How many spam emails do you receive offering you money? Dozens? Hundreds? Scammers target millions through email. Most of us just hit delete. But some enterprising folks embark on a mission to get back at online fraudsters. They’re called “scambaiters” and my post at The Kill Zone delves into their shadowy world. https://killzoneblog.com/2018/05/virtual-vigilantes-revenge-of-the-scambaiters.html#comments
Recent headlines confirm we’re being monitored through our smart devices, internet searches, and social media. What if a terrorist used those tools to take control of an innocent woman’s life? In Instrument of the Devil, Tawny Lindholm learns the frightening answer to that question. Vulnerable and lonely after her husband’s death, Tawny finds hope in a chance meeting with a handsome, dashing widower. Turns out their meeting is anything but chance. Kahlil Sharivar’s romantic interest in Tawny masks a sinister motive–he sets her up as the scapegoat in…
When someone goes missing because of foul play or accident, cadaver dogs can play a vital role in solving crimes and bringing closure to grieving family. Learn how these amazing dogs use scent in my post on The Kill Zone. Cadaver Dogs – The Nose Knows
Katie O’Rourke interviewed me for Today’s Author about Instrument of the Devil. Here’s the link. Thanks, Katie.
I’m delighted to welcome the wise and witty Eli Landes as a guest blogger. Eli is a marketing writer by day and a fiction writer whenever he can squeeze in the time. His main genre is Jewish fiction, but he’s been known to dabble in the weird, the absurd, and the truly dark. Follow him at his writing website RE: Writing. How to Use Copywriting Tactics to Improve Your Fiction Writing He Said What? I know, I know. It’s the type of…
Today, algorithms determine the most minute details of our buying habits, down to the finer points of the dental floss we prefer (waxed or unwaxed, plain or minty). Advertising is a constant blitzkrieg of spam, pop-ups, and phone alerts. Those ads are specific, focused, targeted…and totally impersonal. For all the information that Google, Facebook, and Amazon collect about us, Alexa’s robotic voice will never replace that of a trusted friend who enthusiastically says, “You’ve got to read this book I just finished!” In…
Check out my new podcast at Golden State Media Concepts and enter to win a free signed copy of Instrument of the Devil. Just share their link on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and you could win. Book reviewer Sarah Meckler and I talk about Montana, mentoring young writers, and why the Hungry Horse Dam makes a great setting for a crime.
We flip a switch and take for granted the lights work. But what if you flipped the switch and nothing happened? Headlines in the New York Times , PBS, Reuters, and other media just announced Russian hackers penetrated computers that control the US power grid. We could be keystrokes away from total darkness. Truth and fiction merge in my thriller Instrument of the Devil when a terrorist infiltrates Montana’s Hungry Horse Dam in his quest to bring down the electrical…
UPDATE: As of 4/3/18, Kindle Scout is no longer accepting submissions. An interesting experiment but, sadly, it didn’t survive. Kindle Scout is a different route to publishing your book. It’s an ongoing contest sponsored by Amazon similar to “American Idol.” Readers sample excerpts of books online and nominate those they’d like to see published. A cool bonus: if you nominate a book that “wins” a contract, you receive that eBook for FREE. Scout veterans Debbie Burke and Betty Kuffel will walk…
For fans and writers of the mystery/suspense/thriller genre, The Kill Zone is a terrific online hangout. Eleven bestselling authors rotate daily posts. The archives add up to a master course in crime writing. You never know what surprises you’ll find at TKZ. Sue Coletta described allowing herself to be sealed in a metal barrel to research how her fictional victim would feel; Joe Hartlaub recounted his meeting with the legendary Fats Domino; John Gilstrap gave me chills when he wrote about his visit at age 18…
