· Susan Painter · The older you get—hopefully—the more memories you'll have to write about. Recently, I’ve run into a number of former students from my days as a School Resource Officer when I was a sergeant with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office. Since I visited the schools for so many years, like full-time teachers, I continue to refer to these young people, now adults, as “my” students. One student reminded me that he had a really tough time in school due to being bullied. He … [Read more...] about Memories Make Memoirs
Jim Potter
Meeting Authors
· H.B. Berlow · A few weeks ago sixteen artists gathered at the Wichita Library to recite their poetry accompanied by music. In short time I learned that one of those poets, H.B. Berlow, also writes crime novels. By the time I arrived home to Greater Medora, I had a Facebook friend request from Berlow. I accepted. A day later I could barely believe my eyes! H.B. had posted a mugshot that looked like it belonged in my “Wanted” postcard collection. He commented: “This is career … [Read more...] about Meeting Authors
Talking Tombstones
· Henry Hartford in Two Worlds · If you’ve heard of Talking Tombstones then you probably know that real people, now deceased, have their stories brought to life in an abbreviated forum. In Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas, contemporary actors, often affiliated with Stage 9 (run by the Hutchinson Theater Guild), transform into dearly departed residents from a distant era. Thanks to Talking Tombstones, the attendees who visit Hutchinson’s Eastside Cemetery each October, learn a great deal in a … [Read more...] about Talking Tombstones
My Weekend
· Postcards, Poetry, and Food · This past weekend in Wichita, Kansas, was all about postcards, poetry, and eating. When you hear the word “postcards” you may recall a slower time than today’s world of instant communication. Were you traveling on a family vacation when you stopped at a service (gas) station and purchased a postcard while you waited for the rest of the family to get a bathroom break? Who did you send postcards to? In just a few sentences—like today’s tweets and … [Read more...] about My Weekend
Kansas Authors Club Meeting Announcement
Kansas Authors Club Meeting · "Choosing Your Publishing Options" · Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 1:30 PM Kansas Authors Club District Quarterly Meeting Guest speaker: Jan Hurst, www.AuthorsVoicePublishing Our guest speaker is Jan Hurst of Author's Voice Publishing. She will present, "Choosing Your Publishing Options", to help you as an author decide which form of publishing fits the need of your latest work. Admission is free and open to the public. The meeting is held from 1:30 … [Read more...] about Kansas Authors Club Meeting Announcement
Historical Research and Writing
· "King of Hypnotists and Mind Readers" · Do you enjoy historical research? I love it! As I've mentioned before, I collect "Reward" postcards because they are an enjoyable slice of history. The cards describe people who are wanted for various crimes. My high-visibility favorites are jail escapees and murderers. A majority of these postcards are from the the time period 1880 to 1920. When I examine "Reward" cards, the descriptions make it easy for me to imagine the person wanted by the … [Read more...] about Historical Research and Writing
Writing a Novel
· Immediately Engage the Reader · Discovery of a person’s body is a great way to begin a mystery or crime novel. This single event requires readers to use their imagination and ask so many questions. Also, the resulting death investigation is naturally structured to periodically reveal answers to those questions. Who is the dead person? What was he or she doing at that location? How and why did the person die? Was the death natural, an accident, suicide, or a homicide? Here’s a recent … [Read more...] about Writing a Novel
Research Subject
· Mo Yoder · When I first learned that Mo Yoder, Buhler, Kansas, had been a research subject involved in testing by the military during the Vietnam War, I had a bad feeling. That’s because I recalled hearing stories of soldiers unknowingly being used as human guinea pigs while experiments were done on them testing hallucinogenic drugs. I shuddered at the thought, but I wanted to talk to him about his experience. Mo graciously agreed to be interviewed about his one and one-half year … [Read more...] about Research Subject
Suicide Joe and Buffalo
· Suicide is a Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem · I met Joe back in 1973 in prison. No, we weren't cell mates serving time. We were volunteers wanting to make a difference. VISTA, acronym for Volunteers In Service To America, was the domestic side of the Peace Corps. We had signed up independently for a year of service as volunteers in Georgia. At the Georgia Industrial Institute (GII), a.k.a. men's prison, in Alto, GA, our larger team's mission was to set up a pre-release … [Read more...] about Suicide Joe and Buffalo
