INTRODUCING CATHY SCOTT & SHERYL McCOLLUM

Women in Crime Ink is pleased to introduce two new regular contributors: True Crime Author Cathy Scott and Crime Analyst Sheryl McCollum.

Cathy Scott is a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who's received more than a dozen awards from news organizations in California and Nevada. Her work—which has appeared in The New York Times, Reuters, George magazine, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, The New York Times Magazine, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and Las Vegas Sun—has taken her to Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Panama. Dividing her time between San Diego and Las Vegas, Cathy also writes fulltime for Best Friends Animal Society's magazine and Web site. She is a member of the Authors Guild and the Society of Professional Journalists' national Speakers Bureau. She has served as the Nevada chairwoman of the Society of Professional Journalist’s Sunshine Committee, which works to keep government records open to the public. At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Cathy was an adjunct journalism instructor for five years, a position she gave up to stay on the Gulf Coast for nearly four months to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Cathy is perhaps best known as the author of seven nonfiction books, including the Los Angeles Times best-seller The Killing of Tupac Shakur as well as the critically acclaimed The Murder of Biggie Smalls. Her other crime titles include Death in the Desert: The Ted Binion Homicide Case and Murder of a Mafia Daughter: The Life and Tragic Death of Susan Berman. Cathy's latest, The Rough Guide to True Crime, is being released August 31. She is currently finishing the case of Barbara Kogan, a Manhattan millionaire's widow who was indicted late last year for the contract murder of her husband nearly two decades ago. The book is scheduled for release by St. Martin’s Press True Crime Library in spring 2010.

Cathy has appeared on Unsolved Mysteries, Oxygen network’s “Snapped,” the Discovery Channel, CourtTV, CNN, MTV, Uncovered TV, Talk Books, and National Public Radio.

Women in Crime Ink is also welcoming Atlanta-based Sheryl McCollum, renowned crime analyst and college professor. She is the Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. Under Sheryl's direction, the Institute has been responsible for helping renew interest in cases that were deemed unsolvable. Sheryl has been involved in a number of notable investigations, including the disappearances of Natalee Holloway, Chandra Levy, and Amber Hagerman, as well as historical cases such as the Atlanta Child Murders and the Moore's Ford Bridge Lynching.

Sheryl is also the Director of a Metro Atlanta Cold Case Crime Analysis Squad. During the 1996 Olympic Games, Sheryl was Coordinator for the Crisis Response Team, which planned and trained for four years and responded to the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing, providing victim services through the criminal trial seven years later. In the wake of 9/11, Sheryl was Director of the Georgia team that was sent to the Pentagon in Washington, DC (aftermath at left). She is a POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) Certified Instructor, a Hostage Negotiator, a Crime Scene Technician, and a First Responder. Holding two Master’s Degrees, one in Policing and one in Criminal Justice, Sheryl is also a college professor, teaching Criminal Investigation, Crime Scene, and Forensics.

You can watch her as a regular guest expert on Nancy Grace. Sheryl has also been featured on Fox and Friends and CNN. Most recently, she is co-host of the new program "Fugitive Fridays" on the The Levi Page Show.

Read Sheryl's first piece for Women in Crime Ink on Thursday. And you can expect Cathy's first post a week from tomorrow, on July 23rd.

Please join us in welcoming our newest contributors!

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Pat Brown & Diane Fanning on E!'S 'Fatal Beauty: 15 Most Notorious Women'

Women in Crime Ink's own Pat Brown and Diane Fanning appear on E!'s Countdown: Fatal Beauty: 15 Most Notorious Women on Sunday, May 31 at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central.

No, Pat and Diane didn't make E!'s list of notorious women—they appear on the show talking about some of those who did.

It's a countdown of ordinary women whose notorious crimes have made them pseudo-celebrities. E! investigates the remarkable and tumultuous lives of women who made headlines around the globe, some by committing unthinkable crimes & acts of violence and others whose decisions left us wondering why.

