ABOUT DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR:
Synopsis (from Amazon)
When two murders strain the police force of a remote Alaskan fishing port, veterinarian Maureen McMurtry is tapped by Dutch Harbor’s police chief for forensic assistance. The doctor’s got a past she’d rather not discuss, a gun in her closet, and a retired police dog that hasn’t lost her chops. All come in handy as she deciphers the cause and time of death of a local drug addict washed ashore with dead sea lions and an environmentalist found in a crab pot hauled from the sea in the net of a fishing vessel.
When her romantic relationship with a boat captain is swamped by mounting evidence that he’s the prime suspect in one of the murders, McMurtry struggles with her own doubts to prove his innocence. But can she? McMurtry’s pals, a manager of the Bering Sea crab fishery and another who tends Alaska’s most dangerous bar assist in unraveling the sinister truth.
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PRAISE FOR DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR:“Any fan of the Deadliest Catch television show should reach for this book!”—Captain Sig Hansen, FV Northwestern and a star of the Deadliest Catch TV series
“Death in Dutch Harbor grabbed me at the outset and did not let go. Right away you can tell Ms. Parker knows the issues facing the fishing industry in the Bering Sea. She weaves them into the tale and uses her characters to draw the reader deeper into the murder mystery.”— Frank Kelty, Former Mayor of Dutch Harbor/Unalaska
“What a banging beginning for this author. Parker successfully tied together the multiple themes with strong characters, especially the women, with a believable and exciting plot. I recommend this book and look forward to Parker’s next novel.” — Men Reading Books
“We smoke the same brand,” he said, bending to wedge one in Guy’s gray lips. He smoked the other cigarette, all the while talking to the kid as if his spirit lingered nearby. “What a bummer,” he said, “dying so young.” He told the kid he would be missed by someone and promised to get him home. Hearing his voice crack, Eric turned away as if he didn’t want Guy to see him that way. Then he closed the freezer door.
Guy sat in the bait locker, the cigarette still hanging from his lips. The freezing temperature caused the saltwater on his eyelashes and beard to crystallize. He looked as if he were climbing Mt. Everest instead of sitting propped-up, dead in a fishing boat bait locker headed to Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
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GUEST POST WITH THE AUTHOR - D. MacNeill Parker:
Subject: What I didn’t know before I wrote my first book.
The most important thing I did not know before writing DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR was how much fun it would be to let my imagination loose from its corral. But I had to tame it. Not into submission mind you, but I had to maneuver a bridle on that wild mustang so I could ride her into the sunset after a day of work around the ranch. Some things came naturally. Others required discipline. None of it is original, but this was the winning combo for me. Maybe it’ll help you tame your inner mustang.
Front and center are these three words: Just do it! From that flows hands-on learning.
Another three words: Keep it simple! Pick a genre that’s not complex.
I chose crime mystery, of which there are several subgenres. What’s better than a whodunnit with an obvious goal; find the killer? But there are other simple genres like romance, western and action thrillers. Literary fiction was not my aim. Just fought for a great story that would keep readers entertained and flipping the pages. And pick a Point of View that’s simple like first or third person with a single protagonist. I chose third person. It took me a while to figure out how to get inside the protagonist’s head using third instead of first person, but that’s where I was most comfortable.
How about four words this time: Write what you know!
I know commercial fishing in Alaska so that was my backdrop. It gave the book an authentic feel, and no research was required!
Here’s four more words: Story structure, learn it!
