I’ve had a lot of people ask what prompted me to begin writing. The truth is that this all started as a genealogical project many years ago. As a retired law enforcement officer, early in my career I worked for a college police department. We received our police authority from the county sheriff’s office. My dad would remind me that in 1897 (yes, 1897), my great-great grandfather was the sheriff of the same county I was … [Read more...]
Margie Porter On What She Has Learned From Writing True Crime
My grandson, a college student, asked if I gain any special insights from writing about crime. He raised the age-old question, “Can people be born evil? Can life events force them to become that way?” There are no clear-cut, scientific answers, of course, but it is interesting to ponder how we become the people we are. We have all experienced our share of trauma, but if hunger, poverty, and mistreatment made people evil, wouldn’t the residents … [Read more...]
A “Smooth-Talking” Serial Killer Keeps On Lying, Stays In Prison
Subject of New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson's True Crime Book SMOOTH TALKER, Murderer Roy Melanson, Denied Parole He's 80 years old, in poor health, confined to a wheelchair, and twice-convicted serial killer Roy Melanson believes he should be paroled to a nursing home to live out his remaining days on Medicaid. Besides, as he told a Colorado parole board on September 6, he didn't commit the murder that got him sentenced to … [Read more...]
Author Colin Campbell Discusses His Inspiration For Writing
I remember a quote from the Spielberg movie, Always, where Audrey Hepburn tells the deceased pilot Richard Dreyfuss that the inspiration he felt when he was learning to fly was breathed into him and that he was there to do the same for the next pilot. Divine breath. Now, I’m not saying that Richard Dreyfuss breathed inspiration into my writing but we all get inspiration from somewhere. For writers it usually comes from other writers and their … [Read more...]
100 of the Most Notorious Criminals Are Ranked From Bad to Worst in BROOKLYN’S MOST WANTED
"Brooklyn’s Most Wanted" parades an impressive perp walk of 100 of the Borough’s most notorious, ranking them meticulously from bad to worst. From crime bosses to career criminals to corrupt politicians, pedophile priests to Ponzi scammers, this is not your usual crime chronicle. You want labor racketeering, Ponzi scheming, hijacking, murder, loan sharking, arson, illegal gambling, money laundering? Fugetaboutit! Take this guided tour through … [Read more...]
Author Craig McGuire: The Journey Behind BROOKLYN’S MOST WANTED
With the development of any book, there is a story behind the story. This is a story about Brooklyn. Or rather, it’s a book about the dark side of where we’re from. Writing “Brooklyn’s Most Wanted – Ranking the Top 100 Most Notorious Criminals, Crooks and Creeps from the County of the Kings” was a long journey that started many years before I picked up a pen or punched a key. I remember as a boy I felt bad for the rest of children of … [Read more...]
“The Kill For Thrills Gang” Snatches Spot on BROOKLYN’S MOST WANTED Rankings
Subject: Jack Koslow–The Kill for Thrills Gang Offenses: Murder, Kidnapping, Gang Violence, Arson, Assault, etc. Ranking: NO. 62 [The following includes excerpts from Brooklyn’s Most Wanted–Ranking the Top 100 Most Notorious Criminals, Crooks and Creeps from the County of the Kings,on sale now.] We know the teenage brain is sometimes incapable of pumping the brakes. Yet there is a difference between reckless juvenile delinquency and … [Read more...]
Author Craig McGuire Serves Up Unusual Slices of “Brooklyn’s Most Wanted”
When WildBlue Press publishes Craig McGuire’s second book, BROOKLYN'S MOST WANTED: Ranking the Top 100 Most Notorious Criminals, Crooks and Creeps from the County of the Kings you could say it wraps a project the author has been working on most of his life. No, McGuire is not a crime lord, con artist, crooked cop, career criminal or corrupt politician–all of whom are featured in his work. But like most Brooklyn natives, he may know one or … [Read more...]
Criminologist and True Crime Author Judith A. Yates
In 1991 in undergraduate school, I enrolled in a class called “Introduction to Criminal Justice.” Fast-forward and I became an instructor for the same class. Now I am a criminologist who has studied, written, and lectured on crime for over 25 years. Criminal Justice and writing are my true loves; so it seems natural that I am a true crime author. I have appeared as a guest speaker, lecturer, and instructor for organizations across the United … [Read more...]
THE RISE AND FALL OF A ‘CASINO’ MOBSTER’s Dennis Griffin Tells Readers How He Became A Writer
What do you do when you suddenly don’t have anything to do? I found myself in that position upon my retirement in 1994. I had been in law enforcement and investigations for twenty years and went to work every day. I actually looked forward to it. And then came that morning when I realized I had absolutely nothing to do. Some guys in that position would find a lot of things to do around the house, like repairing stuff or making improvements. … [Read more...]
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