Over the course of two hours it reveals their shocking stories and explores the desperate circumstances that drove them to such extremes. Plus, it’ll look at the ways these sad and horrific events could have been prevented. The show provides a new perspective and keen insight into who these women really are with the help of medical experts, psychologists, law enforcement, and even the very women at the center of these high-profile cases.

Among the fifteen notorious women included in the countdown are these familiar names: Casey Anthony (above right), Karla Homolka, Aileen Wournos, Susan Smith, Carolyn Warmus, Mary Winkler and Karla Faye Tucker left)

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THE OUTLAW IS IN!

Women in Crime Ink is pleased to announce today's release of contributor Laura James' first book: The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son: Murder, Sin, and Scandal in the Shadow of Jesse James. (Laura is not related to the James Gang.) In this dual biography of Dr. Zeo Zoe Wilkins and Jesse James Jr., our true-crime historian and attorney Laura James lays out the evidence that the son of Jesse James followed in his father's footsteps to lead a life of train robbery, terrorism, and perhaps even murder. The book contains some big surprises for students of the James Gang.

Below, the publisher has given Women in Crime Ink readers an exclusive peek at what true-crime master Gregg Olsen has called a "mesmerizing book, brilliantly researched and compellingly written." We agree with Olsen's assessment that this story is "classic American crime: a toxic brew of love, lies, mystery and murder." Women in Crime Ink is pleased to bring you this exclusive intro to The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son. Congratulations, Laura!

PROLOGUE

On March 15, 1924, snowdust coated staid Park Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. The street was quiet for a Saturday night. There were no wild parties on this frigid evening. Around ten p.m., an exceptionally beautiful woman unlocked the front door of her home at 2425 Park.

She must have known him. She let him in the house. But before long something alarmed her. It could have been the late hour or the reek of alcohol, though she was a stranger to neither. She numbed herself that night, as she usually did, with most of a bottle of Jamaica Ginger. Did she see the man lock the door as he turned to face her? Maybe a snarled threat or a flash of steel warned her that he was not there to make love to her. Instead, her premonition of a violent death was coming true. She surely thought–if she could form a complete thought–of all the friends and lovers to whom she had turned for help in her last few days. She told them someone wanted to murder her. She’d even said it would happen that weekend.

No one was there to help her. Nobody believed her.

She fought for her life. She threw every object within reach. She eluded death with “a terrific fight.” At five feet eight and a hundred and thirty pounds, she could have held her own for a while. But the man was stronger. He chased her into a corner, punched her in the chest, and knocked the telephone from her hands. Chairs were smashed in their duel. In her desperate resistance she got the worst of it. He pummeled her and tore at her plaid dress and underwear. If she cried out in pain and terror, the only one who heard her screams was the man killing her.

It must have been a thunderous blow that sent her spinning into a metal stand. She struck her forehead and collapsed onto the oriental carpet in the living room.

The man grabbed her slender throat and squeezed. He gouged her left eye, blackening it and nearly severing her eyeball from its socket. Perhaps she fainted. But she rallied at the last when he brandished a small, rusty pocketknife. As she held out her hands to protect herself, he slashed them. The face that had aroused the passions of so many men now felt the sting of the blade. He sliced open her cheek and jammed the point of the knife into the side of her neck—once, twice—the deep stabs slitting her jugular. Zeo’s blood gushed forth. Within a few heartbeats she was dead.

The blood-drenched killer dropped his knife. It fell onto the rug a few inches from her dead hand. He assured himself she was irretrievably dead.

Without pausing to wipe himself off, he strode to her dining room. He lifted a large metal strongbox onto the dining table, opened it, and tore through her personal papers. Her blood dripped from his hands onto her letters and documents as he rifled through the box for what he sought.

Papers, books, clothes, and bags were heaped onto the floor as her killer ransacked her house, plunging through the closet, roving through the kitchen, smearing blood on drawers and cupboards, leaving crimson tracks throughout the first and second floors. He pulled up the tacks holding down the corners of her carpets. He pulled letters from envelopes. He searched most of the closets, chests, and shelves.

And yet he did not touch many pawnable items, such as her designer clothes and household items. This man was after particular valuables, things he knew she kept in her home. Nothing less was worth even a moment.

