Okay, I tell a lie: I figured out the first paragraph of BUZZ ON THE STREETS.

It’s not the next Tom Vargas novel (now on preorder!). It’s going to be a novella to bridge the gap between TINSEL RAIN and the next novel, so that I won’t have to use a part of the book to reintroduce Lucas. But I just needed to bring him in properly from the start. I think this works:

“You have been in California, I perceive.”

Lucas peered out at me over those weird horizontal-line sunglasses the barbies wear. His face still showed the faint traces of zinc-woad markings, he wore meditation bead-bracelets on both wrists and a whintosser claw pedant around his neck, and his cargo pants were apparently made out of pockets. “No shit, Sherlock,” he replied.

#commissionearned