President’s Message

It’s hard to believe it’s already been two months since the 2019 PSWA Writers Conference in Las Vegas. Time sure flies. Thinking back on the conference, I have to say I had the best time. From the Thursday Meet and Greet to the Sunday Awards Banquet, I was inspired and challenged by the old and new friends I met. Any conversation could be started with, “What are you working on?” and the networking and connections exploded from there. The presentations were excellent, even when disturbed by a fire alarm that those of us in the fire service felt we should be doing something about instead of just sitting there waiting for further instructions. The panels presented such great information from field expertise to craft advice. I know I’ve said it before, but I have to say it again. The PSWA has the best members! Along with the networking and writing information gained, the fun and friendly attendees make people come back year after year. Like our own Marilyn Meredith says-It’s like a family reunion. Thank you to all the board members who handled the operations and logistics to make this year another smashing success, especially Mike Black, our Conference Chair.

Speaking of board members, you might know that the PSWA has a voluntary board of directors. Each person donates their time to make sure all the areas of the association run smoothly. From the contest to membership, newsletter to conference, technology to facilitating the whole thing, board members keep things moving along. All the work is done remotely from wherever they call home, except for the twice a year in-person get-togethers. Once, directly after the conference ends on Sunday afternoon, and once in the late winter.

This year, several of our current board members are stepping down, myself included. This is not a bad thing!! Tim has decided it’s time to pass the torch so he can spend more time on the home front. Thonie and I are both exploring amazing new opportunities that will require a lot of our time and energy. I’ll let Thonie speak for herself, bur for me, I started my Master’s of Social Work program at Arizona State University last month. Only a few weeks in, I’m already looking forward to the day when I can read and write things again that aren’t directly related to school. It’s like language immersion; I’m beginning to see my whole world through social work terminology, policies and procedures. What this means for all of our members is there will be some movement and openings on the board. John Schembra, our current VP is going to step into the President role and several other members who have expressed interest in getting more involved have been contacted. If you want to be considered for a position on the board, let us know. This will be an exciting time of change for the PSWA but I believe keeping things fresh and diverse on the leadership level makes for a better organization.

I’ll sign off for now, but rest assured I will still be around. I may be crushed under text books, but I’ll be here. Back to all the great things that took place at the conference. If you haven’t done so already, don’t delay a minute more. Reach out to those who you networked with. Email that publisher, send your WIP to the other member who offered a critique and get in touch with that officer, dispatcher, fire fighter, medic, medical examiner, etc who has an answer to your procedural question. Don’t forget to use the listserv to keep in contact with everyone. Until we see each other again, happy writing.

—Michelle J.G. Perin-Callahan, MS, QMHP, EMT, and PSWA President
Visit me at www.thewritinghand.net or www.forgottenfirstresponders.com

Vice-President’s Message

The 19^th century British Statesman and Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli was quoted as saying “Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” No truer words have been spoken.

As you all are aware, in August we had three board members tender their resignations—President Michelle Perin-Callahan, Secretary and Alpha Geek Tim Dees, and Member at Large Thonie Hevron.

Their decisions were not made lightly, and their reasons are understandable. We will miss them, and the great contributions they made to the PSWA.  I, personally will miss my friends, and hope they will stay a part of the PSWA as members.

We were faced with a void in the Board that needed filling. We have acted swiftly to fill that void.

I have been nominated to succeed Michelle as President. Scott Decker has been nominated to the now vacant Vice President/Membership Chair position, and Bob Calkins has been asked, and agreed, to become the new Secretary. In addition, Barbara Hodges has consented to become the chair for the writing contest. These nominations will become “official” at the February mid-year Board meeting.

Having identified candidates for the most urgent positions, there are other tasks that we will be asking volunteers within our membership to help with. We have every confidence our fine membership will step-up to assist the Board and with some of the day-to-day tasks and the conference planning.

Once we have definitively identified those needs we will put out the call for help.

We do not do this lightly. With an eye on the future, we hope to find members who would be a good fit for the Board at a later date. As we have found, change can occur at a moment’s notice, sometimes without warning, so we need to be prepared.

As I have said many times, the PSWA is the finest group of writers anywhere. The talent, expertise, and willingness to help among our membership is amazing. Oh, and don’t forget the conference—without a doubt the absolute best of many other conferences I have attended over the years.

So, rest assured that the Board is working to seamlessly to continue our record of excellence, and with the new Board members, and some help from the membership, we will be successful in achieving that goal.

Onward and upward!

—John Schembra, PSWA Vice-President

Another One for the Record Books

Well, I’m sitting here watching the fading last days of summer and recalling the great time that was had by all at this past summer’s 14^th annual PSWA Conference. For those of you who missed it, I genuinely feel sorry for you. It was described as the best one yet, and since I was the program chair, I have to agree with this.

All joking aside, it was a fabulous time in Vegas. We started thing off with our writer’s workshop, which had a record number of attendees this time. The writing topics were mostly centered on writing short stories due to the PSWA plan to possibly do another anthology. The three instructors, Mysti Berry, Marilyn Meredith, and me, all taught a segment and did critiques on earlier submissions as well. As the workshop reached the final phase, I stepped out into the hall and began the conference check-in procedure. Name tags were given out along with our great new conference bags. I must say that these new bags were some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen given out at a writer’s conference. The check-in ended and the evening get-together began. The food was out of this world at this one, and I must say, I ate so much of it that I didn’t need dinner. It was great to reconnect with old friends and make some new acquaintances.

And speaking of new acquaintances, this conference had a large number of first time attendees. I hope to see many of these faces again next year. Our Friday started with opening remarks by our PSWA President, Michelle Perin Callahan, and then got off to a fast start with our Vice President, John Schembra, doing a presentation about high speed police driving. That one ended with a remarkable video featuring an actual police pursuit that was so harrowing that I found myself reaching for a non-existent seatbelt on my chair.

The panels began, covering such topics as science vs. mysticism and writing short stories for anthologies, and was then followed by the first day’s wonderful lunch. Things then segued into our second presentation by our PSWA Treasurer, Mysti Berry, on the dramatic question and how to utilize your personal experiences in writing both fiction and nonfiction. Incidentally, Mysti’s new short story, “My Yorkshire Ripper,” is in the newest issue (September/October 2019) of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, which is quite a milestone.

This was followed by more topics on the subjects of media promotions, the testosterone-laden tough guys and PI’s panel, and finally one about the harrowing role of emergency dispatchers. This last one had four individuals who’d worked in communications and the perspective they provided was eye-opening.

We then called it a day’s wrap except for the stalwart individuals who volunteered to participate in the old-time radio play. We had the auditions, held the rehearsal, and then broke for the night for a late dinner.

Day two began bright and early on Saturday morning with former Irvine, California Deputy Chief Dave Freedland’s presentation on SWAT Concepts for the Patrol Officer. Dave had a great PowerPoint presentation that had actual scenarios from his days as a SWAT officer and later a commander of operations. A false fire alarm sounded midway through his presentation, and continued to buzz and flash for several minutes. Undaunted, Dave managed to complete his presentation with the aplomb of the true professional that he is. It just goes to show that a good SWAT commander is able to adapt to whatever unforeseen event that arises.

Our publisher’s panel came next, with several publishers on stage answering questions. There were Austin Camacho and his lovely wife, Denise Camacho, from Intrigue Press, our good friend Geno Munari (Houdini Press), newcomer Jo Wilkens (Mystic Publishing), and Rick Ollerman, who’s an editor for Down and Out Publishing. It was informative and fun. The publishers then went to various points in the room to listen to pitches from the conference attendees and answer questions about their respective publishing companies. Another magnificent lunch followed.

Doing a presentation after lunch always presents a problem, and this year that duty unexpectedly fell to me when one of our scheduled presenters was unable to attend due to a family issue. Luckily, I had one of my lectures from my creative writing class ready and waiting in the wings, and spent the next forty-five minutes talking about the difference between showing and telling in writing. Nobody threw any rotten tomatoes at me, but I’d earlier pulled the luncheon staff aside and told them not to serve any just in case.

We then had more panels on the editor and author relationship, writing historical fiction, and writing action scenes. This finished out the panels for the day and it was time for the old-time radio play, The Adventure of the Smoking Informant. The play was written by Mysti Berry and me and afforded plenty of laughs, including a few unscripted ones. Afterward, Pete Klismet hosted the informal Newcomer’s Dinner.

Things continued to rock and roll Sunday morning as we had our final rounds of panels on gathering evidence, handling large scale disturbances, and perfecting your writing skills. These were followed by our annual Writing Contest Awards. At the conclusion, everyone departed with the assurance that the conference had been a complete success. The vast majority of the conference evaluations reflected this as well.

The PSWA board members met afterward as we cleaned up and dismantled our equipment. These post conference meetings are always a challenge because it’s like giving a press conference after completing marathon. Exhaustion reigns.

Later, as I waited in the late afternoon heat with fellow board member, Tim Dees, for Ron Corbin to arrive with his pickup truck to take the PSWA equipment to his house for storage, the feeling was, as always, bittersweet. Sweet because it had been such a wonderful experience filled with so many good times … Bitter because it had come to an end for this year.

But as they used to say at the end of those James Bond movies, Bond will be back. So will the PSWA. I hope to see you all next year.

—Michael A. Black, PSWA Conference Chair

Are You Ready for the 2020 Conference?

It feels like we just unpacked our bags and started working through all the great ideas from the 2019 conference at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in July. However, 2020 Conference planning is underway! We read your evaluations and have been working hard to create an even better conference than this year’s.

You can register early and grab an early bird discount—AND you can always get an extra discount for selecting the No Refund option.

Michael A. Black is hard at work on lining up solo presenters, we’re planning the writer’s workshop, next year’s writers competition, and much, much more.

Grab your seat today: https://policewriter.com/conference-registration-fees/ (review the options and then click the registration form link at the bottom of the page).

We’ll update the competition and other pages as 2020 information becomes available.

—Mysti Berry, PSWA Treasurer

Stay Aware, Stay Safe

The art of knowing what’s happening around you and using that knowledge to protect yourself and your colleagues.

As we’ve seen in New York City recently, being a police officer has become more dangerous than ever. Officers responding to calls for help and arresting lawbreakers have been subject to verbal and physical assaults. There are myriad reasons why this latest outbreak of disrespect and lawlessness is occurring, not the least of which is that many city administrations punish cops that respond to the assaults, rather than the thugs that commit the acts. In private conversations, some officers admit to dialing down their activity, hardly doing any proactive policing and responding to radio assignments slowly and reluctantly.

That aside, let’s review how to stay safe in your role as a police officer. Situational awareness is even more imperative in the current climate. Knowing what’s happening in your environment will help keep you safe and healthy. But being aware of everything around you has become more difficult than ever. Keeping focused on an offender(s) is paramount, however, in certain areas crowds form quickly and threats from them become almost certain. Add into the equation technologies such as radios, cell phones, and laptops, items that were supposed to help a cop do his job better but that might just cause his attention to them to be the very thing that gets him hurt.

Injuries

We’ve seen objects being thrown at officers while they’re engaged with an offender or using their radios or laptops. Their attention is drawn away from their environment temporarily, and that’s when the likelihood of being injured is great. This isn’t hyperbole. Last year, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health published a report relating to non-fatal injuries suffered by police officers between 2003 and 2014. Cops are three times more likely to be injured on the job than all other U.S. workers. The study found that more than 669,000 officers were treated in ERs, the leading cause being assaults and violent acts.

Being Aware

Being aware of your situation and environment is the key to staying safe. It’s difficult to be totally aware when one is involved in a high-stress situation such as an arrest, street stop, or traffic stop. But some things can help you dial into your situation quickly.

Identify threats: Quickly gauge the most likely threats around you, whether they are people or objects. If you’re familiar with a certain gang area, i.e., realize that it’s likely members will harass or attack you. Traffic stops or street stops near high-rises may result in objects being thrown at you. Abandoned buildings pose hidden threats, as do debris and garbage in the streets. Such things become potential missiles.

Trust you gut: Learn from past experiences. When you’ve been in similar circumstances, remember the outcome and threats that presented themselves to you. If you have a bad feeling about something, pay attention because your mind is trying to steer you in the right direction. 

Constantly check your 6: Common sense, right? But when you’re involved in a stressful situation and focused on something, that’s when it’s important to watch your back. It’s tough to take your eyes off what’s happening even for a second, but it just may save your life. Scanning and using your peripheral vision will help. If you can, try to back up against a tree or building to at least minimize any attacks from behind. Also, use any reflective surfaces in the area, such as car windows, storefronts, etc.

Constantly assess the situation: Sometimes there is a tendency to wait until it’s too late to get help. You must constantly assess what’s going on and realize when a situation is likely to accelerate and explode. Don’t be reluctant to get others on scene quickly. For that matter, if something escalates immediately before help arrives, don’t hesitate to retreat and regroup. Even if you’re about to arrest a subject and things begin to go south, it’s likely you’ll run into the same thug again sometime in the future. Let him go.

Training

Training can help officers adjust to situations they encounter. High stress situations such as active shooters, felony traffic stops, etc., can be addressed through force on force or simulators. The advantage to this type of training is that immediate feedback is helpful, and the training scenario can be run again correctly to reinforce the proper response. Scenarios can be specific to the department or agency to create even more realism.

Even the Army now recognizes the importance of training for situational awareness. The U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) is addressing this need with a unique course called Advanced Situational Awareness (ASA). The course teaches soldiers the art and science of observing humans and their surrounding environment. The ASA course grew from the recognition that soldiers needed more training to enhance their awareness, sharpen their mindset, and increase their ability to secure themselves and their units in the complex environments in foreign countries as well as on the home front.

Training for situational awareness is paramount for our modern warriors, enabling them to predict threats and act decisively and accordingly. Violence is on the rise on our streets and it’s imperative that we are prepared to deal with it.

Stay Safe, Brothers and Sisters!

—John M. Wills, PSWA Member

9-1-1…What’s Your Emergency?

I grew up in a small Kansas farming community during the late 40s and early 50s (Geez, that seems such a long time ago, especially when you say it was the last century).

There was only one phone per household, and it was the type that is sold for a lot of money today in antique stores if they can be found at all. It was the kind that was mostly made of wood and mounted to the wall. A receiver hung on the side and a mouthpiece on the front. To use it, one had to lift the receiver and place it to their ear, turn a crank handle on the opposite side, and wait for the operator located in a small room down on Main Street to answer.

There were no phone numbers assigned to residents, so we just told Velma Brown (the operator) to connect us with whomever we wanted to call. She would plug in wires to the switchboard; the kind you see on the History Channel. Some phones were even on a “party line” system, which provided your personal business to those listening in on the common party line, which quickly spread as gossip. (aka typical “small-town news service.”)

There were no police or medical services, only a volunteer fire department. And if that service was needed, Velma would flip a switch that activated a siren on the town’s water tower. A certain wailing signal of the siren (different from the tornado warning) would alert volunteer firemen. Men from all areas of the town’s one square mile incorporated city limits would leave their homes, businesses, and even teaching classes in high school to rush down to the one fire truck parked at the station, with the fire chief stopping by Velma’s office to get the location of need.

Boy have we come a long way. Now, 9-1-1 is used all over the U.S. and Canada to beckon fire, police, and medical emergency response. Most everyone above the age of five knows this number and how to dial it in case of emergency. Many parents and early childhood education teachers make this a priority for children. Can you remember when all this came about? A brief history lesson.

In November 1967, the FCC met with the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) to find a means of establishing a universal emergency number that could be implemented quickly. In 1968, AT&T announced that it would establish the digits 9-1-1 (nine-one-one) as the emergency code throughout the United States. On February 16, 1968, Alabama Senator Rankin Fite made the first 9-1-1 call in the United States in Haleyville, Alabama.

If you are curious about more of the history of the 9-1-1 system, go to:

https://www.nena.org/page/911overviewfacts

Texting 9-1-1

As I began writing this article, a couple of questions came to mind. First, since most everyone today has a cell phone, can you text 9-1-1? The answer … maybe. It depends on the location.

“The FCC encourages emergency call centers to begin accepting texts as text providers develop text-to-911 capability, but it is up to each call center to decide the particular method in which to implement and deploy text-to-911 technology.”

For additional information on this capability, or to find whether your local call center has a text capability, go to:

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/what-you-need-know-about-text-911

Foreign Travel Emergency Calls

Secondly, what about 9-1-1 in foreign countries? Is that the number to use? My wife and I travel frequently to other countries. And you know how Grandmas are. She always takes her cell phone even when traveling abroad, just to occasionally check-in or in case one of our family members needs us. Fortunately, we have never needed to call the emergency number when in another country. However, it is something I check in my pre-travel planning.

Like the U.S., most countries use either a 2-digit or 3-digit number for dialing emergencies. Some countries use different numbers for police, fire, or medical response. A good safety preparedness habit I try to use is to program our cell phones on speed dial with the appropriate emergency numbers before leaving home. Also, remember to let your phone provider know of your travel plans out of the country. They can help you in making your phone capable of international dialing.

This website lists emergency numbers for other countries:

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/news/a1553/emergency-numbers-in-countries-abroad/

Until the next time … Stay Safe!

—Ron Corbin, PSWA Member

Better Policing

For many years police departments across the country have been searching for ways to better police individual communities. One concept was called Community Policing. The idea was to work more closely with individual communities. The idea became listening to complaints, offering security measures and expecting people within the community to report criminals. The concept initially seemed like a good idea, but the citizen complaints and the lack of the police to respond to those complaints only caused more friction between the police and the community.

My previous partner, in my opinion, was an expert on community policing. He emphasized communication between the police and the community. He pledged to make the community safer for the citizens and the police. Every residential street within his beat or Public Service Area (PSA) had a designated citizen block captain and using a phone list or computer could quickly notify people on his or her street of various crimes that were taking place. Burglaries, robberies, assaults, restraining orders, warrants and or arrests that took place on the PSA streets were reported. Each officer working that PSA was introduced at monthly meetings. Officers were encouraged to engage with citizens, giving them their business card and in some incidences their cellphone number. Citizens were asked to report street or alley light outages, traffic signs that needed repair or replacement or damaged or broken sidewalks or roadways to the block captains. These reports would be forwarded to the various city government agencies responsible for fixing these problems. If the problem wasn’t repaired within a week, it would be reported again and every week after that until it was repaired. This got the citizens within that PSA in the habit of making notifications about their communities.

It was also suggested and encouraged that members of the community recognize officers making arrests for violent crimes within the PSA. This had a twofold benefit. One, officers felt if they made a legitimate arrest of a violent criminal in that PSA they would get a commendation that would go into their personnel file. It also encouraged a closer scrutiny of crime and showed the officer that the community cared about what he or she was doing. This would include officers making arrests within the PSA that were not assigned to that PSA.

An example of how this works is as follows. A series of burglaries had been taking place in a wide area of the city, one in the adjacent PSA. The block captains were notified and given a description of the suspect, if any, or a suspected vehicle. The MOD of the burglar, including what suspected tools he used. How the burglar entered the houses and what time of day or night these crimes occurred. Block captains would then pass this info on to everyone within his or her phone or computer pool, with suggestions to report anyone they deemed suspicious. Block captains would also ask residents to inform him or her when citizens within their neighborhood were going out of town so neighbors and police could keep a closer look on the property. Citizens were encouraged to make a list of their valuables and with electronics, stereos, computers, televisions, etc., to include a description, scratches or damages and, of course, serial numbers.

With an organized community and a willingness of officers to participate, crime could be reduced significantly. Citizens who were afraid to speak out individually could now speak out as a community. Police officers could, hopefully, get away from a “them vs us” mentality and realize we’re all in this together.

—Joseph B Haggerty Sr., PSWA Member

Life Balance: Myth or Reality for First Responders?

Picture this: My husband, Steve and I, along with several friends are in the Sierra mountains, sitting around a campfire telling stories. (There may have been a little beer involved). As they have every other backpacking trip, the group asked Steve, who is originally from Iowa, to tell his favorite story. He starts in.

“A traveling salesman, trying to get to Des Moines before dark, stops at a farmhouse to ask directions. The farmer’s wife introduces him to her husband who is out in the back, slopping the hogs. As the salesman approaches the farmer, he notices one of the hogs has a wooden leg.

“I’d be pleased,” he says, “If you would tell me how to get to Des Moines. But before you do, would you tell me how that hog got a wooden leg.”

“That’s a real special hog,” the farmer says. “Last year, I was out plowing, the ground was soft and the tractor rolled, pinning me underneath. That hog came running, shoved his way under the tractor and lifted if off me. Saved my life.”

“Is that when the hog got the wooden leg?” 

“No sir. About six months ago we had a tornado. My wife and I ran for the cellar. I thought she had the baby, she thought I did. That hog grabbed the baby off the porch, held him in its mouth and dragged him out of harm’s way. Stayed with him until the tornado passed.”

The salesman looks at his watch. It is getting dark and he’s getting impatient.

“So, is that when the hog got the wooden leg?”

“No, sir,” the farmer says. “A hog that special, you don’t want to eat all at once.”

Groans, laughter, more beer.

In my years as a public safety psychologist, I’ve seen what happened to that hog happen to too many law enforcement officers (LEOs) and other first responders like firefighters and dispatchers. You give your all and when it comes time to retire, you are wounded and missing essential parts of yourself. The very parts you need to engage with family, friends and the civilian world. Qualities like empathy, trust, kindness, optimism, humility, humor (not sarcasm), openness, and the ability to ask for help and show vulnerability to the people you love.

That hog was loyal beyond belief. Loyalty to the group is a proud tradition in law enforcement. No question, it is a fine concept and a great quality to have, but only when applied wisely in the right places.

I’ve repeatedly asserted that many people choose to become first responders because they are attracted to the idea of belonging to a “big blue family” that promises to watch their backs. But belonging is not the same as fitting in. In many situations, you have to prove yourself to fit in. Not once, but over and over. Fitting in means you follow the rules and suppress differences. Belonging means you are accepted for who you are.

(This does NOT mean I think cops can choose how to do their jobs, disregard the law, or wear polka dot uniforms if they want to. I mean that individual variations in temperament, thought, cultural norms, values, and so on are treated with respect).

That poor hog sacrificed way too much—and for what? To be the centerpiece of the farmer’s holiday dinner? Caring for others without caring for yourself equals self-sacrifice, a noble concept that becomes meaningless when used without boundaries. Caring for yourself without caring for others results in selfishness or self-centeredness. The challenge is to construct a middle way where you can fulfill your obligations to your job without damaging yourself or the people you love.

Manny Ochoa, the fictional ICAC investigator in my third mystery, The Fifth Reflection, was so overcommitted to finding a missing child that he neglected his own baby and almost lost his marriage. Finding the middle ground is not easy. It involves knowing yourself, your priorities and your limits. It requires learning to push back against pressure from your peers or your culture to conform to values or behaviors that run against the grain of who you are, who you were, or who you want to be.

In my experience, looking for personal confirmation from the work-place is often a no-win deal. Why? Because organizations exist for their own survival, not your well-being. There are good people in organizations, plenty of them. Find out who they are. Avoid the people who think they know how you should live your life and that you should never show your humanity, have needs or set limits because that means you are weak.

