Cold Case In Ellyson

One of the main characters in my book, “Joe,” is loosely based on my partner who worked the streets with me when we were on the force. He is now with the FBI working white collar cyber crime. “Joe” was a very good officer – smart, fast, strong – that it surprises me he’s content […]

That’s right – a baseball game is so similar to police work, it’s scary…Think about it – moments of routine and boredom punctuated by seconds of chaos and drama. Maybe that’s why I love the game so much; I’m willing to invest the time to share in those flashes of excitement. I shared one of […]

Listening to Tim Tebow last night as he defended his first round pick to the Broncos, rather than savoring that moment for the pure joy of being an NFL drafteee, he had to answer questions about why him and why there. Bradford didn’t. Pouncey didn’t. Their moments of limelight were pure celebration. But Tim did […]

Driving home from an unsuccessful baseball tournament this weekend, my 13-year-old said to me that his teammate “acknowledged that he needs to work on…” Maybe I shouldn’t have been taken aback by his use of the word “acknowledged,” but I was. He’s a teen. He’s growing up. But the beautiful thing is that his language […]

I met with a group of ladies last night, a spirited bunch who had me giggling from beginning to end. They were my readers, full of great questions about the book, writing and police work. All but one were strangers to me in the beginning, and now none are. I shared in their enthusiasm for […]

Worn your bullet-proof vest lately? Probably not…At our department, we wore them on the job. The vests were low profile but definitely dense. Sitting at the ballpark (again) this weekend, feeling sweat drip down my back, I was reminded of a hot July night when I was pretty sure I was going to die. A […]

The director of the police academy I attended was one tough hombre. He really did scare me, probably because I was so out of my element there, but he was a make you or break you kind of man. Super smart, too. Witty with a deadpan delivery. I have already told you that I love […]

u never no what 2 expect. With the evolution of technology comes the destruction of language, and taking the greatest hit is spelling. I am one of the wacky ones who loved spelling, loved vocabulary, and clearly loved writing. But for those of you math wizzards or business people who never much cared for language, […]

My sons washed the car yesterday in Florida sun and warmth. The front bumper was splattered with 1300 miles of bugs and dust collected from our cross-state trip over spring break. My youngest asked me to see how well he cleaned the front with my “keen eyesight.” “Keen,” I asked? “Great word!” My 12-year-old is […]

We just left the Tampa Electric plant for a tour – not of the facility but of the creatures swimming in the waters surrounding the billowy stacks. In the colder months, manatees seek the shelter of warmer waters, and Tampa Electric has provided walkways, viewing areas and a museum free to the public. Not only […]