I did a bit of research. Got on Google and surfed around all the sites that discuss noir movies and novels and I realized how many of them are my favorites. I thought, well, maybe I can do this. For a challenge. For a few laughs. Hmmm. . .
Before long, I got a vision of a slinky dame---and of course, she was blonde. And buxom. And she was sitting on a bar stool in a smoky old Texas beer joint. "Well, HEY there, good lookin'!" I said. "What are YOU up to?"
I frequently ask my characters what they're up to. You'd be surprised what they tell me.
Then little snippets of dialogue started running through my head.
One of these snippets of dialogue in particular turned into the first line of my finished story "Dead Dames Don't Wear Diamonds."
"I wonder how many damned fools have been led astray by a blue-eyed buxom blonde whispering the simple phrase through her blood-red lips -- "All you have to do is-- ""
The voice was of a male protagonist. Which was interesting, since I'd never written a story with a male POV before. He gets into a bit of trouble. Of course, it's all the blonde's fault. LOL. I'm not sure how many people will recognize all the references to other noir books and movies I included in the story, but it was fun fitting them in.
I guess I pulled it off, because the story was accepted and published in the book along with others by authors Robert Lopresti, Deborah Auten, Judy Brownsword, Magdalena Jones, Herschel Cozine, L.E. Schwaller, Percy Spurlark Parker, Michael Guillebeau, Kate McCorkle, David Himmel, Lynn Kinnaman, Wenda Morrone and John Haas.
I'm pleased to be in this anthology for several reasons. One, it's my first published story in an anthology. Two, it's my first fiction story published in print (and e-book) by a small press and three, I'm in some great company.
The book is out now, for sale on Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Anthology-Cozy-Noir-Mystery-stories/dp/0990842800
Take a look, read a sample. It's a good one.
Happy trails,
bobbi c.
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