I’ve said this before. First responders have two families, their work family and their real family. This is both a burden and a blessing. If you treat your real family with as much loyalty and respect as you do your work family, they should be there for you when you retire, when you get injured, or (this happens too often) when your organization throws you under the bus. Choose your real family first, but prepare for pushback when you do. If you are just now looking for a job, try to find an agency that has family friendly policies and a tolerant culture that respects individual and family needs. If you’re already working, examine your priorities, talk with your family, ask them if they feel they are playing second fiddle to your job and what you can do about it.

Don’t be like that poor hog. Be realistic about your situation. Look for what is possible, not what you hope for or believe you deserve. (You probably do deserve better, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get it). Plan ahead. This is enlightened self-interest. What happened to that hog could happen to you. And you’re the only one who can prevent it.

—Ellen Kirschman, PSWA Member

Promotion, from My Point of View

Unless you’re a big-name author, the majority of the promotion of the book you’ve written is up to you.

Over the years, I’ve done many events and used the Internet and social media to promote my books. I have a new book out this month, the latest in the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series, Bones in the Attic. It focuses on the discovery of a skeleton in an attic.

Buy link: https://tinyurl.com/yxpd8mxy

Of course there are book events that I do every year, and this one is no different—a big book fair, having a table at a local art fair, participating in a holiday boutique in a local art gallery. A couple of new opportunities have shown up, too, a local authors day at the museum in my town, and another at the library in the next city.

We don’t have any bookstore nearby so I always have to find other venues for signings. I’ve done them in coffee shops, thrift stores, at wine tastings, gift shops, and my favorite is a local chocolate store.

As for online promotion, I use Facebook a lot, including groups like our own PSWA group.

I’m getting ready to do a blog tour starting in mid-October. This is where I visit different blogs and write about different topics. Of course it has to be advertised to make it successful. I have my own blog where I write about what ever pops into my mind and I host other authors and do book reviews. https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com and I’m on two other blogs on a regular basis, Make Mine Mystery and Ladies of Mystery. I use Twitter occasionally, but not near as much as I should.

I have a newsletter that goes out once a month. It’s fun because some of the recipients treat it like a personal letter and write back to me. Yes, it has news about my books, but I also write about what’s going on in my life.

On my car, I have a magnet with the cover of my latest book And I always have new cards for each book the cover on the front and information on the back. I get both from Vistaprint.com.

Of course I have a website too: http://fictionforyou.com

I hope this will give you ideas for promoting your book, and if you do some different things, please write an article to share with all of us.

—Marilyn Meredith, PSWA Newsletter Chair 

Is Somebody Following Me?

Crime-writers (and moviegoers) are attuned to that staple of adrenalin-pumping action, the car chase. It doesn’t matter whether the pursuit is from the perspective of the follower or the followee—“That red car’s been behind me since Cleveland!”—they can be fun to write and nerve-wracking to read or watch.

Alas, chases that are little more than special effects demo reels (thanks, Hollywood), bear little relationship to how actual people would behave and strain readers’ credulity. If your characters are ordinary citizens, they’re unlikely to notice they’re being followed in the first place. If they do notice, they won’t know what to do about it. You have to find the sweet spot between over-the-top demolition-derby mayhem and dull cluelessness.

This renodadsblog post, written by two former CIA operatives, gives some tips on how non-professionals can detect surveillance. It’s basic stuff, but if you’ve been on a steady diet of The Fast and the Furious franchise or reruns of The French Connection, and you want to get back in touch with the reactions of the typical American distracted driver, here you go!

Story characters can be followed on-foot too, of course. The Art of Manliness guide on What to Do If You’re Being Followed gives common-sense advice on detecting and eluding people following you—assuming they are everyday muggers and not trained espionage agents, of course.

It all starts with being aware of your surroundings and policing your social media, two tactics your characters may—or may not—follow. Is there some reason your character is hyper-aware? Characters make mistakes (aren’t they fun?) but they also are resourceful.

—Vicki Weisfeld, PSWA Member
Twitter: @vsk8s
Website: www.vweisfeld.com 

Member News

From Mark Edward Langley

Since meeting Craig Johnson a few years back, he has been a great supporter of my work. He even did the first blurb for my debut novel, Path of the Dead, and tweeted it on his Twitter page.

“Combining the gait of a fine horse, the comfort of your favorite Indian blanket, and the ease of a well-worn saddle, Mark Langley’s Path of the Dead is one heck of a debut novel coming out of the gate.”

—Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries, the basis for the Netflix drama Longmire

I was also lucky enough to meet and speak with British author Peter Lovesey in NYC during Edgar Week a few years back and he has agreed to do a blurb for the 2nd book of my series Death Waits in the Dark.

Since being published in August of 2018, my life has taken a new and welcomed direction. As all writers know, we work long hours trying to perfect our stories in hopes of one day grabbing onto the brass ring and hanging on for the ride of our lives! Well, I’m hanging on for dear life and seeing where this part of my journey will take me.

Ever since my first book signing event at one of my favorite independent bookstores, Anderson’s Bookshop in LaGrange, Illinois, I believe I have gotten so much better at being in front of people and talking about myself and my work. I was also lucky enough to be interviewed by Chicago author Libby Fischer Hellmann who made it so easy for me. After that I did an event at Barnes & Noble in Mishawaka, Indiana and then several library events for the Elkhart, LaGrange and Middlebury, Indiana libraries.

In fact, I have just concluded signing events at Barnes & Noble in Valparaiso, Indiana; the fabled Centuries & Sleuths in Forest Park, Illinois; Bookies Bookstore in Homewood, Illinois; a local fair in Schererville, Indiana and ended my paperback release tour at Barnes & Noble’s flagship store in Orland Park, Illinois. I am also overwhelmed that Path of the Dead has garnered both 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon.com and has been reviewed favorably by several people and bloggers as well as Midwest Book Review and Western Writers of America. I am ready for what may be to come and look forward to the experience of a lifetime!

http://Markedwardlangley.com

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Ellen Kirschman

Ellen Kirschman reports she has two short stories in forthcoming anthologies: “Welcome to the Sisterhood in Shattering Glass” by Nasty Woman Press and “The Almost Sisters in Jewish Noir”, V.2. Both scheduled for 2020.

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Marcia Rosen

Marcia Rosen has a new book being published by Level Best Books, November 5th. The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus by The Family. Her son, Jory Rosen, wrote the recipes.

She’ll be doing book signings on Saturday, 4pm, November 23rd at Napa BookMine, Napa, California and on Sunday, December 1, 1pm, River House Books, Carmel, California.

Praise for The Gourmet Gangster:

Exquisitely prepared food and Organized Crime ventures have long gone hand in hand and Marcia Rosen knows a lot about both of them. Her latest, The Gourmet Gangster, (Recipes by her son Jory Rosen) is another delectable entry to her fabulous menu of excellently written books. Be sure to savor this one like a fine dessert. ~Michael A. Black, winner of the Best Original Novel Scribe Award and author of Blood Trails, Legends of the West, and the Executioner series (Dying Art and Stealth Assassins) as Don Pendleton

The mysteries are malicious. The recipes are delicious.

—John Klopfenstein, Criminal Defense Attorney
Carmel/Salinas, California

Never a dull moment in this entertaining and intriguing collection of underworld stories featuring a mob boss with plenty of axes to grind. Fascinating tales told by a talented author. As an added bonus: delicious recipes for the gourmet mobster in all of us. 

—Lida Sideris, author of the Southern California Mystery series

“Begin reading The Gourmet Gangster and you are guaranteed a page-turner.  With clever wit, Marcia and her son Jory Rosen give us the mercurial, oft gritty story of lives revolving around a 5-star, mob-run restaurant in mid-town Manhattan—a meeting place for movers and shakers from both sides of the track.  A menu of gourmet recipes throughout the text offers a superb bonus to their entertaining narrative.”

—R. Scott Decker, author, Recounting the Anthrax Attacks: Terror, the Amerithrax Task Force, and the Evolution of Forensics in the FBI.

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Marilyn Meredith

King’s River Life Magazine, did a terrific job on this podcast of the first chapter of Spirit Wind, by Marilyn Meredith.

https://mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com/e/spirit-wind-by-marilyn-meredith/

And the book was featured in Southern Writers Magazine: https://www.southernwritersmagazine.com

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From Jackie Taylor Zortman

My second Drifter Series novella has been released.

The second novella in my Drifters Series, JAKE-Winds of Change was recently released on Amazon.com. The first was called JAKE-Whiskey, Water & Wildfire and was enthusiastically received by my readers. Both novellas are eBooks and when the third is published, it will be a large trade paperback containing all three books in the series, also available as an eBook.

Jake is a wildland firefighter with a Harley who stays in top physical shape for his profession and is blessed with the kind of good looks that make women yearn to be his lover and men envious, being what is known as a “man’s man”.  He’s a drifter who travels until some town mentally signals him that he should stop and stay awhile. A pending disaster is usually the reason he is needed. Once the need is fulfilled, he rides again until another town flags him down. He once left a heartbroken woman in his wake and their relationship haunts him, having always been single and dedicated to remaining that way forever.

A ski trip to Telluride inspires him to remain in southwestern Colorado. He fails to find a job as a firefighter, so takes the Colorado law enforcement exam and becomes a police officer. He lands a job with the small Sierra, Colorado PD and is hired as their Fire Investigator.

Renting one of only two apartments in the historic Wander Inn, his neighbor in the other apartment is a gorgeous single woman named Kioni and they develop a sizzling, mutually agreeable no-strings-attached romance. Jake’s first friend in Sierra was Kioni’s mother, Yvette, a strangely mystical and magnetic older woman who works part-time in the local bookstore.

On a three-day road trip with Kioni, Jake unexpectedly manages to gather the loose ends of a case that has been his focus since the first moment he noticed the strange person of interest’s suspicious activities in Sierra. Unexpected twists and turns lead the case back to the Sierra PD and reveal shocking ties to the department’s detective.

Jake has a tremendous secret that is eventually revealed in each novella. Find out what his secret is at www.amazon.com/dp/B07WZVMWJH/.

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Mysti Berry

Mysti Berry published two short stories in September: “My Yorkshire Ripper” in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Sept/Oct 2019, and “Brewery Gulch” in SoWest: LadyKiller, the anthology published by the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime (Phoenix area).

President’s Message

We’re right in the middle of one of the most exciting times for the PSWA. The 2019 Writing Competition entries are all numbered and heading to the judges. Soon our association will welcome a new crop of Award-Winning Authors to our ranks. So many of you are waiting anxiously to see if you too will be able to place that gold sticker beside your name. Several of our past award winners have had their publisher place it right on their book cover during printing. For those soon-to-be 2019 winners, you’ll be joining a great group of writers. A special group within our already special group.

Also during this time, our Conference Chair Mike Black is putting the finishing touches on the program for the 2019 PSWA Conference taking place in Las Vegas this July. A lot of work goes into making sure that the three day conference has what our members want including great presenters and panels that cover information that will make our writing better. Like past years, the panels will focus on writing tactics, as well as, public safety topics. You’ll walk away knowing both where to place the comma and where to place the body so it’s believable. Where else can you get that kind of information in one place?

As your Board of Directors focus on preparing our year’s main event, I hope that each of you are also preparing. Make sure you’ve registered for the conference at the earliest rate possible to save money and booked your room at the Orleans before the conference rate expires. You don’t want to miss out on all the fun. Year after year, we get feedback from our attendees that the best part of this whole thing is the networking. We will have publishers available to hear your pitches. There will also be plenty of time to get to know your fellow members who have run the gauntlet in getting their work published and are happy to share the secrets of their success and the pitfalls to avoid. The best thing for me about the conference is the encouragement. Writing can be a lonely pursuit and sometimes it takes years and years for our work to come to fruition. It’s nice to know I’m not alone and to get the boost that I need to just put my head down and keep on working.

I hope to see many of you in Vegas and can‘t wait for Sunday’s Awards Ceremony. Until then, keep on writing.

Michelle J.G. Perin-Callahan, MS, QMHP, EMT
PSWA President

Five Reasons to Write Short Works

We all know that the days of a writer being able to pay a month’s rent on short story or article writing disappeared decades ago. So why should you invest time and energy in work that takes away from the progress on your screenplay, novel, or non-fiction book? I’d like to share just five of the many good reasons for writing shorter works.

Reason Number Five: Short Works Make Experiments Easy

You have a lot of ideas in your head, and you undoubtedly are slightly better at some writing skills than others. Spending a whole year on a novel with an experimental point of view (looking at YOU second person present tense!) would set your schedule too far back. But spending a week or three on an experiment can teach you a lot.

Maybe you’ve been writing in a hard-boiled voice that isn’t working the way you want. You can experiment with a story told in a softer tone, or from an unfamiliar perspective, to see how it goes. Maybe you’ll be as good as Megan Abbot at writing in the other gender’s voice, or as skillful as James Lee Burke at weaving setting into a story. Or maybe you’ll fall in love with narrative non-fiction. You’ll never know unless you experiment!

Reason Number Four: Short Works Win Awards

Short stories are eligible for most of the major writing prizes in crime writing. The PSWA gives awards for both fiction and non-fiction short work in our yearly writing competition. Once you win an award, you are forever after “an award-winning writer.” Winning an award can open the door to conversations with writers and editors who might not have been accessible before.  

Even if you publish and don’t win an award, you build relationships with publishers, editors, and writers. I still interact with people who I was published with in my first Sisters in Crime anthology over a decade ago. 

Reason Number Three: Short Works Open Doors

Charity anthologies and anthologies produced by writers groups are published frequently, and often have open submissions and blind reads—you don’t have to be famous or “know people” to be placed in the anthology. Plus, the reading research you do to find an anthology suitable for your genre and interest will teach you more about the industry and introduce you to new writers. A win win!

And some outlets do pay for short stories. Two national digests, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine publish a dozen or so stories every other month. While competition is fierce, new voices do get published. In fact, EQMM publishes a “new voice” short in every issue. Some charity anthologies pay writers a token payment ($10 – $25). You can’t make a living at it, but being paid can boost your confidence.

Reason Number Two: Short Works are Good Practice

Because there’s no time to waste in a short story or non-fiction piece, writing these works make you a better writer. Some writers don’t like to write short forms, and that’s just fine. But if you do enjoy taking a break from your work in progress (WIP), writing something short may help you focus on structure or characterization or forward momentum, or whatever you wish to focus on. Everything you learn about writing shorter works can be applied to longer ones.

Reason Number One: The World Needs Your Stories

After a few thousand “No” answers from publishers, agents, and editors, it can be easy to forget that your stories and articles contribute something to the world. You see the issues and experiences of humanity differently than every other person on this planet, and hearing from you makes us richer, smarter, more compassionate, and more fulfilled. If you take the time you spend on one sit com every week and put that towards a short piece, you’ll have something worth publishing by the end of the season. Whether it’s an article for this newsletter, a short story in an anthology, or something you put up on the Internet, I look forward to reading it!

—Mysti Berry
PSWA Treasurer and Web Wrangler

Look! Up In The Sky!

What to Do When the Police Helicopter is Overhead

To the criminal element, these airborne cops are mockingly called “Big Brother in the Sky,” or “Ghetto Bird.” But not everyone feels that way about police helicopters. Sure, they are loud and annoying; causing all the neighborhood dogs to bark, interrupting your nightly TV pleasure, or “rudely” waking you at 2:00 a.m. with the “Whop-Whop” rotor sound and a bright light flickering in your bedroom window. However, most law-abiding citizens accept these occasional disturbances for the extra sense of security that this method of law enforcement provides.

Although a high-budget item for any police agency, operational costs for these airborne units pay for themselves many times over each year. This is accomplished by the number of crimes they help solve, the safety and support they provide to police ground units, the lives they save during search and rescue efforts, and the overall comfort given to a community’s residents just in knowing that police officers are using this “eye-in-the-sky” method to deter criminal activity.

Did you know that one of these whirlybird machines can cover the same area as 15-20 street patrol officers? And for response to “hot” calls or crimes in progress, they are usually the first officers on the scene, directing responding patrol units on the ground to apprehend fleeing suspects.

Police helicopters can safely follow and observe criminals that are driving 90-mph through city streets. Many times, the guy who’s fleeing from the police has no idea the helicopter is following above and thus will slow down when pursuing patrol cars back-off the pursuit. This makes the incident safer by creating less potential for a traffic accident to some innocent driver or pursuing patrol officers.

Years ago, I flew police helicopters for LAPD. It’s amazing what you can see from 500 feet above the ground and how effective police work can be conducted from an aerial observation point. It’s always fun for the police pilots to see children running around excitedly and waving. But, while this is okay during routine patrol, it is not the best thing for residents to do when there is criminal activity or a major safety incident occurring in the area.

When you see a police helicopter repeatedly circling over your house or the general neighborhood, it usually means they are looking for a suspect. So, what should you do? Here are some good tips that will help the police pilots and responding units successfully complete their mission, as well as make the incident safer for you, your family, friends and neighbors.

What to Do at Home

• Don’t stand outside and wave your arms. Although police officers appreciate your excitement and willingness to be friendly, from the air we can’t distinguish what your gestures mean.
• If you have information on a possible suspect in your yard or running from the area, call 911. Otherwise, for any other suspicious activity, and you’re not sure if it is related to the air search, call the police non-emergency line and relay your information.
• Go inside your house. Close and lock all windows and doors. The fewer people out and about makes it easier to locate and identify possible suspects. Also, standing outside your house makes you a potential hostage for the suspect, and a means of him gaining forcible entry to your house.
• Bring your dog(s) inside the house. This will prevent a confrontation with K9s that may be used in the search. If officers are chasing a bad guy through backyards, the last thing they need is coming face-to-face with your dog and dealing with another threat.
• Turn on exterior lights. This will reduce and deter hiding places for the bad guy, and assist officers in their search.                     

What to Do in the Neighborhood

If a suspect is caught in your neighborhood, or you see a lot of police and emergency responder activity on your street, stay in your house. Don’t go to the scene and ask officers what is going on. If there are police cars, fire trucks, or ambulances at your neighbor’s house, then there is a problem. You don’t need to meddle into your neighbor’s business by asking what’s happening. Your curiosity, no matter how strong, is not a reason to violate your neighbor’s privacy. If it’s something that YOU need to worry about, the officers will knock on your door and tell you. Otherwise, it can wait until a later time.

What to Do When Driving

You have all seen TV videos of police chases and the accidents that tragically occur at intersections. If you happen to be driving and see the police helicopter’s bright light flickering on your vehicle or the street you’re driving on, you may want to pull over as soon and safely as possible.

Sometimes in these instances, the pilots are trying to alert you that a danger exists ahead. Often, they are following a vehicle pursuit, and the fleeing suspect has no interest in your safety. Look around and in your rear-view mirrors for flashing emergency lights. Roll down your window and listen carefully for the sound of sirens. Although rarely used, the police helicopter does have a PA system, and might find the need to use it to give instructions to citizens on the ground.

Once the helicopter leaves the scene, don’t try to follow its light beam action along streets to appease your curiosity. In other words, don’t be an “ambulance chaser.” If you want this kind of excitement, there are plenty of shows on TV to watch.

When Pigs Fly

As an FYI, be sure to check-out Thonie Hevron’s blog… Just the Facts, Ma’am. Under the link of “When Pigs Fly”, I have written a few stories about police helicopter pilots. Trust me, sometimes “boring holes in the sky” can get pretty monotonous. You won’t believe how these pilots and crews amuse themselves. https://thoniehevron.wordpress.com/

Until the next time, Stay Safe!

—Ron Corbin
PSWA Member

Delivering the Bad News  . . .  and Writing About It

Knocking on someone’s door to deliver a death notification is one of the least favorite tasks of a police officer. It’s a tough and emotionally draining assignment. Telling someone such bad news has to be done person to person, not by a phone call, email, social media or any other method. Telling it face to face means the right person gets the message and not that someone is playing a cruel joke over the phone.

For those that joined the police department anticipating the glamour jobs, the big investigations, arresting high profile suspects, the stuff movies are made of, this isn’t it. Delivering the bad news is right-down-in-the-trenches police work. If your writing character is a uniformed police officer you might be thinking about including a death notification in your story. Here’s how to make it authentic.

At the front door now. About to change someone’s life. Take a deep breath. Steady the nerves. Knock knock knock on the door. “Are you . . .? Yes? Could we come in?”

From there the officer gets to the point and delivers the news. Speak as gently as possible and don’t embellish it. Just tell what is known. No more, no less. In other words, don’t try to imagine how the person died or what those details might be. Don’t answer questions by guessing.

I delivered many death notifications and had many different reactions. One never knew what would happen after we broke the news. Some stared in disbelief. Others thanked us for delivering the bad news and said they were fine. Some just looked at the floor and cried. One flew across the room and attacked me. (“You f&*kin cops killed him!”)

It’s best to have two officers on a death notification, one to deliver the message, the other for support, safety and backup. Even death notification assignments can be unpredictable (see above). Turn off the portable radios and cell phones. Distractions from a chirping police radio won’t help this very sensitive situation. Don’t rush it. This is one of those “it takes as long as it takes” assignments. Sometimes it takes fifteen minutes. Other times two hours.

Once the death notification has been delivered it’s important to make sure the person receiving the message is OK before the officers leave. Arrange for a support person to be there. Some police agencies have trained civilian volunteers who are available if there is no one else.

Once the message has been delivered and the support person is there, the officers leave. Don’t rush the exit. Your writing characters have done the hard work of delivering the bad news by this point so have them keeping their emotions under control, saying a respectful good-bye, then departing. There’s no perfect way to leave but you could write that the officers, having done what they’ve come to do, leave knowing the support person is in place.

Back in their police car now, your officers will be relieved to have that call behind them. There’s an opportunity to write about how they’re feeling (drained, sad, glad that’s over) before sending them on their next call.

—John Eldridge, Retired police officer
Author of Second Careers for Street Cops
PSWA Member

Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History in the United States

Consider for a moment that England, a monarchy, has managed to achieve outstanding women  in history. Yet the United States which always considered itself as the most advanced democratic society ever, hasn’t been able to elect a female leader in all of its independent existence so far.

Elizabeth 1 (1522 – 1603) was one of the most powerful English monarchs ever. Never Married and called the “Virgin Queen.” The intellectual Elizabeth defeated the Spanish Armada and ruled successfully for so long that her reign from 1558 until 1603 is known as the “Elizabethan Era.”  As a monarch, the last of the Tudor Dynasty, she encouraged major cultural changes like the Renaissance and the transformation of England into a Protestant country.

Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) was the queen of the United Kingdom, ruling over a vast British empire that stretched across six continents for 63 years. The second longest reign in its country’s history (the longest belonging to the current Queen Elizabeth II). Queen Victoria the first’s rule was so definitive that the period has come to be known as the “Victorian Era.” Under her rule, slavery was abolished throughout all of the British colonies and voting rights were granted to British men. She also made reforms in labor conditions and presided over significant cultural, political and military changes in her empire.

Margaret Thatcher (1925 – 2013) was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1979 and 1990, the first woman to hold this office. She was the longest serving British Prime Minister of the 20^th century, dubbed the “Iron Lady” by the Soviets for her hardheadedness. She won a popular victory over Argentina in the 1982 Falklands War, but her economic policies had mixed support, as she promoted a free market economy and confronted the power of the labor unions.

Now you may better understand why I say “Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History in The United States.”  However, I do believe “the times they are a changing for America.”

For women, it’s time they speak up and speak out about whatever concerns them.

We have to stop being victims and start being leaders.

