From 7Brands, Inc. a list of the those books that via for title of the “World’s Most Translated Books”
SNEAK PEEK: Reader’s Entertainment Radio Presents: Altonya Washington
Thursday, March 12th at 6pm EST, Reader’s Entertainment Radio welcomes Award Winning Romance Author, Altonya Washington. AlTonya has been a romance novelist for over ten years. She’s been nominated for numerous awards and is the winner of two Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Awards for her novels “Finding Love Again” and “His Texas Touch”. She began her writing career with BET’s Arabesque imprint and now writes traditionally for Harlequin’s Kimani Romance line. Under the pen name T. Onyx she crafts erotica and plans to release a new title in the genre next year. AlTonya hopes to round out 2015 with the release of “A Lover’s Return” the 19th title in her popular Ramsey/Tesano Series. We’ll discuss Embrace My Heart, the latest novel in her Kimani Hotties series.
Book Blurb:
Is she ready to trust again?
All of the delights and none of the drama—that’s what heiress and gallery owner Vectra Bauer wants from her fling with Qasim Wilder. The gorgeous financial adviser has been Vectra’s platonic friend, but now, after the end of her last painful relationship, she’s ready to take a small risk and open her heart.
Settling for a little of anything isn’t Sim’s ideal. Possessive by nature, he makes no secret of how much he wants Vectra. And he can’t understand why she’s hiding from their intense connection that’s way more than just physical. The man who always gets what he wants is embracing his biggest challenge yet: to make the woman he adores believe in love once more…
Click on the image above to get info on Altonya’s upcoming interview!
SNEAK PEEK: Need Me by Shelley K Wall
Aspiring journalist Caroline Sanders doesn’t have time for frat parties and college keggers—not even when the gorgeous Roger Freeman climbs into her car unexpectedly one night on campus. The two are inexplicably drawn together but when Caroline’s offered a prestigious internship that could lead to a job at The New York Times, she leaves Roger behind for more serious prospects. Six years later, back home and starting a new career as a florist, she’s shocked to run into Roger again. He’s never forgotten the girl who left him to find herself, though he’s certainly tried. As the two begin seeing each other and grow closer, he finds it impossible to resist falling for her once more. What he doesn’t know is that Caroline’s life over the last few years has been filled with tragedy, and the adventurous and exciting woman he remembers is all but gone. Is Roger ready to risk his heart again, and is Caroline ready to trust him with her story?
Excerpt:
Caroline Sanders sat in her silver-bullet gray Land Rover outside frat house row. She loved the way the buildings looked—so clean and perfectly manicured. Sure, the frat boys inside were party animals bent on throwing their parents into financial ruin while they drank, chased girls, and studied-slash-cheated their way to fancy degrees. Tonight was no exception. The red traffic light glared at her while rap music blared from the house to her right. Geeze, a party on a Thursday night? Don’t they have exams like the rest of us?
She’d just finished one of the many photography gigs that helped pay the bills while she pursued that elusive journalism degree. The traffic light switched to green, but just as she moved her foot to the gas pedal, her passenger door flew open and a bulky frame dropped into her seat. Was she getting carjacked?
“Go. Go. Come on, the light’s green.” The panicked student-looking carjacker shoved the dash as if to propel them forward.
Caroline didn’t budge. She took in the wavy, brown hair that fell over chocolate eyes, the dimpled face that gave away a propensity to laugh regardless of his current fear. He didn’t look like a criminal. His clothes were clean, though tattered, and he held a can of something in his hand. Not beer. She glanced at his gold fingers. Spray paint?
She lifted a brow then looked behind him. On the trunk of the tree in the front yard of the beautiful house was a haphazard drawing in gold—of a kid whizzing on the tree. How childish. “You did not just do that. What are you, twelve?”
Footsteps thundered toward the car. “You’d better hit the gas unless you want to get blamed, too.” The guy reached a foot over the console and slammed his flip-flop-clad toes over hers.
Against her will, she sped through the light. He kept his foot in place. No chance of turning at the current speed. Another green light accommodated their escape.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed half a dozen preppies standing in the street watching their taillights. Gulp. They probably had memorized her plate number.
