After 17 Years, Mary Jo Buttafuoco Breaks Her Silence
 

Mary Jo Buttafuoco's anonymous life as a suburban wife and mother in sleepy Massapequa, New York, ended in May 1992, when she was shot in the head on her own front porch. The "Long Island Lolita" saga sparked a media frenzy that continues to this day. As the years passed Mary Jo steadfastly stood by her man, Joey Buttafuoco, and while he and Amy Fisher continued to make headlines, one question lingered in the minds of people everywhere: Why did she stay for so long?

In Getting It Through My Thick Skull, Mary Jo finally answers that question fully and convincingly. The answer is simple, yet it took almost three decades of turmoil to discover for herself-she was married to a sociopath. Using her tragic and triumphant life lessons and never-before-told accounts of life with Joey, Mary Jo helps readers understand sociopathic behavior and the emotional traps they spring on willing partners, and offers hope and help for the millions of people caught in the cycle of toxic relationships.

In addition, readers will meet a new-and-improved Mary Jo, confident and at peace with her new life and will be inspired by her comeback-a true reclamation and recreation of her life from the inside out. Through private details of the resiliency and rebuilding she has forged over the past seventeen years, Mary Jo shares for the first time: her addiction to painkillers, and her recovery through the Betty Ford Center; her overdue decision to leave Joey and start over again in California-3,000 miles from her support system; how she took control of her physical, spiritual, and emotional health, and learned to feel attractive and in control again; her highly controversial forgiveness of Amy Fisher; the letters she received from both Amy and Joey, and her reactions to both; how she found the courage to trust, believe, and find hope in a committed relationship once again; the details of the new love in her life and the joys and challenges of raising a Brady-Bunch-style family.


Fringe Dweller On The Night Shift - True Stories FromAn Afterlife Paramedic
 


 

Blindsided: Surviving a Grizzly Attack and Still Loving the Great Bear
 

By Jim Cole with Tim Vandehey
Spring, 2010
St. Martin's Press
Editor: Daniela Rapp
Rights sold: North American hardcover

In 1990, Jim Cole turned his back on a multi-million dollar real estate career, took his nest egg, moved to Montana and dropped out of the rat race to devote himself to his first love: the grizzly bear. As a wildlife photographer and largely self-taught expert in the behavior of America's largest predator, Jim regularly places himself into situations that might give a less-intrepid outdoorsman pause. He has spent years tramping into the depths of places like Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, catching these magnificent, powerful and reclusive animals at their most unguarded-foraging, fishing, caring for cubs, or simply lying in the backcountry sunshine. He's published two books of photos and commentary on the lives of ursus arctos and even written songs about the great bears. At times, he's been surrounded by dozens of grizzlies deep in the wilderness, yet has never felt threatened by these incredible and misunderstood creatures.

Even after being mauled by a grizzly in 1993 (the naturalist equivalent of being struck by lightning), Jim eagerly trekked into the bears' habitat as long as the weather would allow, armed only with bear spray, his camera and his knowledge of how to stay safe. But nothing could have prepared him for May 23, 2007, when, on a solitary photo expedition in Yellowstone, he was viciously attacked by a mother grizzly who felt that his presence threatened her cubs. Before Jim knew what was happening, the bear literally ripped off most of his face, blinded him in one eye, and savaged him nearly to the point of death. When the bear suddenly vanished, Jim was left sightless, bleeding, wounded and alone in the wilderness. Somehow, he managed to find his way two to three miles through the wild country back to a main road, where passersby found him and got him the emergency medical treatment he needed.

In part, Blindsided: Surviving a Grizzly Attack and Still Loving the Great Bear is a gripping, detailed account of that fateful day-how Jim Cole survived a shocking assault by one of the most unstoppable predators on earth and managed to carry himself to safety despite his gruesome injuries. But it's also the story of how he recovered with the help and support of friends, family and a dedicated medical team, and his return to music and photography, the occupations he cherishes. Perhaps most importantly, the book is a love story between and man and animal, a clear-eyed and affectionate look at the marvel that is the grizzly bear-its astonishing habits and intelligence, the threats it faces at the hand of man, its hopes for the future-and the story of Jim's return to the high country and to the home of the grizzlies in 2008, undaunted by his ordeal and as much as in love as ever with the great bruin.

