A MOPHEAD & DOMINO MYSTERY
Four Faces, The Ring & The Gold began as an idea sparked by a family vacation to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the late 1990s. Since we weren't motorcycle people, we were unaware that our three-day stay in the area would overlap the arrival of motorcycle enthusiasts from across the country for the legendary Sturgis Rally.
Without a cell phone and internet at my fingertips, I relied on travel brochures, local newspapers, and our own family experiences to create inspiration for this story. I attempted the first few chapters in the months after that vacation. The original plotline featured Mophead and Domino as two brothers, spending the day in Sturgis with their motorcycle-loving Dad on the way to Mount Rushmore. I created the two dark strangers, but from there the plot differed.
With a working title of
Four Faces & The Jewels, Mophead and Domino spotted what looked like Morse code messages flashed by a laser pointer at the base of a pine tree next to the Rushmore amphitheater stage during the light show. They spotted the dark stranger dressed like a baseball umpire. The Morse code messages featured baseball jargon leading to jewels being delivered under the Mount Rushmore Presidential Trail steps at a specified time each day. The Patriot House was part of this original plot, along with Patricia, the diner, and the TTG.
Then life happened, and this manuscript joined others in my file cabinet for almost 20 years.
When I recommitted to the development of this story earlier this year, laser pointer messages seemed lame and I quickly grew frustrated with hidden jewels under steps. The plot just wasn't flowing.
I decided to reinvent Domino as a girl to create a brother/sister duo that would appeal to more readers. Then I went to work developing the tanned, dark-haired cousins, store owner Mr. Winston, and the story of Domino and Mophead's parents, complete with a retooled school bus they call home.
The story could have wrapped up after the robbery is solved, but readers would be left with too many loose ends. So I let the plot lead me to the discovery of gold bars on Logan's property as a tie to Mophead's love of all things related to rocks and gems, and as a connection to Domino's love of a good mystery story.
These two young inquisitive siblings are still rolling around in my creative brain, searching for more adventures. A series maybe? Perhaps. Stay tuned.
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