His search completed, he entered a downstairs bathroom and washed away her clotted blood. He found a hand towel and dried himself on it as he returned to the living room. Standing near the dead woman, he threw the towel on the rug. He wadded some papers, put a flame to them, and started a fire near her head. He stuffed a strongbox filled with treasure under his arm.

Maybe he looked at her one last time.

Then it seems he yanked open a window, crawled through, leapt several feet to the ground, and fled the scene of his perfect murder.

It was perfect not because of how he did it. He was an amateur killer. He left bloody prints everywhere, and the fire never caught. It was perfect because of the woman he killed. For no matter who cut down Zeo Wilkins, no matter why, newspapers across the country declared on moral grounds that her brutal death was a fitting end for a vampire. They proclaimed that the case would never be solved, officially or otherwise. Their wishes were granted. A lot of folks would come right out and say it: the bitch had it coming to her, and by golly, she sure got it.

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PREDATORS AND CHILD MOLESTERS DESCEND ON BOOKSTORES!

There is no other crime—not even murder—that worries and sickens parents more than child sexual abuse. Parents wonder how to protect their children when almost every day the news reports another incident of someone in authority arrested on suspicion of child abuse. Addressing offenders found in clergy and teachers to family members themselves, former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney and WCI contributor Robin Sax answers those terrifying questions that parents are sometimes afraid to ask. Predators and Child Molesters: What Every Parent Needs to Know to Keep Kids Safe, A Sex Crimes DA Answers 100 of the Most Asked Questions is in bookstores now and is a must-have for parents everywhere.

With a foreword by Marc Klaas, founder and president of KlaasKids Foundation, this straightforward and clearly written guidebook answers one hundred of the most asked questions that Robin has encountered in her fifteen years of experience as a sex crimes prosecutor. From the definition of abuse to profiles of predators, to how to report an incident and to whom, Robin provides practical, reassuring, and appropriate information.

For ease of use, the book is organized into six major sections:

• Recognizing Predators: Molesters, Pedophiles, and Opportunists
• Talking to Kids About Risks and Identifying Potential Problems
• Recognizing Abuse
• Reporting Sexual Abuse
• Going to Court
• Healing and Moving On

Predators and Child Molesters is already debuting to rave reviews:

“Finally! A hard-hitting Q&A on predators and child molesters. Sax's book is a must read for anyone concerned about the safety and well being of America's children. As a former felony prosecutor of crimes on children, this is Crime & Prevention 101 . . .”
Nancy Grace, host of CNN Headline News' Nancy Grace

"Child Molesters and Predators" answers everything you wanted to ask and tells everything you need to know to prevent your worst nightmare and possible lifelong torment for your child. Sax writes in an easy to read format providing practical answers for keeping youngsters safe. This is a must read for every parent or anyone who cares for kids.
Mark Goulston, Huffington Post

Robin Sax makes it clear that prosecuting children against possible sexual assault begins with every parent in the home. Teaching preventative measures should be as important as teaching children to dial 911.

Predators and Child Molesters is available in bookstores now and online. Robin Sax can be seen frequently as a legal commentator on CNN’s Nancy Grace, Larry King Live, and Fox News covering criminal cases and trials. You can also hear her weekly on Justice Interrupted Blogtalk Radio where she covers the latest news in crime with WCI contributors Susan Murphy-Milano and Stacy Dittrich. Robin Sax resides in California with her husband and three children.

Also out this month: Reaching The Bar: Stories of Women at All Stages of Their Law Career. A comprehensive look into the lives of women lawyers, each chapter is introduced by Robin Sax, who also edited Reaching the Bar.

Congratulations, Robin!

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Punish the Deed

Homicide Detective Lucinda Pierce is back in PUNISH THE DEED by Diane Fanning.

The mutilated body of children’s charity worker Sharon Fleming is found sprawling on the office kitchen’s floor. A note beside her body bears the words: “I was left behind.”

