DR. MEL'S MESSAGE - From my novels to my other projects, no telling what you will read. This is the only place you will get to read about how I developed a screenplay into a novel and what is the driving force. I will talk about many things from films to books to acting to producing. It really will depend on where my mind takes me. I hope you will join me on this journey.
Today's BOOK OF THE DAY, Forced Sex Trafficking: What It is and How You Can End Itby Christopher Armitage is a must-read by all accounts. Why? Because it addresses a very critical subject that must be talked about -- sex trafficking. It is important for all of us to be knowledgeable about this topic so that if we recognize it, we may be able to intervene and help someone. I know all too well about this subject as I had a relative who was sex trafficked and it destroyed her mentally. Her journey was horrific. My daughter, who at the time was an assistant principal, helped to uncover the sex trafficking ring and help to reduce 38 girls ranging in the age of 8 to 21. Please educate yourself on this topic by reading this very well-written book.
We can't just wait around for the most disgusting scourges that face humanity to be cleaned up by someone else. If you're looking at this book, it's because you're not content hoping someone else gets to making things right.
After gathering research from travel on three continents, interviews with victims, non-profit aid workers, former CIA operatives, and many other official and unofficial sources, this book will give you exactly what the title says. The result means you're armed with the tools to take personal responsibility in the mission of destroying the universally reviled crime against humanity known as forced sex trafficking.
Chris Armitage is a veteran of the United States Air Force and has a Masters in Homeland Security, writing his capstone research project on the use of emerging technology to combat human trafficking. He has independently researched this horrific crime in the US, Mexico, and India, with experience leading a small Presidential Security Team in South America with Argentine Special Forces for President Barack Obama's visit to Bariloche, Argentina. Christopher Armitage went through two active military tours in the Middle East and currently works as a Security Consultant focusing on Security and Disaster Preparedness Policy and Ethics Advisement. During his time in the USAF, he served as Base Defense Operations Controller, Security Manager, and Patrolman.
A couple of days ago, I introduced you to the book "Predator in the House," by Joanne Parsons. Today, we get to go in-depth and learn about her in today's AUTHOR INTERVIEW. This book isn't glorifying sex trafficking, in fact, it is the opposite as she hopes to raise the awareness of the public to this crime. Parsons has also declared that she will be donating the first $1,000 or proceeds to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
A child is missing, and not everyone wants her found.
Someone's out there on the streets of Boston killing sex offenders. Senator Samantha Werner demands the police find the killer after her son, John, a known drug dealer and pedophile, becomes victim number three.
Detective Karl Shea, recently retired from the Sex Crimes Unit, and diagnosed with terminal cancer, is summoned back to work exclusively to find John Werner's murderer. The problem is, he did it.
Shea acts as judge and jury when evidence implicating Werner in the disappearance of his girlfriend's daughter, Annie Hudson, is stolen from the police department. Werner is to be Shea's third and last kill.
He makes it his mission to spend his last months finding Annie and bringing her home, dead or alive. The search takes him on a trail with twists and turns leading deep into the depths of the dark world of child pornography, molestation, and trafficking.
Life wanes from Shea as he searches for Annie, and he fears time will run out as the Boston Police inch closer to identifying him as the sex offender killer, and his duplicitous wife plots against him.
It's a race to the finish in this suspense-filled novel as Karl finds the path to Annie leads him close to home.
Joanne Parsons is fulfilling a commitment she made to herself during her career in healthcare. “I wrote Predator in the House as an entertaining and intriguing crime novel to raise awareness of child sex trafficking.” She is standing behind her commitment, and is donating the first one-thousand dollars in pre-order sales proceeds to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Parsons began writing after being widowed and retiring. She is author of two historical fiction novels, award-winning, Kitchen Canary, and its sequel Through the Open Door.
“Predator in the House is not a grim story of a trafficked child.” Parsons balanced the dark subject of child sex trafficking with humor. “It’s a fast-moving cat and mouse game between a dysfunctional married couple. Karl Shea is searching for a missing child, his wife, Shirley, murders for the thrill. Their shared motivation to kill sex offenders is their only bond and ties them together until the very end.”
Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review, recently previewed the novel. “Readers who like a good investigative piece accompanied by broader social and ethical issues will find Predator in theHouse a provocative novel about sex offenders under close inspection, children who vanish into a sordid world, and how a couple's fixation on ‘the kill’ changes their lives and values.”
The eBook edition of Predator in the House is available on Amazon at the pre-order price of $.99 until September 7, 2020. Each purchase will contribute to a donation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Tell your readers a little about
yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc.
Let them get to know the personal you.
I’m a Baby Boomer, from a post-war family with seven
children, who grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just west of Harvard Square.
As a teenager, I wore sandals and T-shirts, but never quite made the transition
to a real Hippie. I credit my English writing skills to the Catholic school
education I got right through high school.
I was on my own after high school and got a job as
the ‘mimeograph girl’ in a hospital owned by a large health system. Recognizing
the need for an advanced degree, I earned my college degree as an adult single
mom with two small children and a full-time job when I was in my mid-thirties.
Over the years, I remarried, and advanced professionally
with the health system, finishing my career as the CEO for two assisted living
residences in Cambridge and Lexington, Massachusetts. Sadly, my second husband
passed away as I was planning to retire.
I began writing books as a way to immerse myself in
something other than grief and loneliness. Kitchen Canary and its
sequel, Through the Open Door, were my first novels. Writing them introduced
me to new experiences like book fairs, festivals, library appearances,
presenting at book clubs, and book signings.
Jim, also widowed, came into my life as I was
finishing Kitchen Canary, and just two years ago, married me despite
having to read endless drafts of my books. We have a home on a pond on Cape Cod.
Collectively, we have five adult children and ten grandkids. Summers are
especially busy as they all visit and enjoy making Cape Cod memories.
What inspired you to author Predator
in the House?
I worked for a health system that owned and operated
hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living residences. Part of our
continuing education was to learn about the signs of children being abused or
trafficked who present in emergency rooms or doctors’ offices. I found the
stories of these children so compelling I vowed to do something to raise
awareness. At first, I thought about volunteering, and then it occurred to me
that a book that raised awareness would touch many more people than I could
alone. Although my first two novels are historical fiction, I wrote Predator
in the House as a crime suspense novel, intending some of the scenarios in
the book would educate and inform the reader.
Where did you get the inspiration for
your book’s cover?
I searched a lot of stock photos. I didn’t want the
cover to be grim and sad, as many readers would not want to read a book on such
a dark subject matter. Predator inthe House actually has a lot
of humor in it as the two main characters, a loveless married couple, spar, and
scheme against each other. The girl on the cover is looking over her shoulder,
hopefully conveying we need to be aware of predators.
Who has been the most significant
influence on you personally and as a writer?
Wow, that one makes me think. My mother died when I
was fourteen years old, leaving seven children between the ages of five months
and fifteen. The going was rough at times, but I have to say, there were
wonderful, caring women who reached out to our family and to me personally as I
grew into an adult. The compassion and kindness of women I encountered on my
journey to adulthood influenced my development as a person.
I always loved literature and writing and took many
night college courses in American Literature and Journalism. I developed an
interest in writing fiction the winter after I retired. I went to Florida for
several months and thought about joining a grief group, but instead, put on my
big girl pants and joined a writers’ group. Several people in that group saw my
ability and encouraged me to expand my short story about an Irish immigrant
into a book. That’s how Kitchen Canary was created. I am still in a
virtual writers’ group with those same people today. They patiently and
consistently pushed me for the last three years as I wrote Predator in the
House.
What were your struggles or obstacles
you had to overcome to get this book written?
I tend to rush through everything, and you can’t
rush a book. The story has to develop and evolve, and you have to commit to do
the hard work. My writers’ group friends pushed me to dig deep and give the
book more depth. I went back and developed one of the characters at a late
stage in the book at their encouragement, and that has made the book so much
more interesting.
