I could have called this post Building up to a Big Explosion just as much as Everybody's Gotta Eat. Stick with me and I'll explain.
When writing a series with an ongoing narrative arc/crime element, inevitably there comes a time when you reach intermediate plot resolutions. Whether it is two characters initiating the long awaited relationship or the comeuppance of a deliciously evil bad guy, readers are leaning into it. Of course, these are often FALSE resolutions, but still, they give emotional satisfaction. Because this tension has been building over many books (5 previous in the case of Delaney Pace in Her Cold Heart), the buildup creates a lot of pressure that can explode delightfully across the pages. If you're a student of my books (I say that tongue in cheek), you may realize my mind works in 3-book arcs as well. Plots for individual books, of course, but narrative and character arcs over three. Readers can and should expect big things in 3, 6, 9, and so on.
And Her Cold Heart was #6.
That's where we get to the concept of everybody's gotta eat. The world of Kearny County, Wyoming has expanded to include a cast of characters more intertwined and complex with their backstories and hopes for the future in every book. Including all of them is not obligatory in a 3-6-9, but it is optimal, as long as it's in an interesting and meaningful way that brings along their pas storylines and their future ones.
I had a blast with HCH because of these two concepts. For the entire series, I've been dying to use Delaney's mechanical and driving skills as a focal point in the book. That means Gabrielle, her 18-wheeler, as well as Shotgun Shelly, her beloved vintage Chevelle.
I definitely wanted to advance the idea that Delaney would have a developing relationship with a federal agency, which would give her a reason to stray beyond the borders of Kearny County.
I had resolved the murder of her father in an earlier book and we have now moved on to her mother.
She has a burgeoning relationship with Leo that is electric but still fraught with uncertainty.
We discover someone else who bears a torch for her.
Her daughters are taking steps toward maturity. Our supporting characters Skeeter and Clara are delightfully, actively present.
And Delaney's world falls apart with only herself to blame.
I love this book. I loved writing it. I think you're going to love it, too.
Please let me know what you think <3