Lucinda must track down this violent killer before he leaves another victim behind. She finds help from the most unlikely source. But is the price too high to pay? You can read the first chapter on Diane’s Web site.

Diane’s Calendar has a list of interviews and booksignings including stops in Williamsburg, Virginia; and in Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas.

The Lucinda Pierce series began with THE TROPHY EXCHANGE—now it continues.

PUNISH THE DEED. Because no good deed goes unpunished.

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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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WCI Welcomes Two New Contributors

Women in Crime Ink is bringing fresh ink to our page. This week, we are introducing two new regular contributors: true-crime historian Laura James and 48 Hours producer Michelle Feuer.

Online true-crime fans will recognize the name Laura James as the woman behind the acclaimed crime blog CLEWS (the old-fashioned newsie's spelling of "clues"). CLEWS is described as "a literary blog where the chairs rest at the intersection of history, journalism, law, and murder, and the shelves are filled with the finest true-crime literature." As a lawyer, a former reporter, and a life-long crime reader with distinguishing literary taste, Laura fits the bill for a literary blog that caters to the true-crime genre. Her first book, The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son: Murder, Sin, and Scandal in the Shadow of Jesse James, is scheduled for release in May.

True-crime TV junkies would remember shows produced by our other addition, although Michelle Feuer is a woman who works behind the scenes, rather than on-screen. As a producer for 48 Hours Mystery, she pursues her passion for developing remarkable stories that reach millions of people. Michelle started her broadcast journalism career overseas, covering foreign news while based out of NBC's London bureau. Working for Dateline, she became known for her documentary-style pieces when she embedded with the Bronx Homicide Unit and the Boston Crime Lab. Michelle has been nominated for four Emmy awards and a Gracie, and she won an ABA Silver Gavel award (a distinction shared by WCI's Diane Dimond). At the invitation of WCI contributor Jenna Jackson, Michelle's colleague at 48 Hours, Michelle wrote a guest piece for us in December. We are proud to announce that she will be writing for us regularly.

Please join us in welcoming our newest contributors to Women in Crime Ink. Make sure to read Laura's first piece on Thursday and Michelle's tomorrow. As WCI celebrates our first year online this month, look for another stellar addition to our roster soon!

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Blog Talk Radio Tonight

Diane Fanning is Denny Griffin's guest on his Caylee Anthony Special on Blog Talk Radio tonight at 7 pm CST . (8 Eastern, 6 Mountain, 5 Pacific)

To listen or call in to the program this evening, go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dennisngriffin. The show will be archived on that site shortly after its completion and can be played back as a podcast or downloaded.

Diane is currently working on MOMMY'S LITTLE GIRL, a book about the Caylee Anthony story for St. Martin's Press.

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KELLY SIEGLER AND SUSAN MURPHY-MILANO ON E! THS INVESTIGATES: "HUSBANDS WHO KILL"

Tonight at 9:00 EST, don't miss two WCI contributors on E! THS Investigates. Our Prosecutor-for-Hire Kelly Siegler and our Violence Expert Susan Murphy-Milano were both interviewed for the show. "Husbands Who Kill" explores cases of seemingly loving husbands driven to murder their wives. One was in fact a loving husband. Problem was, his wife loved another man. That case ended in murder-suicide.

As most of our readers know, Susan's father (the decorated Chicago Violent Crimes Detective who caught the "Chicago Rippers") shot her mother to death before turning his gun on himself. Susan, then 29, found her parents' bodies. Ever since that day, she has dedicated herself to saving the lives of endangered women in domestic violence situations. She is also an author.

Susan will be providing commentary throughout the hour on tonight's program, which focuses on four women slain by their husbands. The three men who only appeared to be loving husbands had been living lies. Two had misled family and friends into believing they were pursuing advanced degrees, one in medicine, the other an MBA from Harvard. The truth was that neither had graduated from college and both were running out of money and lies. One of the wives discovered the truth, but did not live to tell. The other man gave his "ailing" wife Gatorade spiked with antifreeze and went on to become a popular radio host. (WCI's Broadcaster Michele McPhee wrote about that case and others in "Why Are Smart Women Carried Away by Fakes?")