Part natural history, part personal memoir, part adventure story, Blindsided: Surviving a Grizzly Attack and Still Loving the Great Bear finally reveals an unforgettable tale of personal struggle and triumph that has been sought by hundreds of media outlets around the world. It reveals not only the incredible courage and commitment of Jim Cole, but the beauty and fragility of the grizzly bear, one of the iconic creatures of North America…and as the reader will discover, despite the myths about its menace, one of our greatest treasures.

About The Author

Jim Cole is an author, photographer, and also an accomplished musician who plays the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. However, first and foremost Jim considers himself an educator. From coast to coast, he presents entertaining and educational multimedia programs on grizzly bears that include original songs about the great bear. The grizzly is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood animals on the continent, and Jim believes that most people fear them due to lack of knowledge. By showing grizzlies in their natural light, his goal is to help create an informed and healthy respect for these wonderful creatures, and their needs in the future.

Jim grew up in Illinois, where he was a competitive athlete in several sports and a diehard Chicago White Sox fan. He spent most of his adult life in Boulder, Colorado, where he attended the University of Colorado as a journalism major and intercollegiate varsity tennis player while his great love for the outdoors developed. Jim's life changed with his first trip to Glacier National Park in 1973, and even more so with his first grizzly sighting there in 1975. His post-college careers as a tennis professional and real estate agent were augmented by as many trips to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Alaska as he could responsibly squeeze in. He ultimately walked away from a financially rewarding real estate career to pursue his growing passion for grizzly bears.


Notes Left Behind - N/A sold to Wm. Morrow in Auction. Foreign and Film rights available
 

Notes Left Behind, the hugely successful self published book has sold close to 8,000 copies since Good Morning America aired this story two weeks ago. Although five year-old Elena Desserich was diagnosed with an inoperable kind of cancer, she managed to spread a message of hope and healing. Elena knew that every coming day would be a gift, not to be wasted, so she created a "bucket list " of sorts -- swim with dolphins, drive a car, and more.

When her cancer progressed and she could no longer speak, she turned to drawing and painting, her kindergarten passions, to communicate. The talented artist fulfilled her lifelong dream when one of her drawings was hung next to her favorite painter, Pablo Picasso, at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The painting titled "I Love You" captured her giving spirit. Elena, who died in August 2007, also left behind "The Kindergarten Survival Guide" for her younger sister Grace.

She gave her dad a last dance. "We had our dance and that will always be the last and probably the best memory I'll ever have with her was being able to have that dance," Keith Desserich said. "There was lots of things that she wanted to do that last day, and I think she knew. We lost her two days later."
During her nine-month battle with cancer, Elena was planning an even greater gift for her family. She was hiding notes around the house, hundreds of them tucked in every corner to be discovered after she was gone.

"We were moving some boxes around one day and in between some of the books a note fell out," her mother, Brooke Desserich, said. "Each time I would read one of those notes it was like a little hug from her."

Throughout the ordeal, the parents kept an online journal to update family members on Elena's progress. They were surprised to learn that thousands of people around the country were reading it for daily inspiration. "Everybody was reading the journal and writing us that 'This taught me to be a better parent. It taught me to spend time with my children, it taught me to value being a mom and dad,'" Keith Desserich said.

Her parents have now compiled the daily journals in a book titled "Notes Left Behind" and created a foundation to raise money to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer - www.TheCureStartsNow.com --all of it inspired by the simple notes a little girl left behind.

"Elena has left behind a story of resilience, hope and most of all, love. We can't help but take her into our hearts and carry the best of her into our own lives." -Jeffrey Zaslow, Co-Author, The Last Lecture

"This is a stunning story that teaches us how precious children, family, and life are, and that the sacrifices we make are worth it. I won't forget the Desserich family, and neither will you." -James Patterson, Best Selling Author

 

http://www.thecurestartsnow.org/gma


 
The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders
 

Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary Management announces the sale of North American rights to Sterling Publishing of The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders-a rich psychological drama filled with startling incidents from the disturbing and compelling true crime story that also inspired the recent highly acclaimed film, Changeling starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Clint Eastwood.

