So what do two true crime/mystery authors talk about when we get together at a crime convention? Well, this may shock you but when Diane Fanning and I roomed together this past week in St. Louis, we weren't discussing autopsies, DNA, or forensic psychology (at least not all the time). Instead, we talked about writing, books, and how lucky we are to be living our dreams.
Why St. Louis? (more…)
Kathryn Casey
Mystery and True Crime Author
THE BOOKS! TAKE YOUR PICK!fiction
Click here to read the first chapter of my latest Sarah Armstrong mystery!
Fiction
Now available. The third Sarah Armstrong mystery, named one of the best books of 2010!
The second Sarah Armstrong mystery "a strong sequel," says BOOKLIST, now available in stores and on the Web!
the first in the Sarah Armstrong mystery series, BOOKLIST MAGAZINE picked SINGULARITY as one of the Best Crime Novel Debuts of 2009!
True Crime
A minister, his mistress, and a heartless Texas murder (Coming 2012)
A mother's love, a husband's betrayal, and a cold-blooded Texas murder
An Altar Boy, a Cheerleader, and a Twisted Texas Murder.
Murder, Revenge and Two Texas Sisters.
Sex, Murder, and a Texas Millionaire
Obsession, Lies, and a Killer Cop
Seen on Oprah! A courageous woman married to a dangerous psychopath.
Click below for discussion questions:
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My Favorite Recipes: Crawfish EtouffeeSeptember 4, 2011
Today I made one of my favorite recipes, and it turned out so well, I thought it would be fun to share the recipe. I can't take credit for it. This recipe for crayfish etouffee came from a friend in Louisiana.
Ingredients: 1/4 pound butter (more…) It's official: All Four True Crime Shorts Are Now AvailableAugust 22, 2011
It's been a busy summer, but all four of my true crime shorts are now available on Kindle and Nook. This has been a real labor of love. I covered these cases back in the Eighties and Nineties, as a magazine writer. They're fascinating studies of the dark side of human nature, and I've never been able to forget any of them. Now with ebooks, I've been able to resurrect my best work and make it available once again to readers.
So take a look at the newsletter for a run down, or click on the ebook link at the top. Either way you'll end up on a page that will give you a brief synopsis of each of the ebooks. After you've read them, I'd love to hear from you. Post in the guestbook or email, let me know what you think happened in each case. Do you believe Hurley Fontenot shot Bill "Mac" Fleming because (more…) One Little Girl: Caylee Anthony and why we careJune 23, 2011
Lately, I've had a hard time concentrating on work. I keep wondering what the heck is going on in Florida.
Of course, you all know what I'm talking about. I'd bet the majority of folks in the U.S. have at least heard of the tragic death of two-year-old Caylee Anthony. We first learned in July 2008 that this precious child was missing, when her grandmother, Cindy, called police, saying Caylee hadn't been seen in a month. For the past three years, we've been mesmerized by the search for the child, the discovery of her body, and the bizarre behavior of Casey, little Caylee's mom. Now our attention has turned to the courtroom drama as Casey is tried for her daughter's murder. A guilty verdict could bring the death penalty. Apparently I'm not the only one (more…) Relief: Finally finishedMay 3, 2011 
I admit it: there were times I thought I'd never finish! I've spent 17 months on this book, and it's one of the most difficult I've written. There were so many setbacks! At first hardly anyone wanted me to write the book. I found out later that they had their reasons, and I understood. Eventually, I think they realized that someone was going to write a book on this case and that I would work hard and do my best. By the end, nearly everyone on all sides of the case talked to me. A few months back, I even drove north to Livingston, TX, and interviewed Matt Baker in prison. It's been a long (more…) True Crime Writing 101 -- Part twoApril 5, 2011
Last week my post addressed those of you who envision yourselves writing true crime books. If I didn't dissuade you from that endeavor, let's take this a step further.
Now that you've decided you're up for the research and the seclusion of sitting at your computer day after day, the first thing you have to do is pick which case to cover. I bet that sounds easy. In a sense, unfortunately, it is. There never seems to be a dearth of sensational murders in America, perhaps the world. That's a bad thing, obviously. Unfortunately, we can't change the reality that murders do happen. We're just reporting what's already taken place. So let's talk about how to pick (more…) True Crime Writing 101 -- Part OneMarch 31, 2011
I get a lot of emails from people who want to become true crime authors. Since I've been covering sensational cases for a quarter of a century - boy does that make me sound old - I've had quite a few experiences. As you may suspect, I can't answer everyone's questions in depth individually, so I've decided to tackle the subject here.
From here on out, I have my true crime not my mystery hat on, and I'm addressing those of you who want to write true crime. First: Let's be honest; is this what you truly want? True crime writing isn't for the most part booksignings and giving interviews. Most of it's not particularly glamorous. And it's not easy. It's not simply a matter of showing up at a trial and writing a synopsis of the events, not if you want to do it well. Many jobs are tough, and I don't mean to minimize how hard we all work at our professions. I truly don't. But I'm under the impression that some believe true crime writing is a piece of cake. Maybe I'm a bit slow, but that's not my experience. I do go to the trials, and that's part of it, but for each book, I interview (more…) Throw away the keyMarch 7, 2011
I read an article today about the man suspected of being the East Coast rapist, Aaron Thomas. According to police, he's assaulted seventeen women, beginning in 1997, in Connecticut, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Maryland. His bail is set at $1.5 million
Thomas has reportedly made incriminating statements to police, and a prosecutor has said that Thomas displayed a Jekyll and Hyde personality with women. "Why haven't you picked me up sooner?" he taunted police when he was arrested. The case they're going after Thomas for is one in which he's accused of breaking into a woman's bedroom and assaulting her while her 4-month-old baby (more…) A Big Day!March 1, 2011 
My dad blowing out his birthday candles.
Now this is exciting, and years in the making. Yesterday, my dad, Nicholas, turned 90. Can you imagine? Ninety! Something struck me while I was talking to him. He said, "Boy, the world has really changed since I was born." My dad was born in the family home, on 17th Street, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1921. The family didn't yet have a car, only rich folks were born in hospitals, and television had a few decades before it made an appearance in most homes. That seems like a long time ago, I know. But the truth is that life is short, too short. Unfortunately, for many of the people I write about it's way too short, as they fall victim to violent crime. But even 90 years is a brief interlude here on earth. Our old planet spins so quickly, the years ticking by. It's true that there's nothing we can do to slow it down. Yet, there is something we can do to make our time (more…) What people ask me....February 21, 2011
I just finished filling in some upcoming events on my calendar, and I've been doing phone-in discussions with book clubs. It's a lot of fun for me and, I believe, for the club members. I get to hear their theories on the true crime cases I cover and the plots and characters in my mysteries; the readers ask questions and hear the stories behind the books. So it's a win-win situation, at least from my perspective.
Over the years, I've found that when I talk to groups there are some questions that nearly always get asked. One is: What's it like to interview someone who's committed a brutal murder? Well, I've been doing that for a very long time. I started out visiting prisons when I worked for magazines in the Eighties and Nineties. In fact, I have a Rolling Stone article out on Kindle right now called Blues & Bad Blood. The cost is a whopping $0.99. At 6,000 words, it's always been one of my favorite magazine pieces. I think it's the mix of music and murder that makes the case so fascinating. When I worked on that particular case, I traveled Texas over a period of two weeks interviewing four men convicted of two horrible murders, (more…) |
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