When women and girls are empowered to participate fully in society, I believe everyone benefits.

—Rena Winters
PSWA Member

New Missile Provides No Escape Zone

(Of special interest to those who write fiction and non-fiction military books—and thriller writers.)

Six of our nation’s key allies’ fighter jets are now armed with the deadliest missiles ever—the Meteor Missile. Equipped and powered by air-breathing ramjets, the flying explosives excel at hunting and destroying enemy threats at long ranges, regardless of environment or weather. In order to be effective in today’s air-air combat, the missiles also need to withstand electronic warfare threats from the enemy. Therefore, the Meteors are engineered to operate despite any electronic warfare directed at them.

Ramjets

Meteors are powered by ramjets. Ramjets differ from conventional rockets in that a ramjet engine only requires a light propulsion system for high speed flight. The Meteor missile uses a solid fuel, variable flow, ducted rocket approach resulting in a substantial power boost which increases the range and increased precision. The Meteor can throttle its engine during different phases of flight, whereas a rocket delivers all its potential energy in one continuous unmodulated burn cycle. The ramjet engine is air-breathing and capable of creating speed exceeding Mach 3, and in some cases Mach 6. Since the ramjets breathe air, they’re suitable for firing in the atmosphere. In order to harness ram pressure, the ramjets must travel at high speeds, e.g., three times the speed of sound, and they use the air compression and subsequent shock waves.

No Escape

The Meteors are Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles (BVRAAMs). Each missile weighs 418 pounds, is over 12 feet long, and about 7 inches in diameter. What’s unique about the BVRAAMs is that the target needn’t be seen by the pilot. The Meteors are smart enough to locate their targets and attack them on their own. Each carries a highly advanced active radar seeker that guides each missile, eliminating the need for the pilot or advanced aircraft to guide them. However, the pilot continues to communicate with the missiles and can intervene and re-direct in mid-flight or abort the mission if need be. The two-way data link capability enables the pilot to receive information throughout the Meteor’s flight which helps the pilot ensure the missile is on the correct course.

The Meteor contains a fragmentation warhead that detonates on impact or at the optimum point of intercept. This ensures maximum destruction of the target. The Meteors create the largest “no escape zone” of any current air-to-air missile, several times larger than any medium range air-to-air missiles. The unit monitors the remaining fuel, maintaining cruise mode while avoiding full throttle until the final stage of closing in. The no escape zone is a cone shaped area calculated by the guidance software wherein the target will be unable to evade using its own maneuverability. As soon as the target is within the no escape zone the missile will usually accelerate to full throttle. While the maximum range of the Meteor is classified information, it is thought to be well in excess of 100 kilometers. It can be launched by rail or ejection.

History

The Meteor was created by MBDA, a missile developer and manufacturer with operations in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the United States. The missile is being manufactured at MBDA’s facility in Lostock, Scotland. The MBDA works with over 90 armed forces around the world. When MBDA won the contract over the U.S. for the Meteor, it gained a substantial foothold in a market sector previously dominated by the U.S. As the new air-to-air armament of the Eurofighter, the Meteor was created for use against a variety of fixed and rotary wing targets, to include UAVs and cruise missiles.

The missile trajectory is controlled aerodynamically using four rear-mounted fins. The missile’s control principles allow for high turn rates while maintaining intake and propulsion performance. It is network enabled and a datalink allows the launch aircraft to provide mid-course target updates or retargeting if required. Third parties, that include other fighters, airborne early warning and control aircraft, and land and sea-based radar and electronic surveillance systems may also input data.  Key development features include the ability to stealthily launch and enhanced kinematics (motion of objects), enabling the missile to chase and destroy a highly agile maneuvering target. Full scale production commenced in December 2002, and today the Meteors are carried by British Typhoon fighter jets.  In addition, U.S. fifth generation F-35 Lighting IIs Joint Strike Fighters will also be armed with Meteors.

Recently, the British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons were launched to intercept Russian aircraft approaching U.K. airspace. Handed off to the Typhoons by Royal Norwegian Air Force F-162s, the RAF fighter jets were armed for the first time with Meteor missiles. The Russian aircraft, believed to be Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers, flew on to Venezuela and rendezvoused with other Russian military aircraft in a show of military force. Russian officials claimed they were preparing to defend Venezuela if necessary.

Update

The Middle East Monitor recently reported that Germany has forced MBDA to discontinue exporting Meteor missiles to Saudi Arabia, based on the kingdom’s leadership of the Saudi-UAE Coalition in Yemen. In 2014, Riyadh signed a deal with the European side to buy Meteor air-to-air missiles worth $1 billion. Saudi Arabia wants to arm the European Typhoon fighter jets that it will buy with these missiles.

—John Wills
PSWA Member

Murder, with a Dash of Romance

I always try to add a dash of romance in my murder mysteries. I mean, the two things kind of go together. You always hurt the one you love, as the saying goes. Indeed, domestic homicides are far more common than we would like to think. Back when I was a cop, I responded to a shooting in a residence at about two-thirty in the morning. The husband was lying in the bedroom with a hole in his gut. The wife was nearby, and so was a loaded, chrome, snub-nose, .38 revolver.

After gaining control of the weapon, I asked what happened. Through gritted teeth, the husband said, “My wife shot me. I was attacking her and she was defending herself.” The paramedics arrived and I let them work on him while I took his missus into custody.

It was pretty cut and dried. I took her to the station and read the Miranda warning. She didn’t want to talk about it, so I put her in the cell and went to the hospital to check on the husband. He was in surgery, and the wife’s family arrived. Apparently, she’d called them after she’d requested an ambulance. The husband was in surgery, so there wasn’t much I could do. By the time I got back to the station, the on-call detective arrived and I briefed him on the situation. He shook his head and said he’d have to wait until the husband was out of surgery and take it from there. I went back to check on the wife, who asked how her husband was doing.

“He’s in surgery,” I said. “Your sister and brother-in-law are at the hospital.”

“They’re over there while I’m locked up in here?” she said.

I think she was more upset about that than anything else.

To make a long story short, the husband survived, and refused to press charges. I figured it was the end of this story until a few years later. It was about seven in the evening, and I was dispatched to a call at the emergency room to check on a shooting victim in the ER. As I was en route, I received more information from dispatch: “Be advised, the shooter is in the waiting room.”

I asked for further and was told that the only information available was that the shooter was “a female black.”

I kept asking for more information as I pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance. As I exited my squad car, the dispatcher told me that the shooter was sitting in the waiting room and the whereabouts of the weapon was unknown.

I was met by a befuddled security guard at the entrance. I asked where the suspect was, and he shrugged. “I don’t know.”

We quickly tracked down the complainant, a nurse, who pointed to the waiting room and said, “She’s in there.”

I walked to the edge of the room and did a quick peek. There were perhaps twelve people inside, and six of them were black females. I asked the nurse who the alleged shooter was, and she pointed to a woman wearing a blue, Cook County Deputy’s uniform. Court personnel usually wore this type of uniform. I didn’t see any visible holster or gun.

“The woman in the uniform?” I asked.

She nodded.

Everyone in the room appeared to be sitting quietly, watching the television that had been fastened to a metal frame about six feet off the floor.

I stepped back and advised the dispatch center of the situation and asked about my back-up.

“Unit on the way,” the dispatcher informed me.

I debated waiting, but figured it would be safer to ask the suspect to step out into the hallway. Plus, she was wearing a uniform and evidently was in law enforcement.

I walked over to her. She stood and asked, “You’re here about my gun, right?”

I said I was, and asked her to step into the hall with me. As she stood I visually checked her body. No weapons.

When we got into the hall, she immediately started to open her purse. I placed my hand on top of hers and told her I’d take it.

She looked startled, and frowned. “What for?”

As I started to say I needed to take charge of her weapon until I had sorted out the matter of the shooting, another black woman came up to us.

“I think you want me,” this new woman said.

She looked strangely familiar, but I couldn’t place her.

“Are you involved in this?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I shot him.”

The deputy suddenly became very irate. “You thought I shot somebody?”

I ignored her and took the purse from the second woman. “Where’s the gun?”

“In the house.”

“And you shot someone?”

She nodded. “My husband.”

I asked the deputy to do a quick pat-down search on the suspect. She did, and I placed the second lady in handcuffs. My back-up arrived and I began to get things sorted out. After explaining the situation to the female deputy, and apologizing, she went back in the waiting room in a huff. I then inquired about the victim, and was advised that he’d been brought to the ER by the female I now had in custody. He’d been shot in the abdomen, and was in surgery. His name sounded vaguely familiar, and suddenly it all clicked. These were the same two people that had been involved in the domestic shooting incident to which I’d responded a few years before.

I immediately went back to the house to check the crime scene and recovered what appeared to be the same loaded, chrome, snub-nose, .38 revolver. I waited for the detective to arrive and turned everything over to him. I thought I’d been caught in a television rerun, or some warped, real-life version of Groundhog Day. Sure enough, the husband survived, and refused to press charges, saying that his wife shot him “in self-defense.”

It was like déjà vu all over again.

A few weeks later I got called into the station and was introduced to a gentleman needing an escort over to his residence to retrieve some personal property. It was the guy who’d been shot those two times.

I asked him how he was doing, and he shook his head. Apparently, all the romance had gone out of their relationship after the second shooting. He and his wife were thinking of splitting up.

I resisted the temptation to say that the third time could be the charm, and mulled over giving him the name of a guy I knew who sold bulletproof vests. But I kept my mouth shut.

I guess I’ll always be a romantic at heart.

—Michael A. Black
PSWA Conference Program Chair

FBI Miami Firefight

A street gunfight in Miami in 1986 killed two FBI agents, wounded five other agents (three of them critically), and killed the two shooters wanted for a series of lethal bank and armored car robberies.  This event shocked the nation and launched studies that produced historical changes in law enforcement tactics, weaponry, and ammunition standards.

The firefight itself is well detailed by one of the participants, a badly wounded survivor, Special Agent Ed Mireles, in his fine book:

FBI Miami Firefight — Five Minutes that Changed the Bureau
by Edmundo & Elizabeth Mireles
(Author published 2017 www.edmireles.com)

The book includes many high-quality color photographs and diagrams and a timeline of the preceding events and investigations. Ed’s clear and frank first-person language bring the firefight and its aftermath to life for the reader.  The chapters describing the investigation and events leading to the firefight read like a police procedural page-turner.  Detailed are the assumptions made by Ed’s Miami Bank Robbery Squad that failed to unfold as expected.  As some have said, plans can be made, but they may be academic after the first shot is fired.

People who have never been under fire (“seen the elephant”), especially crime fiction writers, will want to read Ed’s chapters on the firefight.  The psychological transformations Ed and some of the other agents experienced during and after that day’s deadly combat are particularly well described.

Interesting by themselves are the involvement of Ed’s wife Elizabeth, a Miami FBI Special Agent, and Ed’s pre-and-post FBI history.

I recommend this book both to civilian and LEO writers for its extensive and authentic portrayal of the unpredictable results of gunfights, and their effects on those involved.

The book mentions the changes in law enforcement tactics, weaponry, and ammunition standards advocated to avoid a similarly damaging encounter.  Additional information was published in a two-part article in the March 2019 Issue 5 & Issue 6 of FIREARMS NEWS

Part One of the article repeats some of the book, but with additional photographs and discussion. Part Two details the equipment issues and describes the FBI ammunition testing methods and results.

The FBI and other agencies have worked hard to apply the lessons learned in Miami.  A decades-long search for better training and equipment has produced many recommendations, which the FBI and other agencies adopted and periodically upgraded.

Some of the equipment improvements are now long-standing and obvious, like better radio systems and the reduced use of shotguns in favor of patrol rifles, which are usually modern variations of the Viet Nam era M-16.

The new ammunition testing standards created by the FBI are a direct response to the perception that one round in Miami failed to end the firefight because it did not penetrate to a bank robber’s vital areas.

The round in question was a well-designed — for the time — 9mm 115 grain Winchester Silvertip hollow point cartridge.  It did pass through the man’s bicep, severing an artery, then entered his chest, penetrated his lung, but stopped short of the heart.  The man continued to fight, until shot repeatedly at close range and killed.

The new FBI standards require, regardless of caliber, an expanding bullet that will penetrate through a variety of materials and barriers beyond a minimum depth.  It appears to me that the FBI is asking for a minimum level of penetration first, with other performance goals secondary.  Many ammunition manufacturers now sell cartridges that fully meet the new FBI standards.

But additional penetration isn’t all good, as there may be innocent bystanders beyond the target.  The original idea of hollow point bullets was that they would expand on impact, increasing their effect, and then remain in the target — a total transfer of energy to the target without over-penetration.  This is a high standard, arguably an impossible standard, when you consider that the human target may range from a thin 125-pound teenager to a huge 300-pound weightlifter and this person might be naked or wearing several layers of clothing under a heavy leather jacket. 

If the hollow-point bullet expands as designed, at least it will have lost energy and velocity should it exit the target.  Home defense users might want to consider ammunition that won’t penetrate several walls.

A side benefit of the new FBI standards is that the smaller 9mm cartridges are now very effective, equal to older, larger cartridges, like the .40 Smith & Wesson and .45 ACP.  The FBI and other agencies had employed the larger cartridges post-Miami to correct the perceived deficiencies of the old 9mm.

While the same improved cartridge design also has been applied to the .40 and .45, the FBI and some friends decided to return to 9mm.  Why?  Economics:

• An identically designed cartridge in 9mm is less expensive than .40 or .45.
• Pistols last longer shooting 9mm instead of .40 or .45.
• The same size magazine will hold more 9mm rounds than .40 or .45.
• It is easier to train someone to shoot 9mm (lower recoil) than .40 or .45.

That’s why you are seeing a return to 9mm.

Not everyone has downsized.  Those who haven’t downsized will say, “.45 will never get smaller.”

—Jim Guigli
PSWA Member

Dispatching During Disasters

What is it like to work a radio during a major natural disaster? How can a writer make his or her novel realistic? Those of us in Public Safety encounter major incidents as part of our jobs, but how many truly work a major disaster?

First, the term ‘disaster’ must be defined. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), disaster is defined as:

“An occurrence of a severity and magnitude that normally results in deaths, injuries, and property damage and that cannot be managed through the routine procedures and resources of the government. It usually develops suddenly and unexpectedly and requires immediate, coordinated, and effective response by multiple government and private sector organizations to meet human needs and speed recovery.”

With that definition in mind, how many of us have been involved in disasters? You can include tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, wildland fires, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, and extreme storms (landfall hurricanes). One must consider the region of the country to think about the most likely natural event, but California can see a tornado just as any part of the country can experience an earthquake. Who remembers the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption or the tsunami devastating Alaska and Crescent City (CA) in 1964?

Every agency must have a plan in place to handle major disasters. Most fire departments run utilizing the Incident Command System (ICS) and many law enforcement agencies have embraced the national incident management system (NIMS), which is based on ICS. Unlike the past, departments have realized the importance of training Public Safety Dispatchers in ICS and NIMS.

Let’s face it. Who handles the call in the first couple of hours until the major players are called in? Who deals with the craziness of the radio traffic and tripled or quadrupled volume of calls? The Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

In 1989 while most were home watching the World Series, a major earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area. Once the shaking stopped, the serious work started. First thing before anything else: a roll call of all on duty personnel was done by the police and fire radio Dispatchers. Were they okay? The Fire Dispatcher also had to determine if the stations were damaged and if the equipment was serviceable. Next, all non-emergency calls were suspended. The Department had a contingency policy in place to cover disasters: all personnel days off were immediately cancelled and we went on a 12 on/12 off schedule starting at 0700/1900. No one told us this – we all knew. Emergency calls were triaged according to need: life over property. Again, we (Dispatch) knew this as there was a policy in place. When in doubt, we would tell a Lieutenant or Battalion Chief. It was one of two times I remember stacking calls for the fire side.

The same procedures were followed during the Oakland-Berkeley Hills Fire on October 19, 1991. The biggest difference between this event and the earthquake was the length of the incident. The earthquake was basically over in a short amount of time, less the aftershocks but the fire continued until October 23rd. We had personnel who lost their homes, but they still came to work. In the list of California wildland fires, the Oakland-Berkeley fire (officially called the Tunnel Fire) still ranks #3 on the list of fires with deaths (25).

People react differently in a crisis: some call 9-1-1 to ask if a problem has occurred, some panic, while others just start doing what they can to help. Phone lines jam up within minutes. Radios quickly become clogged with traffic. Dispatch Computer systems may go down with power system failures. News media are ruthless in their quest to “Get the story” and will show up at stations when they are unable to get through on the normal means of communications. Dispatch must deal with this while working the incident. Once the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated, much of the information burden and outside requests are taken out of the PSAP’s hands.

This past August, I attended the Associated Public Safety Communications, Inc (APCO) conference. Two of the best sessions were from Dispatchers speaking about their experiences during disasters. One was the Sonoma County Sheriff PSAP talking about the Mendocino Fires of 2017 and the other was the Clark County Fire Dispatchers talking about the Route 91 shooting. Sonoma County Dispatch was threatened by the fire. Only a change of winds saved their center.

In other events effected by floods, PSAPS have been required to move. Tornado-prone areas have stricter building standards, but their personnel still may need to shelter in place when the twister passes through. Radio traffic and phone calls are handled as best as possible but what do you do as the tornado is on top of you? Another consideration: unplugging headsets during the lightning storms. Yes, lightning can strike go through headsets – that is not an urban legend. Some centers may even have a policy on working radios during a thunderstorm.

This was a brief review of natural disasters. How will you have your dispatchers manage a disaster? Will the radios continue to function? What about phone lines and computer systems? What will be your back-up plans if Dispatch must be evacuated? Every PSAP has a switch to send their 9-1-1 calls to another center in case of phone failure. Where would yours go?

–Diana Sprain
http://www.dianasprain.net/
PSWA Member

Member News

Rena Winters has been busy!

• PSWA 2018 Winner 2nd Place Best Fiction Published “Holy Cause: Target America” – author
• PSWA 2018 Winner 3rd Place Best Fiction Published
• “The Man With Evil Eyes” – co-author
• 2017 Winner 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading, AuthorShow.com
• Winner Freedom’s Foundation & American Family Heritage Awards “My Little Corner of the World” TV writer
• Winner Angel Award Best Family special “How to Change Your Life” – TV writer, co-host
• Smurfs: The Inside Story of the Little Blue Characters – author
• Instead of Therapy – author
• I Pledge Allegiance” – contributing author

Marcia Rosen announces the launch of launch of:

MysteryLoversPodcast.com  Mysteryloverspodcast@gmail.com

Founder and Host, M. Glenda Rosen (AKA Marcia Rosen,) Author of The Senior Sleuths Mysteries and  Gourmet Gangster Mystery Series published by Level Best Books and Dying To Be Beautiful Mysteries.

“Our mission is to inform, entertain, explore and promote an interest in all things related to mystery books. The Mystery Lovers Podcast, available on numerous hosting sites, brings conversations and guests of interest, insight, humor, even who dunnit with mystery authors, publishers, book store owners, bloggers, conference attendees and fans of all types of mysteries…from books to movies.”

Marilyn Meredith is delighted to announce Spirit Wind, number 17 in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, is now available.

A call from a ghost hunter changes Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s vacation plans. Instead of going to the coast, she and her husband are headed to Tehachapi to investigate a haunted house and are confronted by voices on the wind, a murder, and someone out to get them.

Jackie Taylor Zortman’s We are Different Now, Second edition is available.

Jackie says, “Nine years after the death of my grandson, Pete, I put a new cover on the book I wrote about him and re-released it in April 2019. Pete had a life-long passion (21 years) for wolves, so I chose this particular cover because I thought he’d love it. I also believe the howling wolf conveys exactly how we feel after suffering such a tragic loss, or any loss whatsoever, of someone we love and hold dear. Pete died when he fell from a mountain ledge in the black of night where he died instantly, for those of you who don’t already know it. Since there were no books available for grandparents, I wrote one. Being a grief counselor,  Keith Bettinger edited and guided me along the way with what was to be my very first published book. To my surprise and delight, this book sold like crazy and still sells today, as needed, with people buying several copies at once to share with others. Amazon would not move my twenty-two reviews from the out-of-print first edition to the new book, but it did link it to the new one. The reviews can be read there.”

We Are Different Now is both a Kindle and trade paperback at B07QMY5RRG on Amazon.

And Jackie Taylor Zortman has a new novella out, Jake, Whiskey, Water and Wildlife, the first in her The Drifter series. It is only available as a Kindle at this time.

Jake is a woman’s wildest dream and a Hotshot Firefighter with a Harley. He is a drifter who will ride for miles under miserable conditions until some place mentally flags him down. With hard and fast rules, he  has never been married and intends to keep it that way. The day he rides into Kimble, Colorado he wants nothing more than water with a lot of ice, and food for his rumbling gut. But inside a cafe, he finds someone he was not looking for and Tomi causes him to break all the rules he so steadfastly lives by.

When a sudden wildfire ignites, Jake is the only one on the scene prepared to fight it and he immediately takes control. It’s not the first fire he has battled and it’s what he loves and is trained to do.

What makes Jake certain that Kimble, Colorado is the place he is meant to be? Why does Miss Berta adopt him as her pseudo-son and why is he so drawn to her as a mother figure? Are the answers simmering inside the fire or is it something more? The ending will surprise you.

Meet Jake at www.amzn.com/B07PG3F47J.

Lynn Hesse will be on a panel about domestic violence:

‌‌ 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Hello friends and fellow writers,

Another holiday season is upon us which means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I hope you enjoy spending time with loved ones regardless of the reason. Laughter is always good medicine especially in these dark times (at least for those of us living in winter states). The most important realization for me during the holiday season is that another year is almost over with a bright, shiny new one waiting in the wings. It can be disappointing when I realize that my “Want To Get Done” and my “Actually Got Done” lists aren’t congruent but it can also be very exciting when I realize that time is actually a social construct and I have plenty of time to get things done. That doesn’t keep me from making a lot of lists. Of course, I usually promptly lose the list.

Recently I’ve been struggling with how much research is too much. When do you stop looking things up? Especially since for me this looking often is like following Alice down the rabbit hole. But then doesn’t everyone end up learning about the habits of mutated fruit flies when they wonder what Pavlov’s dogs’ name were? Thank goodness I’ve got the Public Safety Writers Association and the friends I’ve made. I reached out and asked the question about when to stop the research and start the writing. The response was supportive and practical. I was reminded to think about who my audience was and what they expected from me-a doctorate level researcher or a subject matter expert with practical experience. This reminder led me to a good timeline with a focus on what information I still needed to brush up on with an eye on getting to the good stuff-the writing.

The networking and support are just a small benefit to being part of the PSWA. Speaking of benefits, don’t forget about the early bird pricing for the conference in July or the opening of the writing contest (January 1, 2019). There are so many good things to come both with the new year and with PSWA. I’m glad you are all taking this journey with me. I look forward to sharing new successes with each of you as we enter this last year of the twenty-tens.

—Michelle J.G. Perin-Callahan, President, PSWA

BEATING THE DEADLINES

I had a couple of tight writing deadlines this month. One was an Executioner manuscript, Stealth Assassin, I had to turn in by November 5th. I also had to review of the copy edits on Legends of the West, my forthcoming Bass Reeves western. I managed to beat both of them. But more deadlines are looming. I have to come up with another scenario for Mack Bolan to save the world and I need to finish an editing job that I’ve had on hold for way too long. But none of these is as important as the deadline for the end of the early bird pricing for the PSWA conference (December 31^st).

