True or false? The closer you are to your target, the more effective your hit with a Taser will be. Strangely enough, it’s not true. I’ve been writing about Tasers in my police procedural novels for a few years, and only last night in the Eugene Citizen’s Police Academy did I learn how they really work. The sharp probes are fired out on very thin wires, which I knew, but they’re designed to fly at an angle. Read more →
On one of my mystery listservs, participants shared their local “stupid-criminal” stories, which I love! These made me laugh out loud, so I thought I would share.
“A man was arrested this past week in U. City (a St.Louis suburb) during a burglary. While stealing the home’s stuff, the guy found a pound of bacon, which apparently he just could not resist. Read more →
Maintaining an email newsletter list and sending out professional, attractive emails is critical for nearly anyone who likes to stay in contact with a group, whether it’s a book club or fan base. Many providers offer this service, and a few offer it either free or for pennies on the email, making it an affordable option even for Christmas newsletters. Read more →
What do you do when a minor character is so much fun you can’t let her go? You plot a novel just for her. That story became The Arranger, a futuristic thriller involving two wildly different concepts: a software technician who devolves into a killer and a national endurance competition called the Gauntlet. This unusual story developed from several ideas that came together for me: Read more →
I came across some statistics on school bullying recently and was dismayed that this practice is accelerating. It was bad enough when I was in high school, but those incidents seem tame in comparison. Still, a single incident had a profound effect on me. I entered high school the size I am now, but during initiation week, I worried that seniors would harass me. I was prepared to stand my ground, but it never happened. I was big, smart, and confident and no one messed with me. Others weren’t so lucky. Read more →
I met Marva at a book fair and critiqued a few chapters of her fantasy novel. The writing was terrific, the story was engaging, and if I had been a YA fantasy publisher, I would have bought it. I’ve since read several of her novels, and I’m happy to recommend them. Now Marva has turned to writing mysteries, and I’m pleased to introduce her new e-book, Missing, Assumed Dead, a fast-paced engaging story. Read more →
This is the second post in a series featuring exceptional women in Eugene.
As a student of English literature, Kathy Flynn never imagined she would one day carry a gun and conduct a traffic stop that would almost turn deadly. “When I was young, if anybody had told me I would be a police officer, I would have wondered what they were smoking,” says Sergeant Kathy, who supervises the Eugene Police Department’s violent crimes unit. Read more →
This is the first post in a series about exceptional women in Eugene.
For most young women, planning for college is a matter of filling out paperwork. For Hoang Nguyen, a native of South Vietnam who’s now a cardiothoracic surgeon, it meant putting her life on the line, crossing a treacherous ocean in a boat with a converted motorcycle engine, and braving unimaginable hardship. Read more →
In this week’s news, the last company in the world manufacturing typewriters shut down its production plant. Then Time magazine listed four writers in its Top 100 people list, up from zero last year. Are these events connected? I believe so. The ability to write and distribute information electronically changed the world a few decades ago, but the recent rise of e-readers and the ability to access novels and information instantly, no matter where you are, has taken writers to a new level. Read more →
Crime fiction lovers: I’d like to introduce mystery author Jenny Hilborne, British import and author of Madness and Murder. Her new novel, No Alibi, is set in San Fransico, and the story sounds terrific. Here’s the back cover copy:
Isabelle Kingsley didn’t think her husband would ever cheat. Her husband didn’t think she would ever find out. Read more →
