SISTERS IN CRIME, RAY BRADBURY, AND ME



This month Sisters in Crime/Hawai'i begins our spotlight series, introducing our members to the world of mystery and to Sisters in Crime members around the world!

 

Our first spotlighted member is Lizbeth Hartz, author of  the true crime novel, ANGEL HERO.

 

Welcome, Lizbeth, and thank you for sharing with us your thoughts and ideas on writing, and details about your book.

 



 

SISTERS IN CRIME, RAY BRADBURY, AND ME 

 

 



Knowing I would be one of four mystery authors to participate in a panel discussion at a Sisters in Crime meeting at Makiki Library in September, 2015, I’d done my research. In a small hot area enclosed by bookcases, twenty or so of us Sisters (and Misters) of Crime pulled our chairs close to round tables. I sweated, fanned myself with a red round fan courtesy of the library, and glanced at my notes about two questions I’d agreed to answer. Which author, living or dead, would I choose to do lunch with and why? What height of accomplishment did I reach when my book Angel Hero was published last year?

 

My immediate choice of authors was Ray Bradbury, famous fantasy writer. As a wide-eyed child nurtured by fairy tales and magic, the no-nonsense diet doled out by my just-the-facts-ma’am dad left me starving. Ravenously, I devoured Bradbury’s enchanting short stories and novels, shouted “Yes!” to battling witches’ sinister spells, felt my thumbs prickle when Mr. Electro sizzled and embryos in bottles haunted dark carnivals, rode a rocket to the murmuring canals of Mars where gray-eyed Martians seeped into my bones, got sloppy drunk on Dandelion Wine and thirsted for more.

 

In his book Zen and the Art of Writing, Releasing the Creative Genius Within You, Bradbury recommends writers write about what they love and what they hate. “What do you want more than anything else in the world?” he asks. “Find a character like yourself who will want something or not want something with all his heart.” 

 

In my book I, like Bradbury, wrote about a character who wanted something with all her heart. One big difference between this fiction master and me is that, while his characters are a little like him, they are also a whole lot different. In my book, however, the main character is essentially me, and the other characters are essentially them. And my story is true except for names, dates, and locations, whereas Bradbury’s are as fictional as fiction gets.

 

What did I want more than anything else in the world? To love a Prince Charming who also loved me. What did I have to armor up against, and go to battle with, in order to find love? My squelched voice, which became even more stifled when a killer searched for me and fear wrapped its tendrils around me. Fear, strangling me, terrifying me out of telling the truth. That devil fear whispered, “Telling the truth could cost you your life. And what good would it do anyway? You can’t bring a dead man back to life.”

 

I had to tell the truth and shame the devil before I was given to understand that devils are liars. Writers can bring dead mean back, because they get to live life twice when writers preserve them on paper. “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect,” wrote author Anais Nin.

 

Bradbury said, “Give your character his running orders. Shoot him off. Then follow as fast as you can go. The character, in his great love or hate will rush you through to the end of the story.”

 

Unlike Bradbury, I relied on experience rather than my imagination to give me my running orders in Angel Hero. “Want to know love?” Life asked. “Learn to speak up for yourself. Take risks. Say no to ogres who try to shut you up, or victimize you. Say yes to fearless heroes.” Vic told me the same thing in different words: “Grow some guts, girl. Pussyfooting around ain’t no good way to live.”

 

I must have learned from Vic because I didn’t pussyfoot around when the moderator asked me what height of accomplishment I’d reached when Angel Hero was published. I rattled on for so long I ran out of time to answer the second question about Bradbury.

 

“One accomplishment was great personal satisfaction that I kept my 29-year-old promises to Vic,” I told the group. “I vowed to continue honing my skills until I could write the most compelling book possible, and get his story published or die trying.

 

“Another accomplishment is finding a way to let my voice be heard. Although in my day-to-day life I sometimes still have difficulty speaking up, within the pages of Angel Hero I let my words flow, telling the truth about what happened so long ago.

 

“The events described in Angel Hero really happened. When Mighty Quill Press published the book in April, 2014, I disguised it as an inspired-by-a-true story novel. Next month, in October, I am giving my book a facelift with a new cover and an updated About the Book section, and removing the façade of fiction I constructed around the book. Angel Hero’s actual genre is that of fictionalized memoir or spiritual mystery. My book describes the crime I survived and the love that still takes my breath away today.”

