Available titles, jail tour, etc…

Hi everyone. Just FYI, I have one title currently available in ebook form (in a variety of formats) at Desert Breeze Publishing, with five more books to follow through June 2011. CHERISHED WITNESS is also available at Amazon for the Kindle, at ebookreader.com, and B&N.com. Barnes & Nobles is about to come out with the Nook, a new ereader that looks fantastic and uses the new Android operating system. I’m going to get one.

CHERISHED WITNESS is the first book in my New Orleans Detective series. In it, Kelly Watson, aka Teresa Pastral, threw the Fifth Amendment out the window when she testified against her mob boss husband at his murder trial. Now divorced, she has begun a new life in the Witness Security Program. Only–the mob finds her, thanks to handsome lawman J.T. Romano, who uses her as bait to lure the man who murdered his wife and unborn child to town. To ensure her safety, she is forced to trust J.T., the man who has betrayed her to the mob. But can she also protect her heart?

Hope you’ll check it out here. In addition to that book, I have six ebook titles out at Cobblestone Press. They are available here. All but one are suspense, and a few are hotter than others. In addition to those, SKELETON BAYOU will be released in December from The Wild Rose Press in both ebook and print. You can read more about it here.

On another note, last week at the Citizen’s Police Academy, we toured the Hinds County Detention Center, a facility that houses 594 male inmates. Next door to it is the Hinds County Joint State-County Work Center, a facility for misdemeanor offenders that houses 200. Another jail downtown houses 200 mostly female inmates. I was amazed at the size of the detention center and now know that I never want to go to jail. Not. Ever. To say I felt claustrophobic in there was an understatement. I admire the men and women who work there. They’ve got to be tough just to walk in the door. Kudos to all of them!!

This week we’ll hear from investigators. I’ll do my best to report back on that session on Friday. Should be a good one. Then Saturday night I have my ride-along. Can’t wait!!

You can check out all my titles on my website here. Hope you drop by!

Crime Lab, Warrants, & Civil Process

This week during our Sheriff’s Department Civilian Police Academy class, we heard from the Warrant Division, the Civil Process Division, and the Crime Lab, or Crime Scene Unit. A big brutish guy gave the talk on warrants, and told us stories about dragging people out of crack houses with lots of backup. Looking at him, I was surprised he needed it. I learned so much in a short period of time, about warrants, indictments, serving them, and the like. Important procedural tidbits I will definitely use in my books.

Civil Process is just that. It doesn’t involve any criminal activity. They handle writs of garnishment, writs of assistance, serving divorce and child custody papers, lunacy writs, and so on. The lieutenant who talked to us about this had stories, too, about running down a man who bought a car for 14K from a local dealership and managed to do it without giving them any personal information…just a counter check from a bank. Bet that car salesman caught hell! Anyway, he finally ran the man down after three weeks…and after he’d sold the car to a woman who gave it to her daughter in Texas. He paid for the car–with a cashier’s check this time–and all was forgiven.

The crime scene investigation guy described his approach to a crime scene and gave us details pertinent to our local area. Our capital city is in this county, but they have their own police force and CSI unit, so the county isn’t responsible for investigating crimes taking place there. Although deputies can perform their duties within the city if necessary.

My current work in progress is set here in my neck of the woods, so all of this information is invaluable. Next week we’ll tour the detention center and the county farm. We have a meal before each class, too; food cooked by some of the inmates–and it’s delicious. Tonight, we had chili.

If you write suspense, I highly recommend attending your local CPA if one is offered. It’s awesome!

Citizens’ Police Academy

Hi everyone! I’m currently attending a Citizen’s Police Academy sponsored by my local sheriff’s department, and I’m loving it. Last week, we learned about the court system. And last night, we leaned about the SWAT team, the reserves, who are really active in this jurisdiction, and DUI enforcement.