The proposal, written by 2008 International Thriller Writer nominee, Anthony Flacco, in cooperation with Jerry Clark, adult son of Sanford Clark, dramatizes one of the darkest chapters in human misery and criminality as young Sanford is forced to cooperate with his uncle, Gordon Northcott, in the serial killing of over twenty young boys at their ranch in Wineville, CA. This book ultimately offers readers a redemptive account placing Sanford Clark in a heroic role. Despite his youth and the burdens imposed upon him, he brings some measure of justice for the dead and their families. Sanford Clark lived a long and productive life which Flacco and Jerry Clark will also chronicle.

"Anthony Flacco serves this one straight from the heart-Sanford Clark is an innocent victim of deliberate evil who is nearly vanquished out of existence, but once rescued, dedicates his life of quiet courage and loving decency for family."
-Dave Pelzer, Author, A Child Called It and 2005 National Jefferson Award Recipient



 
Taking Aim at the President:  The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot Gerald Ford
 

www.GeriSpieler.com

"I'm not sorry I tried...if successful, the assassination...just might have triggered the kind of chaos that could have started the upheaval of change." --Sara Jane Moore in 1976

President Gerald Ford suffered two attempts on his life during his term in office. One by a young woman in Charles Manson’s gang, Squeaky, and the other by a far more unlikely candidate—an average looking middle-aged mother of five – Sara Jane Moore.  Journalist Geri Spieler traces Sara Jane Moore’s path to that fateful moment. Born in a small West Virginia town to strict parents, Moore showed an early love of theater that would translate into her adult tendency to obscure her identity and mislead those around her. Skilled at deception, she was married to five times including twice to an U.S. Air Force Captain, to a respected doctor, and to an Academy Award-winning sound designer. Along the way she abandoned her children, faked amnesia, worked as an FBI informant, won the trust of Randolph Hearst, and became a double agent. Sara Jane Moore met all the major players and was present at all of newsworthy events of California in the 1960s and 70s. As such, her story presents a vivid snapshot of those turbulent years. Spieler gleaned fascinating insights on Sara Jane from visiting and corresponding with her in prison for almost three decades, from January 1976 to June 2003. A combination of Sara Jane’s stories and Spieler’s rigorous independent research, Taking Aim at the President is the bizarrely compelling, never-before-told story of this elusive character—the only woman to ever fire a bullet at a U.S. president.  

 Reviews:

 “Spieler offers a portrait of an erratic, unstable woman with a protean capacity to shift identities, with the 1960s and '70s as a dramatic backdrop.  Fans of true crime accounts or contemporary history will savor this portrait of the first woman to make an assassination attempt on an American president.”

-- Publishers Weekly

 

"Geri Spieler has done a marvelous job of unraveling the events surrounding one of the most bizarre events in American history, Sara Jane Moore's attack on Gerald Ford."

--James Dalessandro, Screenwriter and Author of 1906…a novel  

“The byzantine tale of Sara Jane Moore's double, triple and quadruple lives, with so many bizarre groups -- including the federal government -- exploiting her vulnerabilities, is the stuff of Hollywood fiction. The fact that it's all true, and told with precision by Spieler, raises Sara Jane's story to something significantly more than a footnote to history."  

                --Alan Weisman, Author

“Sara Jane Moore is a compelling figure. Willful, stubborn, frustrating. For the first time, we realize what this woman was capable of. She  managed to charm an Academy-Award winning Hollywood player into marriage; and gain the confidence of Randolph Hearst. She's truly an enigma, and the story of her transformation into a violent revolutionary is riveting. “

-- Frank Baldwin, Author of Jack & Mimi: A Novel and Balling the Jack

May 28: Sara Jane Moore tells TODAYs Matt Lauer about the assassination attempt and what she's learned from her years behind bars.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/30978817#30978817


 
WICKED INTENTIONS
 

Pub Date: December 2008

 

Something sinister was happening in a small New Hampshire town. Evil lurked and was not afraid of the light. Several young men began vanishing into thin air and rumor spread that they all frequented the same solitary farm. Fear sealed the lips of neighbors and it appeared the mystery of the disappearances would linger forever.

