What I Learned On My Recent Trip to Jail

I found myself deep below the city streets of downtown Minneapolis on Monday last September, shoulder-to-shoulder in an underground city occupied by 800 of my fellow blaze orange Minnesotans. None of them were there for deer hunting, though.

The sign on the wall, the one near the line of new arrivals waiting to make their one free phone call, read “Hennepin County Jail.” That was before one of the high-risk inmates pressed his face against the glass of a window a few feet away and peered in at me. Oh, and my aunt. Continue reading

Three Reasons I Do Not Cut Down Other Writers

felled-tree-1424452-mIn my book, The Writer’s Guide to Weapons, and on this blog, I draw inspiration from the mistakes I encounter in what I read. However, I don’t call out the writers making them. There are three good reasons why. Continue reading

Department of BS Writer Complaints: Stealing Ideas

car-theft-676972-m“I’d tell you my idea for a novel, but I’m afraid you’ll steal it.”

Every jackass with a pulse has a “book in them.” Good for them. Really. They probably also have a killer movie idea, a world-changing BBQ recipe, a new online business concept, a perfect solution for health care reform and a mind-altering sex position to their namesake. Great, but who gives a shit? Continue reading

Interview – 12 Rounds with Les Edgerton

51Wt8t0vriL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_Les Edgerton is one of the most capable crime writers alive, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his background. Edgerton makes no bones about his criminal history, which eventually landed him a stint in prison. That kind of frankness makes him one of the best interviewees around.

Edgerton’s latest novel, The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping, made my shortlist of the best reads of 2014. At the end of the novel, Edgerton leaves the reader with personal notes outlining the true-to-life events that inspired the novel. I couldn’t resist picking his brain. Continue reading