2013 Writers’ Police Academy: Day One – All My Children

2013 all my children

 

Have you ever seen a happier group of people, knowing they’re on their way to jail? Well, yesterday at 6:00pm, Guilford County North Carolina Sheriff’s Deputies loaded over two dozen smiling WPA recruits into two sheriff’s office vans and whisked them away for a tour of one of the local county jails.

Then, with the jail tour group heading over to “the rock,” a parade of police cars from various departments began arriving at the WPA hotel. Their mission—to pick up a second wave of recruits for the start of four-hour ride-alongs.

When the final patrol car left the parking lot, keynote speaker Lisa Gardner took a seat behind the wheel of an unmarked Dodge Charger, a fancy police car specially designed and equipped for covert assignments.

Yes, I’d handed Lisa over to a multi-jurisdictional task force where she was to spend the next four hours with the “the boys in black.” Their mission was, of course, secret.

So, with the jail tour and ride-along participants off and away, it was time for my annual stress session to begin. I always know our WPA recruits are in good hands, but I still worry like a parent worries about their kids. Did they take a jacket in case it gets chilly? Did they take enough money in case the officers stop for refreshments, or a meal. Did they each wear their best underwear in case they’re in an accident. You parents all know the drill, right? It’s what we do.

But the worry would have to wait. We had other fish to fry. It was time to give the remaining recruits a taste of high-risk nighttime traffic stops. You know, where the suspects in the target vehicle are more than likely armed and you’ve stopped them someplace where backup is scarce and there’s nothing between you and the bad guys but space, blue lights, and a whole lot of hoping all goes well.

How the heck do cops handle those dangerous and scary situations? Well, WPA recruits were definitely in and up front on the action last night.

When the session was over there were many  shocked and amazed people, and their comments reflected their sudden “enlightenment.” Comments such as, “I had no idea what police officers go through out there. What a dangerous job. Holy cow! I have a new-found respect for police officers. Now I understand why it sometimes takes five or six police officers to arrest one guy. All those police cars for one small SUV? Now I know why. Heck, after seeing this tonight, I’d think it would be safer to bring in more officers and patrol cars.”

I was on my way back inside the hotel when I took a glance at the time. Not good. Lisa Gardner was missing-in-action—MIA.

Our star speaker’s ride-along was scheduled to end at 10pm. At 10:00, though, Lisa Gardner was nowhere to be seen. Then came 10:15. Still no Lisa. That’s when the knot of worms in my gut woke up and began to squiggle and wiggle. Images passed through my mind of Lisa caught in a crossfire with dangerous gang members. What would I tell her husband and other family members? Suppose she’d injured her best and favorite typing fingers? How would I face her fans, knowing that it was I alone who’d placed their favorite author in harm’s way?

Then the worst thought of all struck. How in the world would I fill her empty slot at the Saturday night banquet? It was certainly too late to find another keynote speaker. I began to pace the hotel lobby, first to the bar, then to the front desk. Back to the bar and back to the front desk. Okay, so I worry about everyone. I admit it.

Suddenly my phone alerted me to an incoming text message. It was 10:30. Please let it be Lisa, and please let her be okay.

I opened the message….

“Lee, it’s Lisa. Making an arrest. Be back later. Best ride-along ever!”

WHEW!

*Thursday evening and night was exciting and a lot of fun for everyone. What the WPA recruits don’t know is that the real action and excitement starts tomorrow. Last night was a mere sip from an ocean. As the songs says…”You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!”

 

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Policing The Writers’ Police Academy

Policing the WPA

 

We’re hours away from the start of the 2013 Writers’ Police Academy. It’s such an exciting and action-packed event that some people like Chris P. (above left) stand in line for up to a year, skipping sleep and meals, hoping to grab one of the coveted slots. Probably a wise move since we sold out in just under six days this year. Special events, such as FATS, were scooped up the first day.

Speaking of the firearms simulation training…it’s a very serious activity, where WPA recruits are faced with real-time shoot/don’t shoot scenarios. It’s intensive, heart-pounding, and to some, quite emotional. Yes, some experience hand tremors, stress-induced perspiration, and a few have even shed tears. And then there are those who never, ever crack under the pressure.

