Jennifer Chase's Blog, page 96

Book Review – Gods of the Machines by Gary Starta

5 Star Review

A Real Whodunit CSI Science Fiction Thriller!

"Gods of the Machines" is an engaging, particularly intriguing mystery with an unforgettable cast of characters, both human and android. It has everything that an exciting thriller should with a relentless and sometimes misunderstood detective, unsolved murders, killers on the loose, and a dogged CSI team putting all the pieces together. The extra-added bonus is that all of this takes place on Ceres, a newly inhabited planet in the Earth's solar system.

Detective Sam Benson's newest assignment as lead detective on Earth's first colonized planet starts out as a routine position until a several murders happen. It doesn't look like they are going to stop anytime soon. He's thrown into the middle of politics, greed, conspiracy, and an android that appears to be the primary murder suspect. Many more suspects soon emerge in the investigation. It's a grueling game of cat and mouse, along with just the right amount of CSI.

"Gods of Machines" offers readers something from almost every popular genre. Characters that you love, hate, or really make you think. Sexual tension, romance, heroics, adventure, creatures, and science keep you turning the pages. The descriptive prose Starta pens is entertaining and wonderfully imaginative. If you're looking for the next great sci-fi thriller to grab your attention, I highly recommend " Gods of the Machines ."

For more information about Author Gary Starta and his books:
www.garystarta.net

Tune in Thursday, November 11th @ 3:00pm (PST) on my show, Book & Crime Talk. I will be chatting with Author Gary Starta about his new sci-fi thriller "Gods of the Machines".

www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase/2010/11/11/sci-fi-author-gary-starta-discusses-his-latest-thr

Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

The Impact of Impression Evidence

When I was first introduced to crime scene investigation and studied all the aspects of forensic science, I gravitated toward impression evidence. At first glance, it doesn't sound exciting. However, many cases have been solved by the simple, telling clues left behind from impression evidence.

A tire track left behind after a homicide or burglary.

A bit mark left on the victim or even a tooth mark on a piece of food.

A toolmark left from a screwdriver around a window opening.

Fingerprint impression left on duct tape found on a victim.

Gum spit out on the ground with a tooth impression left from a suspect.

Impression evidence is evidence left by anything that leaves a kind of impression at the scene or on an item, such as footprints, tire tracks, tooth impression, fabric indentations, or toolmarks. I find this type of evidence to be interesting and quite curious. It definitely tells a story.

For the forensic scientist, it's not that they strictly compare the impression evidence to get a match, but rather, they establish individuality. It simply means that individualization is the uniqueness of a specific item of evidence. It has been described that no two fingerprints and snowflakes are exactly alike. The same holds true for gun barrels, shoe prints, pieces of broken glass, and lip impressions.

The simple principle of "all objects in the universe are unique" best explains impression evidence. Things can be similar of course, but that's where class and individual characteristics comes onto play.


"No two things that happen by chance ever happen in the exactly the same way.
No two things are ever constructed or manufactured in exactly the same way.
No two things ever wear in exactly the same way.
No two things ever break in exactly the same way."

Footprints are a valuable piece of impression evidence to any criminal case. They can be preserved from floors, outdoors, and anything that would adhere to the shoe to give an impression on another surface.

Did you know that you can actually take castings of foot or tire impressions in the snow?

The snow is first preserved by spraying a thin layer of a product called Snow Print Wax. Photographs should be taken before and after using this preservative. Then after this substance is allowed to completely dry, a casting of dental stone is poured into the area of the print. The dental stone should be made slightly thicker than normal and allowed to set up for at least an hour before removal.


Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Why Do I Host a Show on Blog Talk Radio?

If you had told me that I'd be hosting my own Blog Talk Radio show (Book & Crime Talk) a year ago, I would have said you're crazy. No way. It's interesting how my author journey has zigged and zagged over the last year and half. It's been a fun, challenging road that's for sure. Things continue to fall into place and I couldn't be happier. I'm very thankful. Timing really seems to be the key.

My decision to host a show twice a month showcasing other thriller/suspense/mystery authors was something that I thought about for a while. I realized during my journey that there are so many wonderful, talented writers out there that deserve to get more recognition and exposure. What a great way for me to give back for the wonderful interviews and reviews that I've received. Not to mention, it's been really fun getting to know other authors and talk about books.

