Ranger Jim's Ramblings for June

This month, I thought I'd do a quick post about perios, the time frame, not the punctuation mark.

Right now, I'm working on a  new Texas Ranger Jim Blawcyzk novel titled TEXAS JEOPARDY. I know, some of you are saying "How can there be a new Jim Blawcyzk novel? Jim was gunned down from ambush in TO AVENGE A RANGER. Well, this is a sixth generation Jim Blawcyzk tale, featuring Jim's great-great-great-grandson and namesake. It's set in the present day, and there's the rub.

When you are writing a Western, or most genres, set in the past, unless you go too far afield you can pretty much make up your own characters, towns, and locations. However, when writing in the present, you need to be much more careful about getting those same things accurate. You can't just plop down a fictional town anywhere you want. Ditto for the methods used in law enforcement, not to mention you'd better make dang cure any suspects are read their rights. Places, locations, equipment, and vehicles need  be correctly depicted. Anything out of place and you can be certain the readers will notice, and let you know.

So, am I enjoying writing a present day novel? Absolutely. Am I finding it harder than an old-fashioned traditional Western. Again, absolutely. But I wouldn't not do it again.

Next month, off to Texas, then the WWA convention in Kansas City. Until then, see you down the trail

"Ranger" Jim