Known Best For Her True Crime, Rother's First Book Was NAKED ADDICTION, A Crime Fiction Mystery Now Out With WildBlue Press I can’t even count how many times I wrote and significantly rewrote NAKED ADDICTION. But because it was my first book, I was riding the learning curve, and as I tell my students, writing is rewriting. Back in the 1990s, when I started this crime novel, I decided that rather than stick the early drafts into a drawer … [Read more...]
MAN OVERBOARD-Another Wild Harold Stegeman Story
I was cleaning the garage today, and I found a CD with no label, no nothing. You know, the kind you use to make your own music mixes. I popped it into my cd player, and there was not a single note of music – but there was Secret Service Special Agent Lyle Workman having a conversation with me, over twenty years ago, in which he tells me ANOTHER wild Harold Stegeman story. I recognized Lyle’s voice right away, but it took me a few minutes to … [Read more...]
MAN OVERBOARD-Q&A With Burl Barer
Author Burl Barer answers questions about the special 20th Anniversary edition of his true crime classic MAN OVERBOARD: The Counterfeit Resurrection of Phil Champagne Q: How much of this story is true? A : Good question. If it is a pack of lies, the lies are well packaged and expertly delivered. As an investigative journalist, I am trained to investigate. Am I always correct? Yes, eventually. I am perfectly willing to be corrected. Once … [Read more...]
MAN OVERBOARD-Author Meets Conman
Author Burl Barer discusses his first meeting with the conman/counterfeiter that led to the writing of MAN OVERBOARD: The Counterfeit Resurrection of Phil Champagne I wasn’t the first author to approach Mr. Champagne about a book, and the fact that he hadn’t said “yes” to any of them encouraged rather than discouraged me. I fired up my Volvo 1800E, aimed it at Spokane, and passed through security at Geiger Correctional Center wearing faded … [Read more...]
Man Overboard – Introduction to the 20th Anniversary Edition
My first foray into true crime, MAN OVERBOARD: The Counterfeit Resurrection of Phil Champagne, was a surprise hit, achieved universal rave reviews, and was nominated for an Anthony Award at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention as “Best True Crime Book of the Year.” “Oh, Burl,” said true-crime author Ann Rule, “I just know you’re going to win.” I didn’t. Ann won for Dead by Sunset. Ann Rule actually appears in Man Overboard and was the … [Read more...]