Archive for the ‘A Writer’s Library’ Category

Fallen in the Line of Duty: A Crime Writer’s Lesson

Posted: April 26, 2013 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, Crime Fiction Corner, Roll Call
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My Palm Springs Writer's Retreat ~ On the phone with a friend who's a retired LEO.

My Palm Springs Writer’s Retreat ~ On the phone with a friend who’s a retired LEO.

Talk about research. This round was heart wrenching and educational.

In my upcoming book, one of the detectives is shot and killed in the line of duty. At first I was going back and forth on whether or not to let her live. If so what would her life be like afterwards?

Then I thought about my protagonist. What would be one of the several things I could do to test her?

Finally, after writing a word or two and fussing with rewrites, I decided to make it difficult for my main character and add to her rollercoaster ride as she pushes to solve her case.

For the last two weeks I buried my head in books and had discussions with my friends in law enforcement to learn the proper way to pay tribute to a fallen officer. I even sent the chapter to one of them to see if he approved.

I didn’t want to be disrespectful, but I wanted the scene written correctly and he agreed.

If there is one thing that I’ve learned is that there is a brotherhood that exists among the officers who serve our country and cities; police, firefighters,  and military.

To the law enforcement officers all over, thank you for risking your lives to keep us safe.

The Criminal Investigative Function ~ 2nd Edition

Posted: March 15, 2013 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, Checking in with the Law, Roll Call, We're Talking Writers, Writer Question
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2nd Ed Cover smallWith the release of The Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New Investigators - 2nd Edition and his retirement from the force, Joe Giacalone is enjoying what it feels like to be a best selling author.

Not only has his textbook been chosen as required reading by the New Jersey Civil Service Commision, but he has been approached for interviews and consulted on numerous cases regarding criminal investigations and missing persons.

I’ve read the first book and can’t wait to get my hands on the second edition. This a good tool for new investigators to use; it is also a helpful resource book for us crime and mystery writers.

P.S. A little birdie told me that he’s currently working on his next book. :)

About the Book The Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New Investigators, is a candid, real-world look at  investigations, from the crime scene to the courtroom, shared by an ACTUAL investigator. No ivory tower theory. Just the real deal!

The text  has been expanded and completely revised with photos and illustrations!

A  seasoned investigator taps his years of street experience to teach you the:    

• Core qualities that make for a great investigator.

• Important legalities that impact investigations.

• Crime scene protocols that must be followed.

• New DNA  and Forensic Techniques.

• Best follow-up investigation strategies.

• Aspects of Interview and Interrogation.

• Keys to  dealing with eyewitnesses.

• Investigative Report Writing.

• Steps in Solving Major Crimes and Missing Persons cases.

Each  chapter includes summary questions for discussion and review.

Publisher:

Looseleaf Law Publications, Inc.

43-08 162nd St

Flushing, NY  11358

1-800-647-5547    

Just finished filming a new true crime show

Just finished filming a new true crime show

About the  Author / Law Enforcement Trainer / Media Consultant

Joseph L. Giacalone is a retired Detective Sergeant with an extensive background in criminal investigations. He has held many prestigious positions, but his favorite was the Commanding Officer of a Cold Case Homicide Squad. Joe has personally worked on hundreds of murders, suicides and missing person cases throughout his career and is always willing to share his knowledge and experiences with others.

He obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice with a Specialty in Crime and Deviance from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2005. He has been an Adjunct Professor at John Jay since January of 2006.

In his spare time, he writes his own criminal investigation Blog, www.coldcasesquad.com

You can follow Joe and the Cold Case Squad on Twitter: @ColdCaseSquad and @JoeGiacalone or through his website http://joegwrites.com/

The Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New
Investigators on Amazon - 1st Edition

See below for other posts related to this article:

Between the Chalk Lines: Warming Up to Cold Cases

Crime Writers’ Panel for Upcoming Workshop

A Quick Guide to Miranda for Crime Writers Part 2

Writer Question: Can Police Forcibly Take DNA?

Guest Blogger Joe Giacalone: Can My Character Do That?

The Number One Place to Promote Books

Posted: February 20, 2013 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, We're Talking Writers
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Writers and published authors need to take advantage of the number one method of book selling-the Internet. The Internet is the greatest selling and marketing tool available to an author. There are many opportunities and different ways to do achieve this. Here are a few online marketing tips for new authors.