The staff of the WPA have the unique opportunity to observe personal things about our recruits, such as a look at how well they function behind the wheel of emergency vehicles.

Some do really well under pressure, expertly steering around obstacles, such as cars, trucks, and pedestrians. Others (I wont mention any names…Lee Child) should not be permitted to operate any contraption bearing wheels and an engine. Actually, I think I heard a collective sigh of relief from the citizens of North Carolina when Lee handed over control of his vehicle to Marcia Clark, deciding that being a passenger was in the best interest of mankind. Lee Child is a true hero.

WPA workshops are taught by some of the top experts in the country, which sometimes translates into hard-to-come-by seating.

Some WPA recruits grow weary of the race to grab the best seats, therefore, they often resort to extreme means to secure premium spots in the various classrooms.

But, the weapon-wielding seat hunters are sometimes met with violent resistance.

Fortunately, we have a well-trained emergency medical staff on hand at all times.

If things to rise to the point of “out-of-control” we simply bring everyone together and have a sheriff’s captain give them a stern talking-to.

Then we make them promise, under oath, to behave.

The powerful oath always works, returning everyone to their normal “lovey-dovey” state.

Still, some renegade recruits require a one-on-one discussion to prevent them from going rogue.

When all else fails, we turn the matter over to our “enforcers,” who know how to deal with special situations.

In the end, and everyone who’s attended will agree, the WPA is hands-down/hands-on one of the best doggone events anywhere in the country.

For me, it’s the smiles on the faces of our recruits that tells the WPA story, and that’s what makes the effort worthwhile.

 

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The 2013 Writers’ Police Academy Opens TOMORROW!

2013 WPA opens tomorrow

 

I suppose today’s the day when I should start blogging about the 2013 Writers’ Police Academy. Therefore, since I’ve got nothing else up my sleeve…here you go.

We leave for North Carolina this afternoon and I’m nearly done packing for the trip. My load is light this year—a few books, some clothes, toiletries, the Golden Donut Trophy, and more medication this year than last. The latter is a depressing reality that emphasizes the fact that I’m getting older.

Another reality I face at the Writers’ Police Academy is the officers there who all look so young. In fact, some of them weren’t yet born when I first pinned a badge to my uniform shirt.

When I started out in the police business I carried a six-shooter. Now, the youngsters carry guns that hold nearly as many rounds as the number of pills I take in a 24-hour period.

Speaking of pill-taking…one of those dang things affects my liver, so I take two to counteract the potential damages inflicted by the first. Then there’s the triangular one, the one shaped like a football, and a big ugly brown one and squirts of liquid-fire drops to hopefully help repair the damage caused to my eyes during a recent surgery. Not much luck there, so far. Then there’s stuff I mix with juice, and the weekly injection that I’m still too chicken to do myself (I could never be a heroin user).

In a few hours, with my gut full of pills and my eyes swimming in what feels like molten lava, we’ll drive away from our house, heading to North Caro… Oh yeah, I already told you that. By the way, youngsters, the memory automatically begins to come and go the day immediately following delivery of your first letter of invitation to join AARP.

So we’ll be arriving at the event hotel late tonight. I plan to have a quick snack, go over my “To-Do” list to be everything is To-Done and then call it a night. I’ll need a few solid hours of sleep since Thursday is when the WPA wheels really begin to turn.

To those of you who weren’t able to attend this year (we sold out in just under six days after opening registration), I want to assure you that you won’t be missing much, and that the 200 + WPA recruits and over 100 experts and presenters will absolutely NOT be having fun. This event is off-the-charts boring. Why, there’s hardly anything to do. Don’t believe me? Well, here…see for yourself. This is just a small portion of the boring crap you’ll be missing. I’m already yawning…

 

And, of course, there’s…

Lisa Gardner

and…

New Picture (1)

So I don’t blame you for not coming this year. It’s really going to be a real snooze-fest… NOT!

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Golden Donut Short Story Contest Opens April 1st!

The Writers’ Police Academy is pleased to continue the Golden Donut short story contest in 2013. The rules are simple—write a story about the photograph above using exactly 200 words, including the title (each story must include an original title). The image in the photograph MUST be the main subject of the story. We will not provide clues as to the subject matter of the image, or where the shot was taken. That is for you and your imagination to decide. Remember, though, what you see in the image absolutely MUST be the main subject of your tale.