We’ve extended a couple of great offers this year, including a special discount if you convince two new people to register for the conference. There’s also a “no cancelation” rate. Check them out on the website. It goes without saying that the conference is our main event each year, and I personally think it’s the preeminent event of its type. The price is very affordable, and the hotel rates are extremely reasonable. Make sure you take advantage of the conference rate offered by the Orleans Hotel. The code is posted on the website. I’ve usually found the best way is to call the hotel directly and mention you’re attending the PSWA Conference. The staff is very helpful.

Our PSWA Board is working very hard to make the next conference even better than last year’s, and attendees rated that one as one of the best ever. We’ve got some dynamite solo presenters lined up. Retired Deputy Chief Dave Freedland of the Irvine, California PD, will talk about real life SWAT tactics and the various call-outs he was on during his police career. Our PSWA Vice President and retired copper, John Schembra, will give you the low-down on police pursuits and high-speed chases. Author and publisher, Mike Orenduff, creator of the highly praised Pot Thief series, will talk about going from an unknown to a best seller. And highly successful short story and screenwriter, Mysti Berry, will show us how to turn real life into fiction by asking the dramatic questions to focus your story.

If those aren’t enough to whet your appetite, I’ve got a bevy of interesting panels on a variety of subjects. Speaking of panels, I’m always open to suggested topics so send any you have to me at DocAtlas108@aol.com. We’ll also have our PSWA bookstore to sell your books and a variety of excellent meals, which are included in the conference. We’re also offering our pre-conference writer’s workshop, where you can get one-on-one feedback and writing instruction from at least three published writers. Since there’s been so much interest about possibly doing another PSWA Anthology, we’re highlighting writing short stories at this year’s workshop, but the writing principles can be applied to any type of writing. You can also have up to 25 pages of your manuscript critiqued by one of the workshop instructors at the workshop. (It’s required that you send it in advance.)

At this point I’m working hard to find another old time radio play, and there will of course be lots fun and stimulating conversation. There’s no better place to rub elbows with the actual experts who’ve walked the walk and know what’s real and what’s not.

Don’t hesitate. Sign up today. You won’t regret it.

—Michael A. Black, Program Chair

NOTE FROM THE NEW TREASURER

Don’t worry, Nancy Farrar is staying on the board and staying with PSWA—no one could replace Nancy! However, I am taking on the Treasurer duties and am looking forward to helping out in this new capacity. If all goes well, you won’t even notice a difference until you see me seated behind the book-selling table in July.

Nancy’s done an amazing job and I only hope I can follow in her footsteps!

—Mysti Berry, Treasurer

APPEARING AT EVENTS, BOOK FAIRS, AND CRAFT FAIRS

The holiday season is upon us and many writers will be attending holiday craft fairs, book signings, speaking events, and whatever else they do to promote or sell their works. It is a great time to get the word out about your books and who you are as a writer.

I believe that when we are at these events, it is not just about your books. You are also presenting yourself as a writer and a person, and it is imperative that you make a good first impression.

First, have an attractive table or display. A table cloth is a must. The display should be neat and nicely arranged, not cluttered and hap-hazard. There should be a synopsis of each book, if possible. Usually the back cover blurb is sufficient, but I like to write a bit more to catch the person’s interest.  Have a copy of the book displayed with it.

Invest in a banner that can catch people’s eye. Post it on a wall behind you, or, as I do, have it hanging off the front of the display. It can be simple- mine merely has my name, “Award Winning Author” and my website on it. I have seen others that also have the author’s picture or book cover(s). Just be careful it isn’t too busy.

On her blog tour, Marilyn Meredith wrote about attending craft fairs and gave some great advice. If I may borrow from her post, she said to not be too aggressive with potential buyers. I agree 100% with her. If someone stops at my display, I greet them pleasantly and ask if they like to read, as an ice breaker. If it appears they aren’t interested in talking, I just tell them to ask if they have any questions. If you can, when someone approaches your booth, stand to greet them. I believe that shows your interest, and appreciation, of them stopping by.

If they do respond and seem willing to talk, I give them a short bio of my books, and myself. I have found once that occurs, they tend to hang around longer, talk more, and that ups the chances of a book sale. Don’t be shy- if you have won writing awards, say so.

I also suggest you post the price of the books, and that you accept credit cards. My price list offers a discount if they buy multiple books, which seems to interest them.

Dress nicely! First impressions of you are important. No need to dress as if you are attending the Queen’s Ball–casual and neat is good.

I always have some Hershey Kisses in a bowl on the table as a give-away. That seems to work on getting them to stop by, giving you the opportunity to meet and greet.

Finally, have some promotional materials displayed- bookmarks, pens/pencils, business cards, etc. Give them out liberally, not only to people who stop by, but ask those passing by if they would like a card or bookmark or whatever you have. I have found that increases the number of visitors to my website for a week or two after the event.

I sometimes ask the potential customer if they have ever thought about becoming a writer. More often than not, they say yes. That opens the door for you to give some simple advice about writing and getting published. I’ve found these customers often buy a book or two, and seem genuinely grateful for the info. Place a bookmark in each book sold, and don’t forget to ask them to submit a review when done reading it. I usually tell them the review can be very short, or as long as they want it to be, and explain, briefly how important reviews are to authors.

The holidays provide the best opportunity to promote yourself and your books, and sales could be brisk or not so brisk. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t sell a lot. As long they leave your table with a way to access your website, the potential is there for a future sale!. Don’t overlook other holidays during the year, or craft fairs, though.  Google craft fairs in your area to find the best choices for you.

Now, I can’t end this without reminding you of the PSWA conference in Las Vegas, in July. A wonderful, fun, and educational event! Check it out at the PSWA website: www.policewriter.com. The early bird registration is good through Dec. 31, when the price will go up. Still, it is the most affordable conference. The special room rates at the Orleans Hotel are great, the lunches (included) excellent, and it is a fun time for all. Sign up now to take advantage of the discounted cost.

—John Schembra, Vice-President

MENTORS

I wonder how I would’ve ever gotten where I am today without mentors. This includes the mom down the street who took me under her wing when my mother was busy with her own demons. During my career, there was a motor officer who introduced me to the concept, “badge-heavy” and changed my adversarial attitude with the public while issuing tickets. Fred, a patrolman, was another crucial association. He invited me to testify to the county grand jury as part of an investigation of our police administration. Standing up for the integrity of the job was a beautiful burden. These people were life-mentors who taught me valuable lessons that extend through my life today.

But let’s talk about mentors who help writers.

In any other industry, colleagues could look upon newbies as competition. While I’ve found that writing teachersaren’t necessarily mentors, I can say I have never seen professional acrimony. The motto of my local writing club, Redwood Writers’ (a branch of California Writers Club) is “writers helping writers.” Indeed, my first true writing mentor, Patsy Taylor, during her Jumpstart Writing class, encouraged me with provocative prompts. She provided a safe place to read and hone my own stories. Then, she pointed me toward the club, where I found much more to learn.

My second mentor is Marilyn Meredith. As you know, she’s a board member of the Public Safety Writers Association who I met in 2014 at our annual conference. Marilyn is a mature lady—and I say lady in the most respectful terms—who helped me navigate small press publishing and writing ethics. She’s a prolific author of over 40 books who gets up in the middle of the night (4 AM) to accomplish her myriad goals. Even with huge family demands, she writes and promotes almost every day. She’s a model of Christianity—not the clichéd version—the true-blue follower of Christ. She’s unpretentious, accepts people the way they are and believes in sharing her gifts—as she has with me. I’ll bet she never even considered herself a mentor. But she is.

Speaking of not considering yourself a mentor, now I want to talk about being a mentor.  Why?

1. It could change someone’s life—really. Think about words of encouragement you heard that motivated you. Be that person.
2. It will take you out of your own world—we create them in our heads, don’t we? Telling another person about your process attaches words to abstract thoughts. Sharing can enlarge thoughts, if you listen.
3. You’ll be building a writers’ community based on the positive aspects we’re talking about here.
4. The life you change may be your own. Sometimes, verbalizing the process gives us a clearer picture. Sharing and giving aren’t unique to humans but we’ve refined it through evolution. Let’s keep working on it.

Be sure to join us on Writer’s Notes, Just the Facts, Ma’am

—Thonie Hevron
Webpage www.thoniehevron.com
Blog: https://thoniehevron.wordpress.com/

STOPPING DRONES ON THE BATTLEFIELD

It seems drones are ubiquitous. From personal use, to commercial applications, and finally, military deployments. Drones are available and used globally, it’s a billion-dollar industry. Their relatively inexpensive price tag makes it easy for everyone to purchase, including those bent on destruction and mayhem.

Our old nemesis, Russia, utilized drones when they invaded Crimea. The unmanned aircraft systems were used to identify enemy soldiers on the ground. Once spotted, the drone operators simply relayed coordinates for missile and artillery strikes. ISIS has also begun using drones in their battle plans, and the drone threat has been employed by terrorist groups in conflicts from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.

Stopping the threat

The U.S. military recognizes the enormous threat drone usage poses and has come up with a solution. Introducing the IXI Dronekiller. This new hand-held device is the first of its kind, and, according to IXI Technology, employs counter-drone technology that uses software defined radio. A company official explained that the new weapon is not a broadband jammer like one can purchase online. It targets whatever specific frequency drones are operating on. The IXI official explained that every drone has a different type of frequency. For instance, the DJI Phantom, a common commercial-use drone, operates on the 2400 to 2483 MHZ frequency, or 2.4 GHZ band. Within that 2.4 band an operator selects different channels to link between them and the drone itself.

The latest iteration of the DJI Phantom drone is capable of hopping channels. However, the IXI Dronekiller can counter that ability. The new weapon is not simply blocking a whole channel, but rather inserting a bit of noise or additional data to break the link between drone and operator. The Dronekiller is able to target all Type I and Type II commercial drones, the type seen by non-state, and/or some state actors and employed on battlefields like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. These commercial drones are used by many terror groups for surveillance, but occasionally they add a bomb to drop on their adversaries.

Last year in Syria, fighters from a Christian militia reported they uncovered what they described as an ISIS drone factory. The theory was that ISIS was building drones from spare parts. However, whatever is built and regardless of frequency, the Dronekiller can identify the frequency and neutralize the threat. The IXI has a radio frequency sensor that can acquire all drone signals in roughly three seconds.

How it works

The new Dronekiller is simple to operate and the user training time is less than one minute. It’s a point and shoot gun with a 30-degree cone of effect on whatever threat is targeted. Simply point the weapon in the direction of the target and when the drone flies into the cone it either crashes, if it’s a cheap one, or a more advanced drone will fly back to base. If it heads back, the IXI can follow it and see who was flying it. A newer version of the device can also be mounted to an assault rifle, similar to attaching an M203 grenade launcher.

The IXI Dronekiller’s specs include a four hour battery life in active mode use, a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, right or left hand operation, an environment-resistant frame, a weight of 7.5 pounds, and a range of one kilometer.

The new system is being tested by Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, as well as Ft. Bragg, North Carolina by the Army. Oceanside Police Department in San Diego, California and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department already use a version of the IXI to attack commercial drones violating airspace regulations during events like the Golden Globes and Rose Bowl.

Good and bad

Drone usage is on the rise and so is the ability to intercept them and their frequencies. Recently, at Apple, an individual was caught using a drone to film construction of the company’s new campus named Apple Park. The user was quickly identified and ordered to stop.

Drones are also used for legal purposes such as helping companies to better view their construction sites, real estate properties, or filming farm operations. On the other hand, people find new ways to use drones for illegal purposes. Prisons have reported contraband, such as tobacco and drugs, being flown over gates and walls. In time of disasters, curiosity seekers have been known to fly their drones for better views of damage due to hurricanes and tornadoes, or of firefighters fighting a blaze. Instances such as these have prompted the FAA to step in and ban drones interfering with rescue or recovery efforts.

The military has also been affected by civilian drones. Some operations, including Coast Guard drills, Air Force maneuvers, and one involving a Central Command pilot buzzed by a drone last year while attempting to land on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.

Cost

Technology is expensive but necessary. The U.S. military’s spending on drones is set to reach a five-year high. The DOD fiscal year 2018 budget request contained $6.97 billion for drone-related procurement, research and development, and system-specific construction. The FY 2019 budget request is approximately $9.39 billion. The proposal includes funding for the procurement of 3,447 new air, ground, and sea drones. This is an increase from the 2018 procurement of 807 drones.

—John M. Wills
Award-winning Author/Freelance Writer
Public Safety Writers Association member
www.Jwillsbooks.com

ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH FOR MEDICATIONS?

This article has nothing to do with the business or art of writing. I thought I would get that out of the way at the outset.

This is about prescription medications, and the prices we pay for them. I have noticed that most of the membership of the PSWA is of a “certain age,” and even the younger members take prescription medications now and then. This is about how they are priced, and how you can more easily find the best bargains.

Besides being the PSWA’s Alpha Geek, I have a day job as a combination information technology manager, medical assistant, and covert security officer (the patients don’t know that the old fat guy who takes their blood pressure is packing heat) for a psychiatrist in private practice. For those of you that think I should see a shrink, take comfort in knowing that I see one four days a week.

One of my duties is to process the prescriptions written by the physician I work for. He tends not to write prescriptions for the “latest and greatest” medications, as they are seldom covered by insurance and are too costly for most of our patients. Nearly all the prescriptions I process are for medications that have been available in generic form for years.

A brief tutorial might be in order with regard to brand name vs. generic medications. When a pharmaceutical company discovers that a compound is effective in treating a particular disorder, they must first get it approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This requires years of animal and human trials, and is enormously costly. These costs are in addition to all those expended in trying out other compounds that might turn out to have no worth at all.

The pharmaceutical company (aka Big Pharma) then gets a patent on the medication, which gives them a monopoly on its manufacture for at least 20 years. They can charge as much as the market will bear in order to recoup the costs of their research and clinical trials. If the drug is one that people either need very badly (say, Gleevec, which is used in the treatment of some cancers), or one they just want very badly (like Viagra), the company makes buckets of money. A course of Gleevec costs about $84,000 per year in the U.S., and brand name Viagra is around $75 per dose.

Once the patent expires, other pharmaceutical companies can make the drug, and they usually do. The cost of the generic is typically a fraction of the brand name. Generic Gleevec (imatinib) runs around $24,000 per year, or about $28% of the brand name price. Generic Viagra (sildenafil) is about $23 per dose.

Once the drug has been around for a long time, multiple generic manufacturers pick it up, and the price goes down even more. A month’s supply of prednisone, a common steroid used to treat all sorts of inflammations, can be had for about $5 at some pharmacies.

Of course, few retail pharmacies publish their prices (Costco is an exception), so, if you want to find the best price, you have to ask or call around. All pharmacies will tell you their price for a specific drug and dose, but only if you ask. If only there was an easier way.

There is, and that is why I am writing this. We make extensive use of a smartphone app called GoodRx. There is a version for both iOS (iPhone) and Android flavors, and if you don’t have a smartphone or don’t want to download anything, you can go to the GoodRx website (https://www.goodrx.com/). If you don’t want to use a computer at all, I have to wonder how you are reading this.

GoodRx allows you to key in the name of just about any prescription medication, and choose generic or brand name, the dose, and the quantity. If you’re using a smartphone, the GPS feature will know where you are and search for local pharmacies. Online, you’ll need to enter a zip code.

You’ll be presented with a list of prices for your drug at area pharmacies, ordered from cheapest to dearest. Be prepared for a shock at the difference between the prices at the top and bottom of the list.

For example, clomipramine (brand name Anafranil) is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. Where I live, a 30-day supply costs $177 if you get it at Walmart. However, if you take your trade to Fred Meyer, about a mile away, you will pay $403 for exactly the same drug.

So, why do two supposedly discount pharmacies charge such different prices? Each has different buyers, different contracts, and maybe even different manufacturers. Americans pay more for prescription drugs than citizens of any other first-world country because we are the only one that doesn’t have a national health care system. In other countries, the government negotiates with Big Pharma for drug prices, and everyone in the country pays that price.

Here, we have umpty-ump health insurance providers, most of whom contract with one of a few pharmacy service companies like Express Scripts, Cigna (soon to be just Cigna, as they bought Express Scripts), Kaiser, Optum Rx, etc. They negotiate prices, and your insurance provider pays that price.

Unless—you don’t have insurance, or you have a lowball plan that doesn’t include prescription coverage or covers only very basic medications. Then, you pay whatever your pharmacy wants to charge you. GoodRx tells you what they want to charge you.

You’re better off getting your medicine from a single pharmacy, if you can. The pharmacy will have a record of all your medications, and they can flag any potential adverse interactions. This is especially important if you see multiple prescribers who may not be aware of what one another are doing.

This may involve a judgment call, where you balance the utility of getting your scripts at a single pharmacy against paying the lowest price by shopping around. However, there are some ways you can work the system to your benefit.

• Many of the prices listed on GoodRx are marked with a button that reads “coupon.” The coupon is a virtual one that appears if you click that button. At the pharmacy, show the clerk the screen that appears, and you will get your discounted price.
• If you normally take your trade to Pharmacy A, but Pharmacy B has the better price on a drug you need, show the pharmacist the price you can get at B by showing them the GoodRx screen. Many pharmacies will match the price to keep your trade.
• GoodRx doesn’t usually list the prices of mail-order pharmacies. The mail-order outfits can sometimes offer a better price, but they usually require ordering a 90-day supply. Your prescriber will usually authorize this once you are stable on a medication regimen and the dose is no longer being titrated (to determine the optimal dose for you). The mail-order pharmacies do list their prices online, so you can compare costs.
• If GoodRx or some other strategy yields a very low price, like $5 for a month’s supply, keep in mind that is probably the cash price, not the one you will get through your insurance plan. Most health plans mandate a minimum co-pay for prescription drugs, typically $10 or $15. If you insist on running the prescription through your insurance, you’re going to pay the co-pay out of pocket, even if the pharmacy would give you the drug at the lower price. Just tell the pharmacist you’ll pay the cash price, and save yourself the price of lunch (maybe not a big lunch).
• Finally, a tip unrelated to cost: take advantage of the pharmacist’s expertise. If you’re fortunate enough to have a physician who takes the time to explain all of the ramifications of taking a medication, count your blessings. Many physicians are eternally pressed for time, often seeing multiple patients at once, and while they would like to explain each treatment decision carefully, there is not always time. Pharmacists are also pressed for time, being charged with filling X prescriptions per hour. They will, however, take the time to explain any potential side effects and drug interactions, and many pharmacies require them to offer you counseling when you pick up a new medication. Take a minute and let them do so, even if your physician briefed you already. This is potentially life-saving (or life-threatening) information, and it doesn’t hurt to double-check.

—Tim Dees is a retired police officer and the former editor of two major law enforcement websites who writes and consults on technology applications in criminal justice. He can be reached at tim@timdees.com.

MARKETING IDEAS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE CONSIDERED

A suggestion came from a friend who is clever about marketing, and at a time when I didn’t think I could write another police procedural.  I put together a 15,000 word EBook relating everything I knew about “Writing Your First Mystery.”

I am not one of those people who just loves, loves, loves, writing.  It’s intellectual manual labor.  But I had fun sharing what I knew, which isn’t the case with the novels. To date it’s spurred 29 Amazon reviews and a 4.5 rating.

People liked it and bought it. I aimed toward the novice, and to the seasoned writer who might want to try a new genre, or wants to be reminded of the basics. So I wrote another one: on characterization, and a few more: plotting, backstory, editing, and importantly “Finishing Your First Mystery.” They’re getting longer, up to and more than 20,000 words. “Writing Suspense in Your Mystery and Thriller Fiction”, the 7^thin the series is now available. 

My focus has broadened to include thrillers and the very different way they’re constructed from whodunits. I’m responding to reviewer’s comments.  They’re cheap at $2.99.

A few years ago I put the first four together in a bundle at $5.99. One reviewer said: Mar Preston’s 4-volume series on how to write a mystery is the best I have ever read. Succinct, precise, and wasting no words, each book is the perfect guide to getting it right. Written in understandable and easy-to-follow instructions the series takes the reader from first idea to final draft. 

Now that there are seven, I’m working on putting all 7 together and publishing them as a paperback 200-page book. You’d think it would be easy.  Just string ‘em together.  Not so. What feels like repetition comes from the same topic covered with a different angle of penetration. Like every other writing task, this is plain work. For another thing, I’ve learned things since the first one was published years ago. The marketplace slowly changes. Lots of links had to be researched.

A series of EBooks on a topic you know well might be a new direction for you. I’m not rich, but I have connected with new readers and writers I dearly love from EBooks.

If you like, you can see all of them through this Amazon link.

—Mar Preston 

VISITING BLOODY SCOTLAND

I’m not swearing, honest! It’s the name of the conference: Bloody Scotland.

In Scotland, they sell more crime books than any other genre (even romance, which is the top seller in the United States). So it was my great honor to visit the Bloody Scotland conference in Stirling last September. They invited me to read as part of their “Crime in the Spotlight” program: entrants compete for a dozen slots to read for two minutes, before the big panels of the conference. Crime in the Spotlight writers are a sort of appetizer for the audience, and a great way for newer writers to gain confidence in front of audiences.

Some things were very different at Bloody Scotland compared to American crime writing conferences, and some things were exactly the same.

The Differences

Conference organization: You pay about $10 for each panel, and a few events are free to the public. There’s no conference fee. This has the advantage of letting the conference organizers know for sure which events are the biggest draw, and which they can safely book in smaller venues. The disadvantage, obviously, is that the most popular talks sell out months in advance of the conference.  Free coffee in a few places, but all meals were on the attendees, except for the master class (more about that in a minute!)

Conference location: The base of the conference is in the 250 year old Gold Lion Hotel, which once hosted Robert Burns! Talks are scattered between the hotel and the City of Stirling venues designed to hold 800 or so people. The conference provides a jitney to help disabled people get to the big hall and back, though if you don’t get lost like I did, it’s a short walk up a San Francisco-worthy hill. The conference does its best to accommodate people with disabilities, but it is a tougher job to get around in a wheel chair or with a cane than conferences that take place almost entirely in one hotel. That said, the hotel staff are funny and welcoming, the building is fascinating to any of us who were born and raised in California, where mid-century seems like old for a house!

Stirling has a fascinating history as part of the sad life of Queen Mary, and its very own castle. The people I met in Stirling, from restaurant employees to hotel staff to the brilliant, hardworking folks who run Bloody Scotland were to a person kind, funny, and engaging. Some were more blasé about tourists than others. But I met half a dozen very talented writers and I look forward to staying in touch with them.

Bloody Scotland was able to entice the long-lived and entertaining writer M.C. Beaton, wee lady whom you can believe delivered a “Glasgow Kiss” in her earlier years, and Ashley Jensen, star of the Agatha Raisin TV series based on Ms. Beaton’s books. Ms. Jensen and Ms. Beaton are very funny, smart women, and they regaled the audience well into the Saturday night.

A few features are uniquely Scottish, like the incredible selection of whiskey in the hotel bar, and the satirical, Beyond-the-Fringe style revue that both celebrates and pokes fun at the traditional mystery. Also, I noticed that dark crime stories far outnumbered cozies and PI stories. Scotland, like its neighbors to the north in Scandinavia, embraces the dark side of fiction.