“You realize you just made me an accomplice to whatever happened back there. Please tell me I won’t be tracked down for vandalism.”
The guy gave her a quick preview of the dimpled smile he probably used frequently. “Don’t worry, I painted over your license plate before I got in the car. You’re safe.”
Oh, that’s comforting.
He returned his leg to the passenger seat and glanced out the window. “You can pull over up there and drop me off. My house is a couple blocks away.”
Caroline shook her head. “No way. You jump in my car after doing … whatever you did back there … and my car is probably the only thing all those guys remember. Plus there’s gold paint on my license plate that just happens to match the crime scene—”
“There’s no crime … or at least nothing serious. You’ve read too many spy novels. That was payback. Besides, they won’t report anything because they don’t want us to report them.” He rolled the window down. As they passed the lake in front of the student union, he flung the can out hard. Splash.
“Yes, and you just tossed the only thing that linked you to the artwork you left behind. Now my gold-enhanced license plate makes things even worse. No sir, I am not taking you all the way home. Better yet, why don’t I just circle around and drop you right back where I found you?”
The dimples went still. “You wouldn’t do that, would you? They’d beat both of us into oblivion.”
She gave him a look of intimidation. “Not me. I’d just tell the truth. You, on the other hand, would be in deep shit.”
His Adam’s apple lunged. Was her ruse working? He sighed. “Something tells me you’d get a kick out of that—watching me get schooled.” He closed the window.
Using her best crazy eyes, she nodded. “You have no idea.”
“Okay, turn up there.” He pointed at a stop sign.
Caroline listened as the guy gave her directions to his home—which wasn’t really a home. It was another frat house. Great. He’d pulled her into some sort of fraternity rivalry. It was her senior year, and she’d managed to get this far without any huge explosion. Now this.
“You live here? Seriously?”
“No. I live off campus, but I’m a member. I figured you’d want to know what it was all about. Come on.” He stepped out of the car and slammed the door.
Should she follow? Part of her wanted to just hit the gas and leave. Remember the gold paint on your car? He should at least clean up his mess. He was halfway up the drive by now, but Caroline remained in the car. “Why should I follow you into that den of sweaty socks and dried beer?” she called out the open window.
About the Author:
Shelley K. Wall was born near Kansas City, the middle daughter of three. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with additional post graduate work there and at the University of Wyoming extension in Casper. She also holds a length career in Information Technology.
Her first release, Numbers Never Lie, debuted in 2012 and was an Amazon Bestseller. Other titles include Bring It On(2012), The Designated Drivers’ Club(2012), Flood Flash and Pheromones(2013), Chloe’s Secret(2013), Text Me(2014), and her latest release Find Me.
Shelley enjoys writing characters that deal with drama in a humorous way, situations that are believable even if intense, heroes and heroines that aren’t perfect, and villains that may have an inkling of redemption hidden away.
Website: http://shelleykwall.com
Blog: http://shelleykwall.wordpress.com
Twitter: @skwallbooks
SNEEK PEEK: Baer Facts by Jocie McKade
Baer Facts is the third book in the Three Bears Series releases this week with more romance and comedy in Sentinel, Wyoming.
Matt Baer has just been elected the new sheriff of Sentinel, Wyoming. Matt is a man that wants to shake his past, a past that included Ben Childers – the most hated man in the county. Starting a new life with the new job should have been easy — hand out a few speeding tickets, deal with the occasional petty theft, or a few underage teenagers drinking – a pretty calm job. Matt was all set to be a 21st century Andy Taylor in a western version of Mayberry.
Then he found himself in a deserted parking lot with a sword at the back of his neck.
Callenda Smith was dropped into Sentinel by the U.S. Marshal’s as part of the Witness Protection Program. She is a ragin’ Cajun with a fiery temper, and a sister that needs duct taped to a chair to keep her out of trouble and a Russian mob hot off her trail.
