Continuing the Pitch:Dakota Stevens & Svetlana Krüsh—A Modern PI Duo
Hello, and welcome to the forty-sixth installment of NotWriting.com, an open journal on how one writer spends his time when he really should be writing.
If you're a literary agent interested in my mystery novel, A REAL PIECE OF WORK, you understand that the one-page query letter requires us writers to leave out a lot of interesting detail about our characters and the worlds they inhabit. I'd like to take a moment to tell you about my detective, Dakota Stevens, and his brilliant & sexy sidekick, Svetlana Krüsh.
For more on Dakota, the novel and its creator, Chris Orcutt, go to Orcutt.net.
Or visit the Dakota Stevens Investigations website.
DAKOTA STEVENS
Dakota is a former Special Agent with the FBI. During his 11 years with the Bureau, Dakota assisted in solving several high-profile cases, including the notorious Hagerstown Murders, for which he was nominated for a Service to America Medal.
In his work as a field agent, he investigated a broad range of Federal crimes including bank robberies, serial killings, computer fraud, missing persons and counterespionage. Dakota originally served as a technician in the FBI Lab, where he specialized in forensic serology and blood spatter analysis.
Dakota holds dual bachelor's degrees in biochemistry and philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of SOCXFBI (Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI), and NESA (the National Eagle Scout Association).
In addition to his abilities as an investigator, Dakota is a skilled outdoorsman, pool player and tennis player. Originally from the coast of Maine, he now splits his time between Manhattan and Millbrook, NY.
Random facts about Dakota:
Age: 35
Height: 6'
Weight: 190, solid
Looks: Distinctly American
Car: Cadillac STS, Raven Black
Home Address: 201 W. 77th St., NY, NY
Favorite Restaurant: Benihana, West Side
Hobbies: Tennis, tornadoes, Bigfoot, working on his Millbrook estate
Weaknesses: Redheads (women)
SVETLANA KRÜSH
Svetlana Krüsh is a semi-retired International Grandmaster under the World Chess Federation (FIDE). At her height in the mid-1990s, among women she was ranked #1 in the United States and #2 in the world.
Svetlana is most famous in the world chess community for being one of the first women to cross gender lines and challenge male world champions, including Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov.
Born into Soviet-controlled Ukraine, Svetlana defected to the U.S. during a chess tournament. She holds a degree in computer science from NYU and has studied at several European universities including the University of London, the American University of Paris, and the highly prestigious Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Svetlana's multilingual abilities enable the firm to take on cases of international import; she is fluent in seven languages: Ukrainian, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Dutch.
Random facts about Svetlana:
Age: Late 20s - Early 30s (she's not telling)
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: Yeah, right
Looks: Stunning to the point of causing accidents; often mistaken for a certain Victoria's Secret model
Favorite Chess Piece: The Queen, of course
When Not on a Case, You Might See Her: At Chess Forum, on Thompson Street in the Village; at the Marshall Chess Club on 10th; shopping on Fifth Avenue
Weaknesses: Frozen boysenberry yogurt, blackjack, Queen's Gambit Declined, expensive boots—especially Dolce & Gabbana
THE OFFICE: 82½ E. 10TH STREET
The building is owned by Svetlana's father, Oleksander.
Dakota Stevens Investigations is located in the basement.