Before settling on the title Angel Hero, two titles I came up with were God Solves the Case, and Detective God. I didn’t choose either one because both sounded like a trivialization to me, sort of like taking The Creator’s name in vain, even though both titles were apropos of my experience. God did solve the mystery for me even before I prayed for an answer. Seven months before, in fact. Which demonstrated the truth of Matthew 6:8 for me: “For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him.”

 

I had to feel the fear all the way through and tell my truth anyway before the truth of what the argument was about was revealed to me. And it set me free, as was promised in John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth killed my fear of the gunman, and intensified my determination to get Vic’s story in print or die trying.

 

In his review of Angel Hero, Steve Morrill, author and director of writerscollege.com, wrote: “… In this gripping page-turner (I read it at one sitting) Lizbeth has honored Vic as she promised to do so very long ago.”

 

As I told my audience, “Keeping my promise to Vic is the accomplishment of which I am most proud. More than any man I’ve ever known, he deserves to have his story told.”

 

Thinking about it later, I realized I also wanted to leave my readers with a lantern in case they ever needed it during their darkest night. As author Jane Roberts wrote, “You are a portion of All That Is; therefore, the universe leans in your directionYou are a portion of All That Is; therefore the universe leans in your directionYou are a portion of All That Is; therefore the universe leans in your direction.” As Detective Jet told me, “God is good.” As it states in Matthew 7:7: “…Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and the door will be opened.” I am still awestruck recalling that, even before I knocked, The Creator knew I would and opened the door.

 

In Elton John’s lyrics to the song “Candle in the Wind,” written in memory of Marilyn Monroe after her death by drug overdose, this line struck me as especially poignant: “And it seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind, never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in.” My wish is that all people, especially those who, like me, are forced to face something truly terrifying, find comfort in knowing they never need to be afraid, not even when the rain sets in.

 

The link to Lizbeth Hartz’ facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004366997121

The website for Lizbeth’s website/blog is http://mightyquillpress.com

Lizbeth's twitter account is Lizbeth Hartz@LizbethHartz or https://twitter.com/LizbethHartz

The link to Lizbeth’s Amazon Author Page is https://amazon.com/author/angelhero2ndedition



Cruising Into A Writing Career: Author D.V. Whytes

Today’s author interview is with guest and fellow SinC/Hawaii member, Vicki White. Vicki and her husband Don make up the writing team of D.V. Whytes. 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAII: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to participate in a Sisters in Crime/Hawaii interview, Vicki. You and your husband Don write mysteries under the nom de plume of D.V. Whytes. The setting of your mystery novel Prism Poison is an African Cruise. How did you come up with the title for this novel?

 

VICKI WHITE: The book had several titles ... The Fever Tree, On the Limpopo, and others. None seemed to fit. There is a murder by poisoning and there is diamond smuggling, so we decided Prism Poison was the name.

 

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAII: When did you decide to write the novel Prism Poison? 

VICKI WHITE: I had just been laid off from my job, the department I was working for closed. So Don and I went on a trip. We flew from Honolulu to Nairobi in about 40 hours. I can't sleep on planes. Don slept through the trip. 

When we arrived in Nairobi, they took us to the Karen Blixen home at the foot of the Angola Mts. Then we went to our hotel to clean up and go to a dinner at the Magnificent 5, where they serve rhino, giraffe, wildebeest, lion and elephant. I tried to settle down with a diet coke and piece of toast, but couldn't do it because I was so tired. We missed the dinner. 

We did 2 safaris, one in Amboeseli and one in Tsavo. We arrived in Mombassa the day of the bombing to catch a cruise ship to travel the east coast of Africa to Capt Town. The trip was terrific and we decided to write the trip into a Novel/murder mystery.

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAII: What was it like for you, Vicki and Don, to be in Mombasa the day of the bombing in November 2002, and how did you incorporate your experiences into the novel? 

VICKI WHITE: The city was in mayhem, but we thought it was somewhat normal, as Africa is always in some type of turmoil. They have no organizing skills there that we have ever seen. The security to board the ship was heightened, but no one told us about the bombing. 

When we got to the ship's restaurant for dinner, there was a great crowd. One woman was sitting on the floor. I spoke with her. She was on the El Al plane that diverted from the land to air missile. 

During dinner the Captain gave the announcement and also told us we would not be going to Zanzibar as it was an Al-Qaeda hideout. This was a direct order from Great Britain Prime Minister and the President of the US. 