Russian mobsters, naked dancers, an overprotective ferret, and two people with very jaded hearts find themselves targeted for very different reasons. Once the dust settles, they just might find their Mayberry.
Excerpt:
Sheriff Matt Baer had only taken two steps toward McIvey’s Cafe when the jab of a blade pricked his neck.
His gun, radio, hell, even his pepper spray were in a lock-box in the back of the Expedition. That was a mistake he’d never make again – if he lived through this. Lesson learned, there is no such thing as “off-duty” for a small town sheriff.
The tip of the blade poked into the nape of his neck. The assailant had to be at least six-foot-four or five. Matt was slightly under six-four, so any man capable of putting a knife blade at his neck had to be as tall if not taller. This was looking grimmer by the minute.
“Pervert, I want your arms up and your hands open.”
The pretty, feminine voice sounded pissed. Damn, a six-foot-four inch woman with a blade to his neck, calling him a pervert – this just kept going from bad to worse. Matt tried to glance behind him, but The blade pushed harder against his neck.
“Don’t underestimate my talent with this blade.”
Did he detect an accent? He put his hands in the air. “Ma’am.” He tried to remain calm, which with the way his knees were shaking wasn’t easy. “I am a law enforcement officer.” He swallowed hard. “Do you know what the jail time is for threatening an officer?”
“Not nearly as long as for killing one, I’m sure.” The blade pushed harder. His hands went higher.
Matt scanned the nearly deserted parking lot. He’d worked later than planned, as usual. Now, it was eight o’clock at night, other diners had left, and McIvey’s was near closing time. He was completely on his own.
“Move to the front of the car,” she ordered.
Matt took a step toward the front of the Expedition.
“Now, pervert, I want to know why you’re stalking my sister?”
He started to turn, she pushed the blade deep enough to make him wince with pain.
“Pervert? Stalking? Lady, I don’t know who you think I am or what you think I’ve done, but I’m damn sure no stalker.”
“So, just a pervert, huh?”
The pressure of her blade relented just enough for Matt to lunge head first across the hood. He heard a rip. The blade sliced through the back of his shirt. Damn, what kind of knife did this woman have?
His lungs nearly collapsed from the impact against the hood. His head slid over the bumper, and he landed on his side in the gravel. Hugging the right front driver tire, unsure if the woman might have a gun too.
Psst! He heard air escaping. Psst! Damn, she was slitting his tires. The woman was a freakin’ socio-path. His heart raced as he looked around the lot, trying to find an escape route.
The tires sounded like dueling hot air balloons falling from the sky.
“You can’t hide pervert,” she yelled.
“Lady, you’re nuts.” That was the best he could come up with? He really did suck as a cop.
Matt Baer wasn’t going to allow some knife welding, female wrestler with a thyroid problem to intimidate him. He was the sheriff, damn it.
Reaching up to the passenger door handle, he pulled. Locked. Lifting his head slightly, he peered through the glass. In the pitch black night, he saw nothing except the faint neon of the McIvey’s open sign. Where had she gone? A woman that big couldn’t hide easily.
He stayed crouched low, using the car for protection. It was a late summer evening, the mountain air just slightly crisp. Crickets and coyotes sounded in the distance; only the gravel under his cowboy boots sounded close.
Coming back toward the front of the car, he grabbed the only weapon he could find: a handful of gravel from the parking lot. Instead of lobbing the gravel into the distance, he remembered his brother Joe’s advice: “most people don’t expect anything to be right in front of them.” With a quiet, gentle arc, he lobbed gravel toward the trunk of the cruiser.
The gravel shifted next to the driver’s door. Good, she didn’t know where he was either. The unexpected flash of headlights showered across the parking lot from a passing car. For a full ten seconds he saw her, and her sword. Sword?
Although the woman wasn’t the hulking, steroid enraged wrestler he’d pictured, she was damned frightening, looking like a medieval sorceress. Roughly five-foot-five, she looked more like a marathon runner – long, lean, and athletic. She wore a billowy kind of outfit, and it looked like she sported a leather bustier, a fact he found oddly attractive.