Kurt Vonnegut is well known for his offered plot line guidance. He throws the protagonist into a deep hole. The story is how the hero climbs out by the book’s ending (Kurt Vonnegut, YouTube). Aside from that trek out of the big hole (a hero’s journey), each scene should have its own set of pot holes that are navigated using five components (Story Grid, YouTube). This was the light bulb lesson for me. Start each scene (often a chapter for me) with an inciting incident that launches your protagonist on a path with progressive complications or obstacles to overcome until they reach the turning point complication that forces a crisis question for the protagonist to answer with an action, the climax. This choice is never easy because as an author, it’s your job to keep clobbering your hero with tough choices. The protagonist’s chosen action often reveals something of his or her character and allows readers to get to know the hero better without being told (remember, show don’t tell). The resolution is the final scene segment when you get to see how the choice worked out for the protagonist. I often dropped inclusion of the resolution in the same scene (allowing it to crop up later) because I wanted to end it with a cliffhanger. I wanted each scene to leave readers wanting more. A page-turner…
Are you a Plotter or Pantser? Plotters draft a detailed outline before they start writing. They’ve got a roadmap! They know where they’re going! They make fewer wrong turns than Pantsers. Pantsers write by the seat of their pants. I’m a Pantser. It’s an adventure because not even I know how the story will unfold. But I’m not a total empty-head. I know where I am going. To solve the murder! I just don’t know what’s going to happen along the way. So, for instance, when I started writing my book, DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR, I knew it was a crime mystery, I knew it would take place in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and that it would use commercial fishing as a backdrop to the action. I knew the protagonist was a veterinarian working with the local police chief and I knew she had a three-legged police dog and a couple of close buddies that were critical to the story. Finally, I knew someone would be killed at sea. I even wrote a prologue describing the murder (which later became a chapter), but I had no idea who did it or why. Armed with little else, I began to write.
Each time I started, my brain seemed to relocate to the tips of my fingers, waiting there poised over the keyboard, for the action to begin. Where would it take me? I couldn’t wait to find out! By the end of the first chapter another dead body had washed ashore. After I wrote a few more chapters, I decided it was time to use a compass and so wrote the last chapter where all the whodunnit stuff was revealed. No pressure really because I knew I could change it later if it made for a better story, which I did. With the compass now pointed north, I returned to writing chapters knowing that each scene must drive the story forward in that general direction. In the case of a murder mystery, I knew I had to offer up a clue, a red herring or a complicating factor in every scene. My fingers marched across the keyboard anxious to see what it might be. I can tell you that there were a few times when I was so astonished, I stood up, walked to the bathroom mirror, pointed at myself and raved that I was a genius. “You are brilliant!” Of course, I’m not a genius but what a fun adventure, sort of like life itself. But there’s a downside to the Pantser world. It’s called revisions. Without the roadmap used by Plotters, we Pantsers are likely doomed to writing many revisions because our plot or characters take a wrong turn and get stuck in the mud somewhere. I’m not sure if a person is born a Pantser or Plotter or if it’s a conscious choice. Perhaps something down the middle might be the best course. A Plotser?
Finally, join or start a writing group. What’s the downside to having a deadline, constructive criticism of your work and a gang of new friends?
I doubt I could have produced chapters at such a regular pace without my writing group. Thank you, Gang!
So, write the darn book. And take some courses along the way for a hands-on learning experience because I’ve just scratched the surface of what there’s to learn about writing a book. Most importantly, have fun! Hopefully, you’ll get it published. Then write another…
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INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR - Q&A - D. MacNeill Parker:
How did you research your book?
Research was not required. Write what you know, right?
As a longtime participant in the Alaska fishing industry, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use my experience as the backdrop to this book. What could be more intriguing than creating a world where commercial fishing and murder meet? However, I knew nothing about police dogs and so made an inquiry with the Seattle Police K9 Unit. They invited me to their training site. I was so appreciative, I named the dog in the book after the K9 Unit shepherd, CoCo.
Which was the hardest character to write?
The arch villain. It was difficult for me to navigate how to leave clues without giving away the identity of the culprit. The protagonist was a bit of a struggle, a learning experience really. Because the book is written in third person, I wrote many revisions trying out ways to best express what was inside her head.
Which was the easiest?
The police chief was the easiest character to write. I have no idea why.
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
Aside from my own experience at sea as a fisherman that included surviving a boat that sank off the coast of Kodiak, I’ve heard many sea stories, most far more interesting than my own. There’s something about living on the edge of civilization where your life is at the mercy of Mother Nature and your survival may depend on the skill of your crew mates that is made for drama.
There are many crime mystery books out there. What makes yours different?
As a former fisherman married to a fishing boat captain, and with a career as a journalist, fisheries specialist for the State of Alaska and a seafood company executive, I’ve got the credentials to pull off authenticity. And along the way, the reader will learn a lot about Alaska and commercial fishing.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Just do it! Take creative writing courses on story structure and join a writing group so that it becomes a hands-on learning project. It’s fun, so you’ve got nothing to lose.