The next question to myself was… Can I really do this? I was nervous because it's one thing to want to showcase and interview an author on a radio show and completely another to be able to do so effectively. Basically, I didn't want to make a fool of myself. I just kept in mind that it's a casual conversation for listeners to get to know an author and what their book is about. I figured I could handle that!

The other side to my show is conducting interviews with individuals in the criminal justice system, such as police detectives, criminal psychologists, profilers, and other forensic personnel. I want to give listeners a little more insight into what forensic science and criminology is all about. The "real" deal. It's a big part of my life and I want to share it.

After I gave all of this some serious thought, I jumped in and began hosting Book & Crime Talk. It's one of those unexpected little surprises that presented itself to me. I hope you take some time to listen to some of my previously recorded shows or listen live to an upcoming show. I would love to hear from you.

Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Listings of soon to come shows and past shows are listed on the right side of the blog. Hope you enjoy the shows!

What Motivates Hero Jack Davis in My New Thriller Silent Partner?

"Silent Partner" guides readers into the world of police K9 investigations and into the mind of a monstrous serial killer. Young women are being targeted, kidnapped, tortured, and killed. This particular killer taunts police without any discernible forensic evidence and doesn't show any signs of stopping the rampage.
Your personal guide is hero Deputy Jack Davis , a strong willed, capable cop with a strong sense of right and wrong, who just happens to have a four-legged partner, Keno , as his back up. He learned some strong, valuable lessons as a young boy that translated to the heroic cop he is today.

~Deputy Jack Davis assessed the streets with an intense stare casually running his fingers through his dark military haircut. He investigated anything suspicious or out of place. The well-seasoned instincts of being a cop for the past ten years rarely failed him.
This night chilled the human autonomy. A serial killer hunted the streets, relentlessly looking for unsuspecting prey to heighten awareness and ease the constant craving. A searing need to fulfill a perverse destiny…"

"…Several sets of eyes reflected in the darkness from the harsh headlights, but they seemed to be more curious than wary of his presence. Nameless faces had seen him before, especially on extremely cold nights and holidays. At times, he felt like a dark knight coming to the aid of his homeless kingdom.
Jack dropped the cruiser into reverse, backed up, turned around, and disappeared onto the main street.
The headlights flashed ethereal shadows for two seconds and then vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
Once again, the alley turned to darkness.

Life on the force proves to be tough for Jack at times. Internal politics and growing hostility among some of the fellow officers makes work challenging. To make matters even more complicated, an old flame reemerged into Jack's life, but not without a price. She is accused of murdering her sister.

"Jack and his cover officers climbed the rickety back staircase to the third floor. The stairs creaked and groaned under their weight, but it didn't slow down their advance.
McPherson and Romero kept a watchful eye on the darkened windows they passed.
Avoiding an ambush, all three police officers used their flashlights to see what lurked in the darkness. They stepped purposefully, using an even balance of weight. Ready for anything and everything.
Keno kept his nose down and picked up a recent scent. His muscular neck expanded as he climbed the stairs effortlessly. He didn't need any extra illumination to see his target, his black coat turned him into an effective chameleon of darkness…"

Take a journey into Jack's world and look through his eyes. Try and guess who the serial killer is and what secrets they hold. "Silent Partner" gives you the opportunity to be an observer on an exciting ride along until the end.

Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot....
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Killer in California Declares Himself an "Animal"

I have written several blog posts about the horrific murder that shocked the entire nation, but particularly the San Diego area earlier this year. Seventeen-year-old Chelsea King was found murdered in a park after going for an afternoon jog. The man who confessed to her murder, John Gardner, also admitted to killing fourteen-year-old Amber DuBois more than a year earlier. In a new interview with 48 Hours Mystery , Gardner says that he will kill again if he is ever released from prison.
Gardner said , ""I am the type that needs to be locked up forever. I am an animal." He goes on to share that he fully expects for attempts to made on his life by other inmates, and would find death to be a release. Gardner goes so far as to say he hopes that he is attacked. He also mentioned that it is possible he will try to take his own life.
It is interesting Gardner seems to make the case that being killed would be a welcome ending, as he agreed to a plea deal that spared him the death penalty. I have to wonder why he chose to avoid a death at the hands of the state but now is almost asking for violence at the hands of his fellow criminals. This is yet another fascinating and disturbing glimpse into the mindset of a killer.
What do you think Gardner's motivation is for making these public statements to a television program? Is he just saying what he thinks the audience wants to hear? Or, it is pointless for me to try to place a rational explanation to the words of a man who would commit such horrific facts?

