“Once a cop always a cop.” A common phrase that does have some merit, although I know a few retired police officers who avoid being an ex-cop like the plague. For me? More later. “Write what you know.” Another common phrase, but one that I believe has considerably less merit. Did Stan Lee know about climbing buildings and slinging webs after being bitten by a spider? Did George Lucas have experience of a galaxy far, far away? I think the … [Read more...]
Colin Campbell Adds to His Mystery Thriller Series With BEACON HILL
Former British cop Jim Grant is back in Boston, now a fully-fledged member of the Boston PD based at Jamaica Plain. Working the nightshift for fellow detective Sam Kincaid should have been an easy job but after saving a kidnapped child from a blazing house and attending a drive-by shooting in Beacon Hill it proves to be anything but. The trouble is the wealthy target, Daniel Hunt, doesn’t want to complain and Grant’s bosses try and shut him down. … [Read more...]
Colin Campbell Gives Readers a Thrilling Murder Mystery With NORTHERN EX
Once a cop always a cop. Ex vice squad cop Vince McNulty copes with life outside the force by visiting the Northern X massage parlours he used to police. Until a return to his old stomping ground prompts a change in fortunes. Several girls have gone missing. All young masseuses. All from parlours that McNulty has visited. When one of them turns up dead everything points to a regular customer being involved. And McNulty is top of the list. From … [Read more...]
Colin Campbell
I am a Yorkshireman, born and bred. From a working class family in a one-up one-down, back-to-back terrace house in Leeds. No electric until my parents had it installed, and even then only one ceiling mounted light fitting in each room. Any appliances had to be plugged into the light socket so if they wanted to listen to the radio they had to do it in the dark. No television, that came later. But I never wanted for anything and never felt badly … [Read more...]
Author Janice Boekhoff: Do NOT Fear
Often I write about fear. I think it’s one of the most universal human emotions. Fear helps us to learn vital lessons like don’t touch the stove when it’s hot or don’t run a red light because you’ll probably cause an accident. But fear can easily consume us. In my recent novel, Created, Paleontologist Travis Perego is tortured by fear. Fear of losing his job. Fear that beautiful Lenaia is hiding things from him. And fear of finding out the … [Read more...]
Author Janice Boekhoff Continues Her Earth Hunter Series With CREATED
After his sister’s death sends him into the loving arms of God, Paleontology Professor Travis Perego fights to reconcile the career he’s devoted his life to with his fragile new faith. His struggle between evolutionary theory and the Bible soon attracts the attention of the dean who makes at least one thing clear in Travis’s life. If he doesn’t figure things out soon, he’s fired. Then a former student tells him of an experiment designed to prove … [Read more...]
Author Janice Boekhoff: When Dealing with Writers …
Do you think us writers are just a little bit weird? You wouldn’t be the first. We spend hours behind a keyboard figuring out how best to torture dozens of people who don’t actually exist. It’s no wonder that many writers turn to alcohol to cope with the horrors they’ve put on the page. But don’t worry about me, alcohol is not my problem. Like many sober authors, I’m addicted to story. And there’s no denying that God made me this way. So … [Read more...]
Setting Spotlight: Costa Rica
One of the biggest perks an author gets is visiting the location where a novel is set. For Book Two in the Earth Hunters series, Created, I had to hunt for the perfect location. The plot required several special conditions for the setting: Plenty of room for a mysterious dinosaur-like creature to run around and cause trouble, yet stay hidden. A volcano and jungle close to each other so I could bring together my main characters, … [Read more...]
Is it Wrong to Manipulate Human DNA Like It’s Computer Code?
What makes us human beings? My 3rd grader could give the correct scientific answer—DNA. It gives all of our cells instructions and makes each of us individuals. Based on my heritage, I have blue eyes, brown hair that started going gray in my twenties, skin that tans easily, and a second toe that is slightly longer than my big toe (My sister and I used to tell our friends it was a sign of royalty. I think they might have even believed … [Read more...]
Janice Boekhoff: One Writer’s FAQ
When people find out I’m an author, I get two reactions. One: “Wow, that’s great!” Followed by many questions of what and how I write. Two: “Oh.” Followed by a subtle eye roll and somewhat condescending questions about how easy it must be to use my writing to get rich without doing much work. Thankfully, the first reaction is much more common, so I thought I would write up the answers to the questions I’m most often asked. That way the … [Read more...]