Last November I started work on a new book, which will be the fourth in the Market Center Mysteries series. Tentative title is Unleashed for Murder, and it’s set at a pet products show. I plan for the Market Center Mysteries series to be five books, with possibly a short story or two in that setting as well.

As usual, the holidays provided a month-long interruption in my writing schedule, which was totally okay as the family time was emotionally satisfying and gave my brain a rest and my subconscious time to stew over the plot lines.

I got to 8,000 words before I hung it up for a while, just enough writing to set up a couple of significant plot threads and introduce some important characters.

It took a while to get up to speed again after everyone departed, but I am now rolling on the book. As of right now, I’ve just passed 20,000 words toward a goal of 75,000, which means I’m between one-fourth and one-third through the story.

I tend to think of my books in terms of a five-act structure. I’ve finished the first act, past the set-up stage (both in the story and in the writing). The murder has just occurred, which moves the book into the second act, showing the aftermath and the start of the investigation.

There is also a romantic subplot involving the main protagonist that weaves through all five books. The end of the previous book left that romance in a terrible place when the love interest revealed a shattering betrayal to the heroine. This book will also show them dealing with the painful aftermath of that revelation.

More on the story as I move along with it.