Lights… Camera… Action… Write Your Screenplay!

I've written ten screenplays in various genres, such as action, comedy, and drama. Screenwriting is a challenging and fun writing media. I can't recommend it enough for those of you who have been toying with the idea of writing for the big screen. If you've ever thought of an idea or storyline that would make a great movie, don't just stop there. Go for it!

I spent quite a bit of time reading various books and taking a class here and there. I honed my skills and put together my version of screenwriting building blocks to get a story from idea to a completed first draft. I taught a beginning screenwriting course online for a couple of years. I loved watching students work their ideas into a full-length screenplay. Anyone can do it!

My first love of writing is novels, but my experience in screenwriting has helped to compliment my fiction writing. Screenwriting teaches you to know your characters, plot, and pacing backwards and forwards. If you're writing an action or thriller, you have to know your story well and be able to tell it in a shorter period of time.

· Screenwriting is another skill to add to your writing arsenal.

· You can adapt an existing novel into a screenplay.

· Develop a story from scratch into a full-length screenplay.

My newest novel Silent Partner was originally a screenplay that I wrote about six years ago. I already had notes, outlines, and miscellaneous paperwork on the original story before I began writing the script. ALL of these notes were invaluable when I tackled the book project.

· I've designed a 10-step process to get your first draft of a full-length screenplay completed.

· You can learn the difference between logline and premise.

· Build two strong plot points and a conclusion to your screenplay.

I've written an ebook on How to Write a Screenplay. For more information, please go to the link listed below.

http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/2010/01/so-you-want-to-write-screenplay-but-now.html


Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer...

Being in the Company of Psychopaths Offers a Great Non-Fiction Winter Reading List

One of the most common questions I hear is what books would I recommend on psychopaths and criminal psychology. I have quite a variety of books that are readily available from my own personal bookshelf.

Keep in mind that these books are not a light read and not something that you will likely skim through quickly. These are great reference books that offer more insight into the criminal mind and also how professionals assess behaviors and crime scenes.

I find myself referring to these books for my fiction thrillers to add more realism to my serial killers. The titles that I've noted with an * are my absolute top picks. You can find these titles on Amazon, used or even at the library. It's worth your time if you're interested in criminal psychology and profiling, or if you're going to write about serial killers.

These are my top three favorite criminology and profiling textbooks:

*Criminal Profiling
Brent Turvey

*Crime Reconstruction
W. Jerry Chisum, Brent E. Turvey

*Forensic Criminology
Wayne A. Petherick, Brent E. Turvey, Claire E. Fergusun

I will be interviewing profiler and forensic scientist Brent Turvey on Book & Crime Talk this month! Tune in to find out what a "real" criminal profiler does and what he thinks about serial crime. It may surprise you.

These are paperbacks that offer some insight into the nuts and bolts of psychopathic individuals:

*The Psychopathic Mind: Origins, Dynamic, and Treatment
J. Reid Meloy

*Unmasking the Psychopath: Antisocial Personality and Related Syndromes
Edited by William H. Reid, Darwin Dorr, John I. Walker, and Jack W. Bonner, III

*Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us
Robert D. Hare, PhD

*Serial Killers
Joel Norris

These are good overall forensic and crime scene books:

*Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science
Richard Saferstein

*Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation
Ross M. Gardner

*Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation
Barry A. J. Fisher


Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist
Jennifer Chase's Current Novels:

*Compulsion

*Award Winning Dead Game

*Newly Released Silent Partner (out in Kindle Format and Paperback will be available mid-November

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Is Your Neighbor a Nuisance?