The mother of one man, Kenneth Countie, panicked when she did not hear from her son, whom she usually spoke with daily. A missing persons report was filed and

investigators questioned Countie’s girlfriend, Sheila LaBarre, an attractive blonde he had been living with on the secluded farm. When police searched the property, they came upon a grizzly sight—a meaty bone sticking out of a smoking burn pit. As they looked closer, the bone appeared to be human. The tempestuous suspect went on the run, thinking she had obliterated any physical evidence that could be used against her. And even when police found LaBarre and indicted her for murder, major questions about this violent saga remained: How was Kenneth Countie killed? Were more of LaBarre’s lovers dead? Did she poison her longtime companion in an effort to obtain his million-dollar farm? With evidence so deteriorated, could LaBarre’s guilt be proven beyond a reasonable doubt? And the most puzzling question of all: who really was Sheila LaBarre? How could she commit such crimes of brutal execution and of wicked intentions? As the Emmy award-winning television reporter who became Sheila LaBarre’s confidant and first broke the story, Kevin Flynn is uniquely positioned, like Ann Rule in The Stranger Beside Me, to tell the bizarre chain of events which cumulated in one of America’s most sensational murder stories.

 Reviews:

 “In Wicked Intentions, Kevin Flynn crafts a harrowing portrait of evil and retribution that leaves a reader without option – you have no choice but to turn to the next page.  A stunning achievement.”

                -- Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author

 “Readers will become obsessed with this case and how it intricately unfolds, one mind blowing detail after the next.  The Sheila LaBarre murders have it all: sex, money and shocking behavior that even a team of top Hollywood script writers could never concoct.”

                -- Jane Velez-Mitchell, celebrity journalist and author of Secrets Can Be Murder

 “In Wicked Intentions, author Kevin Flynn delivers a grisly tale of manipulation, murder, madness and mystery as he paints a frightening portrait of a brutal murderess, acts of pure evil that will forever haunt the residents of bucolic New Hampshire.”

-- Michael Glasgow, author of The Bridge: Murder, Intrigue and a Struggle for Justice in Nicaragua and co-author of An Unfinished Canvas: A True Story of Love, Family and Murder in Nashville

 “Kevin Flynn writes a compelling story about a sinister woman who committed deeds so atrocious they are almost too incomprehensible for the reader to wrap his or her mind around.  Flynn’s research and attention to detail will give true crime junkies something truly spectacular to devour.”

                -- Amanda Lamb, author of Deadly Dose

See interview with author here:


 
River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved
 

www.JeffreyBucknerFord.com

In the tradition of 'Me and My Shadows - The Judy Garland Story', and 'Haywire', the story of Leland Hayward and Margaret Sullivan, River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved - the first book written chronicling the lives and marriage of the legendary entertainer Tennessee Ernie Ford and his wife, Betty- promises to rank among the great stories of Hollywood lives told in our time.

In a sweeping, cinematic narrative, told with heartbreaking honesty, wry humor and riveting intimacy, River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved carries the reader from their first meeting on a desert airbase at the dawn of World War Two, through a brilliant, meteoric rise to the heights of Hollywood's second Golden Age, to Ford's controversial departure from Hollywood at the zenith of his career, and to their last moments together nearly half a century later. The story of Ernie and His Lovely Wife, Betty is an American love story, an American tragedy; an unforgettable portrait of an ordinary couple changed forever by an extraordinary life. See www.jeffreybucknerford.com

 

Reviews:

 

"…this masterfully rendered biography… gives readers an in-depth look behind the curtain, painting a multilayered portrait of the man who hid his pain behind a salt-of-the-earth Everyman pose…  Ford's ability to stay both honest and impartial makes this a compulsively readable story, and a fine model for celebrity bios to come.   Even readers unfamiliar with Ford's massive body of work will find the drama, pain and success that marked his life fascinating.”