In her right hand she waved a long, lethal looking sword that could’ve rivaled the fabled Excalibur, and held it pointed directly outward from her. Only her eyes moved, flashing toward the oncoming headlights.
His first assessment had been right, she was obviously nuts. Only a nut would be brandishing a sword dressed like Zena in the middle of Wyoming.
Matt knew he had about one split second to take her down before she used that sword to slice him to pieces.
He lunged forward, using his full body weight to slam into her, taking her down. The sword sailed out of her hand, the air expelled out of her lungs, and he fell solidly on top of her, pinning her to the ground.
Her knees made contact with his ribs. He let out an ugly grunt. His ribs hadn’t been hurt that bad since a newly neutered bull had slammed him into the wall of a barn. The woman’s legs were like iron.
It took all his strength to keep her pinned. His knees hurt as the gravel tore into them, blood oozed from his elbows trickling down his arm; his shirt now hung open exposing his back, and his groin, well it had a mind of its own. Coming in contact with that tight feminine body, with all her assets pushed up and almost out of that corset top, there wasn’t much he could do to control things.
If he hadn’t slammed her hard to the ground, this woman would have thrown him off and sliced him like a fresh watermelon. Assuming he survived this encounter, he was going to start heading to the gym, daily.
The headlights stopped, resting on the two of them. Matt looked up, feeling an awful lot like an alley cat being a nuisance on someone’s front porch, wondering if the garden hose was going to be turned on them.
The car door opened and a pair of shiny new cowboy boots stopped beside them.
The woman kept fighting, and began cussing him in some unknown tongue. He might not know have known the language, but he knew cussing in any language when he heard it.
For being rather small, the amazingly strong woman had the stamina of a Brahma bull. Matt’s shoulders burned like hell-fire as he struggled to keep his hold on her. Damn, he really hoped whoever wore those boots wasn’t her accomplice, or he was a dead man.
About the Author:
Jocie McKade is an Amazon bestselling author, a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous national publications and she writes for several online sites. She lives on what she affectionately (most days it’s affectionate, some days, not so much) calls Dust Bunny Farm. Knocking back a water-tower sized Yerbe Matte tea, with Diesel the Wonder Dog warming her feet, she crafts stories while watching ArnoldSwartzaweeds grow with impunity in her garden.
You can give Jocie a holler at her website or at:
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Barnes & Noble 2014 Discovery Awards Winners
Each year, for the last twenty-five years, bookseller Barnes & Noble enlists the aid of several literary judges to help find the best new authors. This year, Sheri Holman, the author of the national bestseller and Discover Great New Writers selection The Dress Lodger; author Pagan Kennedy, a former columnist for the New York Times Magazine; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and novelist Héctor Tobar, have selected the final winners from a group of outstanding new authors.
The Winners Are:
For Fiction
All the Birds, Singing is the story of a woman who is haunted by her past and will do anything to escape it. An evocative setting, sinister undertones, and stunning prose make this novel absorbing and memorable. Chris Adrian calls Wyld’s book “a vessel masterfully shaped to hold its many beautiful and terrifying surprises.” Wrote Anne Cherian, “The sheer power of Evie Wyld’s writing pulls us into a world of shifting landscapes and time.”
2nd Place
The UnAmericans
Molly Antopol
A collection of breathtaking short stories about assimilation and dislocation, longing and belonging. These characters pulse with loneliness and denial, desire and expectation, and so we follow their stories — rooting for some, testing our compassion for others — as we would our own. Read what our judges have to say here.
3rd Place
Elegy on Kinderklavier
Arna Bontemps Hemenway
Suffused with compassion and razor-sharp, these ambitious short stories explore the effects of battlefields – some emotional, some resolutely physical – on humanity. Hemenway illuminates the inner working of his characters in settings ranging from the commonplace to the otherworldly, and the results are unforgettable. Read what our judges have to say here.