One the simplest, most cost-effective ways to reach a broad online audience with your product and urge the reader into action is social networking. I’m referring to sites and online places where people share friendship and information. I love Goodreads and I get a lot of response whenever I post an event on that site. I am signed up not only as a reader, but as an author, which gives me a profile and the ability to promote my products. Other sites such as Ning, and Plaxo are also places you can let others know about you book, blog tour, or other marketing events.

The basic techniques for marketing fiction are the same as those of marketing nonfiction, so the methods work well in either case. However, a new author needs to know her target readership. A romance book will typically draw a different type of audience than a how-to book on gardening or fishing. So, when establishing a following on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, Ning, Yahoo groups, and other sites, search for people by reading their profiles. Look for keywords that describe or relate to the topic of your book. Look for people who read the types of books you write.

The biggest mistake authors make when attempting to market their books is going out unprepared or without having a marketing plan or the information necessary to successfully create the buzz. Many authors do not even have a Web site or blog with a point of purchase that gives the reader enough information about the book to actually make an informed purchase. An author needs to know what components are necessary to have on a site in order to compete in today’s online marketplace. This is where a marketing plan comes in handy. It takes time and consistent effort to build your following and get people interested in your book before they will take action. It’s been said that someone must see or hear about a product seven times before they will buy it. Book marketing success may not happen overnight, but you will begin to see steady progress if you stay at it. It will take you about six months to complete everything in the eBook because some of it has to be set up such as Web sites, blog tours, and social networks.

Yvonne Perry

After spending several years in a corporate setting, Yvonne Perry decided to make a brave move and start her own freelance writing company. Leaving her full-time position as an administrative assistant in the sales and marketing division of a Fortune 500 company, she started her new career in 2003 with very little business experience. Today, she is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services where she serves as a freelance ghostwriter and editor for individuals and businesses.

By aligning herself and her company with other writers and experts in the field, Perry has networked her company to the top as a premier ghostwriter and editor in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her team stay busy on client projects such as writing media releases, ghostwriting and editing books, article writing, creating ad copy, and producing business documents. The team provides writing and editing services to individuals while offering a logical way for large corporations to outsource their writing needs. Thanks to the Internet, the company’s reputation has reached international status. With her wide variety of writing experience that includes impressive résumés, personal and professional bios, high-quality press releases and articles, as well as case studies, proposals and marketing pieces, Yvonne is ready to work with you on your next project.

For more on Yvonne Perry and a list of her books, please visit Writers in the Sky.

Doing Time at the Writers’ Police Academy

Posted: February 8, 2013 by msashtonwriter in Roll Call, A Writer's Library
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I’m going to first start off by saying that WPA exceeded my expectations.

I first heard about Writers’ Police Academy in 2011. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in my budget, so I was forced to let go and wait impatiently for another year to arrive.

When 2012 rolled around, I was grateful for being a member of Sisters in Crime and signed up a few days after the announcement.

Lee Lofland, the founder of the academy, along with the volunteers from SIRCHE and law enforcement were supportive and took the time to answer all our questions.

They taught classes on just about everything you could think of that had to do with criminal investigations, forensics, and general law enforcement.

Writers Police Academy 2012 Forensics ClassWriters Police Academy 2012 Forensics 2

To enhance our experience we were able to see live demonstrations and participate in a string of activities that simulated what it’s like on the job.

Writers Police Academy 2012

Guest speakers included Marcia Clark, Lee Child, Dr. Elizabeth Murray, Dr. Katherine Ramsland, CJ Lyons and others. But the highlight of my trip was being able to shake the hands of Marcia, CJ, and Lee. To me they’re celebrities and I was in awe when they agreed to take pictures.

Their encouragement for us to write was well received along with the southern hospitality I experienced while talking with police and members of the community.

I will confess to becoming addicted to the sweet tea and no matter how hard I try, I still can’t get it here back home. Or maybe I’m looking for another reason to head back to NC.

There is so much to say about Writers’ Police Academy and there is no way that I could explain everything in one post. I can say to aspiring crime/mystery writers, this conference is a must and the materials I accumulated during my two days were overwhelming.

At one point, I ran out of note paper and had to use the back side to continue writing. Did I mention that I wasn’t able to attend every class on the list? You can bet that I’ve marked what I missed and will add them to my schedule for this year.

