Jennifer Chase's Blog, page 35

BOOK REVIEW: Emily Stone Takes Action and Doesn’t Let Anything Stand in Her Way #action #thriller

Dead Burn was definitely the most challenging crime thriller I have ever written to date, but I loved every second of it. I pushed myself to raise the stakes for vigilante detective Emily Stone. There were times that I was so exhausted from writing some of the action sequences that I could barely type out the words. I had to take frequent breaks and leave my computer behind as I took a walk, played with Sarge, or exercised. Even still, I relived the scenes and revised them in my mind until th...

What Would You Write in Your Crime Scene Investigator’s Notebook?

The job of a crime scene investigator isn’t glamorous or exotic as it is portrayed on popular television shows or even in the movies. This daunting task is extremely important and necessary for any criminal police investigation in order to find out who committed the crime and to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.

In my latest thriller DEAD BURN, Emily Stone tracks down serial killers and uses techniques of crime scene investigators in order to gather evidence anonymously for the police. She...

A Horrible Day Now Relived through the Release of 911 Calls

Despite the strong objections from many of the parents of the victims, 911 tapes from the school massacre that took place nearly one year ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School have been released to the public. The Associated Press asked that the recordings be made available with a freedom of information request. There are now seven different calls placed from inside the school that can be heard by anyone who is interested.

Parents, community officials and some psychologists have argued that maki...

NEVER FORGOTTEN: The Investigation Begins

From the Award-Winning Crime Thriller Series comes a newly released original Emily Stone Short Story:

Vigilante detective Emily Stone has proven her abilities, forensic knowledge, and criminal hunting aptitude in locating serial killers and child abductors. She solves these cases all under the law enforcement radar. Her relentless drive propels her to dedicate her life to this cause.

What was Emily Stone like as a teenager? What changed her life so drastically and set in motion her fate as a ph...

No Answers Make Sense When Asking Questions about a Child’s Murder

When allowing yourself to go deeply into the world of criminal psychology and study the minds of those who commit some of society’s most heinous acts of violence, there is no personality more disturbing than one who would harm a child. Whenever we read about a child who has been beaten or raped or murdered, we understandably ask “Why?!” And, even if we have the opportunity to hear from the perpetrator himself, we rarely get answers that makes any sense.

Austin Sigg has confessed to kidnapping...

The Thankfulness of a Writer

I know that many of the readers who follow this blog are fellow writers, and I thank you for your support as we all pursue the craft that we love. With that in mind and in light of the Thanksgiving holiday we will be enjoying this week, I wanted to find out what some of you are thankful specifically in terms of your writing.

Maybe it’s time. If you are busy with family, another job that pays the bills or one of life’s many other consumers of our hours, those quiet moments that you can find to...

Serial Killer Put to Death in Missouri

This week, a serial killer who is said to be responsible for twenty-two deaths between 1977 and 1980 was put to death in Missouri.

Photo: Courtesy Reuters

Joseph Paul Franklin was an admitted white supremacist who had hoped to start a race war with his crimes, targeting Jewish Americans and African Americans in his deadly efforts.

Among his victims was Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, who was left paralyzed and in a wheelchair in 1978 after being struck by Franklin. Franklin was upset that Flynt h...

Want Sunshine and Palm Trees This Winter?

I love the feeling of tropical weather and seeing the amazing scenery unfold around me. For me as a writer, scenery and varied locations are important inspirations to creating characters and settings. In my Emily Stone Series, the setting is just as important as the characters.

My visit to Kauai a few years back definitely inspired the crime thriller Dark Mind. When I’m on vacation, I like a relaxing and non-stressful environment. It’s actually a little ironic that when I was sitting on a beau...

A Free Man after Nearly a Decade Behind Bars

Photo Courtesy of The Associated Press

This week, a Missouri man was able to walk free for the first time in a decade after an appeals court overturned his conviction. Ryan Ferguson had insisted from the start that he was not guilty of murdering Columbia Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt on Halloween night in 2001. Reading about the circumstances that placed him in jail in the first place is disturbing and reinforces the need for those in our judicial system to be held to the highest level o...

Make Your Cell Phone a Microscope!

Smart phones seem to do an endless number of amazing tasks for us these days. We can find the nearest Chinese restaurant or videotape our kid’s piano recital or stick the phone up to our car radio and learn what song is playing. With all of the fun and useful applications, sometimes I forget that you simply can use the device to dial numbers and talk to another person. But what if you also could use your phone to create a portable science laboratory? Apparently, you can!

Many of my crime novel...