All stories are to be polished and complete, meaning they must have a beginning, middle, and a twisted surprise ending. Again, all stories must be exactly 200 words. Not 201 or 199! So read the word count rules carefully.

The contest winner will receive the prestigious Golden Donut Award.

All entries will be screened by a panel of authors who will select their ten favorite stories and then forward their picks to the contest judge, editor Kristen Weber. Ms. Weber’s decisions are final and may not be contested or appealed. After reviewing each of the entries, she will present the winning story title to the appropriate Writers’ Police Academy staff member and the winner’s name will be announced and award presented at the WPA banquet. The contest is open to everyone, not just attendees of the academy, and the winner need not be present to win.

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions are a two part process. Please read carefully!

1. All submissions MUST be submitted electronically via email to >lofland32@msn.com< (You’ll need to copy and paste the address, omitting the >< symbols). Each entry will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation within two business days, please feel free to contact Lee Lofland at the above email address.

2. Write: Golden Donut Entry in the subject line of the email.

3. Please include your story within the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened.

4. Additionally, a twenty dollar ($20) entry fee and a hard copy of the story/entry must be mailed to:

Writers’ Police Academy

P.O. Box 60091

Savannah, Ga. 31420

– Contest opens at 12 noon on Monday April 1, 2013 (Please do not send any entries before this date).

Submission Deadline: Midnight Monday August 19, 2013 (the precise point in time between 11:59 pm 8-19 and 12:01 am 8-20)

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified. Please count and re-count before submitting your entries. A few excellent stories have been rejected due to word counts.

– Hyphenated words, for the purpose of this contest, will be counted as two words, or three, etc., depending upon how many words make up the hyphenated phrase/word.

– Entries submitted after the deadline will NOT be judged. No refunds!

All entry fees must be received on or prior to August 19, 2013. No exceptions. There is normally a mountain of entries, therefore, it is a time-consuming process for the judges. We need time to process the entries and to have the award properly engraved.

– Every single word will be counted as a word – this includes: “a,” “and,” and “the.” To be very clear…if it’s a word, count it. If it’s part of dialog and you think it may be a word, count it. If it’s a stand-alone letter or group of letters, count it as a word. If it’s a number, count it as a word. If the number would include a hyphen when written out as a word, then count it as a hyphenated word. If it’s a smudge on the page, count it as a word.

– Be sure to include your name, address, email address, telephone number(s), and title of your story in an opening paragraph above your story (in both the email and snail mail entries). Then, please include your story, headed by the title.

– There is a $20 entry fee. You may submit the fee by money order or check. There is no Paypal option for the contest. Entries received without the appropriate entry fee will be excluded from the contest.

Please submit the entry fee and your story(s) in the same envelope. It is far too confusing to receive an entry one day and the entry fee weeks later. Entries received without the proper entry fee will not be considered. Also, you must submit the electronic submission to be considered.

– There is no limit on the number of entries by any author. But each individual entry must be accompanied by its own $20 entry fee. ( One entry = $20. Four entries = $80, etc.)

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– By submitting an entry to this contest authors agree to allow The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland/the Writers’ Police Academy, Sisters in Crime, and affiliates to publish/reprint the story as a part of The Graveyard Shift blog and/or as advertisement for the Writers’ Police Academy or Sisters in Crime, or in other publications and media, including, but not limited to, books, magazines, newspaper, blogs, ebooks, online outlets, etc. *Sisters in Crime is not a part of the Writers’ Police Academy.

*All rights to all work/short story shall remain the property of the author. The Writers’ Police Academy reserves the right to exclude or delete any entry without cause, reason, or explanation.

– No refunds. Proceeds go to the Writers’ Police Academy fund to benefit the GTCC criminal justice foundation.

So there you have it. Now get busy and take us on a journey that’d scare the pants off Poe himself. Is that a drop of blood on the stairs? Has someone been murdered? Or, was it merely a speck of red paint? Perhaps a colony of zombies lurk behind the concrete and steel. Maybe this is the wall that separates purgatory from eternal paradise. Who knows?

Good luck!

 

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Writers’ Police Academy Registration Is…OPEN!