For Nonfiction
Badluck Way is a fascinating account of the author’s time spent on a ranch in Montana where he builds fences, cares for cattle, and finds himself hunting down the wolves who attack his herd. Pagan Kennedy calls it “a spare and beautiful memoir,” and Malcolm Jones says, “It’s a tough book about a tough subject, but it’s also great storytelling: your first inclination upon finishing it is to begin it again.” Read more from our judges here.
2nd Place
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Caitlin Doughty
With humor and compassion, a young licensed mortician demystifies the topic that none of us can avoid. Our nonfiction judges describe Smoke Gets in Your Eyes as a “pitch-perfect meditation,” “hilarious and thought-provoking,” and, pardon the pun, “dead-on smart.” Read more from our judges here.
3rd Place
Untamed
Will Harlan
As much a study of a changing community and all its inhabitants – human and animal – as it is a biography of a fearless, self-taught scientist (who knows more about sea turtles than most experts) and the lengths she’ll go to protect what she believes in. Read more from our judges on this “beautiful paradox of a book.”
Harlequin Blaze Editor Johanna Raisanen Talks #BlazeBlitz
Right now as I’m writing this blog entry, it is a frigid -15 °C outside and I have a little space heater valiantly pushing warm air around my office. So what better time to read hot, sexy stories from Harlequin Blaze?
When I get comfy in my nice big armchair with a cup of tea close at hand, I like to read books with heroes who are confident and sexy and, well, heroic. I don’t want too much realism. We all know guys who tell gross jokes or refuse to clean their bathrooms, so reading about them kind of ruins the mood, you know? I like a hero who has a bit of an edge and is tough enough to protect the woman he loves. Oh, and he has a sense of humor, too. The perfect man, right? Well, he doesn’t have to be perfect; he can have flaws and vulnerabilities, and this is what makes him seem attainable.
Blaze heroes are contemporary men who have a lot of my favorite qualities. (Which makes my job so much fun!) I’m a sucker for the law enforcement/firefighter stories, because these guys are heroes in real life, too. I’m also drawn to the cowboy hero. There’s 
something about a man who can fill out a pair of well-worn jeans!
And while Harlequin Blaze is the sexiest of our contemporary lines, these stories are still romances. There’s a strong emotional connection between the characters I love. They’re definitely R-rated, but they don’t venture into the realm of erotica.
If anyone is thinking “I’d like to write one of those stories,” you’re in luck! The editorial team is having a Blaze Blitz! The submission campaign #BlazeBlitz runs from March 2nd to March 16th. We’re asking for a full synopsis (4-6 pages) and first chapter (up to 20 pages) for each submission, and we’ll provide editorial feedback and a quick response time for every sexy contemporary romance submission we receive 
during the Blitz. Here is the link for more information: https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit/39471
So, for those long, cold winter days, settle in with a nice cup of tea and curl up with a sexy Blaze hero—and I’m sure he’ll warm you up in no time!
Happy reading!
Johanna Raisanen
Reader’s Entertainment Radio Presents: Abbi Glines
#1 New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Abbi Glines isn’t afraid to take chances and be daring. In fact, her Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys series, and the Existence trilogy continue to excite new adult readers everywhere. It was a pleasure speaking with her this evening about her upcoming novel, When I’m Gone: A Rosemary Beach Novel (The Rosemary Beach Series), which will be released in April 2015. Readers will meet Mase Colt-Manning, a Texas heartthrob first introduced in Take a Chance who comes to Rosemary Beach to stir things up!
Book Blurb:
I had an urge to fix all her problems. Which was stupid. She was doing fine without me. But something about those big eyes…
Mase Colt-Manning has always preferred his humble life as a Texas rancher to his birthright as the son of a legendary rock star. In fact, he rarely visits his father’s rarefied world in Rosemary Beach, especially if it means bunking at his vile half-sister Nan’s house—until one visit leads to a chance encounter with a young, gorgeous house maid who awakens him with her off-key but spirited imitation of a country music star…
Reese Ellis finally has her freedom. After escaping a lifetime of abuse from her parents and classmates for an undiagnosed learning disorder, she seizes the opportunity to be a house maid to some of the richest families in Rosemary Beach. But her job is in jeopardy when she causes an accident at the home of her most important client, Nan Dillon. When a hot, half-naked stranger with a cowboy’s swagger comes to her rescue, she’s intrigued—then afraid once he shows his own interest. Reese has never met a trustworthy man in her life. Will Mase be any different?
