Police and Fed Terminology for Crime Writers
A while back Lee Lofland graciously agreed to allow me to republish his Crime Writer’s Dictionary. I want to be clear that this is not an extension of that but rather, an independent resource of police...
View ArticleIf She Walks Like a Victim…
The best CI a crime writer could ever have, Officer X, sent me a fascinating video, where Dr. John Marsden asked four volunteers to prove how our body language might make us a target for violence. He...
View ArticleCrime Writer Boot Camp: Jurisdiction
I have a real treat for you. As I’ve mentioned before, Officer X is an avid reader of crime fiction. As crime writers, we need to make our stories ring true for everyone, but especially for those who...
View ArticleThe Time Has Finally Arrived!
This is an awesome day for me. MARRED is available for pre-release! I can hardly believe it’s happening. Anyone who’s traveled this lonely, often heartbreaking, road toward traditional publishing can...
View ArticleCrime Writer Boot Camp: Jurisdiction Part II
If you’re just joining us, Officer X, my CI and friend, has been instructing us on how to properly use jurisdiction in our stories. He’ still on the job, which is why I’m protecting his identity....
View ArticleInterview With International Bestselling Author Mia Thompson
This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Author Mia Thompson. Mia is a Swedish-born author living in Sacramento, California. Her international bestsellers, Stalking Sapphire and Silencing...
View Article“Buy My Book!” NO.
Show of hands. Who likes receiving messages that order you to “Buy my book!”? I sure don’t. Nothing irks me more than getting a DM that says, “Thanks for the follow. Hey, while I have you…buy my book,...
View ArticleHow To Load and Accurately Shoot a Pistol
Continuing with my blog tour I’ve been at a few different sites recently that I’d like to share with you. For those unfamiliar with Margot Kinberg’s Crime Fiction News Break, she shares information...
View ArticleTips To Tighten Our Writing
In a previous post I talked about Show, Don’t Tell in the narrative. Today, I’d like to expand on that as well as show a few ways to tighten our writing. Hopefully, you’ll find it useful in your work....
View ArticleCrime Writing: Blood, Bodies, and Bugs
I always preach that it’s crucial we get our facts right in crime writing, especially during the investigation scenes. For a writer like me, someone who includes forensics and investigative procedures...
View ArticleMore Cop Slang & Fed Lingo
I swear I haven’t abandoned you. I’ve been learning exciting new stuff, which I’ll share soon. In the meantime, here’s some fun cop slang and Fed lingo for your enjoyment and/or to use in your stories....
View ArticleHow To Create Excerpt Books For Promotional Gifts
Yesterday, I had my first book signing/reading at Moultonborough Public Library, about an hour south of where I live. What an awesome day, too! For years, I’d heard nightmare stories about an author...
View ArticleThriller Structure In TV: Scorpion
Have you ever watched the show Scorpion? Whether you like it or not, you can’t overlook its perfect thriller structure. It’s a quirky, yet heart-thumping, series about five geniuses who contract their...
View ArticleThe Serial Killer
Serial killers are wildly popular in crime fiction. Why do you think that is? Perhaps it’s because they’re complicated creatures, and deliciously naughty. We, as writers, are told never to make our...
View ArticleWhat Happens Inside an Autopsy Suite?
The autopsy suite is a mysterious place to those of us who don’t work behind the scenes. You could tour an autopsy suite with groups like Mystery Writers of America or Sisters in Crime, both of which I...
View ArticleI’m On Crime Fiction.FM Podcast!
I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Campbell from CrimeFiction.FM. This was such a fun experience, as you’ll hear in the podcast. We had a lot of laughs, which slowed my racing heartbeat to a...
View ArticleWriting Detectives: Learn From a Pro
Struggling with writing detectives? Or maybe you want to dig deeper into your detective character. Either way, I’ve got a special opportunity for you. Some of you may remember a previous guest I had on...
View ArticleSnarky Characters: Love Them or Hate Them?
Do you need a squeaky clean protagonist? What about a protagonist who’s on the wrong side of the law? Yesterday, I finished Wings of Mayhem and sent it in to my publisher (as I told you in my last...
View ArticlePinterest for Authors: Generate Traffic & Gain Readers
Today, I have Janice from Mostly Blogging to show us how authors can use Pinterest to generate traffic and gain readers. Thanks for joining us, Janice! Pinterest for Authors If you are going to...
View ArticleHow Do You Define Bestselling Author?
Many authors have asked me how Marred hit the bestsellers list during pre-release and remained there for several days. It’ll hit it again soon, too, by the way…any day now. But rather than discuss the...
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