Welcome
Can’t believe it’s September already.
I’ve taken a bit of a break from blog writing, Facebook posting, “Positively” videos, and ReadLaurieFagen.com website updating.
Not-yet-completed draft of “Dead Air” cover – by Tad Smith of The Design Idea
However, I’ve been working hard since April on “Dead Air,” Book 2 in the “Behind the Mic Mysteries” series, and I’m on Chapter 15 out of an anticipated 20 chapters. I’m already past the 50,000-plus word length of Book 1 “Fade Out,” and am now writing seven mornings a week.
It’s been a long, hot summer in the Valley, but I managed to escape to Prescott for several weeks; then to New York City to work the IMTA convention; on to Chicago and Green Bay, Wisconsin, where I took part in my first Writers’ Police Academy (WPA) www.writerspoliceacademy.com/; then back to Prescott for a polymer clay retreat.
Polymer clay flowers in bullet shell
I’ll be off to Vancouver for a short cruise later this month, and then a Las Vegas trip to Clay Carnival in October will round out my travels for the year.
Had an amazing time at the WPA, where among the well organized sessions were:
- a tour of one of the Wisconsin State Penitentiaries, with a Q&A with the deputy warden;
- a “Shoot/Don’t Shoot” scenario, reacting to life-size videos of situations police officers are put into, with a Glock weapon where the bullets were replaced with Co2 cartridges;
- a “Blood Spatter” course with actual photos from crime scenes, and a mock crime scene where attendees tried to figure out what happened;
- a discussion on the latest in “Ballastics,” with the instructor shooting various bullets into frozen gelatin to show the trajectory and other characteristics of the ammunition;
- a “Traffic Stop with a K-9,” where we watched a trained dog in action
Officer with K-9 at WPA
- a “Health Simulator,” where we got to learn intubation techniques, and how to start an IV in a dummy arm as well as directly into bone marrow, using a chicken bone and an egg
Then there were the “morning announcements,” which included a mock emergency services drill with a two-car “accident” and numerous “injured” parties, including one “deceased,” complete with a life flight helicopter that swooped in to take one of the most “injured” off for further treatment.
WPA mock accident scene
Another “announcement” came during a lecture hall session on Emergency Medical Services when we heard “yelling” outside the doors and soon not one, not two, but four different “stabbing victims” were being dragged in for medical attention. The room was “locked down” and “police” soon swarmed the room – actually recruits from the police academy – instructing us all to put our hands on our heads until they could search the room for the suspect.
WPA mock “stabbing” incident
What a heart-thumping way to start the morning!
Hats off to organizer Lee Lofland, a former law enforcement professional turned author, and to all our instructors from the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and the area.
Thanks also to Sisters in Crime, the international organization for writers, who paid for a good portion of my registration to the event as a first-time participant.
I’m planning to go back next year, as there were so many sessions offered but only so many we could take in a day.
For those who can’t wait til Dead Air comes out, check out my “prequel” novella of the same series, Equalizer, now available on Amazon for $.99.
“Equalizer” cover – by Tad Smith of The Design Idea
“Fade Out” cover – by Tad Smith of The Design Idea
The print version of my debut crime fiction novel, Fade Out, is available at Amazon, as well as in e-book format. Click here for Fade Out details. The books are also available at Chandler public libraries; Sibley’s West in downtown Chandler;Dog-Eared Pages, Phoenix; Peregrine Book Company, Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery and Prescott Library, Prescott
There’s additional information about my writing on my Amazon Author Page at amazon.com/author/lauriefagen. I would greatly appreciate a short review there, as my publisher says “it’s all about the algorithms” on Amazon.
Make sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter so you stay informed about my speaking engagements, contests, and other details. Visit the “contact page” to sign up.
Thanks for all your continued support!
Yet Another Writer’s Blog
How hot is it?
How many ways can you say hot?
In Arizona, many pass the time coming up with new descriptions for what temperatures feel like when they climb over 100 degrees in the Sonoran Desert.
Scorching, blistering and toasty are a few words that come to mind.
Similes include: hot air like an oven; so hot you can […]
Upcoming Events
CALENDAR:
11 a.m. Mon., Oct. 17 – Trust Bank Wealth Mgmt Group luncheon
7-9 p.m. Sun., Oct. 23 – Great Books Book Club, Chandler AZ
How hot is it?
Okay, so temperatures are finally cooling down in the Valley.
But in my manuscript for "Dead Air," Book #2 in my "Behind The Mic Mysteries" is set in the middle of the summer in the Sonoran Desert. So, I had to come up with a number of ways to describe "hot." Check out my blog at www.ReadLaurieFagen.com.