Thanks to everyone at WPA, Sisters in Crime and volunteers who made it possible for us to attend.

P.S.

I didn’t leave empty handed. I won three baskets full of books (mystery, crime fiction and forensics) at the raffle held during the banquet.

Writers Police Academy 2012 Banquet Raffle 3Writers Police Academy 2012 Banquet RaffleLee Child Banquet Raffle

Great Crime Blogs for Writers

Posted: January 7, 2013 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library
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Below is a list of my favorite blogs that I find useful for honing my craft to crime research.

If you haven’t come across at least one of the websites below, I’m hoping you can find the listing helpful.

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/

http://forensics4fiction.com/

http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/

http://www.criminalelement.com/

http://murderiseverywhere.blogspot.com/

http://mainecrimewriters.com/

http://coldcasesquad.blogspot.com/

http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com/

http://www.murderati.com/

http://badluckdetective.wordpress.com/

http://www.defrostingcoldcases.com/

http://crimefictioncollective.blogspot.com/

http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/

http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/

Writer Question: Can Police Forcibly Take DNA?

Posted: December 10, 2012 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, Checking in with the Law, Writer Question
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I’ve received questions from writers wondering what ways can their detective obtain DNA. They have also asked, “Can police forcibly take DNA?”

I had to admit, I had no clue and turned to Joe Giacalone to see if he had a post that I could use and he did. He gave me permission to repost his article here on Criminal Lines.

The 3 Ways Police Obtain DNA Samples Lawfully

By: Joseph L. Giacalone

By now you have seen all of the television shows, read the mystery books and listened to news casts on how DNA help solve a cold case. DNA happens to be one of the most important law enforcement tools used to solve crimes. However, there is one constant in all of this and that is how law enforcement can lawfully obtain a DNA exemplar.

Law enforcement agencies have been playing the forensic “catch-up” game for a number of years. They learn the new methods and technologies and then the forensic science community discovers a new way of doing it. It is a constant learning curve for law enforcement. The advances in forensics and DNA are exponential and law enforcement has made a herculean effort to stay on top of this technology.

Obtaining a DNA exemplar is just like collecting other pieces of evidence. Law enforcement understands that the public now demands to see the forensic evidence, especially DNA, that ties the suspect to the victim, the suspect to the scene or the suspect to the weapon. Call it the “CSI Effect” or anything else that you want to, but the jury wants to see more of it. Many times investigators recover DNA at a crime scene, but when the sample is entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), it comes back as “No Hit.” As the investigation progresses and suspects are developed, investigators need to obtain exemplars to either exclude or include the suspect.

Each action that investigators take could have a reaction in the suspect. Move to soon and you can spook them, move to late and the hunt is on. The question remains, “How can law enforcement legally obtain a DNA exemplar from a suspect? There are only three (3) ways to do so that I refer to as the 3 Cs:

1. Consent

2. Court Order

3. Covertly
Consent

In order to get consent, you have to ask. The suspect must agree to provide the sample voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently. Which means that he is old enough, understands what he / she is doing and the consequences of the action and they weren’t tricked, forced or coerced. But what do you think will happen once the investigator asks for a DNA sample? Right, your suspect is gone in the wind and your investigation just got ten times more difficult.

Court Order

In order to get a warrant for taking a DNA sample, investigators must have probable cause. Generally, in these cases, the suspect is already in custody, so there is no threat of him fleeing and probable cause has already been established. If he wasn’t in custody, that would mean that probable cause has not been established and therefore couldn’t get a warrant.

Covertly

Obtaining a DNA sample covertly, (secretly or surreptitiously) is not as easy as it sounds or shown on television. Detectives must work carefully and fast when they need to recover a discarded sample. On television, detectives are always able to recover the bottle of water or can of soda for their exemplar. However, the target probably watches television too! Now investigators have to conduct surveillance and wait for the suspect to spit, discard a cigarette or half eaten food to obtain the sample.

Law enforcement must carefully obtain a DNA exemplar or risk it being excluded in pretrial evidence hearings. Sometimes obtaining a DNA exemplar is the only thing standing in the way of an arrest and conviction and even exoneration of innocent person wrongfully accused.