Many of the scenarios or incidents in the book come
from my own experiences or from stories told at conferences I attended about
vulnerable children being lured into the underworld of sex trafficking.
Tell your readers about your book.
Predator in the House is a
sometimes laugh out loud novel about a dysfunctional married couple who find
themselves bonded by one mutual interest.
Karl Shea is a retired detective from Boston’s Sex
Crimes Unit who is searching for a missing, probably abducted child. He’s also
a well-intentioned serial killer, focusing exclusively on sex offenders. His
wife, Shirley, is duplicitous and complex, and when she learns of Karl’s guilty
pleasure, she insists on getting involved. She wants to write crime novels and
is sure the firsthand experience of killing a person will stir her creative
juices. They play a cat and mouse game, as they scheme against each other and
the police. Karl finds the road to the missing girl leads him close to home.
Predator in the House is a good
crime suspense novel. The characters unfold throughout the book, and in some
cases, their real truths are not revealed until the very end. The characters
are complex and relatable and will evoke smiles and chuckles when readers
recognize traces of themselves in them.
A by-product of the book is awareness. The reader
will learn through the characters’ experiences the dangers of predators surfing
the Internet, intending to lure vulnerable children. They’ll come to understand
the signs of a child being abused or neglected and how to intervene.
Ultimately, Predator in the House is a good
read for people who like a great mystery, and for parents, childcare and
healthcare workers, or others who interact with children.
If you were going to give one reason for
anyone looking at your book to read, why should they buy it?
I love a book I can’t put down, one that captures me
from the beginning and sweeps me away into its story. Predator in theHouse
is that book. You’ll want to curl up alone and follow the colorful,
complicated characters, and when you’re not reading Predator in the House,
you’ll be thinking about it and looking forward to getting back to it.
What do you consider your greatest
success in life?
I suppose I should say raising my children or
surviving some of life’s challenges. However, truly, in my job as CEO of two
assisted living residences, it was my responsibility to influence the culture
of the organizations. That culture, focused on dignity and compassion for the
residents and the employees, contributed to an enjoyable experience for
hundreds of people during the last years of their lives. The elderly are
vulnerable, regardless of their socioeconomic level. They are often lonely,
depressed, exploited, and even fearful. Having led organizations that provided
a positive experience for staff and residents is my greatest accomplishment in
life.
What one unique thing sets you apart
from other writers in your genre?
I am a deeply empathetic person. If your house is on
the market and not selling, I think I should buy it, just to ease your anxiety.
My writing reflects my ability to empathize with the characters I create,
whether they are bad or good guys. I seem to be able to understand their pain
and what drives them.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I marinate. When I’m stuck, I let it sit in my brain
and marinate for a while. Eventually, an idea will surface. Another technique I
developed writing Kitchen Canary when I was alone most of the time, is
going to bed early and just lying there, thinking about my characters and what
drives them. Again, often an idea comes.
What one piece of advice do you have for
new authors.
I’d recommend being involved in a writers’ group. My
fellow authors are all in other states, but we email frequently. We are gentle,
but also frank, giving each other feedback. We all credit each other with
improving our work.
Tell your readers anything else you want
to share.
I’m grateful I discovered this love of writing at
this stage of my life. The greatest joy is knowing others enjoyed reading one
of my books. I’ve been told several times, my books brought people back to
reading. It’s my gift to you. Thank you.
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON THE SIDE BAR
Q & A
I recently sat down with a freelance journalist who asked me the following questions about my new novel The Keystroke Killer: Transcendence. I'd like to share the answers with you.
About eight years ago, I wrote a short film which was produced. I had no idea at the time that people would become fans, but they did. Before I knew it, people were begging me to write the screenplay. So, I did. I wrote The Keystroke Killer, pilot screenplay, with the expectations of getting it produced. I had a serious setback with my health and basically shelved the idea. Then, during my recovery, I just started writing and before I knew it, I had sixty-seven episodes written for television. Whoa! I got a bite on it, got funding, then disaster, my funder died of a heart attack. So, I was back at square one. Then, I was encouraged to turn the screenplays into a novel series. THE KEYSTROKE KILLER: TRANSCENDENCE PART I covers the first thirteen screenplays or if it were a series, Season 1.
