River City
Page 23
He hoped he remembered to leave the window open on the tender just in case Jack came by for a treat. He thought he’d drive along the river to the airport to fetch home the old pirate.
– THE END –
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NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
RIVER CITY sprang to life one foggy morning while I was gazing at the massive Columbia River from my boat, the Enterprise, a fishing trawler I call home. At the time, I was watching the television series, The Killing, a moody thriller set in Seattle. I was drawn to the troubled characters, the dark settings and the types of physical and emotional violence it portrayed. It had also triggered a muscle memory of my own from childhood, an event where I had stared into the heart of a monster. But young boys imagine all sorts of things….
That morning I hatched the idea to rewrite my own history by creating a narrative as sullen and haunting for Portland. I’ll let the reader decide whether I succeeded.
Many of the locations in this story are real though I’ve taken some creative liberties when describing Sauvie Island. When first researching this novel, I would often ride my motorcycle around the island, placing key scenes in my mind. I passed by Collin’s Beach, the nude beach I had last visited during my college years. The willows and reeds along the shore line provided me countless opportunities to surreptitiously photograph models. Later, when the rains arrived, I drove instead, scouting the island wildlife that make up a key part of this magical sanctuary.
The Portland Rowing Club exists and is as eclectic as I have described it. The old pirate, William B. Montgomery, is a friend and even more remarkable in person than on the page. I used Mr. Montgomery’s houseboat and tender for scenes to give the book a nautical touch. And the dredging project really did occur both at my own marina on the Columbia and at the houseboat community on the Willamette. But that’s another story.
The loft in the Pearl District also exists. I’d like to thank Mike and Jeanne Stringer for renting it to my girlfriend while her own loft was being remodeled. She temporarily moved her cat and a few suitcases upstairs and stepped into an elegant new environment, much like the protagonist did. The view is spectacular and the early traffic made for a sort of surreal morning-after setting.
I’d also like to thank Sally Ashley for her brief cameo appearance as my landlady. She added her own unique touch of class.
Writing takes a team effort, and I have one of the very best teams going. I owe many thanks to my devoted group of readers who have over the years stuck with me to the very end, reading and re-reading, commenting wherever necessary, pointing out plot and character issues and offering their independent opinions. Many of their views were taken to heart and implemented in this book. I’d like to acknowledge each and every one: Bill Ashworth; Lee Anna Bennett-Ashworth; Dr. Stephen J. Hanns; Jim Hendrickson, Jr.; Kat Majors; Lenny Perrone; Harley L. Sachs; Dane Stanich; Laury #1 Swan, and a very special thanks to Bill Johnson. Mr. Johnson is the author of A Story is a Promise, and is a devoted screenwriting teacher and creative consultant to a number of talented Northwest writers. I was honored to have his help.
I also owe a very special thanks to Deputy Jason Tyrus of the Multnomah County River Patrol. His willingness to introduce me to his co-workers and assist on a number of subjects, both in person and by email, showed me the ropes of what life is like on the River Patrol. He personally took me out on the water for the real deal adventure as they policed Portland’s “Liquid Highways”. Hopefully my broad descriptions of the River Patrol Headquarters, its procedures, and of the team of dedicated officers who keep the waterways a safer place will meet with Deputy Tyrus’s approval.
And last, but not least, I would like to thank Birdie, my fearless partner in crime. Her early editing and long re-writing sessions ignited my writing and shot this story to life. Without her, I would just be another lonely River Rat, a Whaler of Words. She’s the best first mate a captain could ever ask for….
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doc Macomber belongs to many leading writing organizations, including the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Friends of Mystery, and Willamette Writers. He has contributed articles to the prestigious Mystery Readers Journal and Bloodletter on the history of ethnic detectives, and the origin of his hybrid Vietnamese investigator, Jack Vu, in addition a chapter in “Finding the Key Strengths and Weaknesses of your Detective Character” in “Now Write! Mysteries: Suspense, Crime and Thriller Fiction Exercises from Today’s Best Writers and Teachers” published in 2012 by the Penguin Group (USA). His Jack Vu mystery series includes: The Killer Coin, Wolf’s Remedy, Snip, and Riff Raff – a finalist in the Killer Nashville Claymore Award. Mr. Macomber formerly served with an Air Force Special Tactics Unit and is now retired and lives aboard a trawler on the Columbia River, dedicating his time to writing. As a decorated Marine Captain once noted, “Doc sees much ... says little ... and writes it all down.”
Discover other titles by Doc Macomber at Smashwords.com:
The Killer Coin
Wolf's Remedy
Snip
Riff Raff
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