I had made a daily diary of our trip and used it with our pictures that we took on the trip. There was a hotel that was bombed and we just imagined what it might have been like to have been there.

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAII: Do you have plans for another novel based on your travels? 

VICKI WHITE: Most definitely. We have one coming out very soon titled Cookie Crumbs, Green Eyes and Murder. This is taken from our trip, when we caught a cruiseliner from Thailand and sailed to Venice. A most wonderful 30 days. This book is great. It is our hope to continue the Greystone Murder Mysteries into a series of several exotic travels.

 

Vicki and Don White's novels are available at Amazon.com under the nom de plume of D.V. Whytes.

 

 

 

.

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii Does HPD SIS and Museum Tour

 

Honolulu Police Department
Main Police Station, Beretania Street



“. . . fascinated by the real-life origins of Charlie Chan.”

“. . . spent some time talking to Officer Fatu,”

“. . .whirlwind tour due to emergency call-out of the crime scene techs.”

Officer Croom



Officer Fatu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenny Delos Santos presented our guides with traditional kukui nut lei at the beginning of our tour. 

The Scientific Investigation Section of the Honolulu Police Department is located at the Main Police Station on Beretania Street in Honolulu. On April 21, 2015, Sisters in Crime/Hawaii had an opportunity to tour the HPD lab and museum. Due to an emergency call-out, the lab was being shut down early, so our museum tour was halted while Officer Fatu escorted all 24 of us down to the lab first. Rather than cancel the tour, the HPD tour officers merely juggled their schedule and graciously allowing us access to the lab.

Glowing summaries from Sisters/Misters in Crime/Hawaii members of their experience on the tour:

Kent Reinker, author of Science Fiction and Medical Thriller novels

http://www.amazon.com/Alain-Gunn/e/B00J84QD1Y/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1430090522&sr=1-1 

 I particularly liked the historical background that Eddie Croom gave us (in the museum). The fact that the police department has existed under the monarchy, independent republic and American state of Hawaii is very interesting, particularly since the historical roots continue to be represented symbolically on the present-day badge, which includes depictions of both the kapu sticks of authority and the law of the broken paddle. I was also fascinated by the real-life origins of Charlie Chan. 

Officer Croom welcoming SinC/Hawaii
to the HPD museum tour

 

 



 

 

A.J. Llewellyn, author of Mysteries set in Hawai’i

http://www.amazon.com/A.-J.-Llewellyn/e/B002DBJBC2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1430090547&sr=1-2-ent

 

HPD Officer Fatu

I spent some time talking to Officer Fatu, and asked how the HPD cops felt about the TV series Hawaii Five-O. "We laugh at it. We think it's funny. It's off the mark in so many ways, including the kinds of crimes really taking place in Hawaii and the weapons that are used by both criminals and HPD." That said, he wanted to audition for the role of Kono Kalakaua in the reboot. "The original Kono was a big, Hawaiian guy like me, but they said, 'No, we're going with a Korean-Canadian actress for this!'" He did get to appear in the series however. "Look at this handsome guy!" he cracked, showing me footage of him firing a gun in a street scene. "Such good fun!" 

 

 

Joanna Bressler, Author

https://www.facebook.com/joanna.bressler

The Deceptograph

At almost the last minute, Vicki White pointed something out to me in the museum: The Deceptograph, Lie Detector Desk Model, HPD, 1948. Every inch of this ordinary-looking desk was wired to hunt down the lies of the suspects hooked up to it.

I couldn't tear myself away from the Deceptograph because I'm a Deceptograph too. I police my stories relentlessly to find and eliminate the lies in them. Alas, as with all polygraph machines, I am notoriously unreliable.

 

Gail Baugniet, author of Soft-boiled Pepper Bibeau mysteries 

http://www.amazon.com/Gail-M-Baugniet/e/B004QYTEGC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

SinC/Hawaii members
A.J. Llewellyn, Laurie Hanan, Gail Baugniet

 

 

Everything about the tour was exciting for me, including the luncheon at Auntie Pasto’s afterwards. The photographs I took tell much of the story. Our visit to the science lab (SIS) was a whirlwind tour due to an emergency call-out of the crime scene techs, but the sights and information imparted by our guide were invaluable to us as mystery writers and Hawaii residents alike.  

