It\u2019s out in only three days. And it\u2019s been a long road.<\/p>\n
I started writing Big Shield three years ago. Like the 10 or so other novels I\u2019ve hunt-and-pecked to completion in the past five years, I started it, finished it, set it aside, and started on the next one.<\/p>\n
Eventually, we tried to find a home for Big Shield with one of the major book publishers. One in particular suggested a fairly important change. The three-storyline book had two that worked, and one that didn\u2019t quite fit. So I sawed off the third leg of the stool and built a new one.<\/p>\n
The end result was that a collateral figure \u2014 the bumbling mobster named Johnny Motts \u2014 became a central character. He\u2019s now arguably the main character in the story. (For a taste of his exploits and his mindset, here\u2019s a free chapter<\/a> that was previously posted.)<\/p>\n Unfortunately (or maybe, in time, fortunately), the change wasn\u2019t enough to get the publisher to bite. The common response went something like this: \u201cWe love it, but sports novels don\u2019t sell.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, this one has been selling. The pre-orders<\/a> have surprised me (in the good way). I\u2019m grateful for that; it validates what I\u2019ve been trying to do for the past five years, and it helps me prove wrong those who weren\u2019t willing to roll the dice on an objectively entertaining tale of gambling, pro football (NOT the NFL), and the mob.<\/p>\n I\u2019m still waiting to see what the NFL will think about this one. At one level, they\u2019ll hate it. (For multiple reasons.) At another level, they should appreciate the fact that it will make players think twice about taking a bag of cash in exchange for inside information. (At the Jerry Jones level, they should like that the book promotes the pro football product, at no cost to the NFL.)<\/p>\n