I loved the presentation made by the SWAT guys. They taught us about body armor, automatic weapons, “less lethal” weapons such as Tasers, gas canisters, and bean bags, equipment like the hooligan tool and the big shields they carry, medical support and logistics. We also were able to check out a really cool armored vehicle and their mobile command center. Lots of firepower.

Our SWAT team is made up of officers from two separate jurisdictions, which helps both of them. On the scene in a hostage situation, they have an immediate action team, a deliberate response team, a containment team, snipers, medical support, and logistic personnel. They are highly trained and do an excellent job.

DUI enforcement is critical as well, and from the sound of it our DUI team is overworked because they also train other law enforcement officers throughout the entire state. I had no idea. I’m proud to have such qualified men working our streets.

Our reserve unit is one of the best, with 89 fully certified officers. They receive the same training as all sheriff’s deputies and are qualified to carry out the same duties–only they do it for free because they love it. They also have to buy their own firearms and equipment. Wow. I’m amazed!

My hat is off to these brave men and women who risk their lives for us everyday. My latest WIP is set right here in my area, and I’m excited about that. Be sure to check out my website to read about my available titles and what I have coming up. You can do that here.

The Last Will of Moira Leahy

I’m an only child, so I don’t know what it’s like to have a sister. I’ve always been on my own and never had that unique connection most siblings have. So when I had my sons, that was a special challenge. They had a brotherly bond I didn’t understand.

Families are the foundation of our society. Families are our heart and soul. Our safety…or not. Some families aren’t nurturing or loving. They are filled with abuse and pain. I’m thankful my family growing up wasn’t like that and isn’t like that now, and I feel for those people who don’t have that support system. That cocoon of safety and hope.

My friend Therese Walsh has written a novel about family, about sisters. THE LAST WILL OF MOIRA LEAHY debuts today, October 13, and is available here. I’m so excited for her. This is her first release, and it’s a big one. Please support her and check out her fabulous book!!!

“Today I’m participating in a mass blogging! WOW! Women On Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We’re celebrating the release of Therese Walsh’s debut novel today. The Last Will of Moira Leahy, (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost when they were teenagers. Visit The Muffin (http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/blog.html) to read what Therese has to say about family relationships and view the list of all my blogging buddies. And make sure you visit Therese’s website (http://www.theresewalsh.com) to find out more about the author.”

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month

Big Guns Thursday

Chris Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler on SVU

Hi everyone! I only watch TV shows with hot men (for the most part, anyway…lol) and those who carry guns really intrigue me. So I’m starting something new on my blog called Big Guns Thursday, featuring guys with guns from the page of the same name on my website. You can see it here. I’ll use some of those pics, but will also dig up others…and I would love to receive additional pics from some of you. Just email ‘em to melanie@melanieatkins.com, and I’ll let you know when I plan to use them.

Nothing says HOT like a handsome man toting a big gun. My fave, of course, is Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order SVU, but many others have also caught my fancy. So stay tuned on Thursdays to see who I’ve chosen as the big gun of the week. ; )

Interview on Blog Talk Radio

Hi everyone! Tonight, September 28, I’ll be interviewed on Blog Talk Radio during the show What’s Hot in Romance. After this date, you can go here to listen. I had planned to post before the interview, but had to go out of town and then some family stuff ambushed me. And, well, you know what they say about good intentions.

Anyway, I can’t wait for the interview. I’m plugging my September book, CHERISHED WITNESS, which is out with Desert Breeze Publishing, the rest of the books in the series, and my December book with The Wild Rose Press, SKELETON BAYOU.

Thanks to all the folks at Blog Talk Radio!!

The new TV season is here!!

Finally, we have new TV shows! I watched Castle (my second obsession) on Monday night and absolutely loved it. What a great show. If you haven’t read Lee Lofland’s recap of it, which he posts on Tuesdays on his blog called The Graveyard Shift, you don’t know what you’re missing. You can see it here. Lee is a former police officer who goes over the show scene by scene and critiques their version of police procedure. It’s just too funny.