Click on the book cover image above to listen to the podcast!
Connect with Abbi Glines on Social Media:
www.abbiglines.com
https://www.facebook.com/abbiglinesauthor
Great New Adult Romance!
Miya’s Assault Book Review
Miya’s Assault is the beginning of a space opera geared for action, adventure and thoughtful storytelling. Author Fred D. Shutts starts this first novel in his Black Watch Chronicles series with high adventure, life-or-death action and characters you’ll think about long after the last page.
It’s the distant future and Sorrow Earth looks for heroes among those with superhuman abilities, super science, courage and honor. The crew of the Typhoon are close reminding me of great teams like those on Firefly, Battlestar Galactica or Farscape. You become interested, not just in their missions, but in their lives. They find a pod with the last remaining Neko warrior still alive. Miya is part cat and part human, and all fighting-machine. She is taken in by the team and becomes part of the family.
This book is a non-stop action/adventure with strong characters and great fight scenes. Shutts’ world-building is a canvas of science fiction awesomeness!
Fred D. Shutts Talks Sorrow Earth
So why Sorrow Earth?
I’ve been asked how I came up with the world of “Sorrow Earth” a few times. I had to sit back and think about this because chronology of events is not necessarily clear. This world I put together only began to solidify in the last two and a half years. So I never really had given much too any thought about how it came together till I wrote this very article.
The easiest place to start is what my influences are as a writer. These are the first authors in science fiction and fantasy I ever read. Among them are; Keith Laumer, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, David Drake, and Anne McCaffrey. I enjoyed many more but these really stick out in my mind. In those stories I rode aboard massive self aware battle tanks and watched as worlds burned. I watched the discovery of an animal remarkably like a dragon that was bred to become a very real fire breathing dragon. I watched gods muck about in mortal affairs, and heroes fight and die for what really counted. And I watched as a woman with a cat becomes the best naval officer imaginable.
Then I discovered anime; it was love at first sight. I can’t really pin down exactly who influenced me in that wonderful pile of awesome. Giant robots, epic battles between god like martial artists, and art that made my heart flutter. And to this day I still watch, and I laugh, I cry and I cheer following series that go two hundred episodes and more. Still look forward to the next week’s episode. Most importantly in regards to my very young universe; I discovered Nekos.
Nekos are barely restrained balls of fury and mischief and they always make me smile. Nekos are hybrid creatures usually consisting of a person with cat like features (tails, and their ears on top of their head) and the abilities and sometimes short comings of a cat (fast, agile, strong, in addition to being silly and air headed sometimes). I instantly liked them and rank them right up there with elves, dwarves, and dragons. Now with the back ground set up let’s move on to the birth of Sorrow Earth.
Like many creations this started out with bored people with zilch to do; with way too much time on their hands. I looked at my good friend Dustin and said, “Wouldn’t be cool to do an American take on Anime.”
Dustin replied, “Would be cool but way more money than we could ever generate.”
This led to a discussion on the subject that ended with us drinking a couple beers, him leaving still chuckling, and me falling asleep with visions of an epic cartoon playing out in my head. The next day however I had really began to think on the subject. I knew it would be way too expensive to do an animated series, but what about audio drama? I had a new interest in this form of media driven by a lot of recent works that I had heard.
Then about two and a half years ago I began to spin Sorrow Earth in my head. But how did I come up with this world? It’s actually pretty simple. I had become tired of universes full of hopelessness where human kind was dying out because of (insert horrible disaster here) had ruined everything. But I still liked the whole cataclysm idea. So what if you had the disaster, but instead of falling into the stone age, humanity put in the effort and heart to fix their world and become better for it.
