a tech manual. This scene also won an award as the best written scene from a novel, November 2014, at the WILDsound Festival, and was praised as: "unlike any other chase scene I’ve ever encountered. It’s riveting, original, and rendered well." This book excerpt sets up the scene before the excitement begins.
A scene's description and detail
In this scene, the main character in my novel's subplot is paying a visit to a man whose help she is seeking. The scene paints a vivid picture to stimulate the reader's senses, especially sight, sound and smell.
Using a scene's setting for character development
In this scene, the antagonist is revisiting a place where he first got his start as attorney. He thought that going back to his roots would be a great way kick off his new career, but once there, he is consumed with second thoughts. This scene shows him grappling with his weakness, and his desire to have someone with him to lean on when faced with an obstacle of any sort.
Theme - family unity
The theme of a novel is something that is hard to pinpoint, and even harder to define. The theme isn't necessarily what the story is about, but the feeling the story leaves you with. Perhaps like the feeling and after taste one gets after consuming a good meal. The theme I try to present in this novel is one of family unity, and I think this prison scene between father and son helps to show the bond that exists in a family, even in one that is torn apart. The ending of this scene (not presented here) is quite poignant. This theme of family unity also surfaces in the subplot where a Native American character is faced with being expelled from her tribal homeland.
Flashback
This sample is from a flashback scene where the protagonist first encounters a woman that will eventually become his "Swiss Army Knife." There's a lot going in this first encounter; from the head butting to the sexual nuance, that moves the story forward even though it's a flashback scene.
Power struggle
This scene shows the tension between two characters. It's subtle at first then hits home like a sledge hammer quite suddenly. A little back drop, a murder has happened at this law firm the day before. Liz is the firm matriarch, married to its founder, and Shirley is the founder's right hand person. They clash for control now that Bill has retired. Warning... there is one obscene word in the excerpt.
Imagery
In this scene the lead character is made to talk about his biggest fear for the first time. He and his friend are driving along a long stretch of road in the early morning hours. The road represents a long dark tunnel the protagonist has been stuck in for many years, but as the discussion continues the sun begins to rise, and his tunnel lightens up a bit. He's not completely out yet. It's merely the beginning of a long journey he still has to make, as he comes to grips with his fear.
Alliteration
This excerpt focuses on alliteration, a literary device where two or more words beginning with the same sound, are strung together, such as "weaken his whiskey when..." I use alliteration in my book's title, Prisoner Prodigal Pawn. My first experience with alliteration was during my freshman year in high school when my English Lit teacher had the class read Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "To Helen", wherein he writes the phrase..the weary way worn wanderer... I became hooked on this literary device ever since. My book is peppered with such phrases throughout. Perhaps there may be a tad too many. An independent reviewer said I should cut down on the modifiers, so I rather reluctantly relented and killed some of my darlings, Using alliteration makes writing fun for me. We writers know how tedious and frustrating writing can be at times. Whenever I need an alliterative fix, I'll listen to Warren Zevon's Werewolf of London, ....little old lady got mutilated late last night.....That one, along with Poe's are in my Alliteration Hall of Fame. Perhaps I need to be sent to Writers Rehab in Reno, or Alliteration Anonymous in Auckland, for help with this addictive alliterative affliction. But I don't have an alliteration problem, really, I don't. Happy reading.
The Unexpected Visit
In this scene from chapter 2, I use a boxing analogy to reveal the momentary tension between two old friends. The dialogue is short and crisp, not unlike the powder puff jabs that two boxers throw as they feel each other out.
The Confrontation
This scene, from the first chapter, sets the stage for the main character's plight. The banter between the protagonist and his antagonist is friendly, but probing. The setting calls for decorum, but both men realize that beneath the surface of the smiles and glad handing, that they are being pushed fight is on. I like the contrast of having this confrontation take place during the festive atmosphere of a retirement party.