Unique Events: Two unique features of this conference that other big conferences might consider adopting: Crime in the Spotlight and Pitch Perfect, a pitch-to-win competitive event. The Crime in the Spotlight crew gave us nervous newbies time to rehearse, coaching when our reading ran too long, and so much encouragement. Pitch Perfect is also a competition, you submit a pitch package, and they choose half a dozen of the applicants to give live pitches. The winner is introduced to a publisher. Previous winners have been published! 

There were other unique events that I was unable to get tickets for: a raucous trivia game, and even more raucous soccer (rugby?) game, and a musical performance by some famous Scottish writers that literally sold out five minutes after the tickets were made available online. These events are rumored to be fantastic—though they did seem to give many people serious hangovers. Guess I’ll have to go back again to check them out! And everyone’s favorite, a torch-lit march from the castle to the hotel, is something we can’t replicate here in America, being so short of castles!

The Similarities

Multiple talks are scheduled at the same time  and the conference had short turnaround times between panels, just like the bigger U.S. conferences. You have to be pretty good at scheduling to see your top five panels. (Of course, the PSWA conference ensures you access to all panels and events, but I think we are unique in offering only one panel at a time for a multi-day conference.) Writers, agents, publishers, and readers mingled in a friendly fashion, just like in the U.S.: conferences are a place where people can indulge their love of reading and writing, the world over.  

The day-long master class held the day before the conference was well worth the money, hitting both craft and marketing topics. Everything discussed was useful no matter in which country you plan to publish your work. I heard fantastic pitches, received great advice, and met some writers I hope to stay in touch with!

Another similarity—the conference organizers ran themselves ragged to ensure each attendee had a great time. So whichever conference you go to, don’t forget to compliment people when things go well, and of course let someone know if you aren’t having a great time. But I try to be gentle, as I know anyone I talk to is sleep-deprived and exhausted from all the work they do.

Should You Go?

Should you go to a foreign writers conference? I went because I love Edinburgh (part of my family came to America from Ayr, west of Edinburgh), I had some research to do there, and because I placed in their Crime in the Spotlight competition. Scraping together the money was challenging: I blew my budget when unseasonably high winds knocked out the train service from London to Edinburgh and I had to find a last-minute substitute—a distance about the same as SF-LA. But surprises like this are the challenges of any trip out of town: the unexpected, which is part of the reason we travel in the first place! I will say that no one made any assumptions about my politics based on being an American. Everyone can tell you are an American from a dozen yards away—we walk and dress like Americans; even before we speak, they know we aren’t from Scotland. I’m glad I went, and hope to go back one day, possibly after a lottery win…

People are at the conference to share and learn. I was a very quiet version of myself at the conference, wanting to soak it all in and learn as much as possible. I swapped business cards with half a dozen people, and came home exhausted but happy I’d gone.

If you can afford it, and if you are already interested in the location where the conference is taking place, it really is a grand adventure to talk about mystery, crime, suspense, and forensics with people from another country.

Here’s a list of the conferences in the UK that I’ve been to or who generally have a great reputation:

• Bloody Scotland, Stirling, Scotland
• Crimefest, Bristol, UK
• Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate, UK (near the Yorkshire Dales National Park)

If you do go, try to take as much extra time as possible. There’s so much to see in Scotland, and despite the dour stock characters you may have seen on television’s Misdomer Murders, the Scots I met were to a person kind, welcoming, funny, and knowledgable about the wide world. A true joy to visit. Of course, if it’s a bit out of range, there’s always the PSWA conference  the most friendly, cost-effective, and fun writing conference! Early bird rates end December 31st!

—Mysti Berry
PSWA Treasurer and Web Wrangler

SPOILER ALERT! There is No Such thing as “Crime Prevention”

If you are a frequent follower of this newsletter, you know that I give personal safety tips and advice. I do this with a motive to help lower the chance of you or a loved one becoming a crime victim. But in this article, I’m going to address a reality of the crime prevention concept…or should I say “crime prevention myth.”

Most large police departments and sheriff offices have some commissioned or civilian employees assigned as Crime Prevention Specialists or Crime Prevention Practitioners. Their basic responsibilities generally consist of setting up Neighborhood Watch block areas, giving CPTED advice to business and homeowners, developing Crime-Free Multi-Housing Programs, teaching children safety at schools, providing personal safety tips to social groups, and even dressing-up as McGruff – the Crime Fighting Dog at National Night Out and other community events. Even though (by title) I was a Crime Prevention Specialist five years for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, I’ll be the first to make the assertion that there is no real thing as “crime prevention”, and the term is a misnomer.

The basis for my claim begins and ends with a few definitions (Dictionary.com);

“Prevention” (root word…prevent):

1. to keep from occurring; avert; hinder.
2. to hinder or stop from doing something.

“Misnomer”:

1. a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.
2. an error in naming a person or thing.

My foundation for this allegation is to ask this question, “Is crime really prevented?” I think we all know the obvious answer to that. If crime was really prevented, according to definitions, there would be no need for cops or any enforceable authority, right?

The word “prevention” pops-up in other fields besides just law enforcement. Fire departments have units called “Fire Prevention” manned by fire inspectors. These specialists enforce codes and ordinances to reduce the chance of a fire hazard. However we know that sometimes these laws are violated, either intentionally or unintentionally, and a tragedy occurs. When Smokey the Bear says, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires,” there is some truth to that until someone violates a fire warning, or carelessly creates a fire hazard with smoking, camp fires, power tool usage, improper or no spark arrestors on motor bikes on off-road vehicles, etc..

Even health organizations and scientific research in the pharmaceutical industry, for the most part, have eliminated (i.e., prevented) certain medical issues, that is just as long as their prescribed practices are followed by patients.

So what’s the common thread or bottom line to all this? The Human Factor. Nothing is going to be 100% “Preventable” as long as there are people. Specifically people who take the attitude that “Rules Don’t Apply,” or that “Rules Are Made to Be Broken.” No matter how many locks, cameras, lights, or other crime fighting devices one uses to secure their possessions and property, there will always be someone who wants to take what is not rightfully theirs or break laws.

Yes, there is a need for these specialists and practitioners to offer and give safety tips and guidelines to potential victims of all ages. However, until the day that there are no more criminal acts, their rightful title should not include “prevention.” Instead, I contend Crime REDUCTION Specialists and/or Practitioners is more appropriate. Why? Because…

“Reduction” (root word…reduce):

1. to bring down to a smaller extent, size, amount, number, etc..
2. to lower in degree, intensity, etc..

So remember that when I pen one of my usual safety tips in the PSWA Newsletter, it’s only suggesting techniques that will reduce the probability of you becoming a crime victim…provided you follow them.

Happy Holidays and Stay Safe!

—Ron Corbin, Ex-Crime Prevention Specialist and “newly self-proclaimed” Crime Reduction Practitioner
Phdav8r@yahoo.com

HED: AVOID RECURRING CREDIT CARD CHARGES

I order quite a bit of stuff online, and subscribe to various paywall services that will happily give you a heavily discounted subscription in exchange for allowing them to automatically charge your credit card at renewal time. Some of these services have the tenacity of mosquitoes, being very slow to cancel your subscription when you decide you don’t want it anymore, or just don’t want to pay the full price for it.

For example, tonight I saw a reference to an article about the new 2019 Subaru Forester on the Wall Street Journal. As I am scheduled to take delivery on this car in a week, I was interested. However, I could read only the first two paragraphs before I was presented with a demand to either log in or subscribe if I wanted to read the rest of it. The “subscribe” option was tempting: only $1 per month for the first two months. Of course, after that, it’s $38 and change per month.

I could give them a credit card number, but having had the experience of telling other organizations that, “No, I really don’t want your service anymo—hello?” I decided to use Privacy to pay.

Privacy.com is a free service that generates a unique credit card number for you to use to make payments you want to control closely, or when you just don’t want to give the merchant your regular credit card number. When you sign up for Privacy, you give them a legitimate payment method—a bank account number. That’s where the money is going to come from. This takes only a few minutes.

When you want to make an online payment, you either log into Privacy.com, or you use the browser extension available for most of the browsers in common use. You create a new credit card, and give it a name, a credit limit amount, and specify whether you’re going to use this only once, or on a recurring basis. Privacy then generates a Visa credit card number with an expiration date and CVV code (those three or four numbers that are used to validate the transaction). You can copy and paste this information into the payment blanks on the merchant’s website. If you use the browser extension, you just click the orange icon that appears next to the blank where the credit card number will go.

A few days later, I see the charge I made show up in my checking account. It helps to keep track of these, as the charge often says only “Privacy,” with no reference to what merchant I paid. Of course, I can always log in to the Privacy website and see a history of all the cards I’ve created.

I typically create one-time use cards. For example, when my trial subscription to the Wall Street Journal runs out, they will try and charge the Visa card I used on my first transaction, but it won’t work. That card became invalid right after I used it.

There is a risk associated with giving any vendor access to your bank account, as a crooked vendor could drain the account. This is why most banks recommend you use credit cards, rather than debit cards, to make purchases. However, I’ve been using Privacy for a couple of years now, and have never had any difficulty with them. It has certainly saved me a lot of grief in getting undesired charges reversed when a merchant just wouldn’t take “go away” for an answer.

Privacy has an “invite a friend” offer ongoing. If you use this link (https://privacy.com/join/RYNRC) when you create an account, we both get $5.00.

—Tim Dees is a retired police officer and the former editor of two major law enforcementwebsites who writes and consults on technology applications in criminal justice. He can be reached at tim@timdees.com.

WRITING SUSPENSION OF BELIEF—MAKING IT REAL

Willing suspension of disbelief is a term coined in 1817 by the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who suggested that if a writer could infuse a “human interest and a semblance of truth” into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.

Every fiction writer must wrestle with this at some time. The worlds we create are products of our imagination with a little fact thrown in.

The main facet of suspension of disbelief: Could this happen, really? Incidents that stretch reality can cost the author credibility. Something that I see in my genre (policeprocedural/thriller/mystery) often is multiple officer involved shootings (OIS’s) several times a shift or day or week. Officers never to go on Administrative Leave ever. Administrative Leave is a temporary leave from a job or assignment, with pay and benefits intact. Officers are routinely placed on administrative leave after a shooting incident while an investigation is conducted (sometimes by an outside agency for impartiality), without implying fault on the part of the officer.

My husband, the retired firefighter, cries foul when a vehicle is involved in a crash and explodes (this doesn’t include when the plot specifies an incendiary device was aboard). What typically happens is this: cars don’t explode on impact. If they catch fire, it often due to fuel leaking to an ignition source (such as an overheated catalytic converter).

Cops and fire fighters are readers—they know when something just ain’t right. But including a feasible ignition source in that Impala that collides with a tree—then you have the “well, it could happen” moment. 

Another part of suspension of disbelief involves the premise of my first novel. By Force or Fear’s protagonist is a female detective being stalked by a cunning judge. Her superiors don’t believe her when she reports him. In this day of #MeToo, I seriously doubt any responsible administrator would discount the report. But it could happen, right? That’s suspension of disbelief.

The key to making the preposterous believable is to sow seeds of reasonability into the story (foreshadowing) ahead of time or during the event. For instance, an observer of the car crash might see the fallen tiki torch next to the tree or the officer may be the last available cop (think a department-wide epidemic with no mutual aid officers obtainable within the day—hey, it’s a stretch but it could happen, right?). Sometimes a scientific explanation after the event can work but that can be dicey. Balance this with authenticity.

The trick to all of this is to make your devices (and plot twists) believable. Do your research, online and on the ground. Talk to police officers, fire fighters, professors, your fellow PSWA members, whoever you need to get the scoop. After talking to these folks, you may find that the truth is less believable than fiction!

—Thonie Hevron
Webpage www.thoniehevron.com
Blog: https://thoniehevron.wordpress.com/ 

***

AUTHOR NEWS

On November 10^th, Dave Freedland participated in the annual “Men of Mystery” one-day writers’ event held at “The Grand” conference center in Long Beach, California.  Dave was one of four members of a law enforcement panel who discussed accuracy in writing mysteries and police procedurals. In addition, the panelists introduced their current writing projects to an audience of over 300 authors and mystery book enthusiasts. Dave shared a quick look into his latest novel, “The Pepper Tree,” recently sent to his publisher Aakenbaaken & Kent.  During book signing, the bookstore sold out its entire stock of his first novel, “Lincoln 9.” An added bonus to his participation in this event was an invitation to a speaking engagement in January 2019 hosted by the Friends of the Huntington Beach Library.

—Dave Freedland
Deputy Chief of Police (Retired), Irvine Police Department 

***

The Annual 2018 Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s Book Awards recognized Behind and Beyond the Badge by Donna Brown, a retired police sergeant, in the category of Adult Nonfiction, as a Gold medal winner.

Hosted by the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, this prestigious national award is open to books published between 2017 and 2018. The judges for this national competition are librarians, educators, and publishing professionals.

Behind and Beyond the Badge published by Storehouse Media Group, is a collection of stories about twenty-one first responders, police officers, firefighters, EMS, forensic technicians, dispatchers and victim advocates. Most people see a badge, behind and beyond the badge is what people need to know, the person.  Donna feels, “My book doesn’t have the power to change minds but perhaps by offering a different perspective it can open them.”

This year due to the health, and ultimately the death, of Billie Johnson, I had to move to a new publisher. I feel most fortunate that Mike Orenduff has taken me on as one of Aakenbaaken & Kent’s authors.

My first experience with Aakenbaaken & Kent (A&K) was in producing a book as co-editor on the history of Miami, Arizona for the Bullion Plaza Museum. All proceeds go to the museum.

Then in late summer and early fall A&K republished all three of my earlier mystery books in a second edition, and formally identified them as the series, “Deputy Allred & Apache Policeman Victor, Books 1 through 3,” with a common format and cover style.

The highlight of the year was the publication on October 25, of Murder in Copper, which is book 4 of the “Deputy Allred & Apache Officer Victor” series.

In addition to my published books, I wrote and presented a paper on Wilma Gray Sain at the Arizona History Convention, and had a feature article on Alf Edwards, Miami’s first town marshal and Gila County Sheriff, in the Gateway to the Copper Corridor print magazine. 

 Murder in Copper  ~    The Baleful Owl  ~   Saints & Sinners  ~   The Wham Curse        ~ Miami – A History…  ~   Paper, AZ History Convention

—Virgil Alexander
https://www.amazon.com/Virgil-Alexander

***

Aakenbaaken & Kent is also republishing F. M. Meredith’s (known as Marilyn Meredith in PSWA circles) Rocky Bluff P.D. series. The latest to appear on Amazon is Tangled Webs in trade paperback and for Kindle.

***

In November Recounting the Anthrax Attacks by PSWA member, Scott Decker, won:

• Beverly Hills Book Awards:  Winner in New (Author) Non-Fiction & Finalist in True Crime
• Best Book Awards:   Winner in True Crime & Finalist in Narrative Non-Fiction

http://www.rscottdecker.com/ 

 

‌‌ 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

 What an incredible conference!! Even though it seems every year we say, “This was the best conference ever,” I truly believe 2018’s was THE BEST CONFERENCE EVER!! The presentations and panels were amazing and informative. The lunches decadent. And, the networking, I can’t say enough about that. A little birdie told me that several of our attendees who pitched the three publishers we had available now have contracts in the works.

The rest of us? Well, we have so many more resources and new friends. An on-line writer’s group is being planned too. There are also many more new “Award-winning Authors.” It really was an incredible time. There was even a bridal shower. If you were able to make it, we had such fun and thank you for helping make it so successful. For those who couldn’t make it, we hope to see you next year, July 18-21, 2019 in Las Vegas.

If that seems like too far away, there are a number of things that you can be doing right now. Check out our new website design. Take advantage of the one-time manuscript review, just one of the benefits to your PSWA membership. Utilize the listserv to ask all your pressing writing and public safety questions. Get your published and non-published writing in order to submit to the 2019 Writing Contest opening in January. Really, just write, write, write.

Even with all the recent beautiful changes in my life, I’m still finding time to write. After all, it often feels like the characters and the stories insist on coming into the light and being shared. Writing really is a calling and a gift. With that, I’ll close this short and sweet message and get back to work. Hope you do as well.

—Michelle Perin-Callahan, MS, QMHP, EMT
President, PSWA
Past President, South Lane County Fire & Rescue Volunteer Association
Fundraising Coordinator, Lane Area Ferret Shelter & Rescue
Visit me at www.thewritinghand.net or www.forgottenfirstresponders.com

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

 Well, it’s official: the 2018 PSWA Conference was one of the best ever. Despite a bunch of unfortunate late cancellations, our “Baker’s Dozen” conference went off without a hitch. Things began with the Pre-Conference Workshop, which also proved to be exceptional by all accounts. The small group of writers met and discussed writing techniques and several of the attendees had one-on-one critiques sessions with the workshop’s three instructors on manuscripts that had been previously submitted. The purpose of the workshop is to enhance your writing ability and to learn new things. Everyone who attended it, including the instructors, agreed that it was a learning experience.

Things then officially began with our traditional check-in procedure at three o’clock where I met a few new attendees, which is a special pleasure. I love being able to put a face with a name, especially after having exchanged a few emails. The evening’s get acquainted party followed at five-forty-five, and that’s always a lot of fun.

The next morning, bright and not so early (nine A.M.) our president, Michelle Perin, started the ball rolling with her opening remarks and a bit of an update on the organization. Then Master of Ceremonies and Vice President, John Schembra, announced that we were ready to begin. After John’s welcoming speech, we were ready for our first presenter, former LAPD homicide detective and mystery writer, Mike Brandt, who gave our first solo presentation, Developing Your Characters—100 Things You Should Know. I actually learned more than 100 things, but I figured Mike was giving us more bang for the buck, so I didn’t say anything. Anyway, it was a great one.

After a short break we got into our morning of panels, leading off with one on weapons (something every writer should be aware of) with commentary from Dave Knop, Dave Freedland, Bob Doerr, and Bob Calkins. Hmm, even though John Schembra moderated that one, it must have been confusing when someone had a question for Bob or Dave. Okay, a comedian I’m not, but Romancing the Scene, and Austin Camacho did a great job moderating the entertaining panel with Thonie Hevron, Rena Winters, Barbara Lloyd, Jennifer Severino, and Mike Orenduff.

Then it was time for the first of our fabulous luncheons. I purposely scheduled the next panel, given by Gloria Casale and Janet Greger, after lunch, because it dealt with the rather indelicate topic of poisons. As these ladies said, “A Little Knowledge Can Be Poisonous,” and they proceeded to prove it. Whew, I’m glad they’re on my side.

The afternoon panels talked about the nonfiction writing market, the differences between jurisdictions (including military and civilian policing) with Bob Doerr, Jack Miller, Scott Decker, Mike Brandt, and Pete Klismet. The day ended with me moderating a panel of three experienced writers, Marilyn Meredith, Mar Preston, and Susan Tuttle about point of view. That brought things to a close for the day, and the attendees were left to their own devices, except those who volunteered to be part of our radio play. For them, I brought out the metaphorical whip and cracked it a few times while they were rehearsing. Luckily, nobody paid any attention to me and the rehearsal went very well. Afterward, Pete Klismet hosted the newcomer’s dinner at the Prime Rib restaurant in the Orleans. I wasn’t there, but from all reports it was a fiesta grande por todo.

Saturday morning was off to a rocking start as Susan Tuttle gave an excellent solo presentation on the Art of Self-Editing. Susan wowed everyone with her lecture, which was made even more amazing by the fact that she’d been in the hospital recovering from an illness almost right up until the conference. I wanted to ask her if she had a Supergirl emblem on during the presentation, but I didn’t want to interrupt. I was too busy taking notes.

The panels on Saturday were a bunch of fun topics starting off with our publisher’s corner, with commentary by Austin Camacho, Geno Munari, and Mike Orenduff. While Austin has been a semi-regular at the last two conferences and is always fun and informative, we were exceptionally grateful as well to Mike Orenduff and his lovely wife who made the long journey from their east coast home in Georgia to attend. And the always entertaining and informative Geno, who heads up Houdini Press, deserves a special thanks for printing up our PSWA Conference program booklet. It looked great, as usual. After delivering their take on what’s new in publishing, the panelists broke into separate sections of the big room and listened to pitches for possible writing projects.

After lunch, we had a pair of special heroes for our next presentation on the Las Vegas Shooting. Paramedic Anthony Ribone, who was actually at the concert when the madman opened fire, gave us a first-hand account of his heroic actions to treat the wounded during the attack. One of the more seriously wounded was Anthony’s own brother, whose life was saved due to Anthony’s quick action. While the nation was shocked by the horrendous occurrence, our own Keith Bettinger sprang into action the next day gathering a group of stalwart volunteers who went to the scene to set up support stations for the police officers who had to guard the massive crime scene around the clock until it was processed and cleared. This was one of the most riveting presentations we’ve ever had at the conference and both men received a standing ovation from the audience for their efforts.

Anthony stayed to be on a panel about firefighting, which included firefighter/EMT Michelle Perin and retired Detroit City Fireman Robert Haig. Mar Preston, whose California home has been threatened by raving wildfires and who works in a volunteer support group, rounded out the panel. Thonie Hevron, who’s no stranger to emergency services herself, provided excellent moderating duties. Marilyn Meredith then moderated a panel on Writing Groups that featured an equally balanced, pro/con group of its own: Rena Winters, Rabbi Ilene Schneider, James Guigli, Barbara Hodges, and Barbara Lloyd. Half the group liked writers group, and half didn’t. As usual, Marilyn handled the moderation with the aplomb of a diplomat. I then moderated a panel on officer-involved shootings, which featured some of the real-life experiences of some of our heroic members, Dave Knop, Dave Freedland, Keith Bettinger, Tim Dees, and Mike Brandt. Dr. Ellen Kirschman, who treats the psychological wounds that such incidents may cause, was also there to offer her commentary and suggestions on coping techniques.

Finally, it was time for the highly anticipated radio play. This year’s play once again featured Steve Scarborough as the redoubtable sleuth in a play that I had a major hand in rewriting. Tim Dees once again provided the sound effects and they were hilarious. The play was followed by a bridal shower for our PSWA president, Michelle, who will most likely have tied the knot with her soon-to-be husband, Matt, by the time you read this. Congratulations and best wishes to both of them.

Sunday had some interesting panels about bad boys and girls in your writing, the ins and outs of testifying in court, and beginnings and endings. These funny and informative sessions were followed by our Writing Contest Awards Luncheon. It was a nifty ceremony that honored some really fine writers.

As you can know if you were there, and as you can surmise by reading this if you weren’t, a good time was had by all. We’re already planning the next one, which will once again be at the Orleans on July 18 -21, 2019. This one is already shaping up to be extra special so keep your eyes open and on the website for some advance notifications of what’s to come. Take it from me, number 14 will be another one for the record books.

—Mike Black, PSWA Program Chair

PSWA MEMBERSHIP

During the course of a year the PSWA membership number stays fairly steady, between 120 to 125. We lose a few who choose not to renew for various reasons, or who just do not reply to the renewal emails I send out and are subsequently dropped from the rolls. On the other hand, we gain a few every year that offsets the loss. I would like to see the organization membership grow and to do that, each of our members must make an effort to recruit potential new members. I don’t think this will result in a bounty of new members, but it is reasonable to expect at least a 5% increase a year.