-- Publishers Weekly (06/16/08)

 

“Jeffrey "Buck" Ford, the oldest son of Ernie and Betty Ford, writes about a life of wealth and privilege. He sensitively remembers the good and bad times of a disintegrating family…  Other biographies cannot emit the raw emotion and intimate details that Jeffrey has presented in this well-written and compelling memoir.”

-- Library Journal (04/15/08)

 

 
Bar Flower: My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess
 

http://www.geisha-interrupted.typepad.com

Smashed meets the Far East in this harrowing memoir of an American woman’s sojourn in Japan’s erotic “floating world”

During daylight hours, the city of Tokyo is the very image of robotic conformity. At night, however, it transforms into a “floating world” of escapism, as “all-work” salary men seek a place to play.

Though fascinated by Japanese language and culture, American Lea Jacobson had some difficulty conforming to Japan’s rigidly structured society. After she was fired from her job as an English teacher, Lea found work as a nightclub hostess on Tokyo’s Ginza strip and transformed herself into a doll-like confection whose job it was to flatter, flirt, and engage in mock relationships with her middle-aged clients. Working as a hostess—the occupation a direct descendant of the geisha tradition—quickly became lucrative...and addictive.

Her perceptions distorted by the drinks she was paid to consume, her identity confused by the fake personalities she assumed nightly, Jacobson began to lose herself in this fantasy culture.  As she descended into self-abuse and alcoholism, she found that the seductive lifestyle she loved so much seemed impossible to escape.

Jacobson’s searing insights into Japan’s cultural dynamics, erotic fascinations, gender politics, and her own spiral into sensory excess create a haunting and mesmerizing memoir that will leave readers transfixed.

 Reviews:

  Lea Jacobson's gamble in "Bar Flower" pays off… her wit and insights make any uncomfortable moment more than worthwhile……..remarkable memoir. 

-- Japan Times (10/26/08)

 Truly fascinated by Japanese mores, Jacobson elevates her story… for a candid version of cultural immersion.”

-- Publishers Weekly (April 2008)

“Her debut memoir intrigues because it opens a window into a little-seen portion of Japanese culture: ‘the floating world’ of transience and personal gratification.... A juicy read for anyone interested in the intriguingly lascivious underworld of a purportedly straight-laced culture.”

-- Kirkus Reviews

 "[An] endlessly candid and engaging true tale." 

-- Booklist

 “… it’s a compelling story, guiding the reader through the dark secrets of Tokyo’s nighttime underbelly.”

                --Tokyo Metropolis (10-3-08)

 “The intensity of her curiosity is what lingers on my tongue…It’s a bit like the taste of champagne, followed by a ‘chuhai’ chaser for the walk home — but without the headache.”

                --Japan Today

 

 
"Smotherhood ™: Wickedly Funny Confessions from the Early Years
 

Amanda Lamb is ripe material for a television or feature film comedy. Viewers will connect with Amanda's hilarious and imperfect balancing act and relate to her bawdy sense of humor as she tries to keep too many balls in the air at one time. One minute television crime reporter Amanda Lamb is hot on the trail of a murder suspect or a child molester, the next minute she is signing up to time her daughter's swim meet or to bring brownies to the preschool picnic… It's in these two clashing, co-existing worlds that her humor has become her best survival tool.

From the graphic play-by-play of her husband's vasectomy experience, to the things that take a ride on the roof of her Volvo (think pizzas and cell phones) because she's too distracted to notice, to the non-working mothers who expect her to take time out of her busy day to make Play-Doh from scratch and volunteer at story time, working mothers everywhere will commiserate with Amanda's crazy life.

The backdrop of the television news world only adds to the chaos and hilarity as Amanda shares coffee and secrets with old-school cops, interviews her share of crusty rednecks and hardcore criminals, and covers breaking news that keeps her from getting to her children's dance class or swim team banquet.

