PI DeShawn Mills: the Man with the Remarkable Eyes
Some of my early readers blasted me for introducing a new character so late in Tainted Justice. A cardinal sin according to many readers, publishers and authors. But I had a reason for doing it that my early readers weren’t privy to.
A friend and indie author challenged me to write a novella series with a black private investigator, and I accepted.
When I created my character, DeShawn Mills, an African-American, Kansas City native, and ex-con who won his freedom and became a PI, I struggled with how I would introduce him to fans. And that’s when I got the idea to have him interact with Kelly Reed in Tainted Justice, that way fans would know who he is without me having to explain in order to get them to read a new series.
The challenge was introducing him at the right point without interfering with my already established partner-characters, Kelly and Lori, and without taking away the focus from Kelly. After all, Tainted Justice is a Kelly Reed novel.
Once I realized what I was doing with this new character, the plot came together to include DeShawn in the final chapters (two scenes). I won’t share the first scene with you because I don’t want to give away the story and climax, but I’ll share the latter scenes’ final exchange:
Tainted Justice, Chapter 39
[…]
“I’ll leave you ladies now. If ever you need something, you have my card. Good night.”
His hand was on the door when Kelly wheezed. “Mr. Mills.”
He stood courtly. “Yes?”
“You have remarkable eyes.”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “Get well, Ms. Reed.”
–THE END–
The above exchange between my private investigators, Kelly Reed and DeShawn Mills takes place at the end of Tainted Justice (Book 4, Kelly Reed series), and is told from Kelly’s point of view.
That scene gets replayed in my new crime series, Deception’s Game (Book 1, DeShawn Mills novellas). This time it’s told from DeShawn’s point of view. But my dubious PI doesn’t have time to kick it with Kelly. He has a murder case of his own to solve. Deception’s Game begins on the night Tainted Justice ends.
Growing up DeShawn dreamed of being a police detective and cracking big capers, but when gangbangers murdered his sister, his life changed. While in prison for almost thirteen years, he decides to make something of himself. He earns a college degree from behind bars, and then after winning his release he takes his life back and becomes a private investigator, working primarily for a small law firm.
Readers first meet DeShawn six years after his release from prison. Despite his prison stint, DeShawn is a good person, who seeks to do right. But he also knows the justice system doesn’t always do right by the people, so he’s willing to break the law, like Kelly Reed, to get justice for the righteous and deserving. He’s the kind of investigator you go to when there isn’t anyone else, much like Burke, the ex-con private investigator in the Andrew Vachss novels.
Because my early readers didn’t know why I introduced a new character late in the game, I think the best way to smooth this over with future readers once I’m published is to have Deception’s Game included as a sneak-peek at the end of Tainted Justice. That way they can flip from the end of one book straight into DeShawn in the next book.