Many of us attend more than one conference, book fair, or author event in a year’s time and that presents a good opportunity to inform other authors, or potential authors, of the advantages of belonging to the PSWA. I’ve found that word of mouth is an effective way to recruit new members. We all should be actively talking up our organization at those events.

I’ve written before about the PSWA business cards that you can give away or have placed in goodie bags. I still have lots of the cards and ask that if you are attending an event let me know and I will send you some.

As an example, I attend at least a half dozen book fairs, craft fairs, or author events each year and during those events, I talk with other authors, and potential authors, about writing and/or publishing. I make sure to give them one, or a few, of the PSWA cards and tell them all about us and our conference.

Every new member could bring fresh ideas, expertise, and hopefully, enthusiasm to the organization. It is important to continue to have a vibrant, engaged membership and for that to happen, an active recruitment of new, and perhaps younger, members is critical.

Another way you can help is to send me an email with any recruitment ideas or strategies you may have. I will be sure to bring them up for discussion at our board meeting in February.

One last thing–if you don’t know when your membership is up and needs to be renewed, don’t worry. You will get an email reminder from me with an invoice. I only ask that you either renew in a timely manner, or reply that you have chosen not to renew.

With a positive recruitment effort, we can assure that the PSWA will continue to be the best public safety writer’s organization.

—John Schembra, PSWA Vice President, Membership Chair

PREVIEW: WHAT’S TO COME

PSWA Conference 2019: Pre-Conference Workshop

Now in its 4th year, the PSWA Pre-Conference Workshop offers attendees the opportunity to spend most of the day focusing on writing skills. Whether you are new to the game or have published a series or two, every writer needs to spend time exercising his or her writing muscles. For $35, you can attend a 9AM-3PM workshop (ending just in time to pick up your badge for the main conference). This year we’re focusing on short stories—how to write them, how to get them published, and how they can help your career even if your main focus is longer forms. For details, see the PSWA Website.

PSWA Conference Featured Speaker

One of the best things about the PSWA Conference is the opportunity to hear from experienced public-safety experts and writers who can share their knowledge. You’ll learn about public safety and writing topics during the conference from these four speakers: 

• Dave Freedland will teach us all about SWAT training and practices, and share stories about the missions he and his team undertook for the Irvine Police Department.
• John Schembra, our PSWA Vice President, will help us understand how to drive while in pursuit or responding to an emergency. The most dangerous thing mot emergency responders and police officers do during a shift is drive. 
• Mike Orenduff will explain how he went from an unknown at the 2009 PSWA conference to being a best-selling author who can move 10,000 units before publication day!
• Mysti Berry will give you some tools to focus your story, based on the screenwriting concept of “the dramatic question.” 

For details, see the PSWA website.

—Mysti Berry, PSWA Website Wrangler 

HOW TO BECOME A BIG TIME CRIME VICTIM

 “It’s So Easy”

For the purpose of this scenario, let’s assume you’re a female with a purse. But gentlemen, other than having a wallet in your pants instead of a purse, everything else pretty much applies. Think about how many times you have done this?

You are driving your car and need to stop at a gas station to fill up. Your gas tank is at the right rear of your car. Stopping next to the pumps, you turn off the engine and leave your key in the ignition. You then take-out your credit card from your purse. Exiting the car, you move to the right rear, remove the gas cap, and face the pump to insert the credit card and pertinent information in order to retrieve the hose and start pumping gas. Something you’ve done hundreds of times. Routine, isn’t it?

During the 30-60 seconds you are focused on the gas pump, with your back to the driver’s car door, a car thief opens your driver door, locks all the doors, and starts the engine. Sometimes the thief has an accomplice posing as a homeless person begging for change, or someone needing a light for a cigarette, or some other ruse to distract you even longer. The thief speeds off with you left wide-mouthed screaming in disbelief, and the gas pump in your hand.

Your immediate reaction is to call 9-1-1, right? Oh yeah, can’t do that because your cell phone is still in the car, along with your purse and its contents; wallet, cash, and other debit/credit cards. So you run inside the station to get assistance in calling the police. But after calling the police, what do you do? Do you think far enough ahead to call your credit card companies, the bank’s security for missing debit cards? Where do you get their phone numbers? Whose phone will you use?

Meanwhile, if I were the thief, here is what happens within the next hour while you are stranded at the gas station. I’d drive a few blocks away, stop the car, and pick up a prearranged accomplice who quickly puts on a different rear license plate…one from another vehicle which isn’t “hot” (stolen). While he is doing that, I am stripping-off my outer T-shirt; wearing a different color one that I had underneath, and throwing away the baseball style cap and sunglasses that I was wearing. I also ditch your cell phone, just in case you have a GPS tracking device installed.

As we continue driving away, my accomplice rummages through your purse, collecting anything of value, and then dumps the purse out the window. (Don’t want to be stopped by the police with two guys in possession of a woman’s purse.) We find your driver’s license which exposes your home address. Of course, the car registration, proof of insurance, or old dealer service papers that you leave in the glove compartment will also give your home address.

Proceeding to your home address, but parking down the street out of sight, my accomplice walks to the front door and knocks. If someone answers, he says he has the wrong house and leaves. If nobody answers, we use the automatic roll-up, overhead garage door opener (manual or pre-programmed into the car’s accessory system) and raise the garage door. Now my accomplice and I have the option of entering the house through the small garage door (which 9 out of 10 times is unlocked), or simply burglarize items from the garage itself; golf clubs, tools, etc. This will only take a few minutes before we load up the car and leave; being thoughtful burglars and closing the overhead garage door. 

Before we ditch your car, we proceed to a location where we unload our stash. Then we use some of your remaining credit cards found in your purse for whatever we desire. Driving to a remote location, we remove the “cold” license plate and drive away in our own vehicle.

So, what’s the easiest crime reduction technique that would have prevented this? When you gas your car…TAKE YOUR KEY and LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS WITH WINDOWS ROLLED-UP!

Stay Safe!

—Ron Corbin, PSWA Member

MAKING YOURSELF CLEAR

 Let me point you to this long lithub article by Francine Prose about the need to write clearly. For mystery writers, clarity is an essential tool. It makes the reader think you’re giving them the straight story, when, of course, you’re not. You have to hide the fact that you’re only letting them see what you want them to see. Getting the words right, making the text clear, isn’t easy.

In some stories, every word seems exactly right, in exactly the right place, like bells change-ringing. It’s something to strive for. If I let my work lie a while before rereading it, I stumble upon sentences that form an impenetrable hedge around a thought (if there is one). The meaning is so obscured by syntax and imprecise verbiage that even I can barely find it. I have to stop and ask myself, “what are you saying here?”

Prose excerpts letters from Chekhov to the young Maxim Gorky in which he suggests (advice frequently resurrected now 120 years later) that Gorky dispense with excessive modifiers. “The brain can’t grasp all of this at once,” Chekhov says, “and the art of fiction ought to be immediately, instantaneously graspable.” Simplification is one key to finding my way out of brambly sentences too. And if a whack through the brush can’t find the kernel, well, that’s why I have a delete key.

Simplification isn’t the only path to clarity. Prose cites long and grammatically complex sentences of Virginia Woolf’s that, though they require an attentive reader, are nevertheless clear. The noted editor Harold Evans provides “ten shortcuts to making yourself clear” in his entertaining and helpful book on “why writing well matters.” His book in its entirety is about giving writers the tools to unravel knotty prose.

Prose suggests writers ask themselves, “Would I say this?” She doesn’t mean they should write exactly the way they would speak (eavesdropping reveals why), but that “they avoid, in their writing, anything they would not say out loud to another human being.” In her brand new book, What to Read and Why, she discusses some of her favorite writers and what makes their work enduring, along with an essay specifically “On Clarity.” She says, “Clarity is not only a literary quality but a spiritual one, involving, as it does, compassion for the reader.

—Vicki Weisfeld, PSWA Member

MARKETING FOR AUTHORS PRESENTATION GIVEN BY JANE FRIEDMAN

Jane Friedman is a nationally recognized expert on business strategy for authors and publishers. She gave a two-plus hour talk for the NorCal MWA group, and we all took notes frantically as she spoke about how to help readers find your book, and how to encourage them to pull the trigger and buy your book. The advice clustered around three main topics: search, website, social media, and a few overall comments about the call to action you need to give people who encounter your work.

Marketing 101 (for books or any other product)

Our goal is to get a buyer’s attention, interest them, and then persuade them to take an action that we define (the call to action).

Attention

Freebies are the most common way of attracting attention. There are a number of ways to get publicity distributing free content: Bookbub, The Fussy Librarian, and others. Why give away something for free? Well, if you have 3 or 30 books published, giving away the first in a series or first in a set of books in the same genre often drives up sales of the other books. So if people aren’t buying your first ebook anymore, you may make more money by giving it away for a period of time, because readers will read it, then go look for your other books. One author, Scott Sigler, built a huge audience by giving away one chapter of his book at a time. You may think of creative ways to give away content to attract attention (that you can turn into sales), or pursue one of the methods mentioned above. Jane recommends that you do what you are comfortable with–and always keep in mind whether the audience for your books visits the places where you are trying to attract attention.

Our job is to attract the leads (people) most likely to want to buy our books, and spend as little time/money as possible on people who aren’t every going to buy our books. How you do that can take some figuring out. 

Interest

Once you’ve people’s attention, use your website, newsletter, and social media writing to build their interest, so they decide to buy your work. This is almost always more effective than a direct-sales pitch “Hi! Buy my book!”. Newsletters and social media posts should make it easy for people to visit your website and buy your book.

Newsletter

Monthly or quarterly to avoid spamming people who sign up. Invite people to sign up whenever you go speak, in social media posts, and of course on your website. Then you write things of value to the reader (tidbits about your life, news about coming books and appearances, your thoughts on whatever your readers find interesting. There are programs to help you manage newsletters like https://www.mailerlite.com/ or https://mailchimp.com/pricing/. Remember that there are laws governing mass mailing via Internet, so if you don’t use one of these services, make sure you are aware of the rules.

Website

Jane reviewed some volunteers’ website and shared her list of best practices:

• Don’t make people read white text on a black background, as it’s very hard to read. Yes, even if you write thrillers or noir, find a dark theme but don’t go full black background and white text. For example, notice on bestseller Gregg Hurwitz’ site, the black is broken up with color: https://gregghurwitz.net/. However, notice that the text toward the bottom of the page is incredibly hard to read. Compare that site to another best seller, James Rollins: https://jamesrollins.com/. Notice how the theme is still dark enough to communicate his genre, but most of the text you read is black.
• Always include these elements: a page for your books (page title = book or series title for best search results), a contacts page, a place to sign up for the newsletter (see Gigi Pandian’s page: gigipandian.com), a bio page, and an events page (if you speak or appear anywhere). Be sure to include buttons for all your social media channels if you use them.  Also, always include buttons to retailer pages (example: http://robinburcell.com/).  People like to push buttons more than clicking links. You should make it easy for them to buy as soon as they feel the urge.
• You can put an unofficial bio after the regular bio (which people will copy and paste for reviews). That unofficial bio can have a more informal tone and be playful or funny if you write that way. 
• The call to action, ‘buy my book,’ ‘sign up for my newsletter,’ ‘follow me on social media,’ etc., should be customer focused. That is, be clear about what you are offering to the reader and why it is of value to them, and do it in your voice. Readers want to connect with you and your writing, so make that easy.

For an illustration of most of the topics covered here, visit PSWA Member Bob Calkin’s website.

Social Media

Jane said that “social media is very volatile right now,” referring to member backlashes against Facebook and Twitter, related to election interference, abuse of user privacy, and other issues. So if you haven’t dived into the world of social media, it won’t hurt much to stay on the sidelines until things settle down. That said, she also suggested that you can open accounts on the “big five:” Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads, and even if you don’t post often, the accounts will be there when you are ready to use them. Jane mentioned that she opened an Instagram account and ignored it for two years. When she went back, she had a few thousand followers! If you are active on social media, remember direct selling “buy my book!” isn’t as effective as sharing content that will draw people to your books and website. 

Book Covers

Jane said that a few of her customers have literally doubled book sales by changing the covers on their books. Her example was a science fiction writer whose covers didn’t look quite like science fiction covers, but more like soft fantasy novels.  Make sure your cover represents what people think a book of that genre looks like. Research top-selling books on Amazon or in your local bookstore.  (Anecdotally, I’ve never met an author who regretted money spent on a cover artist.)

The All-Powerful Search

People find things by searching for them on the Internet, mostly using Google.  So do everything you can to ensure Google can find your site and rank it as high as possible. This is also true for the metadata you enter in Amazon (if you self-publish). Make sure you are describing your book using the words that most people use to describe books of your genre. For example, Jane mentioned a client who called her book a “new adult urban fantasy.” But no one on the internet called books of her type that—they called them vampire books. When her client changed the language on her web page and in the description (metadata) on Amazon, her sales improved.

How do you know what people call things? Look up books on Amazon similar to your own, and see how they are categorized. Also, the list of genres on goodreads.com can be a good indicator. For example, I’m writing a book about a fraud investigator. When I search for the term “fraud investigator mystery,” nothing is returned with that phrase, but quite a few “private investigator” links come back. So I might want to describe my book as “in the private investigator tradition” or “female private investigator”. On a whim, I looked up “financial mystery novels” and a LOT of results came back, unlike five years ago when I had done a similar search. I likely want to use that phrase in metadata as well.

Note: What is metadata? Any human or machine-readable text that describes a thing. So nearly every word in a book’s Amazon listing is some kind of metadata. When you or your publisher distribute your book, you or they fill in a lot of online forms with metadta: book title, author, description, ISBN number, publication date, genres, subgenres, “suitable for age X” information. I easily spent a day or two just filling in metadata forms for the charity anthology I published last summer.

Blogs

You don’t have to do one, but if you do (and there is some benefit in terms of getting attention and interesting new leads), host it on your website or connect it to your website. Having a blog and website on different properties splits the traffic and therefore may lower your SEO ranking. Google may think you’re twice as interesting if all the traffic goes to one site.

A Final Observation

Writers, whether self-published or traditionally published, can do many things to improve their reach without spending a fortune. Also, every writer’s story is different, so what worked for Scott Sigler a decade ago might not work for you or me today. Jane recommends trying a few things, and sticking with what works–until it doesn’t work anymore. 

If you are willing to spend a few dollars, there are a few books on the subject that can help you create a marketing plan:

• Jane Friedman offers free advice and for-fee books, classes, and personal consulting on her site.
• Dana Kaye is a passionate publicist who has worked with a number of mystery writers, and her book, Your Book, Your Brand, helped me create a marketing plan for my charity anthology.
• Joanne Penn is well known in the self-publishing community and also offers free advice and for-fee books, classes, and personal consulting from her website.

Of course, you should never give anyone money to help you sell your book without fully vetting them. There are a lot of con artists out there in the world. This is just one article detailing a scam that ensnared Penguin Books and many unsuspecting writers. 

Be careful out there, and good luck with your marketing plans!

—Mysti Berry

MARKETING OPPORTUNITY

I’m investigating a new, unique and inexpensive way to advertise my books. Growing up in Portland, OR, I listened to KISN Radio, the Mighty 91, broadcasting from a glass studio in the city’s downtown area. KISN was one of the first rock ‘n roll stations to hit the Portland airwaves, and was the go-to station for every hip teenager of the era. The station eventually ran afoul of some FCC rules and was taken off the air in the 1970’s.

A group of former employees and broadcast enthusiasts has revived the station in the form of a low-power, non-commercial FM station. They’re playing the same music and have even located some of the better commercials from the era. The products might no longer exist, but the commercials are a trip down memory lane.

As a non-commercial station, they’re allowed to fundraise through “underwriting.” You’ve no doubt heard similar announcements on NPR: “This hour of programming funded by Honeywell, maker of thermostats and other home automation equipment.” Underwriting announcements can inform, but they can’t have a call to action such as “Buy Today!” They also can’t have qualitative statements like “the best books around.” But you can still plug your product pretty effectively.

For $100/month, I get four underwriting announcements per day all month long. While the audience might be small, I target grandparents for my kids’ books so the demographic is spot on. And they’re exceptionally loyal listeners.

I’d recommend checking out any such stations in your area, especially if the programming somehow aligns with the nature or style of your books.

To give you an idea of what this all sounds like, you can hear my “underwriting announcement” here. http://www.robertdcalkins.com/the-kisn-good-guys/

—Robert D. Calkins, PSWA Member
Stay Found– Callout Press

WHEN YOU’RE A COP

I always liked the movie West Side Story and not just because I was in love with Natalie Wood. I loved the music and the dancing. I’ve probably seen the movie 6 or 7 times. One of the opening numbers is a song by Russ Tamblyn who plays Riff, the leader of the gang known as the Jets. Well, I’ve changed the lyrics a little to fit law enforcement. The song in the movie was known as the Jet Song and starts off with “When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way.” Ladies, girls were not allowed in the Jets’ gang, so their song is geared toward the male gender. My adaptation doesn’t change that.

 

When You’re A Cop

When you’re a Cop, you’re a Cop all the way
From your first real arrest till your last dying day
When you’re a Cop, if the shit hits the fan
You’ve got brothers around, you’re a family man

You’re never alone, you’re never disconnected
You’re home with your own when company’s expected
You’re well protected

Then you are set with a Capital C
Which you’ll never forget and you’ll always be
When you’re a Cop, you stay a Cop-op-op-op

When you’re a Cop, you’re the man of the town
You’re the gold medal kid with the heavyweight crown
When you’re a Cop, you’re the swingin’est thing
Little boy you’re a man, little man you’re a king
The Cops are in gear, our cylinders are clickin’
The crooks better steer clear
And every child molester is a lousy chicken

Here come the Cops like a bat out of hell
Someone gets in our way, someone don’t feel so well
Here come the Cops, little world step aside
Better go underground, better run, better hide

We’re drawin’ the line so keep your faces hidden
We’re hangin’ a sign, says violence is forbidden
And we ain’t kiddin’

Here come the Cops, yeah, and we’re gonna beat
Every last criminal gang on our city’s streets
On every one of our city’s streeeeeeets 

—Joseph B. Haggerty Sr.
Author of the novels: Shame: The Story of a Pimp and An Ocean in the Desert
Contributor to the PSWA anthology: Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides
Award-winning poet and lecturer on the sexual exploitation of women and children in prostitution and pornography

WRITING A MYSTERY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A MYSTERY

Writing a mystery book or series is akin to putting together a puzzle with a thousand pieces. Where should you begin? Do you start the puzzle with the corner and edge pieces, providing details on the main characters including the heroes and criminals? Or do you start in the middle, revealing upfront the murder and complexity of the story plot? Whether you start with corners, or center pieces, what matters is sticking with your structure and then pacing the plot. You need to keep it moving forward by creating suspense with clues and mysterious happenings.

In the television mystery series, “Columbo,” the murder always took place at the beginning of the story. The seemingly flustered but persistent detective follows various suspects and clues to eventually catch the murderer. In other television mysteries, you follow the path of an ordinary citizen—writer, baker, doctor, librarian, or florist—who is captivated by certain events and incidentally gets involved in solving crimes. These amateurs just can’t seem to help themselves, even when following the clue leads them to danger.

From these types of mysteries known as cozies, to film noir with gangsters and hard-boiled detectives, to terrifying thrillers, mysteries have long appealed to the reader and viewer. As a writer, you can choose your own style, your own way of creating characters and stories of murders and mayhem, and your own way of presenting clues and suspects leading toward solving the crime. Yet, there are certain elements essential to a good mystery, which can take the reader on a fascinating ride through a criminal’s mind and the minds of those who reach into that mind to catch them.

You want your reader to become involved and interested in your story so they follow the clues you leave, and they attempt to solve the crimes along with you. Don’t make it too easy: There should be a number of possible suspects. Enhance the plot with character conflict and red herrings that might confuse and steer the reader away from the real murderer. The bad guy can also lead the reader astray by placing suspicion and blame on someone else.

A good mystery story includes: an intriguing plot, interesting characters (often with unique characteristics), descriptive places and locations that set a mood, interesting and controversial dialogue, clues (real and false) leading to the bad guys (and gals), and a bit of humor. Be clear about your point of view. Is it from the perspective of the main character as in Sue Grafton novels or a third person as in Raymond Chandler mysteries?

Ultimately, you want to be able to explain your characters’ motivation for their criminal behavior. Common sources are anger, hate, power, money and, of course, revenge. Revealing truths, secrets and lies with stories of betrayal and vengeance with surprise endings leave your reading wanting more—especially in a series!

I grew up in an unusual, and sometimes outrageous, environment. It wouldn’t take a genius, a psychiatrist, or a palm reader to figure out the genesis of my fascination with crime and criminals. In my series, The Senior Sleuths, Zero the Bookie is a version of my dad, and several other characters are based on a few of his many associates.

Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and, as writers, impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely have. My father was a small-time gangster. Really! No doubt, thanks to my father, writing mysteries is in my DNA.

—M.Glenda Rosen (aka Marcia G. Rosen), PSWA Member

Marcia Rosen has previously published four books in her mystery series, “Dying to Be Beautiful.” Rosen is also the author of “The Woman’s Business Therapist” and “My Memoir Workbook.” She was the founder, and for many years, owner of a successful Marketing and Public Relations Agency, created several radio and TV talk shows, and received numerous awards for her work with business and professional women. Member Sisters In Crime, LA and SF, PSWA, and Board Member NWBA/SF and also a member of The Mob Museum. She currently resides in Carmel, California.

For more information, visit www.theseniorsleuths.com and www.levelbestbooks.com.

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

What is it and what do the numbers mean

There are many things we can’t control in police work, but health is something that, in large measure, we can control. Being healthy and fit allows us to not only live longer, but perform our job easier and more efficiently. Most people know how much they weigh, but that number alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Your health is predicated on a number of factors, height being one of them.

Body mass index, or BMI, is an indicator of whether or not you are healthy at your weight and height. BMI is calculated by taking a person’s weight in kilograms and dividing it by the square of height in meters. Sound complicated? Not to worry. Simply use the adult BMI calculator provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just plug in your height in feet and inches, along with your weight in pounds, and the BMI is automatically calculated for you.

Healthy BMIs

BMI helps to broadly define different weight groups in men and women 20 years old and older. The same numbers apply to both genders.

• Underweight: BMI less than 18.5
• Normal weight: BMI is 18.5 to 24.9
• Overweight: BMI is 25 to 29.9
• Obese: BMI is 30 or more

Healthcare professionals are inclined to use BMI to help determine if a patient has a weight problem. Using the index provides an estimate of total body fat for most people, but not all. Muscle weighs more than fat, therefore muscular people like bodybuilders may have a high BMI, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are overweight. In the case of older patients who may have lost muscle mass due to aging, their BMI may appear normal when they could actually benefit from gaining some weight.

Research has consistently shown that people with a high BMI have a greater risk of serious health problems—heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Logically, most people whose BMIs are high are, in fact, overweight or obese. Thus the diseases are a product of too much weight. However, when we use the word “most,” things become more complicated. Body mass index doesn’t factor in things such as bone structure, gender, genetics, or conditions such as osteoporosis. And it’s not an accurate indicator of how much fat one is carrying around. As we said, some athletes and bodybuilders will have a high BMI without being overweight or obese.