The third husband living a lie was David Temple, a Texas football star turned high-school coach. Temple ended up being prosecuted by Kelly Siegler for firing a shotgun into the back of his wife's head. Belinda Temple was eight months pregnant with their second child. (Siegler, right, grills Temple during the trial)

Two of tonight's cases involve husbands convicted of taking the lives of their wives and unborn children. Lately, any story about a pregnant wife murdered by her husband immediately draws a Laci Peterson comparison. The Temple case predated Laci's by a few years, but there are notable similarities. The tale is complete with an Amber Frey look-alike—a mistress with one key character difference: Scott Peterson's lover did not know she was dating a married man until he became a suspect in his wife's disappearance. When Frey realized that Peterson had been motivated to do away with his wife so he could be with Amber, she helped authorities bring him to justice. David Temple's love interest, Heather Scott, a teacher at the school where David coached, knew her lover was someone's husband and father. After David murdered his wife, Heather (above) married him and testified on his behalf.

Once the cold-case made it to trial, the courtroom heated up as Kelly Siegler clashed with renowned criminal defense attorney Dick DeGuerin, making the media's prediction of "fireworks" between the legal giants the only easily predictable aspect of the explosive trial.

DeGuerin maintains his client's innocence, pointing out that Temple was filmed by Home Depot surveillance cameras around the time of the murder. DeGuerin (pictured right of Temple upon conviction) accused Siegler of being so effective at her job that she'd done what defense attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes once said was inevitable: "She's convicted an innocent man."

The victim's family saw things differently. When Temple was finally convicted nearly nine years after the murder, Belinda's brother said he'd suspected David's involvement within ten minutes of learning of her death. Following sentencing, her father said, "People have told us, 'Get over it.' You can't get over your baby—especially in these types of circumstances. . . . Put a shotgun to my baby's head and blow her brains out. It just wasn't right. And I'm so glad justice has prevailed."

In tonight's program, Kelly's case is just one of several stories on husbands who kill. For a full hour on the Temple case, watch 48 Hours on December 6 for the show produced by WCI's Jenna Jackson. Next year, expect a book on the case from Kathryn Casey, who's working on Shattered: The David Temple Story.

For tonight, watch Susan and Kelly for what the producer of "Husbands Who Kill" promises to be a provocative hour of television. Click here to watch the trailer for this special THS Investigates: An in-depth examination of criminal behavior.

Friday, November 14
9:00 p.m. EST
E! Entertainment Television Network
THS Investigates
"Husbands Who Kill"

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SUSAN MURPHY-MILANO ON "TRUE CRIMES" RADIO

This Saturday at 2:00 p.m. PST, listen to WCI's Susan Murphy-Milano on TRUE CRIMES, an online broadcast devoted to true crime.

"I am the daughter of a Chicago Violent Crimes Detective," Susan told TRUE CRIMES. "My father murdered my mother before taking his own life."

Susan found her parents' bodies.

"I will not rest until those who abuse and kill are held accountable."

And so Susan has turned tragedy into her life's work. As a nationally recognized women's advocate, she was instrumental in the passage of the Illinois Stalking Law and the Lautenberg Act. A voice for victims, Susan has championed the rights of battered women and children, in court cases and in coordinating exit strategies with safe houses and bodyguards.

The nonfiction author and violence expert has reached women far and wide, through publications such as Woman's Day, Family Circle, and U.S. News & World Report. Susan has also made appearances on Oprah, 20/20, American Justice, CNN, 48 Hours, and Nightline.

In spreading the word and her work through media appearances, Susan has received a flood of correspondence from wives of officers across the country—women with no place to turn for assistance, all because a husband or boyfriend was a respected law enforcement officer. There is no excuse for violence, Susan says, especially in a police officer's home.

Why aren't departments seeking a zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence committed by police officers? Is it too embarrassing? Family members rarely come forward to report these crimes and if they do, they are often victimized even more by their abusive officer spouse or boyfriend.

"He was going to kill me," said a Boston police officer's wife. "How can you let him keep his gun and stay on the street?"