"Smotherhood ™" is timely and culturally relevant to today's working women who approach everything- their jobs and their parenting- passionately, without excuses, and with a lot of laughter in between.

  www.ALambAuthor.com

 Reviews:

 “For manic, multi-tasking mothers everywhere! Amanda’s tales will make you laugh—and remind you to enjoy this crazy journey.”

-- Jane Skinner, anchor, Fox News Channel

 
“A must-read for working moms. Amanda Lamb beautifully captures the chaos that is her life as a mother and a TV journalist.”

-- Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC anchor/NBC News contributor

“Nowhere is the daze that swings between exultation and extinction in early motherhood better described. Amanda Lamb's raw, tender, bone-honest truths drive homethat some things would be too difficult—if we didn't do them out of love."

-- Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of Still Summer and The Deep End of the Ocean

 “Amanda Lamb stands out as the new voice for momhood—not scared to say that parenting is not only sometimes scary but often laugh-out-loud hilarious, even raucous, but always tender...”

-- Hollis Gillespie, author of Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch

 “Amanda Lamb is a hard-charging, pull-no-punches veteran television reporter.  Smotherhood doesn’t pull any punches either. It is her story of the wrestling match with the demands of motherhood, marriage, and a very busy career, told in a way that is unabashed, honest, and frank.”

-- Mary P. Easley, JD, First Lady of North Carolina

 

 
You’ll Never Nanny in This Town Again
 

www.HollywoodNanny.com

Hilarious and addictive, this chronicle of a small-town girl’s adventures as a celebrity nanny reveals what really happens in the diaper trenches of Hollywood.

When Oregon native Suzanne Hansen lands a job as live-in nanny to the children of Hollywood super-agent Michael Ovitz, she has no idea what she’s gotten into: working 24/7 to fill the roles of pseudo-mommy, nurse, playmate, referee, and chauffer, all while handling the demands of the entertainment elite and making fast friends with the household staff and the underlings at her boss’s office.

When the thankless drudgery takes its toll and Hansen finally quits, her boss blackballs her from ever nannying in Hollywood again. Befuddled but determined, Hansen manages to land gigs with Debra Winger and then Danny DeVito. Kind employers, cute kids, and the sort of insider glimpse at the entertainment world that celebrity junkies crave – looks like Hansen’s fallen into a real-life happy ending. But 24-hour workday rubs some of the glitz off LA living, and even bosses who treat her like family can’t help Hansen as she struggles with Hollywood’s lack of respect for nannies and everyone else who comes in the employee entrance – but without whom many showbiz households would grind to a halt.

Peppering her own story with tales and tantrums experienced by other nannies to the stars, Hansen offers an intriguing peek into the playrooms of the privileged. You’ll Never Nanny in This Town Again is a treat for everyone who’s fascinated by the skewed priorities of Tinseltown – and for fans of “assistant-lit” like The Nanny Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada who will devour this unparalleled – and unabashedly true –account of one girl’s tour of duty as Hollywood’s hired help.

 

Reviews:

 

“Hansen isn't a flippant writer; she doesn't try to score easy shots; and she cites her own inexperience and shyness, but it becomes increasingly clear through her account (backed up by the diary she kept) that the portraits drawn by other writers-of a cold, shrewd, controlling man-are accurate…  Hardly backstabbing, this entertaining book possesses a sincerity other nannying tomes lack.” 

-- Publishers Weekly

 

"…surprises with sympathetic and nuanced analyses of the wealthy, and insights into parenthood and childrearing."

-- Kirkus Reviews

 

"Think The Nanny Diaries, but juicier—and it's all true! Suzanne Hansen's tell-all book about her real-life adventures in Tinseltown babysitting (she was the nanny to the kids of super-scary super-agent Michael Ovitz) will have you howling with laughter—and rage." 

-- Marie Claire magazine 

 

"After the publication of Hollywood nanny Suzanne Hansen's memoir, former employer and hardballing Uber-agent, Michael Ovitz might swear bitterly: You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again." 