The American Cancer Society says that BMI, while giving a good estimate of total body fat for most people, doesn’t work well for all. However, it is a good way for many adults to get an idea of healthy weight ranges. The ACS advises there are other things to consider when judging how much someone should weigh. A health care provider might use other factors such as skinfold thickness, waist size, nutrition, family health history, and other factors when assessing risk based on a person’s weight.

While being overweight is certainly a concern, much more serious is being obese. Obesity is a complex disorder because it’s more than a cosmetic concern. Obesity leads to serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. BMI readings of 30 or higher indicate obesity. Simply stated, obesity occurs when someone eats more calories than they can burn through exercise and daily activities. The unburned calories are stored in the body as fat. While inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity, most law enforcement folks will gain weight through an unhealthy diet and poor eating habits. The main offenders are fast food, high-calorie beverages, and excessive alcohol consumption. Add oversized portions and a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables to the mix and obesity becomes a reality.

Risk Factors

There are other risk factors such as genetics. Genes may play a role in how efficiently your body converts food into energy and how it burns calories during exercise. Medical problems may also play a role. Some medications, including antidepressants, anti-seizure, diabetes, antipsychotics, steroids, and beta blockers may also cause weight gain. Quitting smoking often leads to weight gain, but the long-term benefits of being a non-smoker are a greater benefit to one’s health. Lack of sleep or too much sleep may also contribute to weight gain because it can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite. Having one or more of the above risk factors doesn’t mean you will become obese. Watching your diet, increasing physical activity, and changing behavior can help you avoid becoming obese.

While obesity can occur at any age, older folks are easily susceptible to weight gain. A less active lifestyle, coupled with hormonal changes and a decrease in muscle mass, leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs, making it more difficult to keep off excess weight. It’s imperative to consciously control what one eats and remain physically active to avoid weight gain.

Quality of Life

Being overweight, particularly if you’re obese, negatively affects one’s quality of life. You may not be able to do things you used to enjoy, and you may avoid some public places such as swimming pools and beaches. Other quality of life issues may include: depression, disability, sexual problems, shame and guilt, social isolation, and lower work achievement.

How do you prevent becoming obese? Regular exercise as simple as walking and swimming. Following a healthy eating plan focusing on low-calorie, nutrient dense foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Avoiding saturated fat and limiting sweets and alcohol. Monitoring weight regularly by weighing yourself once a week. Being consistent—sticking to your plan not only during the week, but also on weekends, vacations, and holidays.

Even a small weight loss may help lower the risk of possible disease. Talk with your healthcare provider to determine appropriate ways to lose weight. Strive to be the healthiest you can be and live longer while enjoying your best life

—John M. Wills, PSWA Member
Award-winning Author/Freelance Writer
Website: http://jwillsbooks.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnmwills
Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnmwills
Read my articles  on Officer.com

Member News

The Annual 2018 Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s Book Awards recognized Behind and Beyond the Badge by Donna Brown, a retired police sergeant, in the category of Adult Nonfiction, as a Gold medal winner.

Hosted by the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, this prestigious national award is open to books published between 2017 and 2018. The judges for this national competition are librarians, educators, and publishing professionals.

Behind and Beyond the Badge published by Storehouse Media Group, is a collection of stories about twenty-one first responders, police officers, firefighters, EMS, forensic technicians, dispatchers and victim advocates. Most people see a badge, behind and beyond the badge is what people need to know, the person. Donna feels, “My book doesn’t have the power to change minds but perhaps by offering a different perspective it can open them.”

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Lynn Hesse reports her book, Another Kind of Hero, is in the running for the Silver Fanchion award at Killer Nashville. Another Kind of Hero, ISBN: 978-1-68294-879-8, also won first My three mysteries have recently been published in a second edition by Aakenbaaken & Kent. They are published as the Deputy Allred & Apache Policeman Victor Series, and include: The Wham Curse, Saints & Sinners (PSWA 2nd Place), and The Baleful Owl. 

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Virgil Alexander reports his three mysteries have recently been published in a second edition by Aakenbaaken & Kent. They are published as the Deputy Allred & Apache Policeman Victor Series, and include: The Wham Curse, Saints & Sinners (PSWA 2nd Place), and The Baleful Owl. His new mystery, Murder in Copper, the fourth book in the series is in final edit and is expected to be published in September.

Virgil Alexander also had a story on Gila County Sheriff Alf Edwards and the sensational murder of Ted Grosh in 1923 in the Copper Corridor Gateway Magazine, and was an editor and wrote the foreword for, Miami, A History…, also published by Aakenbaaken & Kent in the spring of this year.

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Scott Decker reports Recounting the Anthrax Attacks is long-listed for Chanticleer’s Journey Award for Narrative Non-Fiction and Memoir. Recounting the Anthrax Attacks also won this year’s Book Excellence Award for True Crime.

2017 Public Safety Writers Association Award for Non-fiction Book
2018 Book Excellence Award for True Crime
2018 Long-List for the Journey Award in Narrative Non-fiction & Memoir
http://www.rscottdecker.com

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The sequel to Code Black, Troubled Waters by William Fleming, tells the tale of a Boston Transit cop navigating the politics of both his job and city. As flood waters threaten the century-old subway tunnels and the homeless who live in them, Morris Fitzgerald must push aside the tragic loss of his cousin and come to the rescue of a fellow T-cop. Part history lesson, part whodunit, Troubled Waters is a thrill ride that entertains while also providing a unique glimpse at the literal underworld of Boston.

Available on Amazon or Lulu.com

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PSWA Newsletter
June 2018

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

As some of you know, I’m getting married. In 86 days, I am re-marrying a man I’ve loved for decades. Guess that makes him currently my future ex-ex-husband. Ironically, I heard this amazing phrase while watching the movie What Happens in Vegas. Here at PSWA, we’re talking a lot about Vegas this time of year. Remarrying actually puts me in good company—RIP Ms. Taylor/Mrs. Burton. My hope, of course, is that my marriage keeps all the fireworks that theirs did but without the second split up in the end. And that he doesn’t die soon after. Regardless, rekindled romance makes a great story which is actually what I’m supposed to be talking about right now—writing. What I’ve found planning my wedding is that getting married is actually a lot like writing.

All the Planning—When you write, are you a seat of your pantser or an outliner? The same question can be asked of those planning a wedding. Some brides (I find it’s usually the brides) want to figure things out to the minutest detail and others would be perfectly happy grabbing something from their closet, spending 15 minutes in front of the Clerk of the Court and getting back to their day. I’m definitely the latter. All the details and planning that go into figuring things out is exhausting, but at the same time, I remind myself it’s about the experience and not just mine. It’s about friends, family, and also the groom. I find writing about the same. I grudgingly outline a bit so I know what I’m supposed to be doing and then fly by the seat of my pants with the rest of the writing. After all, who knows where the characters will take me?

Friends and Family Are Involved but Not Really—There are an unbelievable amount of wedding ideas out there. I’ve been getting bridal magazines lately, but I’ve found they give me more comic relief than actual ideas. On the other hand, my friends and family continue to support me in my planning. My best friend and Maid of Honor, in particular, continues to remind me why all this planning is important and directs me to get back to it. Similar to how things are when I write. They can all be there to support me, but I have to put my butt in the chair and get the work done.

The Pretty Touches—Flowers. Cake. Table Decorations. Chairs. You know all those essential things that make a wedding special. When you attend a ceremony, it all just seems so seamless, all the details put in place perfectly. Well, the planning for that is huge. I’ve been told my guests actually would like to a place to sit. You have to start with an idea and begin putting the pieces together. Then, you smooth it out to present the delightful, seamless thing. This is much like staring at a blank computer screen and just putting the word down. You have to write the crappy first draft. Then you can polish it to a shining, successful finish.

Showing Up—Not being a run-a-way bride is super important. Especially with all the tediousness of planning the details, it’s easy to think about not showing up for the party. After all, it would be less exhausting to just hide under a blanket on the couch. But, planning a wedding and the years that follow require determination and persistence. The same traits as being a successful writer. You have to suit up and show up.

It’s All About the Reception—The ceremony with its beautiful affirmations and promises is all fine and dandy. But in the end, it’s about celebrating that successful union with friends and family. It’s particularly special when you look around and see all the long-term marriages in the crowd. This is similar to my attending events with other writers and the fun of finding out how everyone else’s process is going. If you have the added benefit of attending the same event year after year, it’s even better. This is how I feel about the upcoming PSWA Writer’s Conference in Vegas. Sure, you’ll get lots of good information about public safety and the craft of writing, but you’ll also get to hang out with some amazing people in all the different stages of their writing. You’ll gain useful knowledge from the attendees’ range of experience, from police, fire, and EMS and a wide range of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, books, magazines and online. Like a wedding, mingling with this crew will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to face all the fun after the cake is eaten and you’re sitting there wondering, “Now what?”

I hope to see each and every one of you at the conference. If you haven’t RSVP’d (aka registered), do it now. Don’t delay and don’t worry. If you come, you won’t leave with a lifetime, legal commitment. I promise. See you in July.

—Michelle J.G. Perin, MS, EMT
PSWA President and Bride to Be

If You Haven’t Already…Register for the Conference

Summer is upon us, and the thirteenth annual PSWA Conference is right around the corner. Our thirteenth annual conference is scheduled for July 12th-15th at the fabulous Orleans Casino. Your board has been working hard to make sure this one, which we’ve titled our “Baker’s Dozen,” is chocked full of fun, surprises, and useful information. We’ve got some dynamite speakers scheduled and our writing contest has received some outstanding submissions. And don’t forget our pre-conference writer’s workshop. It’s a great opportunity to refine your writing process with tips from three professionally published writers who will critique your work.

Remember, the PSWA Conference is the friendliest, most fun, and most affordable conference of them all.

Let me once again mention the Pre-conference Workshop. Sure it does cost an extra $35, but it begins at 9:00 AM on Thursday morning. During this six-hour, intensive workshop, you’ll get the lowdown on writing techniques such as plotting, pacing, point of view, building and maintaining suspense, scene settings, and a personalized critique of your submitted manuscript that offers professional feedback on your writing. If you want to take your writing to the next level, this one’s for you. The three instructors have enough published works to fill a bookstore and each knows the ins and outs of the sometimes brutal publishing world.

The conference itself gets rolling on Thursday afternoon as the check-in procedure begins at 3:00 PM. You can pick up your name badge and bag of conference goodies, and pick out a special gag ribbon that will clue other people in on your personality. And it’s okay to stretch things when you’re selecting your gag ribbon. Last year mine said, Tall, Dark and Handsome.

And let me say a bit about the fabulous speakers we’ve got lined up. Retired LAPD Detective and prolific writer, Mike Brandt will tell you “100 Things You Should Know About Your Character.” Mike’s given this presentation all over the place to groups of mystery writers. Award-winning writer and professional editor, Susan Tuttle, will talk about “The Art of Self-Editing,” which as any writer knows, is a crucial part of turning out publishable work.

And we’ve got publishers as well. Austin Camacho (Intrigue Press) will join our old friend, Mike Orenduff (Aakenbaaken & Kent), on a publishers’ panel that will not only give you the lowdown on what the industry is looking for today. They will also be available to hear your pitches for new projects. So have those elevator pitches ready.

Anthony Robone, a young firefighter in Las Vegas who was attending the Route 91 concert with his brother and friends when the terror suddenly began. His brother was wounded and Anthony immediately sprang into action using his paramedic training to save lives. He’ll be able to tell you what it was really like on the ground during that terrifying incident. Our own Keith Bettinger, who subsequently provided crucial support services to first responders during the aftermath of the shooting last fall, will also talk about the experience along with another individual who was also involved.

And have you ever thought about serving up a nice cup of poisoned tea? Well, Gloria Casale and J.L. Greger will tell you how to get away with murder with their dual presentation of “A Little Knowledge Can Be Poisonous.” Don’t worry, we’ll provide “tasters” for anyone who’s nervous at their lunch table.

I’ve got some neat panels planned that will give you the information on various aspects of public safety and writing, including our long-awaited panel on firefighters, “Battling the Indomitable Foe.”

Plus, we’re in the process of assembling our annual mystery radio play with Steve Scarbourgh reprising his now-famous role as everybody’s favorite detective. Steve was a real-life Ellery Queen in that he worked in the Las Vegas Metro Crime Lab and is frequently sought to testify as an expert witness.

And lastly, we have our annual Writing Contest Awards where several people will leave the ceremony as “award-winning authors.”

So, if you haven’t already, register today. The PSWA conference has it all. The hotel is first rate, the rooms are very affordable, the meals are fabulous, and you’ll have an opportunity to rub elbows with other writers and those who’ve walked the walk in various fields of public safety. You won’t want to miss it.

—Michael A. Black
PSWA Conference Chair

How Are Cops Dying?

The 2018 headlines scream it almost daily—cops ambushed and killed; cop shot serving warrant, and on and on. As we celebrated National Police Week beginning on May 13th, a total of 45 police officers had died on duty, and 25 of the deaths had been the result of gunfire. On the same date last year there were 44 total fatalities. Last year, 2017, there were a total of 129 cops killed, 46 of those deaths were caused by firearms. The previous year, 2016, was even worse—135 police officers died in the line of duty. That number is the worst tally in the past five years. And a recent ABC News report said that if this year’s pattern continues at its current rate, 2018 could see 80 on-duty police deaths from gun violence.

Despite the carnage, the media seems almost silent for the most part. Sure every so often there is coverage of an officer’s murder or subsequent funeral. But generally the reportage is skimpy at best. Contrast that with the coverage offered when a criminal is killed by law enforcement and you will find a huge disparity in reporting. Days and weeks of coverage ensue, many times making the cops out to be assassins. Even though video and eyewitness evidence indicates the contrary, the media runs the fake news ad infinitum.

So what’s the real story? A recent study on police use of force “… found that in over 1 million police calls, use of force occurred in just 1 of 1,167 cases.” Cops are neither rogue killers nor assassins. According to the March issue of the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, “The use of force by police can result in serious injuries and fatalities, but the risk of significant injuries associated with different types of force is poorly defined.” Dr. William Bozeman, a professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and lead author of the study said, “We sought to determine the incidence of use of force by police and compare the rates of significant injury among the different methods that police officers employ.”

Among the suspects affected by the use of force incidents, 355 suffered mild injuries such as abrasions and contusions, but only 16 suffered moderate or severe physical injuries. One of the 16 cases was a fatal gunshot wound. Bozeman was surprised at the study’s findings and said, “A remarkable finding in the study is how infrequently police use force at all – less than 1 in 1100 calls for service and less than 1 in 120 criminal arrests is surprisingly low, and contrary to many perceptions that police commonly use violence in their interactions with the public.” The study concluded that when force is used by officers, most cops commonly rely on unarmed physical force and CEWs. Significant injuries are rare.

Needless to say, the popular narrative leads the public to believe cops are out to kill and maim people. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, when a cop is involved in a shooting, fatal or not, it often affects him or her deeply. PTSD is one of the common after affects suffered by involved participants. And while in 2017 the number of cops killed amounted to 129, officers that committed suicide amounted to 140, that according to The Badge of Life (BOL) non-profit organization.

So how are we dying? Are thugs on the street a big danger to us, or are we more at risk of dying at our own hands? According to BOL, twelve officers died of suicide each month in 2017. The rate of police suicides in that year was 16 per 100,000, compared to the public rate of 13.5 per 100,000. And mind you, these numbers may not be all that accurate since some agencies don’t report suicides for various reasons. Typically, the average age for a police suicide was 42, time on the job was 16 years, and almost all were males (96%).

While we know how to train our officers to fight criminals on the street, we’re not that well equipped to train them on how to handle their own demons. More needs to be done to focus on officer well-being. Today’s cop is under tremendous stress from countless sources: the media, emboldened criminals, a weak criminal justice system, long shifts, fewer days off, home life, etc. Many agencies are shorthanded. Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), said that five years ago there were 100 applicants for every vacancy. Today, that number is down to the low 60s. Translation: fewer cops to fill the needed shifts.

Departments must employ mental health professionals who integrate well with officers, and whose sessions with those seeking help don’t amount to stigmatizing the individual. If an officer knows where to go when they’re no longer able to cope, a life may be saved. At the very least, negative behaviors such as alcohol and drugs can be avoided. In addition, officers need to be taught to recognize the signs of PTSD not only in themselves, but in their fellow officers as well.

Today’s battles are being fought on two fronts—on the streets and in our heads. Enough of us die at the hands of thugs and knuckle draggers. Let’s protect ourselves mentally; let’s get the mental toughness we need to fight through the demons trying to take us down.

—John M. Wills
Award-winning Author/Freelance Writer
Website: http://jwillsbooks.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnmwills
Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnmwills

What I Learned from Judging Contests

Over the last few years, I’ve been a first-round judge in a number of contests for a variety of genres, from romance to crime. These contests all involved reading either short stories or a small set of pages, like the “first meeting” scene for romance. I noticed two patterns in the stories that didn’t make it to the second round.

Thinking about these patterns before you revise your first draft might help you bring out the best in your story.

Following All the Rules But One

Some entries are letter-perfect: perfect grammar, a conflict that will be difficult for the protagonist to resolve, a worthy opponent. And yet, the story is just not…interesting. The special and unique voice of the author was scrubbed right out of the story, leaving a school exercise instead of a riveting tale. One of the most important elements of a story is your voice: what you are saying is true about the world as proved by the outcome of your story. What you decide is at stake for your main character—the emotional or spiritual cost if they lose the main conflict, is the skeleton that supports your voice.

For example, in the movie Casablanca, we know that Rick risks becoming the bitter, remote rock he’s been pretending to be if he doesn’t act to save Ilsa. In Die Hard, John McClane reveals that he is vulnerable. We see his fears (fear of flying, fear of losing his wife), and then the movie goes about throwing the most extreme version of his fear in his face. We know this guy is going to die, literally and figuratively, if he can’t save his wife. As you read novels, look for what the author is saying is true about the world–whether you personally agree or not, a good author convinces you within the context of the book that “war is hell” or “no man is an island” or whatever particular point of view makes the author’s voice unique. And then take care that while you edit that you don’t scrub out your voice!

My work-in-progress (WIP) isn’t grabbing people the way I expected. The main character is a tough-as-nails woman who is good with numbers but bad with men. Well, it turns out I never put her vulnerability, what it will cost her if she fails to prove that she and her friend didn’t kill someone. In a generic sense we can understand that nobody wants to go to jail for a crime they didn’t commit, but what, specific to this character, is at stake emotionally or spiritually? I know what it is, but I never got it on the page in scenes of conflict. Easy enough to fix, but it took me forever (and a Jeffrey Deaver seminar) to figure it out.

It’s tempting to put all this in the dialog. But having a character explain things to the reader won’t carry any power. These things must be acted out in the main conflict of the story. Remember, Sam Spade didn’t tell us that he feared he was little better than the criminals he encountered. We watched him wrestle with this in every major scene in the book (and the movie).

If a writer nails this—makes the reader feel the main character’s fears, desires, and vulnerabilities from the action of the story—a contest judge, agent, or publisher is far more likely to overlook a few small grammar or polish issues. But if the writer doesn’t get this aspect of the story on the page, no amount of editing is going to move it to the next round.

Many writers don’t know what the premise of their book is until after they’ve written it. So don’t worry if your first draft doesn’t have a clear, strong voice. As you revise you can layer in the meaning as you refine the choices your protagonist makes about the conflicts she or he encounters. For example, think about the difference between  Joseph Wambaugh’s early novels compared to Tony Hillerman’s novels. You’d never confuse one of those author’s books for the other not just because of setting and character, but because each man has something different to say about the world.

Clichés R Us

A friend of mine, a well-published author, once said about a contest she judged: “I hoped at the beginning of every story that there wouldn’t be a middle-aged, womanizing man with a drinking problem who wore a raincoat. There were so many of them!” She was judging for the Private Investigator (PI) sub-genre. You likely have your own love-to-hate-it cliché, like the unarmed person wandering into a dark empty building alone to catch the killer, or the kindly grandmother who has solved more crimes in her hometown than NYPD does in a year.

The thing is, we all write clichés in our first drafts. We’re steaming along, and sometimes we grab the first idea that comes along so we can keep in the flow, keep getting the story down. There’s no shame in a first draft with clichés. (How many cliches do you see in the second sentence of this paragraph? They are honestly what I wrote in my first draft of this article.) so if we’re doomed to write them, how do you notice the clichés, and how do you fix them?

Noticing the cliché is the easy part. Put your work down for a day or three, then read it and circle anything that seems familiar-to-overdone. Of course, you need to read a fair number of books in the sub-genre you are writing in order to do this. Here’s a starting list of sub-genres and clichés:

• Private Investigator: has a drinking or drug problem, a broken marriage, or money problems; wears a raincoat, beautiful women throw themselves at him.
• Police procedural: The veteran cop and his or her new partner, the cranky-with-a-heart-of-gold Lieutenant, good cop / bad cop.
• Thrillers: Preface/first chapter where the beautiful young victim is killed as seen through the eyes of the killer, a literal countdown clock, knocking a character unconscious to move to another location.

What can you do when you spot a cliché in your story? You have two choices: replace the cliché with something less familiar, or reinvent the cliché. For example, when I read Sara Paretsky’s, VI Warshawski stories, just having that character be a woman instead of a man meant that many clichés seemed new again: tough PI from Chicago’s rough neighborhood, broken marriage. Familiar elements in a new context kept it fresh.

Another example: if you have a veteran cop/new partner scenario, you could make the new partner more senior than the veteran, or make the veteran wacky and irresponsible and the new guy a world-weary rule-follower. Change up genders or ethnicity—then follow through on how those changes would affect the story.

To completely replace a cliché with something different, you can use a brainstorming technique: think of at least 10 different things you could do instead of the cliché. Often the first two or three are also clichés, but after that, you might get some truly original ideas. For me, the last two ideas are always silly—that just means I’ve plumbed the depths of my imagination for the moment.

—Mysti Berry
PSWA Website Wrangler 

Researching Your Work: A Labor of Love

I have to admit one of the most enjoyable aspects of writing, for me, is researching my work, whether it is weapons, locations, wounds, ballistics, roads or whatever.

I like to incorporate reality into my books, even though they are works of fiction. I have always enjoyed reading a book that mentions real places I can relate to. It makes the story so much better and causes me, the reader, to really buy into what is happening when I have a visual response to the event.

In my first book, M.P., a fictional account of a young Military Policeman in Vietnam, I sent for military maps of the area where the story took place, and maps showing which military units operated in that area so that all the towns, hamlets, villages, rivers, waterways, roads and highways, and military units of both sides mentioned in the book existed at the time setting for the story. I felt it was important as M.P. has a narrow audience, mostly former or active military, many of whom actually were M.P.’s who served in that area of Vietnam. It made the story better, too, as seeing the maps made me remember things I had forgotten, some intentionally, that I was able to incorporate into the book. In some of the reviews of the book, the readers mentioned they were M.P.s who served in Vietnam or even served in the area at that time. It made it personal for them.