What is a Mass Spectrometer?

Mass Spectrometry (SM) is an analytical chemistry technique that helps identify the amount and type of chemicals present in a sample by measuring the mass-to-charge ratio and abundance of gas-phase ions. A Mass Spectrometer measures ionizes chemical compounds to generate charged molecules or molecule fragments and measures their mass-to-charge ratio.

Mass Spectrometer
 

Evidence collected by Honolulu Police Officers or Detectives is first turned over to Evidence Lockers, to protect chain of custody and to label and record. Any evidence that must be tested is then sent to the Lab, most often drugs such as marijuana or methamphetamines.

Once the evidence is tested, if it leads to a suspect already recorded in NCIC, National Crime Information Center, then a sample of the evidence is sent to the agency that entered the information. That agency then verifies if the sample is a match. If it does match, then the Honolulu Police Department can move forward with their investigation.

In the Firearms Laboratory, analyses are conducted on weapons and ammunition. They have the

capability to conduct any type of examination associated with weapons offenses as well as toolmark examination.  The Rear room of the laboratory is a one-lane indoor firing range, where test fire examinations are held. They also compare fired bullets and shell casings, and restore defaced serial numbers on weapons and other items.

The Gunshot Residue Lab is where they test for what we all know from CSI shows as “GSR”. GSR can be found on the skin or clothing of the person who fired the weapon, on an entrance wound of a victim, or on other target materials at the scene. Clothing or other items submitted to the lab can be tested to determine presence of GSR.

The type of weapon can influence the distribution of GSR, barrel length and caliber affecting how it is emitted. Delay in obtaining residues, movement and/or washing of the body prior to autopsy will diminish or destroy gunshot residues.

A special MAHALO to Jenny Delos Santos, our newest Sisters in Crime/Hawaii member, for scheduling the tour and for working closely with Officer Fatu to ensure we received a tour of Scientific Investigation Section of the Honolulu Police Department.

Jenny with the Motorcycle Display in the Museum

Sisters and Misters in Crime/Hawaii
HPD arranged special seating for us
in the Police Museum for a special presentation
by HPD Officers Croom and Fatu 



Officer Croom telling the story behind the HPD Police badge

   

For more information about the Honolulu Police Department and about their tours, visit:

http://honolulupd.org/community/index.php?page=museum

 

 

 

Author Interview with Children's Book Writer Gloria Andrada

Author Gloria Andrada

Today’s guest and member of Sisters in Crime/Hawai’i,  Gloria Andrada, is the author of the children’s picture book, Stanley’s Bummer Bus Ride. Thank you for taking time to visit, Gloria, and to give us a look at your new book. First, please tell us a little about yourself. 

 

GLORIA ANDRADA: Thank you. I was born and raised in a small town called Waipahu, on the island of O’ahu in Hawai’i. My parents were immigrants from the Philippines. My father was hired to work as a heavy equipment operator for the O’ahu Sugar Plantation. My world of haul cane trucks, sugar cane and plantation took a major turn at age 7 when I spotted a book called, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in a bookstore in Honolulu.  

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: When did you decide to write a children’s book? 

GLORIA ANDRADA: It took a while to decide, because I wanted to write about my paranormal experiences and share the pictures. I won two Storytelling contests in Moiliili when Glen Grant was hosting those. In fact he asked to tell my story and show the pictures. I won, and one of the prizes was one of his Chicken Skin books. He autographed it and it inspired me to reach a goal like writing a book someday. 

What convinced me was a lady named Terri Madden, who’s a director, actress and owner of Play Builders. When I auditioned for a part in the play Wahiawa: Remembah Wen…,I used the Stanley story, but it was a rough form of the book. She told me it was a good story, what I needed was a good illustrator to bring it to life. That became a two-year journey for Stanley to be in book form. 

Stanley is the kid in all of us. He goes and spends a day with his friends and has an experience, and how he handles the situation without depending on a parent is amazing. I wanted a book that the kids in Hawaii could relate to, with words and places they knew, and where they could meet a real, live author who would encourage them to read, get out in Nature and have an adventure.

 

Stanley's Bummer Bus Ride
by
Gloria Andrada

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: Where did the name Stanley come from?

 

GLORIA ANDRADA: The name Stanley came from my favorite comic book writer, Stan Lee. He wrote about super heroes, like Spiderman. And he is in his 90’s now and is very active. 