-- Vanity Fair

 

"Filled with juicy tidbits that will be enjoyed by anyone who loves to read about the bad behavior... of the rich and famous."

- - LA Times

 

"[A] story that Hansen tells with real comic energy, sparing no unlibelous detail." 

-- Boston Globe

 

 
Deadly Dose: The Untold Story of a Homicide Investigator’s Crusade for Truth and Justice
 

www.ALambAuthor.com

Chris Morgan lives for justice. He wears a white felt fedora, sports a larger-than-life personality, and espouses an old-school cop mentality. Photographs of murder victims, some yellowed and furled, are pinned haphazardly to the cork board near his desk. But there is nothing haphazard about how Morgan fights to find their killers.

Eric Miller is on the cork board. He was a pediatric AIDS researcher at a prestigious southern university when his life was cut short by arsenic poisoning. Miller suffered for months as the poison slowly ate away at him until his body finally gave out. The death of the promising young scientist stunned the local community and the scientific community at large. Right away Morgan suspected that Ann Miller, Eric Miller's wife, was to blame. Ann Miller was also a scientist for a prominent pharmaceutical company. On the outside Ann Miller was pretty, demure, a loving mother, and a seemingly devoted wife. But Morgan saw something else in Ann Miller. He saw a woman obsessed with creating her own version of happiness at any cost- even if that meant killing someone. 

Deadly Dose is a true crime book told through the eyes of Chris Morgan. In an exclusive agreement with the author, the retired homicide detective shares for the first time publicly his dogged four-year pursuit of Ann Miller. It was a crusade that consumed his every waking hour and ultimately became the swan song of his lengthy career. Readers will hang on every word, every twist, every turn, as the genteel, but shockingly candid investigator takes them inside the inner-workings of catching a killer.

 

Reviews:

 

“It's a story that seems almost too good to be true - almost like one of those two-hour made-for-TV mysteries on Oxygen or WE.”

-- Wilmington Star News (06/02/08)

 

“As the facts come to light, from the new hairdo while hubby lies dying to the dead lover with a suicide note, it seems like the Lifetime Movie Network could not have penned a better script.”

-- The Independent (06/03/08)

 Deadly Dose takes us into the mind of Morgan, a man driven to discover the truth and to find justice. As he remarks at one point: ‘There has to be an advocate, there has to be somebody looking out for the dead.’”

-- Raleigh Metro Magazine (June 2008)

 “An author, a homicide investigator and a forensic psychologist unravel a true case of cold-blooded murder in North Carolina.”

-- The  Times News (10/18/08)


Click here for interview with Amanda Lamb

 

 
An Unfinished Canvas: The Mysterious Disappearance of Artist Janet March
 

Can a man be convicted of murder when the police have no body, no cause of death, no time of death, and no physical evidence of a homicide? The implications of this fascinating legal question are at the core of an electrifying new true-crime thriller.  Janet March vanished on August 15, 1996, after an argument with her attorney-husband Perry March. He has maintained that she packed a few things, took several thousand dollars in cash and said, "See ya!" and drove away in her car, promising to be back in twelve days for their son's 6th birthday - but no one has ever seen or heard from her since that night. The case has drawn national attention, with CBS's Emmy-winning investigative show 48 Hours airing four separate episodes over the last three years, including an hour-long program on December 10, 2005. Leslie Stahl has stated, "This is as good a mystery as you will ever see-in fiction or in real life."

In the tradition of haunting true-crime thrillers that have captivated the literary heartbeat of America, An Unfinished Canvas is a suspense-filled tale of love, sex, greed, betrayal, and murder. As in the cases of Jeffrey MacDonald (Fatal Vision), Thomas Capano (Summer Wind), Scott Petersen (A Deadly Game), and the East Hampton murder of Ted Ammon (Almost Paradise), An Unfinished Canvas evokes the complex character and personalities of the accused and those affected by his actions.

