Protecting Kids Against Predators

Years ago when I was in college and renting an apartment with two other girls, we were burglarized. A window had been left open when we all left for the day and the thief crawled in, stole what ever he could stuff in his pockets and fled. He took change, some jewelry and a lot …

Read more

Just the Facts: Interview with Author Ronie Kendig

Years ago in the police academy, we were taught the five W’s and an H in police report writing. Who, what, when, where, why, and how were the questions to be asked in order to form the framework for a crime report. The best place to start an investigation is with the basic questions, or, …

Read more

Judgment and Police Shootings

“Police Accidentally Shoot Two Innocent Bystanders Near Times Square, Fail to Actually Hit Suspect” I read that headline and had to click the link and read the entire article. The gist of the piece is that police officers were confronted by an emotionally disturbed man who pretended to have a gun in a crowded area …

Read more

A Simpler Time – Growing up in Mayberry

Over the years there have been several kids rescued after they’d been kidnapped and held for several years by their kidnapper. Most recently, the three women rescued from the “house of horrors” in Cleveland come to mind. Thankfully, there are a lot of names of the rescued I could list, which doesn’t balance out those …

Read more

One More Trip (Re-Post in Honor of my Mom)

I suppose that when a loved one passes, those left behind often have a “one more” wish. One more talk, one more hug, one more day, etc. For me when I learned my mother’s cancer was out of control, my one more was one more trip. My mother was an inspiration to me in so …

Read more

What Makes a Monster

After the recent shooting in Santa Monica, http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/09/18865467-santa-monica-shooting-spree-suspect-identified-as-death-toll-climbs?lite, a friend of mine confessed to being concerned about her grandson. He’s in his early twenties and is diagnosed as bi-polar. She lamented, “All these troubled young men going on rampages.” Would her grandson be next? My friend’s grandson is not violent or prone to violence, nor …

Read more

Human Trafficking

The other day I listened to a message given at a church in Florida. At the beginning a young girl gave her testimony about how she was brought here to the US from Mexico by human traffickers when she was only 17 years old. The pastor was visibly moved to think that in this day …

Read more

The Existance of Evil and the Fight to Stop It

Writing suspense novels is writing about the constant battle between good and evil.   The bad guy does something horrible and the hero must find him and bring him to justice. Sometimes it’s a cat and mouse game. The hero knows the bad guy is up to evil, and the puzzle of a story comes together …

Read more

Unsung Heros – The Heart of a First Responder

Watching the coverage of the Boston bombing reminded me of how much work goes into responding to tragedy whether it’s a natural disaster or a man made disaster. And it reminded me that a lot of people contribute to a successful ending and not all of them will be recognized for their help, their sacrifice, …

Read more

A Word or Two About Writer’s Conferences

When I first started attending Writer’s Conferences, I was brand new to writing stories. All I had under my belt were some badly written short stories and a burning desire to learn if it was even possible for me to write stories people would read. I think I heard about conferences from a writing class. …

Read more