Billy the Kid: Ten perfectly still seconds in eternity We know almost nothing of him, except her was a gypsy photographer, drifting the dusty roads of the territories. Trooping wearily from one far-flung town to another, he’d likely stop his dark-room wagon outside of busy saloons, brothels, maybe even a hanging. He’d mount his big camera, unfurl his backdrops, and hope word spread before dark there was a man taking pictures in town. But … [Read more...]
Ron Franscell Takes Readers On A Rollicking Ride Through The Southwest’s Unruly Past In OUTLAW SOUTHWEST
"The ultimate guilty pleasure book!" - San Antonio Express News The line between history and mythology is razor thin—and the American Southwest often erases the line altogether. We might never disentangle crime-fact from fiction, but this book will transport you to Billy the Kid’s real-life stomping grounds, legendary Tombstone, the childhood home of one of the worst al Qaeda terrorists, and the scenes of dozens of crimes throughout Arizona and … [Read more...]
The Author & the Hitman: Dennis Griffin on the Collaboration That Brought THE RISE AND FALL OF A ‘CASINO’ MOBSTER
Ten years ago I met former mobster Frank Cullotta. We got together in Las Vegas to discuss the possibility of me writing Frank’s biography. It was an odd experience to say the least and the following year I wrote an article about it. As Frank and I await the publication of our third book together, I thought it would be appropriate to post that article again. I hope you find it informative and possibly amusing. In the spring of 2006, if anyone … [Read more...]
Ron Franscell Discusses the “Coolest Crime Sites” He Has Visited While Doing Research For His CRIME BUFF’S GUIDE™ Series
“What’s the coolest crime site you’ve ever visited?” It is crime buffs’ most common question. And after traversing thousands of miles from Pennsylvania to Southern California, and the northern Rockies to the Mexican border, I’ve visited historic crime-related spots most of us have only seen in books or movies. It’s every crime buff’s dream to stand precisely where Wyatt Earp, Bonnie & Clyde, Charles Manson, or Butch Cassidy once … [Read more...]
BORDERLAND Author Peter Eichstaedt On Border Culture in Ads, Song, and Fiction
Few people realize how deeply ingrained Mexico and its border with the U.S. are in American culture. Consider the television advertising that Taco Bell has used for decades that capitalizes on the border, the Spanish language, and all things Mexican. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Taco Bell got mileage out of the slogan: “Make a Run forthe Border.” The slogan played on the well-worn theme of criminals running from the law and crossing the … [Read more...]
True Crime Author Steve Jackson Discusses Death Penalty From Epilogue Of A CLOCKWORK MURDER
New York Times Bestselling Author Weighs Pros and Cons In Book About "The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality" An Excerpt From The Epilogue of A CLOCKWORK MURDER: I personally am not a fan of the death penalty in its present form. I have several reasons for that: --Prosecutors who file death penalty papers in order to coerce a defendant into accepting a lesser plea. As noted in my colleague John Ferak’s wonderful book, … [Read more...]
Crime Buff’s Guide™ Author Ron Franscell Discusses How The Series Came To Be
It’s funny what you discover on less-traveled roads. Several years ago, my wife and I were traveling across northern Louisiana. On a whim, I wanted to find a hidden but historic place: the isolated the spot where lawmen ambushed Bonnie and Clyde in 1934. In the nearby village of Gibsland, we asked a fella how to get to the monument on a lonely rural road. He told us, but whether the directions were bad or we misunderstood, we couldn’t find … [Read more...]
Author Peter Eichstaedt Discusses The Border Wars That Play A Large Part In BORDERLAND
To write Borderland, I drew heavily on the tortured relationship America has had and continues to have with Mexico. Having survived our recent exhausting and sometimes repugnant presidential election, we all know that the current occupant of the White House used border security as one of the pillars of his campaign. It’s a legitimate and very real concern, although the proposed solution is impractical. When I researched my nonfiction book … [Read more...]
Did The Attorneys Cross The Line Defending The Killers In A CLOCKWORK MURDER?
New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson Discusses The Hidden Impact Of 'The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality' The brutal murder of Jacine Gielinski is one of those that stays with even an author as exposed to horrific crimes as I have been. Part of that is it was so random. She pulled up to a red light one evening at just the wrong moment and that sealed her fate. Part of it is the way this 'fantasy' took on a life of … [Read more...]
New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson Explores An Unthinkable Crime In A CLOCKWORK MURDER
The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality They thought about their evil fantasy for months. Then, wound up like clockwork toys ... they acted. In April 1997, pretty, 22-year-old Jacine Gielinski stopped her car at a red light in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She had no idea that the two young men looking at her from the car next to hers would in that moment decide she would be their target for unspeakable horrors. George … [Read more...]
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