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How I got my first plot ideas for the fifth Zeta Cartel novel

In my first BookTube video, I talk about how I got started on the plot of my fifth cartel book by considering Jorge, a minor character who popped up in Songbird and Dirty Dealings, the second and third books in the series.




     Although I’ve known Jorge all my life, he’s not close to me the way Kyle is, but I knew him well enough to hear he was desperate to do this right. He was anxious to sound cool, but the rapid way he spoke gave away that he was tense. “What’s up, Jorge?”
     “Everything’s fine,” he assured me. “I’ve worked out a ninety day plan but I’m a bit out of my depth, and I’d rather make a fool out myself in front of you than fuck up.”
I liked the honest way he outlined his limits and dealt with his needs. He’s young, but he’s got talent.


Jorge’s young, just twenty-seven, but he’s fifth-generation cartel and a tough bastard. “He was waiting on the roof across the street from the office,” he grumped. “Spotted the capullo and ducked just in time.”
“Yeah, I can see he totally missed.”
Jorge had a shattered shoulder blade, a bullet in his arm and another in the leg. Amazingly, he laughed. “Yeah, but you should see the other guy!”

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