Related Articles by Joe on The Cold Case Squad

Edmond Locard: Forensic Rock Star #1
Dr. Sir Alec Jeffreys: Forensic Rock Star #2
Are Investigators Relying too Much on Forensic Evidence?
Detectives Love Blue Star Blood Identifying Agent
Cause of Death vs. Manner of Death

Joe’s Author Website CIF Cover

 

Tips For Writing a Media Release

Posted: November 22, 2012 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, We're Talking Writers
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As a freelance writer or business owner, you know how important marketing and promoting your business is. Well-written marketing materials are a vital part of your effort to help publicize, advertise, or promote a person, place, or thing. Also known as copywriting, its purpose is to motivate, entice, or persuade someone to take action. Examples of marketing pieces are ads, advertorials, catalog excerpts and item descriptions, biographical sketches, and may even include blogging, Web site text, and media releases.

Because marketing through news outlets plays such a huge role in the successful promotion of any business, I will start by giving some tips on how to write a press or media release. The term “press” release is a little dated because it has to do with the printing press. Many news releases these days are syndicated online, so a more up-to-date term is “media” release since it encompasses both print and online sources. Your media release needs to be news worthy, disseminate information, and give a call to take action (such as “call now” or “visit [URL] for more information”). Ideally, the release should be less than 750 words in the average media release. When possible, tie the release into something already happening in the news. Look for a way to tag onto a political event, action of a celebrity, death of a famous person, etc.

When to Write a Media Release

Any time you have news about your company or an employee, someone gets a promotion, achieves an accomplishment, has a new product to offer, your book wins an award, or whenever you have something to celebrate is a good time to write a media release. There are several things that should be present in a good media release.

· Title

· Subtitle

· Opening or first paragraph

·Body text

·About section

·Closing paragraph

·End of document signal

·Contact info

The Title of your release is very important. It needs to be a concise statement of what the release is about. Think of it as a teaser to get the reader to move to the subtitle to find out more. You also want to use keywords to attract search engines and journalists looking for a story or an expert to interview.

A very common error in many of the books I edit or proofread occurs in the title, headers, and subheaders. The Chicago Manual of Style states:

In regular title capitalization, also known as headline style, the first and last words and all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (if, because, as, that, etc.) are capitalized. Articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor), and prepositions, regardless of length, are lowercase unless they are the first or last word of the title.

The Subtitle should tell a little more than the title and lead into the first paragraph. It’s a summary that takes the reader one more step into the piece. The subtitle should also use heading or title case.

The First Paragraph of your media release should get right to the point and clearly answer the Five Ws of Writing a Media Release:

1. Who is the story about?

2. What is the story about?

3. When did or will it occur?

4. Where did or will it occur?

5. Why did or will it happen?

The title, subtitle, and opening paragraph are the three most important components so make sure these are as strong and as enticing as you can make them. You want the reader to keep reading!

The Body Text gives more information and fills in the details of the Five W’s to convey the entire story.

The About Section tells more about the company or person mentioned in the release. It is a short bio of about two to three sentences.

The Closing Paragraph may give a call to take action in the final paragraph (such as “call xxx or go to xxx for more info”).

By typing and centering ### after your closing paragraph, you have indicated that the release has ended. The media expect to find your contact information following this signal.

Add your Contact Information so the media can reach you. Include your name, phone number, Web site URL, and email address. A postal address is optional.

Yvonne PerryAfter spending several years in a corporate setting, Yvonne Perry decided to make a brave move and start her own freelance writing company. Leaving her full-time position as an administrative assistant in the sales and marketing division of a Fortune 500 company, she started her new career in 2003 with very little business experience. Today, she is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services where she serves as a freelance ghostwriter and editor for individuals and businesses.

By aligning herself and her company with other writers and experts in the field, Perry has networked her company to the top as a premier ghostwriter and editor in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her team stay busy on client projects such as writing media releases, ghostwriting and editing books, article writing, creating ad copy, and producing business documents. The team provides writing and editing services to individuals while offering a logical way for large corporations to outsource their writing needs. Thanks to the Internet, the company’s reputation has reached international status. With her wide variety of writing experience that includes impressive résumés, personal and professional bios, high-quality press releases and articles, as well as case studies, proposals and marketing pieces, Yvonne is ready to work with you on your next project.

For more on Yvonne Perry and a list of her books, please visit Writers in the Sky.