The name Stanley in the Urban Dictionary describes him as a sweet, cute and funny guy. He takes care of his friends and is talented at whatever he does. He’s independent and a good friend to have. It’s good to look up your name and see if you’re living up to your name. 

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: What is the age range of readers for your published book? 

GLORIA ANDRADA: The age range of readers is 5-12 years old. It seems their parents enjoy the book as well and experience a deeper meaning to what is not written down but is felt. Gotta read the book. 

 

SISTERS IN CRIME/HAWAI’I: How are you marketing the book?

GLORIA ANDRADA: This is my first, self published book, and what I’m doing is reading in the schools and libraries and getting my name known. So far some the schools and libraries are carrying my book. Kids approach me and tell me I’m the author of Stanley. They have a conversation with me. I think I have a following. Adults approach me and ask it they could be in the next book. I hope I inspired some of the kids to become writers.

 

Thank you for sharing your interesting writing experiences with us, Gloria. We look forward to seeing your book in print. Best of success to you in a long and glorious career.

 

Please visit Gloria's website for more information about the author and her writing, and learn how to purchase her book, Stanley's Bummer Bus Ride, for all the children in your life!

 

http://gloriaandrada.com/

 

 

 

Author Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos: On Writing a Memoir

Aloha Everyone, and Mahalo for joining us today at Sisters in Crime/Hawaii.

Today’s guest author is one of our newest members to Sisters in Crime/Hawaii, Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos. Welcome, to SinC/Hawaii, Jenny and thank you for participating in today’s interview. First, won’t you please share a bit about yourself? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos:

Thank you. I live in the McCully area, near the Hawaii Convention Center. Technically, I grew up in Ewa Beach and went to James Campbell High School. I’m married to my husband Pancho Delos Santos, and I have two adult children from a previous marriage. 

I work at Honolulu Star-Advertiser as an editorial assistant for the newsroom, and I have been there for the past 13 years. My responsibilities include writing On the Move, Business Calendar, Get Involved Calendar, Ship Arrivals and Hawaii Mutuals on a daily basis as well as the obituaries (once a week), payroll (for 120 newsroom employees) when in need and other office duties. 

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii:

You have written a story about an important time in your life. When did you decide to write a Memoir, and why? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos:

My decision to write a Memoir came from many people encouraging me to write a book about my life since they knew I went through a great lot. I became more focused in writing a book when I was told that I couldn’t become a news reporter because I haven’t published anything for the past 10 years. As a result, I thought that I would write my own books, especially since I was fond of reading and writing.

 

My intentions to write a Memoir is to give people, who went through domestic abuse or a traumatic experience, “hope” and “dreams” knowing that if I can go through all that I went through…they also can turn around their lives and become successful in their own way.  

I also want people to know that not everyone abuses the Department of Human Services system, which offers benefits such as food stamps, medical and financial help to the needy, disabled and homeless. Many people end up under dire circumstances, because something traumatic happened in their life, and they just need help to get back on their feet.  

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii:

Why did you decide to join Sisters in Crime/Hawaii? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos: 

By joining a group of writers (such as Sisters in Crime Hawaii), meant that I could be part of a support group, consisting of people who loved to read and write. I remember going to a Sisters in Crime meeting in Kapolei last November, and I was so determined to attend it for the first time. However, I had no idea where Kapolei Library was, and I knew it would take me two hours by bus to reach the destination where the meeting was held. When I finally got to the library, I was in complete awe when I was heartily welcomed by members from the Sisters in Crime Hawaii. Imagine…I finally got to meet real writers, who published numerous books.  

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii:

Where would you most like to live to do your writing? 

Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos:

Hawaii is my first choice to live at while I write books. I like the thought of being surrounded by family, friends and relatives, but at the same time being somewhat secluded for a couple of months as I write. Like, stay at a beautiful resort or a legal vacation rental that has many amenities on the grounds so that I may be able to take time out to rest my weary body after writing for hours and hours. 

Thank you so much for taking time to visit today, Jenny. Best of Success with your writing.

 

Readers can learn more about Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos and visit her at these Web sites: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duhaylonsod 

Follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenny Delos Santos@duhaylonsod60 

http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorialspremium/20120421__How_I_learned_to_live_with_the_fact_that_diabetes_is_a_lifelong_disease.html?id=148361515 

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/18016 

duhaylonsod60@yahoo.com