While all of the pundits spend today discussing the impact of the midterm elections and officially declaring the start of the 2012 presidential race , I thought that I would offer a slightly lighter topic for your reading pleasure today.

In my first novel, Compulsion , my readers are introduced to Emily Stone . She is a woman who takes it upon herself to follow and gather evidence against the perpetrators who are destroying her community. She takes all of her surveillance photos and other compelling proof to local law enforcement, and the rapists, pedophiles, and murderers have their day in court. Emily discovers, though, the threats may live even closer to her than she thinks when a neighbor's suspicious behavior captures her on-target instincts.

I thought of Emily's neighbor when coming across an article on CNN today entitled " How to Deal with Nuisance Neighbors." If a nuisance is all the person next to you proves to be, then certainly you are more fortunate than Emily Stone , but such neighbors are still frustrating.

The article shares advice concerning how to handle dog owners who let their pets bark all night or dig up your flowers (I promise my dogs are well-behaved and wonderful additions to the community), who have unkempt yards and clutter on the front porch, who borrow items from you and never return them, and other common neighborly problems . I imagine that at least one of the personalities described will sound familiar to you.

What are your recommendations for maintaining neighborly bliss with those around you? If you have had more serious problems in your community—perhaps even someone engaging in criminal activity—did you choose to get involved?

Fine-Tuning Your Survival Signal Awareness

It's true that you can deter a potentially dangerous situation by just being aware and conscious of your surroundings. Try to read between the lines. I've actually practiced this a few times. I find that if you're confident, aware, focused, use appropriate eye contact, and don't show any fear, you're many times more likely to avoid being targeted as a victim or to get caught up in something uncertain.

There are many books available that talk about how to use your survival signals to help protect us from violence. I wanted to share some highlights that I found interesting. I can't express enough that we need to pay attention to that "inner voice" alerting you to something that doesn't appear or feel right. Of course, this isn't always a potentially dangerous situation. It can be an uncomfortable or a high stress situation.

There are many messengers of intuition that are worthy of your attention. Stop and acknowledge them, think about what's behind these feelings.

Fear
Apprehension
Suspicion
Doubt
Gut feelings
Hunches
Curiosity
Anxiety
Wonder
Persistent thoughts
Nagging feelings

According to the book The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker, there are seven survival signals we need to be aware of when placed in uncertain, new, or potentially dangerous situations. Learn to look between the actions and pay close attention to your intuitions.

Forced Teaming

This technique is an effective way to manipulate a situation of premature trust, such as "we're in the same boat". The detectable signal of "forced teaming" is the projection of a shared experience.

Charm & Niceness

Think of charm, such as rapport, is having a motive. Now the difference between "charm" and "charming" can be a bit deceiving. Look behind the person's charm. Most of the time it will be harmless, but other times there can be a manipulation beneath it.

Too Many Details

It has been studied that when someone wants to deceive you, they give you too many details. Commonly, when people are telling the truth, they don't feel a need for extra details of a situation.

Typecasting

This involves a slight insult to warrant an easy refute. For example, a man stops a woman and says to her "You're probably too snobbish to talk to me", hoping to get a rebuttal response. A potential rapist or mugger wants to avert your attention from the situation.

Loan Sharking

This is classic example of someone using this technique that you owe them something, which makes it difficult to ask them to leave you alone. Criminals use this technique as the kindly stranger. Be aware and read between the intentions.

Unsolicited Promise

This is one of the most reliable signals where a stranger makes a promise and most likely has a questionable motive. Take a good look at the situation.

Discounting the Word "No"

This is a fairly self-explanatory technique to observe. If someone doesn't take "no" for answer, there is most likely another motivation involved.


Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

BREAKING NEWS: "Silent Partner" Is Now Available in Kindle Format!!!

" Silent Partner "



By Award Winning Author and Criminologist Jennifer Chase - is now available in



Kindle Format!



Kindle Price: $5.99 & includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet



Purchase yours today and have a "Great Read" for this weekend Here!





(Paperback Edition will follow sometime in November!)





Oh yes, also do not forget about Jennifer Chase's other Novels:

"Compulsion"

Award Winning "Dead Game"

(Both are available in Kindle and Paperback Format)