The entire inspiration for the book came as a result of that short film.
Why did you want to become a writer?
I think I’ve always been a writer since I learned how to print my name. I wrote my first book when I was in the seventh grade with my best friend. After that, I just kept writing. I love being able to travel and go places anywhere in the world my mind takes me. I am not bound to the here and now, rather I can time travel and go to outer space. That’s why I wanted to be a writer.
What was the hardest part of creating this book?
The hardest part for me was two-fold: adapting from screenwriting and editing the final version. I had worked years on the character’s and the plots and had everything down in screenplay format. But, learning how to write like a novelist is like comparing apples to oranges. Although you can each both pieces of fruit, they are nothing alike. It took me awhile to get into learning how to write like a novelist, but I took classes and read just about everything I could.
It only took me two months to write KSK, but it took ten months of editing. Between the focus group and beta readers, from the line/copy editor, I did everything possible to make KSK the best. I think the time was well worth it.
The Keystroke Killer Trailer
What do you hope people will gain by reading it?
Entertainment value and a desire to want more. The novel itself is very dark, twisted and deep and it contains adult situations that portray what happens in today’s society. For example, the darkness of the scenes dealing with the serial killer are dark. I wanted it real. In order to do that, I interviewed four serial killers on death row and six survivors from serial killers. It was difficult to hear and listen, but it needed to be right. So, if people get anything out of this besides the entertainment value, I would hope it would be to step in and help if someone is getting kidnapped or if you suspect someone is involved in sex trafficking. Both of these subjects are hard to take; but are realities. I hope I can open someone’s eyes.
When you were a kid, what were your favorite books?
As a kid, I loved to read Ray Bradbury and Orson Welles. THE TIME TRAVELER and WAR OF THE WORLDS have to be my favorite.
What is your advice to people who are not excited about reading?
To me, it goes back to why I wanted to be a writer in the first place. When you read, you’re not trapped in the here and now, or your hometown. You can experience the world from someone else’s perspective.
Why should we buy your book?
This may sound weird for an author to say, but I wouldn’t say this book is for everyone. If you are faint of heart and have nightmares easily, don’t buy it. But, if you love psychological thrillers, mystery and crime or novels on serial killers, then this one is for you. I’ve been told by my beta readers that THE KEYSTROKE KILLER makes SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and FIFTY SHADES OF GREY look PG. With that said, it is for mature audiences only. It is not recommended for teens or below. I won’t even let my grandchildren read it until they are eighteen.
Are you traditionally published or a self-published author and why did you choose?
I would say I am a hybrid author. My first books were traditionally published, but all of my novels will be self-published. I chose to self-publish because basically after twenty years of writing, I had a great grip. However, I still invested in a professional editor, professional cover creator and professional marketers.
Tell me how writing The Keystroke Killer: Transcendence the novel was different from writing the screenplay.
Let me begin by saying it is like taking a bite of watermelon and expecting it to taste like an orange. Oh my, I didn’t know what I was in for turning my screenplays into novels. The two styles of writing are not the same. In fact, I had a huge learning curve in the transference. For instance, in a screenplay I could simply write – INT. MATTHEW’S APARTMENT – NIGHT. Then maybe a couple of scene descriptions.
In a novel, I had to bring the reader into the apartment, what it smelled like, what it looked like and well as Matthew’s guest impressions. Whoa! A huge difference. The same thing with dialogue. In a screenplay, I just left the dialogue alone and let the actors and director interpret it. In the novel, I got to express every thump of their heart, the tension in their body, facial expressions. I had to learn to do this by taking courses, studying, joining groups etc. But, in the end, I am very happy with the results of my new book. It was honestly the most challenging experience in writing that I have ever had which means a lot since I have published dozens of nonfiction books..
Tell me a little bit about your next novel Never Stop Running.
