Michael Hearns, an author, retired police, detective, and undercover agent who investigated drug cartels, money laundering networks, homicides, and other crimes in the shadows of sunny South Florida talks about the real-life details he writes into his detective fiction so that his novels feel authentic. He calls this genre of gritty realism Dark Tropics and says writing characters with emotional depth and getting the details accurate from street names to menu items are essential to respecting the readers and keeping them engaged.

Find more about Michael at MichaelHearns.com

Join our Simply Write community, at https://simplywrite.substack.com, for more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices