It’s been forever since I wrote a blog post, but no lengthy explanations nor apologies. The priority has been the novel writing, which has finally picked up to something of a regular occurrence. Which brings me to today’s subject: The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues, my first full-length novel. (The Aberration is the official start, but counts as a novella)

The humble beginning.

Published on June 22, 2012, the hastily-written McGuffin chase introduces Mick Trubble, a private eye in a dystopian future where remnants of humanity survive the unexplained Cataclysm and reside in Havens. The story barely holds together, and small wonder: the concept was born out of a tongue-in-cheek writing exercise in a now-defunct social media site for writers. I wrote in my online peers as characters in a goofy little detective story and loved it so much that I later turned it into a full-length novel, providing a shaky start to what would become the Troubleshooter series.

New Haven Blues was a cartoon, a Dick-Tracy world full of eccentric characters and half-baked ideas. The best thing to emerge from the novel was the atmospheric city itself: New Haven, a melting pot of noir contrasts blended with Blade-Runner Los Angeles sensibilities. And, of course, Mick Trubble: the title character who carries the nonsense of the novel on with charisma and dry wit. Readers seemed to forgive the inconsequential plot and cardboard characters because Mick was a likable protagonist, someone worth giving another shot in his follow-up stories.

I didn’t get into the swing of things until Red-Eyed Killer, the follow-up novella. Together with three other short works, Four Shots defined the Troubleshooter, giving Mick gravity and establishing his moral code far better than New Haven Blues. By the time I wrote The Most Dangerous Dame, I was comfortable with who Mick was and how his world worked. Unfortunately, that left New Haven Blues out of sorts with the rest of the stories, a disjointed debut novel that didn’t flow with the sequels. After a while, I knew what I needed to do.

I had to George Lucas the crap out of it.

While plotting the latest installment, I finally resolved the dilemma with the character of Hunter Valentino—introduced in New Haven Blues as essential to Mick’s story. That meant going back to New Haven Blues and doing some minor retconning, along with some cohesive restructuring. One major character—the Cowboy—was eliminated because he added nothing to the narrative. Another character—La Fox—was expanded because of her ties to the Nimrod Squad novels and important interaction with Mick. Major editing was applied to the text, correcting errors and improving dialogue. The result was an improved version of the same story. Although plot-wise it’s still the most problematic installment of the series, I have a strange affection for it. I think it’s the best I could make it without napalming the entire novel.

If you’re a fan of New Haven Blues, no worries: the main plot and characters remain intact. You might even like this version better. If you’re like me and felt like it needed some improvements, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the changes in Edition II.

Either way, you don’t have to pay again to read the updated version. Pick up the eBook for free here. And whether you’re a Troubleshooter fan or new to the game, thanks for your support. I hope you enjoy the read!