Your book is set in Alaska. Have you ever been there?
Our family lived in Alaska for many years and still participates in the Alaska fishing industry. One of our sons is at sea now. More specifically, I have been to Dutch Harbor, Alaska where the story unfolds. Dutch Harbor is a real place, now famous to fans of the television show, Deadliest Catch. It’s the nation's busiest fishing port even though it’s located in the remote Aleutian Islands, halfway to Russia because that’s where the fish swim. I’ve experienced its famous white knuckler airplane landings and drank my share of beer at a well-known saloon there famed as Alaska’s most dangerous bar.
Do you ever get writer’s block?
No, never. Isn’t that terrific? I’m sure my former career as a journalist helps launch me into my task without much trepidation. But it’s not unusual for me to go back after writing a scene and delete the first few paragraphs as if they were just a warm-up exercise.
What’s your next project?
I’m currently writing the second book of the series. So if you like the characters that inhabit DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR, you can revisit them.
What is the last great book you read?
I could not put down the book, HORSE, by Geraldine Brooks. Its historical fiction, based on a real racehorse that was trained by a slave. The mystery unravels through the point of view of different characters, some in the present and some in the past. It tackles racism in a unique and poignant manner.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
A few friends have called me in the morning after staying up all night reading the book. They’d been unable to put it down and their voices still transmitted excitement. It doesn’t get much better than that.
How are you similar or different from your lead character?
Well, I’m not a veterinarian, my hair is not red, and I don’t engage in sleuthing about in dark places. But I was about the doc’s age when I moved to Alaska, so the wonder of beholding the last frontier for the first time was something I purposely injected into the character.
If your book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?
Now that’s a fun question! The book is very visual and would make a great movie so please be sure to send any interested producers my way. Off the top of my head, Emma Stone comes to mind. It’s not because her hair is red like Doctor Mo’s, it’s because they seem to share a sassy intrepidness, smarts and sense of humor. George Clooney as One-Eye Ben. That’s an inside joke which you’ll get when you read the book.
In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
Because I am a debut author, it was like stumbling around in a hailstorm, knocking on the doors of strangers in hopes of finding shelter.
What authors inspired you to write?
There were many authors that inspired me to write like Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, Craig Johnson, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, Martin Cruz Smith, Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie and Dashell Hammett but the book that lit a writing fire under me as a teenager was John Barth’s book, The Sot-Weed Factor. It’s a wild ride of historical fiction that showed me there was no limit to using your imagination when crafting a yarn.
What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?
There was a scene between Dr. Mo and her pal, Patsy, in a restaurant that was painful to cut. Patsy, one of my favorite characters, used salt and pepper shakers, hot sauce and catsup bottles and a fork to make a point about the doc’s messed-up personal life. It was near the end of the book where the pace had escalated. The scene slowed things down and, gulp, had to go. I hope to find a place for it in the second book!
Where do you write?
I have a writing studio in the backyard. It was a shed that my amazing husband upgraded for me, including installation of a large window at my desk where I can watch the ducks swim by in the creek. I am a lucky woman.
What is your writing schedule?
I find that writing in the morning suits me best. I think it’s because I’m still connected to my subconscious at that time of day. As a Pantser, I write by the seat of my pants, so it’s important to keep my head plugged into my imagination rather than cluttered with the banal practicalities of the real world.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
D. MacNeill Parker and her family are long time participants in the Alaska fishing industry.
In addition to fishing for halibut, salmon, crab, and cod, she’s been a journalist, a fisheries specialist for the State of Alaska, and a seafood company executive.
She’s travelled to most ports in Alaska, trekked mountains in the Chugach range, rafted the Chulitna River, worked in hunting camps, and survived a boat that went down off the coast of Kodiak.
Parker’s been to Dutch Harbor many times experiencing her share of white knuckler airplane landings and beer at the Elbow Room, famed as Alaska’s most dangerous bar.
While the characters in this book leapt from her imagination, they thrive in this authentic setting. She loves Alaska, the sea, a good yarn and her amazing family.
Website: https://www.dmparkerauthor.com/
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