Last Minute Christmas Gifts? You've Found Them

by Stacy Dittrich

It’s that time of year again. Only three days until Christmas and — if you’re like me -- you’re scrambling to pick up the last minute gift you forgot to buy for your Aunt Sally. You know Aunt Sally; the at-home super-sleuth who takes her phone off the hook and locks her doors to ensure she never misses an episode of Nancy Grace or the FBI Files. She’s the one who insists that everyone she passes in the mall is on a wanted poster, or every child she sees has been recently abducted. “It’s the birthmark above the eye — I’m telling you, it’s her!”

She's the neighborhood Sherlock Holmes, complete with binoculars handily stationed at each window so she can quickly and efficiently determine who in her neighborhood is a pedophile, or who is having an affair. Everyone knows someone like Aunt Sally. She's tricky to shop for. There's always the highly regarded Spy Gear — located in the toy department and aimed at 5- to 12-year old boys, but it’s doubtful she could maneuver her way around the night vision goggles or laser alarms. Or, you can browse through the Women in Crime Ink bookstore (an excellent Facebook catalog) and overload her with a slew of true-crime books and thrillers. Most people are feeling the crunch of the economy this year and are cutting back on spending, so books make a great gift!

Caylee Anthony and Michael Jackson books dominated the year's crime shows. Get an up close and personal view; look deep into the facts of these cases with true-crime books like “Mommy’s Little Girl,” by WCI’s Diane Fanning and “Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case,” by Diane Dimond. Kathryn Casey’s, “A Descent Into Hell,” and Lisa Cohen’s “After Etan,” are favorites.

Have a self-proclaimed criminal profiler in the family? Pat Brown’s “Killing for Sport” would make the perfect gift. Books make their way to even those family members that rarely keep up with crime. If your teen is a die-hard rap-music fan, Cathy Scott’s “The Killing of Tupac Shakur” would be a different twist to an ear-busting CD. If the perpetual macho-man in your household scoffs at girly crimes, my book, “Murder Behind the Badge: True Stories of Cops Who Kill,” would make a great stocking stuffer. A history buff in the family? Laura James' theory that Jesse James' son was a cold blooded killer in "The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son," will keep them occupied for hours.

Between $8-$25 each, books are within this year's budgets and, contrary to popular belief, this print medium is not going away anytime soon. Prefer fictional mysteries to true crime? Many of WCI's versatile authors WCI have delved into the world of fiction. Kathryn Casey’s “Singularity” and “Bloodlines” are both-award winning novels. Diane Fanning and I both have created our own fiction series as well.

Aspiring law students could probably use Andrea Campbell’s “Legal Ease,” and Robin Sax’s “It Happens Every Day: Inside the Life of a Sex Crime DA” and keep them on a shelf close to the computer. Trying to figure out how to help a friend or relative who's suffering her domestic life with a dangerous boyfriend or spouse, or is enduring an abusive relationship? Susan Murphy-Milano’s “Defending Our Lives” or “Moving Out, Moving On” can help. Just make sure you give this gift discretely, where the abuser can't see!

Yep, our authors have it all. Your last-minute shopping is over. Click over to the Women In Crime Ink book store, find the books you want, and scoot on over to your nearest bookstore. Your friends and relatives will thank you for it—and so will we! Happy Holidays to all of you from all of us here at Women In Crime Ink!

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Women in Crime Ink Celebrates First Year Online

Women in Crime Ink is celebrating its first anni-versary today, and we want to mark this special occasion by thanking all of our contributors—and especially our readers!

It’s been quite a year since we launched on March 10, 2008. Most of the crime news took a backseat to a fiery election campaign, but there was no shortage of crime stories. The Caylee Anthony saga took us by storm and may prove to be one of the most followed crimes of the decade. And the most-publicized crime of the '90s was given a final chapter with last year's conviction of O. J. Simpson. The newly discovered DNA evidence in the JonBenét Ramsey case kept us chirping through several posts, while Women in Crime Ink gave cases like those involving Becca McEvoy, Davina Buff Jones, and Belinda Temple the attention they deserve.

Of course, we haven't forgotten the disappearances of student Natalee Holloway or toddler Madeleine McCann. By offering new theories, we have attempted to keep these and other missing persons cases alive in the public consciousness.

Our regular contributors have also brought you some of our personal stories that led to our respective "lives of crime."

As serious and thought-provoking as we try to keep our posts, occasionally, we like to have fun with our readers. Were you one of those who fell for the April Fool's blog that Jimmy Hoffa's bones had been found in New York? You weren't alone—that prank post spread like wildfire in cyberspace, burning nearly all who read it. (Don't be caught off guard this coming April Fool's Day. . . .)

Also last spring, Women in Crime Ink had the honor of a brief "appearance" on Broadway, at least within the pages of the Playbill for the production of "The Judas Tree," the visually stunning true-crime musical based on the crimes of serial killer Dorothea Puente. (photo credit: Alex Moore)

Early this year, we stepped onto another stage, joining the Facebook frenzy. If you haven’t already, stop on over at our Facebook page and become one of our fans! There you will also find a bookstore where you can browse titles by our contributors.

Our fans and readers have also been contributors to Women in Crime Ink. WCI guest contributors have ranged from homicide detectives to a polygamy survivor. Who can forget our "Independence Day Series," which featured the harrowing first-person account of a man who was nearly executed for a crime he did not commit? And then there have been those special occasions when people we've written about—or their friends and family members—have surprised us with a response. Indeed, sometimes reader comments have taken over our posts. For example, the brief (130 word) announcement that Manson member Susan Atkins is dying of brain cancer has generated 25,000 words. Keep 'em coming. We love hearing from our readers.

So let us know your thoughts about our first year! Use the comments section to tell us what you like about the site . . . what you haven't cared for . . . stories you’d like to see more of . . . and any ideas you have as to how we can improve.

Thanks, everyone, for reading and for contributing to Women in Crime Ink. And a special thank you to Cole Stevenson for designing the site and to Rex White for creating our Justitia logo and original art. These talented men helped the women of WCI get up and running . . . and our contributors and readers have kept us going strong. Thanks!

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Women in Crime Ink Joins Facebook!

The Women in Crime Ink fan page is officially up and running at Facebook. The up and coming social network for professionals, and those just looking for friends, boasts millions of members. Although several WCI contributors have their own Facebook page, we thought this would be a great way to come together with all of you!

At the Women in Crime Ink fan page, you can occasionally chat with a regular WCI contributor, talk to other WCI fans, start a discussion about a current or past WCI blog, and browse the WCI bookstore; a one-stop shop with all of the titles by your favorite WCI authors.

When you're done reading the current blog here at WCI, jump on over to Facebook, become a fan, write on the wall, and peruse the WCI bookstore for the latest thriller or true-crime book. We hope to see you there!

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