So Sorrow Earth and the city-state of Sorovaste were born. But what would I fill them with? Well fill them with heroes of course! I had always loved stories in which a hero from the past comes back to set things right sometime in that hero’s future. I thought about that for a while and came up with Miya. Instead of a shining knight I would have the last of an entire species bred for war; a human cat hybrid called a Neko-Soldier! Then came the Black Watch, which was inspired by a British military unit. If you get a chance after you read this look the Black Watch up, they are really interesting.
So over time I began piecing a story together and building characters to populate it with. I had attempted to write a book before but lost interest and moved on. But with this I jumped head first into writing a script. And building a story bible that is so big it takes up, count it…, two, three inch binders. Then an unexpected event happened that changed my whole plan, and to a lesser existent, my life.
I had entered a contest months before. The prize was a publishing package, and I received an email that informed me that I had won. I was astounded and almost but not quite bounced. But what would I write? I went through lots of stuff over the next couple of days looking for the right thing to write about. Then looked on my desk and saw the story bible for the Black Watch Chronicles, and I had it, and why not there was a ton of stuff there and a passion. I have no idea why I didn’t think of it on the spot. But I’ve heard a saying that the best place to hide something from someone is right in front of them.
As far as the characters, sans Miya, every one of them is based on a friend’s personality. Miya was created out of an amalgam of different ideas and people; Big Cat is her own woman. And as I wrote I revised my story bible, and the story has grown and matured into something that I’m very proud of.
So there you have it. This was not glamorous or earth shattering just an evolution of an idea, bringing me a lot of joy. And I hope you will enjoy reading Miya’s Assault, and hopefully many more tales to come.
Guest Blogger: Fred D. Shutts author of Miya’s Assault.
The Serial Effect: What New Discussions are Being Sparked by the Groundbreaking Podcast?
The Serial Effect: What New Discussions are Being Sparked by the Groundbreaking Podcast?
by Brooke Chaplan
The wildly popular podcast “Serial” has sparked a host of conversations on a wide range of topics on nearly every social media platform. And the state of our criminal justice system is at the top of the list. Each of the separate elements that constitute the whole of the criminal justice system is addressed by the series. These elements include procedures for the collection of evidence, jury selection, the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, the level of competence of attorneys, and the role of human relationships in determining motive.
Participation
“Serial” has increased the public’s interest, and participation in the criminal justice system. People with no personal experience with the justice system are now, perhaps for the first time, examining the many ways in which it affects their own lives, if only indirectly. The recent public protests surrounding investigations into police misconduct only served to increase its popularity. Many felt that these investigations were not nearly thorough enough. It has even spawned more applicants for University of Florida criminology degrees online, showing the public interest is growing in this messy part of government.
Hunger For Justice
The testimony of Jay, the key witness in the state’s case against Adnan Syed, revealed that fear of the police was, at least in part, what motivated his silence, and consequent participation in the crime. This series partially satisfied the public’s current hunger for truth and justice by thoroughly investigating a criminal case from every possible angle.
The Power of Podcasts
Another of the most discussed topics is the potential power of pod-casting to create meaningful dialogue leading to positive social change. There is even a complete web series dedicated to examination of the role of historical narrative in creating a collective perception of social reality. After “Serial” demonstrated the potential power of pod-casting to reach millions of people, another podcast called “Coptalk” was released through the EarWolf Podcast Network in December. This podcast features a candid interview by comedian W. Kamau Bell with retired police officer Anthony Escbar on the subject of policing within the criminal justice system.
Positive Changes
Much of the social dialogue surrounding “Serial” has consisted of people playing amateur sleuth and offering their considered opinions regarding the relevance of new evidence presented each episode. Though this dialogue has served as motivation for police forces to open up channels for meaningful dialogue with the public as well. There has been an increase in the number of police blogs and podcasts that encourage interaction with the public by providing forums in which people can ask questions or present concerns.
With time we may be able to see more influences that have come out of this podcast and what changes are being brought about by the discussions that have come out of the series.
About Brooke:
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance blogger and recent graduate of the University of New Mexico. She now lives in Los Lunas where she writes and researches when she’s not outside running, hiking and biking. Contact Brooke on LinkedIn.