Waking up from an eight month coma, Jackie cannot remember anything about her life suffering from Retrograde amnesia. David, her husband, convinces her to seek the help of a hypnotherapist only to remember her past lives. Her journey is a mental time travel across the ages with a psychological twist. Based on a real-life story. A must read novel.
You will discover:
•a mental time travel where my main character discovers past lives that take you events from 1200 BC to 1942 and of course present day.
•The stories behind the stories and what makes Jackie who she is today.
•Epic historical events through the eyes of commoners and the wealthy which can be as far back as the Black Plague up to War World II.
•A story that will leave you wondering if this is real because it is based off a true life story. Only you can decide.
I want to hear more on Never Stop Running. How did you decide to write this and how much of it is true?
First, it is true based on a real life story of a very brave a courage woman’s past life regressions. She shared with me the tapes or her sessions with a renowned hypnotherapist and simply put, they were remarkable. I did some fact checking on the stories she recalled, and they were accurate. I mean things that there was no way she could have known.
NEVER STOP RUNNING TRAILER
Who are your target audiences?
This answer is tricky because I honestly have to say not everyone should read The Keystroke Killer. It is really dark, deep and twisted; whereas Never Stop Running is intriguing and examines reincarnation. In researching NSR I interviewed a Catholic Bishop, I interviewed a Buddhist Monk and several regression hypnotherapists. Because I wanted to make sure I balanced the concept of reincarnation factually as did Jackie, my main character when she was on her discovery path. I also interviewed several people who experienced past lives in their regression sessions. It was an amazing experience.
Now, on the other end of the spectrum, for KSK, I interviewed scientists and physicists including the great Stephen Hawking who spoke his head off to me on his M-Theory and his theory of the universe having multiple dimensions. I wanted that part of KSK correct. I also interviewed three serial killers on death row, six sex trafficking victims and victims of a serial killer who escaped. I needed to get that right too.
So, my target audiences are different for the two books. Yes, someone who loves KSK can get excited that I have another novel and read NSR and find themselves asking is it even the same author. Because NSR is that dark, deep twisted psychological thriller. To sum this up, I’d say the audience for KSK would have to be those who love psychological thrillers, crime and mystery, and serial killer books or movies and I’d say sci-fi lovers. It has just enough sci-fi to be sci-fi without it thrown into your face. It’s a great coupling.
The audience for NSR would include people who have experienced past lives, experienced de je veux, have interest in the subject, and also who like to read historical novels. I’d also have to include those who doubt reincarnation because of the religious bantering inside the novel. I don’t tell a reader what they have to believe, but I do balance both sides of the equation.
How much of Never Stop Running is true?
I think you have to ask me how much of The Keystroke Killer is true too. So, I start with the first one. Many of the scenes I included in KSK are based off real events that either occurred in my life or to someone I know. I’ll start with an easy example that won’t be a spoiler alert.
The scene from the chapter The Great Escape, where Milo hitchhikes to Kenner, LA after escaping from Angola Prison, the truck driver who picks him up, Mr. Bill, is actually based around my father. He was a truck driver for years. When I was five or six, he was a prison guard at Folsom Prison, yes, the prison where Johnny Cash was imprisoned. He guarded death row. That made my father different.
When I became an adult and authored my book Crisis Alert System Implementation or CASI for short, a book on establishing crisis response teams for schools, I talked with my father a lot about those days he guarded death row inmates and serial killers. I wanted his ideas on safety measures. If it worked for a prison, it had to work for a school for juvenile delinquents.
So, back to that chapter and Mr. Bill. The entire conversation between Mr. Bill and Milo Evans, the serial killer is based from my father’s stories of picking up hitchhikers. He also had a very dry sense of humor and told jokes all the time that I never thought were funny. So, I combined all of that into that scene and while I was at it I added real life facts about my family. For instance, the part where his two older children died from cancer and getting hit by a train really happened to my beloved brother Dennis and my sister, Livia, who was killed by an Amtrak train. Oh, I named the character Livia, after my sister. I channeled her for the character.
There are dozens of examples from my real life in KSK. You’ll have to join my blog to read more stories like these at www.drmelcaudle.blogspot.com.