Tonight, my favorite show, Law & Order SVU, has its premiere on NBC. One of my SVU twitter friends, SVUwnyxER, made a trio of cakes in honor of the show. Aren’t they fab?? She’s very talented. According to her twitter post, the S is vanilla, the V is pumpkin, chocolate chip, and caramel, and the U is chocolate stout. Yum!!

I’m so excited my favorite shows are back. I’ve missed them.

Writing, reading, and playing…oh, my!

Last week was the most prolific writing week for me in quite a while. The reason? I spent five days in Florida with four writing pals, writing, swimming, eating, enjoying the beach, and just generally goofing around. We had a blast! I won nine dollars playing the lottery (Lame, I know. Right? lol) and chowed down on lots of shrimp. We ate at The Crab Trap in Perdido Key and The Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in addition to eating in. One night, two of my friends fixed bacon wrapped shrimp. Yum!!

On the writing front, I penned thirty pages on my current WIP in four days, which thrills me because I’ve almost finished the book. Wahoo!! My working title for this romantic suspense is A Stranger to Love. I’ve already submitted the partial to an editor in NY, and I hope, hope, HOPE, she’ll request the full. Fingers crossed. : )

Blurb: A by-the-book cop and single dad rescues a desperate woman who’s being framed for a crime her former fiancee committed. He risks losing is job and his child if he helps her. But she, who can’t have children, risks losing her heart to the handsome father and his precious son.

To read more about me and all of my books, including my titles currently available at Desert Breeze Publishing, Cobblestone Press, and Treble Heart Books, go here.

Write what you know…

Isn’t write what you know the advice given to every beginning writer? I certainly heard it, and sometimes even now I’m questioned about what I do know. I write crime fiction and have suffered my fair share of rejections like all writers have, some based on query letters alone, and I finally began to wonder why an agent, editor, or anyone else, for that matter, would think I know anything at all about crime and detectives with my credentials. I’m not a police woman, a prosecutor, or a medical examiner. Far from it. I’m a writer from the Deep South with a degree in Radio, TV, and Film and a minor in English. I’ve never worked a crime scene, apprehended a criminal, or performed a DNA test—although I’ve seen all of those things happen plenty of times on TV. Of course, we all know TV and movies are strictly entertainment fare and are not to be used for research. Not ever.

So I’ve learned to list how I can claim to know something about law enforcement in my query letters, and I’ve gotten more requests. Wow! Why didn’t I think of it before? I was married to a cop for eleven years and had a front row seat to watch my now-ex-husband change from a fun loving, easy-going guy into a cynical, non-trusting adrenaline junkie. As a result, I have insight many other authors don’t have. A view from the inside, if you will. I put ice on my former husband’s jaw the night he was slugged by a suspect on PCP who simply didn’t want to be arrested; listened to his tirades condemning departmental politics and fuming about who had been promoted and why; watched him clean his service weapon at the kitchen table with one eye on me and another on our small son (we only had one at the time.) Living with a man who suddenly trusts no one is trying. I soon learned I couldn’t trust him, however, which ended our marriage.

Years later, once I started writing, I had those stressful years with my ex on which to draw but knew I needed more. So I attended our local citizen’s police academy (and have recently applied to attend a new one offered by the sheriff’s department), sought out law enforcement personnel to get answers to my questions, and attended countless conference sessions given by law enforcement professionals, including the entire slate at Forensic University, sponsored by the St. Louis chapter of Sisters in Crime in 2007. Thanks to all of the above, I’ve developed quite a network of people willing to help me with law enforcement and forensic questions…folks from all over the country. And of course, the Internet is always available, if one knows where to look.

So, write what you know and do your best to keep learning. Do your research. And be sure and include your credentials in your query letters. What you leave out might be what causes you to get that rejection—and we all hate getting those %$#@ letters.

And, speaking of crime, be sure to check out my new offering at Desert Breeze Publishing here.