Questions to Ask Your Mentor Podcasts

Posted: November 11, 2012 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, Mentoring Your Muse Podcasts, We're Talking Writers
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This episode elaborates on the four necessary questions to ask when making your decision.

Mentoring Your Muse ~ Questions to ask Your Mentor

Crime Writers’ Workshop on Google+

Posted: November 2, 2012 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, Checking in with the Law, Roll Call, True Crime, We're Talking Writers
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Tonight is the night and I just wanted to send out reminders that there are four ways that you can contact the panel members during tonight’s workshop.

1. Twitter: use hashtag #crimewriterspanel

2. Email: use crimewriterspanel@margueriteashton.com

3. Facebook: use Crime Writers’ Panel. Just type your questions in the status bubble.

4. Google Chat: can be accessed as long as you have a Gmail account.

The name of the Google+ hangout will be Crime Writers Panel.

We’re happy with the response and look forward to answering your questions.

How to Write and Present a Good Speech

Posted: October 2, 2012 by msashtonwriter in A Writer's Library, We're Talking Writers
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As a writer or author you may be asked to speak about your book or business either at a book signing or networking meeting. As a business owner, you may have to make a training presentation about the new policies or practices you are setting. It is important to know how to give a good presentation.

A good speech or presentation begins by knowing your audience. By curtailing your talk and content to the needs of the listeners you automatically have their attention. Before you start writing your speech, ask yourself a few questions:

  • Who is my audience-are they mostly male, are they young, or are they professional businesspersons?
  • What are their needs/pains/challenges?
  • What do they want/need to hear?

Use Both Doors

Consider what the audience will hear and what they will see in your presentation.

Your content should be value-rich and contain your original thoughts, ideas and opinions. Be sure to do your research and give statistics to back up your information. This makes your talk more credible and people will see you as an expert on the topic. Use stories to illustrate your point and remember to use words that paint pictures in people’s minds.

When you present the speech, you will want to use appropriate hand, facial and body gestures as well as voice inflection to keep the attention on what you are saying. Monitor the audience’s response. Are they nodding, smiling or sitting up in their seats or are they yawning, looking around the room or talking to one another?

Organization

Make sure you have a catchy opening. A joke, question or story is a good way to open your speech. It sets the tone and grabs the attention of everyone in the room. Then give a short synopsis of what your speech is about. If you say you are going to give three tips about how to do something, be certain you include those three points and make a deliberate transition from one to the next. The ending should summarize your thesis and remind the listeners of the three (or more) points you made, then wrap up with something funny or that provokes an emotion. Give a “take-home” point or call to action so the listeners think about what you have said later on.

Dress for the Occasion

Try to dress one notch higher than you anticipate your audience will. For example, if your audience is going to be wearing suits and dresses, you don’t want to show up wearing jeans-dress to match their attire. If the audience will be wearing medical scrubs, then wear corporate casual clothes.

Get some training

If you are totally uncomfortable making a training presentation or speech to a group of people, you might consider taking some acting or speaking classes. I have been in Toastmasters (http://www.toastmasters.org) for three years and have found the practice I get in a non-threatening, educational environment very beneficial for speaking in public, making presentations or speaking one on one with a client. Not only are my thoughts more organized and my speech concise and well-articulated, I have gained confidence-not to mention great friends and networking acquaintances.

After spending several years in a corporate setting, Yvonne Perry decided to make a brave move and start her own freelance writing company. Leaving her full-time position as an administrative assistant in the sales and marketing division of a Fortune 500 company, she started her new career in 2003 with very little business experience. Today, she is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services where she serves as a freelance ghostwriter and editor for individuals and businesses.

By aligning herself and her company with other writers and experts in the field, Perry has networked her company to the top as a premier ghostwriter and editor in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her team stay busy on client projects such as writing media releases, ghostwriting and editing books, article writing, creating ad copy, and producing business documents. The team provides writing and editing services to individuals while offering a logical way for large corporations to outsource their writing needs. Thanks to the Internet, the company’s reputation has reached international status. With her wide variety of writing experience that includes impressive résumés, personal and professional bios, high-quality press releases and articles, as well as case studies, proposals and marketing pieces, Yvonne is ready to work with you on your next project.

For more on Yvonne Perry and a list of her books, please visit Writers in the Sky.

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