Now, for NSR, all of the past lives recalled in this book came from real past live regression sessions. The main character Jackie, who I based this book from, wasn’t a third grade teacher, but was a teacher, then became an assistant principal. The relationship between her husband and mother are real, but he didn’t work at Higgins Shipyard. I made that up.
The Family Antique store is real, but it is my family's store. But, the antique scene is real. In fact, it’s very hard for the real Jackie to even go into an antique store anymore. Just a couple of months ago, we went to one. She picked up an item, clutched it, and her eyes swelled with tears. When I looked at her, she said, “This was mine.”
I’ll tell you a freaky incident that happened to me with my daughter Jamie. Last summer, I went to spend the month with her and her family and went camping in Canada. Great trip by the way. Now, I had just finished the first draft of Never Stop Running, gave it to Jamie to read as she serves as my developmental editor. Back to the scene in the book with Jackie and her mother. When they first enter, Aunt Susie greets them. She tells Jackie that she can have one item free of charge and that she’ll know it because it will speak to her. This scene was based from the woman who inspired the novel. But, here is the freaky part. Jamie and I went antique hunting, something I love to do because I collect antique marbles and my family has an antique store. Jamie and I passed an antique store, it called my name. I had to go in. She pulled over and we went in. The owner greeted us, “Good morning.” Then she said, “You can have one item free that speaks to you.” I almost fell over and had to catch my breath. My daughter and I got chills because she had already read NSR and knew what was in there.
So, coincidence or fate or destiny. That really happened. I walked away with a marble that I have never seen, and I own probably 40,000 marbles and can identify them. It called my name. My daughter walked away with a beautiful ring with a tiny wizard holding a crystal ball.
With all that said, as a writer, I tap into my life and my environment and right about what I know. I guess, a lot of my writing I’d call faction.
Let’s talk about the Elephant in the room, the #METOO movement and your graphic scenes of murder, rape and sex trafficking. Are you afraid they are going to come after you and accuse you of glamorizing violence against women?
I’ll say this much, as a society we can’t turn a blind eye against these horrendous crimes and I certainly will not. I have several friends who have been raped and I know women who escaped from sex trafficking. These crimes were not their fault. So, by me using scenes in my book in this manner, I hope that I can bring light to the fact that these things really happen.
When we hear these crimes in the news, we don’t get the details or how they felt or what these women went through. When you listen to them, it is gut-wrenching. I felt it important to put these in there for authenticity and just maybe, it will get somebody upset enough to get involved and help someone if you suspect a girl or boy is about to get kidnapped or is involved in sex trafficking, do something.
Most every Friday night I have a date night with my husband. I'd say it is out upscale Cheers as most people in their are locals and we all know each other. One of them is an FBI Agent in the sex crime/trafficking division. This horrific crime happens. Closing our eyes to hit, doesn't help. We all must be vigilant.
As for serial killers, they can be your neighbor, the deacon of your church, your spouse. Look at the serial killer Dennis Radar, the BTK serial killer, who bludgeoned, tortured and killed for more than thirty years. He had a family, a wife, children and was a leader in his church. Everyone was clueless, even his wife and children.
I live in Louisiana, which by the way, is ranked seventh in the United States for having the most serial killer deaths. And, even closer to my home, Derrick Todd Lee, Sean Vincent Gills, Jefferey Guillory and Ronald Dominique. All killed within a 100 mile radius of my home. The scary part, the Jennings 8 serial killer who killed just outside of Baton Rouge is still at large and the authorities don't have a clue for a suspect. If you don't think I'm not aware of that, you have another thing coming. I keep my eyes peeled.
So, If I bring attention to the forefront serial killers are out there, that sex traffickers are out there and make people aware, then I’d say, I have written the right thing for the right reason. That was my point in the first place, I wanted people to know what really happens. How do I know, I interviewed the victims and I interviewed serial killers who loved to talk about how they killed someone and took their last breath? Which by the way is where I got the inspiration for the character Milo Evans, portrayed my Chris Swirles in the following video.