An Unfinished Canvas chronicles the facts, the theories, and the gossip in this high-profile case, beginning with the bizarre events on the night of Janet March's disappearance and the disturbing two weeks before she was reported missing. The nine-year investigation is punctuated by Perry March's flight with his children to Mexico and the international custody battle between Perry and Janet's parents, Carolyn and Larry Levine; the wrongful death civil case by the Levines and its staggering $113 million judgment; the formation of Nashville's first Cold Case Unit; the empanelment of a secret grand jury and indictment of Perry March; the involvement of the FBI and the office of the Mexican President in the arrest and deportation of Perry March; his extradition back to Tennessee from the same California jail that once housed O.J. Simpson; and the excellent detective work that uncovered a scheme by Perry March from behind bars, while awaiting trial, to hire a hit-man to murder his former in-laws which ultimately ended in a conviction of murder for Perry March.

 

Reviews:

 
“Brilliantly captured…  will put you right in the midst of this incredibly baffling murder case while providing extremely detailed and insightful recollections of who the March family was and what could have possibly torn them apart, ultimately leading to this astonishing disappearance.  Whether you are part of the Nashville community that was rocked by this baffling case, or not, this book will truly bring to light the ins and outs of a mysterious crime that cut short the life of a promising woman.”

-- River Jordon, Backstory on the Radio on WRFN, 98.9fm (in Nashville)

 With their new book, An Unfinished Canvas: A True Story of Love, Family, and Murder in Nashville, local writers Michael Glasgow and Phyllis Gobbell have created a tense saga that fully paints the amazing series of events that make up the Janet March murder case...The authors portray the complex details of the case, which stretch along a 10-year timeline, in a tightly constructed present-tense account. It’s easy to feel as though the reader is peeping through a window as the case unfolds.

-- THE TENNESSEAN (September 30, 2007)

 

 
The Bridge: Murder, Intrigue and a Struggle for Justice in Nicaragua
 

Release Date: November 2008

 Her murder was brutal and savage, and the Nicaraguan people want someone to pay! In 2005, Eric Volz moved to Nicaragua to pursue his dreams. By 2006, he was living the worst nightmare of his life. Twenty-five year old Eric Volz moved to Nicaragua in 2005 in pursuit of paradise. Drawn by its pristine beaches, scenic mountains, lush rainforests, and economic potential, he quickly fell in love with the country. And when his start-up publication, EP Magazine, found success on an international level, Eric's life was taking off like a dream. Then, on November 21, 2006, Eric's ex-girlfriend, beautiful Nicaraguan Doris Ivania Jimenez, was found brutally murdered inside her clothing boutique in the Pacific coastal town of San Juan del Sur. The day he helped lay Doris to rest, Eric was arrested for her murder. His paradise quickly became his prison.

In The Bridge: The Eric Volz Story---Murder, Intrigue, and A Struggle for Justice in Nicaragua, Michael Glasgow (named Nashville’s Best True Crime Author for 2008) reveals the international tale first seen on Dateline, the Today Show, and Anderson Cooper 360.  A president, a secretary of state, a senator, and a mayor would all become part of this story of youthful promise, stolen lives, conflicting cultures, and national sovereignty. In this provocative work, Glasgow delivers a literary tapestry that is part true crime, part historical assessment, part cultural interpretive, and partly a story of faith and courage. Haunting and powerful, this is The Eric Volz Story. 

The complexity and multiple layers of The Bridge present a story with excellent cinematic potential.  As young American Eric Volz is sentenced to 30 years in a Nicaraguan prison for a murder to which he has seven alibi witnesses, Glasgow reminds us that as Americans when we engage in the new global world, we should never ignore the impact of history, which can make people prisoners of their own memories with just the right catalyst---like the murder of a beautiful young woman.

Reviews:

 What distinguishes Glasgow from more lurid peers is his ambitious narrative style and his attention to social milieu---a gift, perhaps, of his Green Hills upbringing. In Nashville and the South generally, the hard-boiled author notes, “the human faults and human strengths of the characters always seem more intense and more exposed.” Which makes, of course, for gripping reading.

                --The Nashville Scene (October 2008)