In my next two books, Retribution and Diplomatic Immunity, I actually spent a day or two in San Francisco, the setting for the books, and drove around mapping routes my protagonist and suspects took, describing the areas vividly. A reader could follow the routes and see the buildings and other sites where the action takes place. In Diplomatic Immunity, I researched the sniper weapon used, spending a few hours going over dozens of weapons until I found the one that fit the story. I also spent an afternoon riding our public transit, Bay Area Rapid Transit, stopping at all the stations in San Francisco and across the Bay, mapping them and learning what they looked like, seeing the roads that were close by and possible escape routes, as there is an important scene that takes place at a BART station. I researched the Consulates and Foreign Embassies in S.F. and, enlisting the aid of my daughter, drove to each one mentioned in the book, photographing the buildings and learning the routes to and from them, and vantage points from which a sniper may set up.

A side note here—the Russian Embassy in San Francisco is on Green Street, on a corner, and all sides are covered by CCTV cameras. As I walked around the Embassy photographing it, I noticed that the cameras were following me, so, maybe rightfully concerned, I chose caution over valor and left the area rather quickly! I wonder to this day if somewhere in the KGB files in Moscow there is a dossier on me!

In closing, as I said before, doing research is one of the most fun things for me in my writing. I like when a reader emails me or mentions in a review that they loved a particular scene or the climax of the book taking place at a location they are familiar with. It just seems to validate the value of proper research. Even if I don’t use a real location, the research gives me a good perspective of the fictional area that I can use to build a convincing setting. Don’t forget to research weapons you have your characters use and the ballistics for each, pIus the severity of any wounds the weapons cause, minor or major, and the effect on the wounded person, including recovery time.

Thoroughly researching my books has, I believe, has made me a better writer and made writing a very enjoyable experience. Happy writing to you all!

—John Schembra
PSWA Vice President

Check Engine Light

I was almost at my destination when I looked down at the dashboard and saw that the dreaded “Check Engine” light had come on. I thought, Now what? But a few moments later the light went off. I breathed a sigh of relief, but deep down I knew something was wrong with my engine. The past couple of weeks the car had been feeling sluggish, and there was a slight hesitation whenever I stepped on the gas. I did my best to ignore the warning, but I realized it was only a matter of time before I’d find myself stalled on the side of the road somewhere. Better take care of it now while the car is still running.

How about you? Have you ever had your “Check Engine” light come on, and if so, have you ignored it? I’m not actually referring to your vehicle—I’m talking about your body. There are times when our bodies send us signals that something’s wrong with our engine. However, many of us have a tendency to ignore warning signs from our bodies, just like those from our vehicles. Have you ever felt weak or run down, or described yourself as fatigued? In police work, given that we often work crazy shifts, overtime, long hours in court or on details, it’s easy to feel weak. But you should know the difference between feeling weak and feeling fatigued. The two seem interchangeable, but they’re very different.

Weakness

Weakness is characterized by a lack of physical or muscle strength. You feel as if you need extra effort to move your arms, legs, or other muscles. If the weakness stems from pain, making your muscles work will definitely hurt. Weakness is a symptom of a health problem that needs to be evaluated by a physician. Sometimes weakness can be the result of an unusually tough workout, such as running a long race or playing a hard football or basketball game. Perhaps you may have pushed yourself too hard in the gym. General weakness due to those activities is normal and should go away within days.

However, sometimes muscle weakness may be the result of a health problem. If your body is low in electrolytes, such as potassium or sodium, or if you have an infection such as urinary or respiratory, you may experience weakness. Did you know that a thyroid imbalance can cause many problems such as weight gain, depression, memory problems, dry skin, or thinning hair? And problems such as weight loss, increased heart rate, sweating, and anxiety, can all cause muscle weakness and should be addressed with a doctor visit. Much more serious is sudden muscle weakness, which may be the result of a stroke or a TIA (transient ischemic attack), also known as a mini-stroke. A TIA occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is stopped for a short time. It’s the same as a stroke, but it doesn’t last long or cause permanent damage. (See a doctor ASAP as a TIA means you may have a stroke in the future).

Fatigue

Fatigue is described as a feeling of tiredness, exhaustion, or lack of energy. Many of us will feel fatigued when we’re overworked—too many hours, such as pulling a double shift. Fatigue may also result from stress, poor sleeping habits, worry, lack of exercise, or a bout with a cold or the flu. In most cases, fatigue associated with a health problem will disappear once you become well. Some medications, whether prescribed or over the counter, can cause weakness or fatigue. Also, overuse of caffeine or alcohol, as well as illegal drugs, can leave one feeling tired and/or exhausted.

When you feel fatigued, but also have an accompanying medical problem such as shortness of breath, bleeding, or unexplained weight gain or loss, a doctor visit is in order. Be aware that fatigue lasting more than two weeks can be the result of a serious health problem such as anemia, coronary heart disease or failure, metabolic disorders (diabetes), thyroid disorder, or kidney disease. Persistent fatigue may signal that you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS, which causes exhaustion, sleep problems, thinking problems, and pain throughout the body. CFS has no cure, but treating the disease can improve your quality of life.

Just as ignoring the Check Engine light in your car is a bad idea that will likely result in serious problems down the road, ignoring that same warning in your body can be catastrophic. Men, in particular, are wont to ignore many health problems thinking they’ll disappear on their own. Don’t be foolish—if you are feeling weak or fatigued find the reason and fix it. Don’t wait until you find yourself broken down on the side of the road. Get a doctor to check your engine and save yourself some aggravation, or perhaps, your life!

—John M. Wills
Website: http://jwillsbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnmwills
Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnmwills
Member: National Book Critics Circle

Latest novel: THE STORM

Read my articles  on Officer.com and Law Enforcement Technology

Safety in Traveling Abroad

I just returned from a 14-night Baltic cruise out of Amsterdam, including port stops in Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Germany, & Russia. In light of today’s security concerns, especially in European countries, I considered a lot of “What-If’s” in preparation for this travel. You can call me as being overly concerned, even to the brink of paranoia, but as a former Boy Scout… ”Be Prepared” still sticks with me. So, whether or not you are a World traveler, I’d like to share with you some of the precautions that I took.

Documentation: Before leaving home, make photocopies of your passport, credit cards, and other documents. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives, and take one copy with you that can be left in your ship cabin or hotel room safe.

Notify your credit card company of the general dates and location of your travel, so they will not think it has been stolen and put a “stop” on its use when they see activity abroad (This happened to us once before). Ask if the credit card can be used in your area of travel without any additional international fees. Same with your cell phone company, and if there’s anything special you need to do to make international calls.

Separate credit cards with a spouse or traveling companion. I have my wife carry our MasterCard, and I carry the VISA. That way, if one is lost or stolen, we can cancel and still have another account for financial means.

Most overseas tourists’ destinations take major credit cards. Never carry a lot of cash. Use traveler’s checks and photocopy their serial numbers. Take your medical health insurance card and a list of your medical prescriptions.

Translation Cards: My first adventure overseas happened when I was 20-years-old, and at the courtesy of Uncle Sam to Southeast Asia. Upon arrival in-country, the “locals” spoke no English and I spoke no Vietnamese. Therefore, I guess that I was kind of expecting the same in these countries of my vacation this time.

However, being the “Country Bumpkin” from Kansas that I am, I was impressively surprised to find so many in each country who spoke English. Yet, before leaving home, I had prepared a 3×5 index card for each port stop with a few basic phrases in the native language (i.e., German, Russian, etc.). Such things as:

• Do you speak English?
• Ship Port
• Restaurant
• Taxi
• Police
• Toilet (probably the most essential for a man of my age)

On these cards, I also included a current money conversion rate in Euro, Rubles, Krones, or the standard monetary system of the country. That way, I could basically convert in my mind how much money my wife was spending on souvenirs for the kids and grandkids (It was a lot).

I know all of this could be done on a cell phone app, however, I didn’t want to take my cell phone off the ship, as it could potentially be a target for theft. Speaking of target items, don’t allow an unsolicited offer from a “local” to take your picture with your camera. That is, unless you can run as fast as they can when they take off with your camera. 

Clothing: As proud of my military and American background as I am, I was cautious to eliminate bringing anything that might overtly give away my patriotism to the USA. I mean, I’m sure that just the camera hanging from my neck, Bermuda shorts, and Hawaiian shirt was indicative enough to confuse me with Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold.

Seriously though, I took none of my backpacks indicating my Special Ops Association or military camouflaging patterns, no ball caps or T-shirts with logos identifying me with LAPD or Army. I even removed my retired police ID from my wallet, in case that was stolen or pick-pocketed.

Pick-pocket crimes are especially rampant in tourist destinations. I have a police friend and a Special Forces buddy who have both been victimized this way, so no matter how good you are, it happens. I prefer wearing those cargo type pants, where my cash, credit cards, or small valuables can be placed in a zippered or Velcro pocket. Pick-pocket thieves don’t like zippers or Velcro.

I do have a few small money bills separate and placed in a side pocket that can be used as throw-away money, just in case I am robbed or forcibly demanded. One note, don’t resist giving up anything that is demanded by threat; valuables such as cameras, cell phones, cash, watches, and jewelry can be replaced.

Ladies, when off-ship and on excursions, don’t wear flashy or expensive jewelry. Leave your purse onboard in the cabin’s safe, and only carry a ship “Sail & Sign” card, a photo ID (or passport, if required by authorities). There are specially designed document holders that can be hung from your neck by a lanyard for these documents. Some even have secret compartments for carrying a credit card or a small amount of money.

Wear comfortable shoes that you can run in easily. Ladies, take note…flip flops or sandals are not in this category.

Take Care of Yourself:  Ask directions at a motel/hotel, not from people on the street. Ask if there are any areas of the city you should avoid. It’s best to stay in the areas that are recommended by the cruise ship lines, and where you see other passengers from your ship or others that are in port. Cruise ship guides and tour groups have been carefully vetted by the travel organization of your trip. But nothing is 100% foolproof. Remember, my claim as a security professional…“There is no such thing as Crime Prevention, only Crime Reduction.”

Bottom Line: These tips may seem to be simple suggestions. Yet, going on vacation makes us especially vulnerable because we’re relaxed and thinking of fun rather than danger. These three things are most important: Use common sense. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Have a survival mindset.

Stay Safe!

—Ron Corbin
Author of PSWA Award Winning book, “Beyond Recognition”

A Primer on 911 Emergencies

Today we all take the 911 emergency systems for granted when we need help but it wasn’t always in existence. What did folks use before 911? When did the number pop into place? How was it chosen?

In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed a task force to investigate the problems of law enforcement in America. “The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society” was released in 1967. One of the issues noted was the increasing amount of traffic on the radio, which, according to the Task Force, overtaxed Dispatchers during peak times. A need for a single contact number was pointed out. The infamous White Paper on trauma response had brought up the same conclusion. Remember, England had its 999 service since 1937 and Canada added the number in 1959. The USA was behind the times.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and American Telegraph & Telephone (AT & T) had discussed the possibility of a universal number but nothing had come of it until the Associated Public Safety Communications Officers (later changed to Officials), or APCO, became involved. APCO pushed for the number.

Meetings were held and heads scratched. The hurdles were massive. First, if, and this was a big if, what series of number would be used? Next, how could the various phone companies be convinced to become part of the system? Where would the funding come from for public safety agencies? Who would be responsible for answering the calls? Finally, would the public trust the service?

The number had to follow AT&T rules. The second number couldn’t be a zero as this was part of the long-distance coding or one marked for use. 911 was selected as it was easy to remember. Why the officials didn’t go with 999 to stay with Canada and Europe is a mystery. AT&T didn’t consult any of the other companies (remember, Ma Bell had been broken up as a result of the monopoly lawsuit). This caused problems once the system went live.

Indiana Representative J Edward Roush (D) jumped on board and helped push the legislation through Congress. On November 8, 1967, House Resolution 361 passed establishing 911 as the official emergency number. It was agreed the service would be paid via terrified rates on phone lines and numbers. After AT&T technicians completed the logistics of call distribution and routing, the next step was a test call on the system.

Haleyville, Indiana was chosen to receive the first 911 call. It was made on February 16, 1968. The initial 911 calls were Basic 911 with ANI, or automatic number identification. Enhanced 911 was developed in the late 1970’s and consisted of ALI, or automatic location identification. One problem with traditional ANI and ALI is with PBX lines (large companies, hospitals, etc.) – the 911 information only displays the primary address. ANI and ALI were designed to be used with hard-lined phones which were fine until mobile phones came along.

October 2, 1996, started a new three-digit service: 311. It was meant to take the load off the heavily over-burdened 911 system. 311 is for non-emergency requests that do not involve suspects or follow-ups by law enforcement.

In 2000, the FCC developed Wireless Phase I and II to allow for mobile phones. Phase I required cell towers to hit on the nearest cell tower. Phase II required location within 300 meters of a cell tower via triangulation of towers or via GPS coordinates. Next Generation 911 (or NG911) came along. NG911 is touted as the latest and greatest, and includes the possibility of text-to-911, attaching audio and/or video files, and using the Cloud. Still, as many agencies and Dispatchers still lament, a pizza delivery service can pinpoint a caller’s location in an instant but 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) are still relying on antiquated equipment (Phase I or II).

911 is not perfect. The USA is not 100% 911 compliant. There are areas where Basic or Enhanced 911 is the rule: after all, cell towers are not installed in rural areas, and for IP-based services you need internet. Many states don’t have misuse laws for those harassing PSAPs.

Many states don’t require any minimal training for their Public Safety Dispatchers yet firefighters and law enforcement have a list of mandatory, yearly courses. Or, as in Nevada’s case, there is a requirement but no funding to cover the expense. Finally, the 911 tax is gathered but diverted to other parts of a state budget.

For a more in-depth history, check out my book: “What is Your Emergency? The History of Public Safety Dispatching in America.”

—Diana Sprain
Author of the Greycliff Chronicles series: On the Trail of Yesterday’s Rose, In the King’s Shadow, and For Queen and Country.

Diana Sprain emigrated to the U.S. from England with her family. She has worked as an Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Room Clerk, Certified Pharmacy Technician, and a Public Safety Dispatcher. Her law enforcement experience varies from working as a line Public Safety Dispatcher, a Civilian Training Officer, a Tactical Dispatcher, and a Supervising Public Safety Dispatcher. She currently works for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, law enforcement division as a Public Safety Dispatcher. She is the Terminal Agency Coordinator and a Civilian Training Officer.

She is a member of the Sierra Writer’s Group, the Public Safety Writer’s Association, the Associated Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Diana is a Public Safety Dispatcher with over 30 years of experience.

She shares her home with her husband, Sam, Coco their Chinese Shar-Pei, and their cat, Dexter. She enjoys writing, painting, gardening, and attending Renaissance Fairs in costume.

Interesting Links

1.  Book Design. Joel Friedlander is a great, inexpensive source for book design help: The Book Designer gives book design awards and has a lot of examples of good book design as well as instructions. You can subscribe to his newsletter.
2. Print-on-Demand.  The Sacramento Public Library obtained a grant to buy a POD machine. This YouTube video shows the machine in action: I Street Press: A Community Writing & Publishing Center.  Costs and details are on the Library’s website.

I have a POD in the works now, building my file, and will probably test it at the Library before going to Create Space.  I would get more hands-on help at the Library.

—Information provided by Jim Guilgi

The Importance of Editing

Recently I purchased a book from a friend intending to write a review on Amazon. I couldn’t do it because the book was so badly edited, I finally gave up about 1/3 of the way through. Another friend had the same reaction as I did. I feel sad for this new author because the basic premise of the story was good and the location one that hasn’t been used to death. I also know the author paid a lot for the cover.

With a good edit, this might have been a good read.

The part I read was riddled with typos. One sentence had the same passage at the beginning and the end. Point-of-view was a mess. There were missing quote marks and odd punctuation, and so many more problems..

No book is ever perfect. Typos do slip by, even with the major publishers who have editors and copy editors.

When submitting to a publisher, you want to make sure that you’ve done the best job possible self-editing, and then to make sure, you should have someone who is a professional editor check it over again.

This is even more important if you are self-publishing. Don’t rely on your best friend or a relative to do the final check of your book. Hire an editor who knows what to look for in the type of book you’ve written.

And in case you’re wondering, the book wasn’t by anyone in PSWA.

Lately, I’ve been re-editing several of my books, and found a lot to fix or rewrite, but partly because some so-called rules for writing have changed over the years.

—Marilyn Meredith
PSWA Newsletter Chairman

http://fictionforyou.com

http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Keeping Tension Snapping in Your Dialogue

This excerpt is taken from a new “How to” EBook called “Writing Suspense in Your Mystery Fiction,” finished, but as yet unpublished. Stay tuned.

• If you have trouble with dialogue, read your piece aloud. Then quiet yourself. Fall into a daze of non-thought, then listen within to your characters talking to each other. See if you can “hear” them. What kind of words do they use with each other? Are they slangy? Terse? Colloquial? Profane?
• You can learn about them by “listening” to them in quiet moments within yourself. After all, that’s where they live, isn’t it? They are you. They aren’t you. Imagine everyday conversation. How do they talk about needing new tires for the car? A kid’s bad spelling test?
• Charge right into a passage of dialogue. You don’t need greetings, chitchat, comment on the weather, or compliments.
• Supporting characters can show doubt or disbelief about your main character’s goals or plans in the curl of a lip, a snort. “Yeah, well …” has a wealth of meanings.
• Watch out for passages of retelling something that has already happened or commenting on events that are happening instead of showing them. Exchange exposition for confrontations between players, arguments, teasing, and misunderstandings.
• Give some of the lines to somebody with a different POV. Save up a witticism for here.
• Examine the visual impact of your dialogue sections. Tense dialogue contains lots of short sentences, fragments and white space. Watch out for dialogue that goes on for pages (unless you’re Robert B. Parker or Elmore Leonard, and none of us are).
• If you’re building to a toe-to-toe confrontation, don’t do it over a four-page argument scene. Break it up. Take a phone call. Interrupt the gathering storm with an announcement that dinner is ready. You’ve built an expectation that this isn’t over yet, and your readers will stick with you to see who prevails and what happens in this confrontation.

—Mar Preston is an award-winning Public Safety Writers Association author of six “How to” EBooks on “Writing Your First Mystery,” as well as seven police procedural novels.

Author News

Jackie Taylor Zortman: I Have a New Novel on the Market

It was exciting when UPS showed up late yesterday afternoon with that big box filled with my latest novel Snow Angel (Detective Max Richards Book 2). All of you know the excitement when we get to finally hold our book (or is it new baby?) in our own hands.

Detective Max Richards Book 1 is my PSWA first-place award-winning Footprints in the Frost. Although Snow Angel is a sequel, it can easily stand alone and be read with no confusion related to the first book. There are a lot of authors ahead of me in the pipeline at my new publisher Aakenbaaken & Kent, but Mike has offered to put the Kindle version of Footprints in the Frost up on Amazon.com temporarily for those who are curious about the first book. It’s already available as a Nook on www.BN.com.

In Snow Angel when Detective Max Richards and his sister suddenly inherit their mother’s estate, they find an old wooden box on a shelf in her bedroom closet. It reveals a secret she kept carefully hidden and connects them to a statuesque and abandoned Victorian house in Snowflake, Colorado. Ironically, Max and his wife, Sami, already own a remote cabin there.

During the Christmas holidays, they fly to Snowflake to investigate the empty and dusty old house. Following their tire tracks in the snow, the newly appointed city police chief is introduced into their lives and quickly becomes an important part of their tight-knit circle of friends.

Returning to the city, Max becomes emotionally restless. He retires from his thirty-year homicide job, pulls up roots and moves permanently to Snowflake where he quickly becomes part of the small police force. Unexpected twists and turns take control of their lives and change things in ways they never dreamed. Find out what was in that box that had such power and what paths it led Max, Sami and his sister, Willow, to follow.

You will find Snow Angel as a trade paperback and Kindle at http://amazon.com/dp/193843644x. It also won a PSWA writing award in 2017.

Blurb by John M. Wills, Award-winning Author/Freelance Writer

Max Richards is a tough homicide detective whose life is structured and orderly. However, when his mother dies and an old wooden box surfaces among her belongings, it changes everything. What secrets was Mom hiding from the family and why? When the truth is finally revealed, Max finds an uncertain future ahead of him and his family members.

About the Author

Jackie Taylor Zortman is an award-winning published writer/author. She has been writing for the last 26 years and has been a member of PSWA since it was the Police Writers Club back in 1994 when Roger Fulton first organized it. She is the author of a non-fiction book “We Are Different Now” and two award-winning fiction novels, “Footprints in the Frost” and “Snow Angel.”

She has had numerous articles and short stories published during that time, is a Charter Member of the Public Safety Writers Association and a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She is a contributing author to the anthologies “Felons, Flames & Ambulance Rides”, “American Blue” (editor Ed Nowicki), “The Centennial Book of the National Society of Daughters of the Union” and “Recipes by the Book, Oak Tree Authors Cook.” She also writes poetry, genealogy, and history. She has won 10 writing awards in the last five years.

She lives in a bustling quaint tourist town high in the mountains of Colorado with her husband and Siamese cat. When the deep snows of winter blanket the terrain surrounding her home, it becomes the perfect spot in which to write. 

Mysti Berry: Charity Anthology Launches in July, 2018

Mysti is publishing a charity anthology to help fight voter suppression on July 4, 2018.

More details will be on the website in June: lowdowndirtyvote.com, or follow @LDDV_anthology on Twitter.

Marilyn Meredith: Resurrecting an Old Series

Thanks to Mike Orenduff and Aakenbaaken and Kent Publishing, Marilyn Meredith’s (who writes this series as F. M. Meredith) Rocky Bluff P.D. series is seeing a new life. Each book in the series is being re-edited and the whole series is getting new similar covers.

This particular series has been published by four publishers. A & K will be number five. It’s been a long and painful trip with an exciting final destination. The first book in the series is Final Respects. 

Bob Doerr: New Book Release—The Assassins

I’m happy to announce the release of my new book, The Assassins, the third book in my Clint Smith series. Of all my books, I think this one is the most contemporary with world events. I have been fortunate to have always had several book plots floating around in my head, so in October 2016, a month before the national elections, and as I began my planning for a new Clint Smith book, I realized that I had never seen (or at least recognized) such a politically polarized election.

What if the side that lost the election had a few powerful people who reacted by plotting to have the new president assassinated? For the book to work, it didn’t matter who won the election. It seemed to me that more people disliked each candidate than liked them. In fact, for a good part of the book, I kept referring to the president as the president rather than he or she. Staying with the contemporary theme, I set my story in Korea.

I’d like to share a short summary of the book The Assassins:

A disputed election has divided the nation, and a handful of senior, government officials have conspired to have the North Koreans assassinate the President of the United States. Believing the assassination attempt to be only days away, Theresa Deer, Director of the Special Section, a small unit whose existence is known by only a few in the U.S. government, sets out to interdict the man intent on providing the North Koreans vital information about the president’s itinerary for his visit to South Korea. While Deer succeeds in her mission, she is severely injured and finds herself being hunted by the North Korean assassins who still intend to assassinate the president. Clint Smith is sent to Korea to help Deer get back to the U.S. and finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the North Koreans. With no one in the U.S. government to turn to for help, and the South Koreans now also hunting them, getting out of South Korea alive is looking unlikely.

I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy this book.

About the Author

Bob Doerr, an Air Force veteran, has thirteen published books. His past books have won a variety of awards, and Bob was selected as the Author of the Year by the Military Writers Society of America.