"When a police department does not take action, we, the families of officers, feel powerless and worried about our own lives and the safety of their kids. All this does is further victimize us, when will it end?" (Wife of a New York State Trooper)

"You know the words on the side of police cars, 'We Serve And Protect,' let me tell you every time I see that I'm sick with grief. It doesn't apply to me. It should read, 'hey, we serve and protect our own'!" (Another woman married to an officer)

The women say that when they notified police, investigating officers were reluctant to pursue the cases. Evidence was mishandled. Some of the women were pressured by other officers or top brass to drop their complaints.

"I was treated like a criminal, I was trying to get some help here," said another.

The silence surrounding cops who abuse and murder their spouses has been deafening. Until Drew Peterson was finally thrown into the spotlight, with one wife dead and the other presumed killed, such cases rarely made the news. But just this week there was another shocking case in the headlines.

Who do you call when your husband, the police officer, is beating the hell out of you? You contact Susan Murphy-Milano. Listen to the live broadcast tomorrow on TRUE CRIMES with renowned author Burl Barer (pictured right) and attorney Don Woldman.

TRUE CRIMES

Links to listen: http://outlawcrime.com or http://www.mrcigar.com/live.asx

Saturday, November 8

2:00 p.m. PST

Also, you can tune in to Susan on Tuesday evenings for Justice Interrupted, the "Crime Investigation Radio Network," which she co-hosts with WCI's Stacy Dittrich and Robin Sax.

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Booksigning - The Devil Comes Out of the Closet

Susan Murphy-Milano

WCI's Stacy Dittrich had her first booksigning since last week's release of The Devil's Closet, her debut crime novel. Saturday's event was held at the Barnes & Noble in Mansfield, Ohio—Stacy's hometown—where for 15 years she was a deputy for the Richland County Sheriff's Office. As the Mansfield News Journal recently reported, Stacy (pictured with daughter Jordan at yesterday's event) retired earlier this year to write full-time.

Any second thoughts Stacy may have had about her decision were shoved aside this past spring, when Stacy's agent received a call from the Academy Award-winning producer of the movie The Devil Wears Prada (based on the novel of the same title). Hollywood is interested in a screen adaptation of The Devil's Closet, which is first in the series of CeeCee Gallagher thrillers. The protagonist was patterned after Stacy, who was a detective specializing in sex crimes.

What this means for readers is that Stacy's novel smacks of the kind of authenticity that comes from pages written by someone who's actually carried a badge and gun and fought crime on the streets—a good gal who understands duty and knows how to take down the bad guys without having to unholster her duty weapon. Like Stacy, I come from a family of law enforcement, so I can vouch for Friday's review from our Sex-crimes Prosecutor that Stacy "captured the essence of what someone on the front lines of crime is really like."

You don't want to miss this book, the first in a series. Stacy's next CeeCee novel, Mary Jane's Grave, is scheduled for publication in 2009. Her first hardcover true-crime book will hit shelves following Murder Behind the Badge, another true-crime title expected within a year.

Stacy's next signing for The Devil's Closet will be on Saturday, October the 11th, at the Barnes & Noble in Westlake, Ohio. If you're in the area, stop by from 2:00 to 4:00 that afternoon for an autographed copy. But get there early. According to one of the fans who attended yesterday's signing in Mansfield, "lines were out the door." The 200 copies the store had in stock sold out very quickly.

"For a debut novel," B&N store manager Rich Krizan said, "it was a great success—one of our best."

Krizan was quick to add that a new shipment is expected this week and that the author will be stopping by the store to sign copies for those who didn't get one yesterday.

If you make it to the Westlake signing on the 11th, send your photo with Stacy to womenincrimeink@yahoo.com and we'll post it, like this pic from yesterday's signing, with fan Jo Ann Krausman. Thanks to Jo Ann for sending this in, and congrats, Stacy!

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KELLY SIEGLER ON INTERNET RADIO TONIGHT!

Tonight at 10:00 ET, tune in to "War on Crime Radio" to hear Kelly Siegler discuss a murder case that took prosecutors 27 years to make.

