I want to take you behind the curtain of a concept that often appears in crime fiction and real-world policing alike: noble cause corruption.
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I’m writing this post while sitting in the Springfield (MO) airport. My flight home is delayed an additional hour. Instead of fretting about the potential of missing my connection (which is wasted creativity), I thought I’d maximize this opportunity and share an update on my weekend.
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I’ll admit I made a mistake in 2024 with my website. I forwarded my URL to my store, making it the destination for people looking to learn more about me and my books.
I liked the idea of having a one-stop shop. In theory, there’s a lot to like about that idea. Though it left some things to be desired.
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In August 2023, I started my online store, using the Shopify platform for the backbone. I dabbled with it for a few months, trying to learn the various intricacies of being an online retailer. While I did that, I was also learning how to advertise on Facebook.
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There’s an old quote that’s often attributed to Albert Einstein that goes something like this: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
Writers are definitely guilty of this behavior.
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This post is arriving just as I'm making my way to Las Vegas.
According to the weather forecast, there won’t be much sun this week. That’s okay, though. It’ll still be warmer than Eastern Washington, which is expected to be 43°F today, which is about where the temperature will stay all week. Las Vegas is supposed to be 71° this afternoon. Quite a bump!
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Tomorrow is the release day for Cutler’s Legacy, the sixth novel in the John Cutler Mysteries. It’s taken a while but I’m so excited for this book to be in the world. Cutler holds a special place in my heart. Not only was he the first novel-length character I created, but there are also a lot of elements of my personality in that guy (as embarrassing as that is to admit). Cutler’s a guy who seems to stub his toe whenever things go well for him.
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What happens when a publisher wants all author rights?
In February 2022, I submitted an essay for a Cozy anthology with a neat premise. The editor asked cozy authors to discuss their approach to the genre. As a guy who writes tough-guy cozies, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to share how I created Beau Smith, the protagonist for my Cozy Up series.
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My favorite movie is Rocky.
There are so many things I love about it. Rocky overcomes great odds to go fifteen rounds with the heavyweight champion of the world, something no one else has ever done. In doing so, he proves to himself and the world that he’s worth something. Also, the movie is a love story between Rocky and Adrian, the shy woman he meets in the local pet store.
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Happy New Year!
Well, the day after the new year. I figured you were busy yesterday and didn’t want to hear from me. Hopefully, you spent January 1st hangover free. I stopped drinking about a year and a half ago. I never drank a lot, but I was getting so many migraines that I was hoping to find a link.
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Sammy Hagar is my favorite singer. I loved his work with Montrose and Van Halen, as well as his solo career. In fact, I paid homage to the Red Rocker by naming the Flip-Flop Detective after him.
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It’s time that I look back on the previous quarter and review my successes and failures—what actions should I repeat, and which should I avoid. This is a good thing for anyone to do and I probably should apply such a thing to my personal life.
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When I was in junior high school (the early ’80s), an English teacher handed out a page of funny writing rules. It didn’t attribute any authorship, so I always thought it was hers. I loved these guidelines so much that I kept them for many years until the paper became severely worn.
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As an author, the most frequent question I’m asked is, “How do you write so much?”
I consider that a huge compliment. It wasn’t that many years ago that I didn’t write at all. I had lost my confidence and looked for excuses not to put words onto paper.
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When was the last time you had a performance review?
I have had more than a few in my life. There was one that I’d like to forget, but the others have passed mainly by without a hitch. I believe that the goal is to acknowledge the things that have gone well and find an item or two that can be improved.
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The Public Safety Writers Association held its annual conference in Las Vegas this past weekend (July 14-17, 2022). According to the PSWA website, the association was formed in 1997 as the Police Writers Club and “exists to support people involved in writing about public safety.”
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There’s a saying that the days are long, but the years are short. Well, that means the months are pretty darn quick themselves. It’s amazing how fast three of them just went by. I feel that a couple of things cause this.
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In An Unfinished Story, I shared a letter from my dad written twenty years ago. He mentioned that it was “nice to see something without a lot of swear words and cussing.”
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I’ve been wondering how you keep your series separate in your head. Do you find yourself writing and then saying, “Oops, wrong character/genre/storyline!” - Coleen
Thank you for the question, Coleen. It’s a great one!
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The 2022 Left Coast Crime convention was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from April 7-10th. This was technically my third time attending LCC.
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