Today, jurors began deliberating the fate of Aaron Foster, on trial in Minnesota for the shooting death of his girlfriend Barbara Winn in 1981. Last year, when Foster was finally charged, the victim's family stood beside the sheriff who accused the county prosecutor of "dragging his feet":

"We are befuddled as to why they haven't pressed [charges]," the sheriff said at a televised press conference. "It's either lack of competency, lack of caring, lack of making it a priority. . . ."

Kelly will also discuss the worldwide controversy surrounding the upcoming execution of José Medellin for the sadistic slayings of Elizabeth Peña and Jennifer Ertman. Kelly was a prosecutor in the multiple gang-rape murder case.

Listen to the live broadcast tonight at 10:00. Kelly will be taking callers' questions and will be joined by WCI's Policewoman / Novelist Stacy Dittrich along with Crime Victims Advocate Andy Kahan.

War on Crime Radio
10:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. CT

Wednesday, July 23

Call-in number: 347/838-9781

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WCI's Wisegals Join the Syndicate!

It was an offer we could not refuse. Women in Crime Ink connected with Internet syndicator Newstex, supplier of information to such esteemed research networks as LexisNexis, Thomson Financial, and CanWest MediaWorks.

Possibilities were discussed.

"Come join us," Newstex offered.

We paused, considered the potential, and then nodded. "Okay."

Two weeks ago, WCI signed on with Newstex. The result, our posts are now syndicated worldwide, available on demand through Newstex clients that include ProQuest and NewsBank. Soon you may even be able to access WCI on your Amazon Kindle. Now is that exciting, or what?

No real wiseguys here, but we're not going to fuhgeddaboudit. Women in Crime Ink is jazzed, looking forward to the future, and dedicated to bringing you expert opinions on the biggest stories and the most controversial cases. Syndication is yet another step in our quest to deliver quality content from professionals working in the field. So check us out daily, and don't worry. We haven't gone over to the dark side.

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KATHRYN CASEY BOOK SIGNING IN TEXAS!

By now it's no mystery. Kathryn Casey's first crime novel is a breakout hit. SINGULARITY landed in bookstores June 24, and reviews are hot. The latest comes from the August issue of Vanity Fair, which lists Kathryn's novel under "Hot Type," along with other current titles Vanity Fair considers "great new books."

And in Sunday's Baltimore Sun, SINGULARITY received high marks from a reviewer taken with the heroine, a woman Texas Ranger. Protagonist Sarah Armstrong has "the makings of a robust and long-lasting series character," said the Sun.

A reviewer for The Tampa Tribune agrees. Calling Armstrong a blend of James Patterson's Alex Cross and Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta, the critic raves "Not since 'Postmortem' has a crime author crafted such a stellar series debut."

Publisher's Weekly calls SINGULARITY "riveting" and Booklist says it's "an impressive fiction debut."

SINGULARITY will make Deadly Pleasures magazine's list of Best Novels of 2008.

Tonight, Kathryn will be autographing copies of SINGULARITY at Murder by the Book in Houston. The event begins at 6:30, with a party to follow across the street at Under the Volcano. If you're in the area, come by and join fans and other WCI contributors as we raise a glass for Kathryn Casey and her red-hot crime fiction debut, SINGULARITY.

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WOMEN IN CRIME INK RADIO TONIGHT!

This Fourth of July weekend, listen in as several WCI contributors discuss crime stories making the news. Join Forensics Specialist and Author Andrea Campbell, Crime Author Diane Fanning, Violence Expert and Author Susan Murphy-Milano, Criminal Defense Attorney Katherine Scardino, and Investigative Specialist Donna Weaver as Dana Pretzer hosts a special broadcast for Scared Monkeys Radio. On tap for discussion: Brooke Bennett, Becca McEvoy, Mandatory Minimum Sentencing, and Zodiac–is there a Part 2? Tune in Sunday, July 6, from 9:00 - 10 p.m. ET, LIVE ON http://scaredmonkeysradio.com/

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