WPA registration is open

Writers’ Police Academy 2013

Registration opened last night and we’re already near capacity!

This is the largest, best, and most exciting event we’ve ever produced. Please do not procrastinate. This is not an event to be missed.

Here’s a small portion of what we have in store for you:

Lisa Gardner

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner is the 2013 keynote speaker.

New Picture (1)

Special guest speaker: NY Times bestselling author, TV producer of the hit show “Bones,” and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs.

New Picture

Special Guest Speaker: World-renowned DNA expert Dr. Dan Krane.

And…

See you in soon!

September 5-8, 2013

Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC)

Public Safety Building

Jamestown, N.C.

www.writerspoliceacademy.com

*Photos by Patti Phillips, Julie Goyette, and me.

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The Writers’ Police Academy’s Special Guest Speaker Is…

Kathy Reichs

 

KATHY REICHS!

Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead catapulted her to fame when it became a New York Times bestseller and won the 1997 Ellis Award for Best First Novel. Her other Temperance Brennan novels include Death du Jour, Deadly Décisions, Fatal Voyage, Grave Secrets, Bare Bones, Monday Mourning, Cross Bones, Break No Bones, Bones to Ashes, Devil Bones, 206 Bones, Spider Bones, Flash and Bones, and Bones Are Forever, in addition to Virals and Seizure, two young adult fiction novels following the adventures of Temperance Brennan’s niece. Dr. Reichs is also a producer of the hit Fox TV series, Bones, which is based on her work and her novels.

From teaching FBI agents how to detect and recover human remains, to separating and identifying commingled body parts in her Montreal lab, as a forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has brought her own dramatic work experience to her mesmerizing forensic thrillers. For years she consulted to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina, and continues to do so for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Québec. Dr. Reichs has travelled to Rwanda to testify at the UN Tribunal on Genocide, and helped exhume a mass grave in Guatemala. As part of her work at JPAC (Formerly CILHI) she aided in the identification of war dead from World War II, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Dr. Reichs also assisted with identifying remains found at ground zero of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Dr. Reichs is one of only eighty-two forensic anthropologists ever certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. She served on the Board of Directors and as Vice President of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, and is currently a member of the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada. She is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

*     *     *

We are extremely excited about our 2013 lineup of superstar speakers and experts, including keynote speaker Lisa Gardner, and special guests Dr. Kathy Reichs, and Dr. Dan Krane. Each year we shoot for the moon, hoping to bring you the best talent available, and doggone it, we deliver.

We’re also excited about the top-of-the-line team of expert instructors we have on board for the 2013 Writers’ Police Academy. We have lots of new workshops and hands-on sessions in store for you this year. And, as always, the action is nonstop…and FUN!

Registration is scheduled to open in February (updates to the WPA website are in progress). Please keep in mind that space for the WPA is extremely limited, so register early!

*The winner of the “Name The Speaker” contest is Elizabeth Bryant, for being the first person to correctly guess Kathy Reichs. Congratulations, Elizabeth. Your prize, a free driving simulator session, will be waiting for you at the WPA!

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The Name of the 2013 WPA Keynote Speaker Is…

Lisa Gardner 2012

 

The Writers’ Police Academy is extremely pleased to announce that superstar author Lisa Gardner is the 2013 keynote speaker! And she plans to spend the entire weekend playing cops and robbers with us.

Lisa Gardner, a #1 New York Times bestselling suspense novelist, began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. With 16 million copies of her books, 4 movies and one 2010 award for Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers, she’s glad she did. Her latest novel, Touch & Go, involves kidnapping an entire family, and allowed Lisa to spend quality time in a maximum security prison. Fun!

Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with her race-car driving husband, speed-skiing daughter, two extremely barky dogs, and one very silly puppy. When not writing, Lisa has been known to hike, box, garden, and even on occasion, read a book.

*The winner of the “name the keynote speaker contest” is Patricia Marie Warren. Congratulations, Patricia. Your prize is a free FATS session at the 2013 Writers’ Police Academy!

*     *     *

Now it’s time to begin contest #2, “Name The Special Guest Speaker.”

Here’s clue #1:

1. I’ve vowed to keep this name to myself, so, unless you guess correctly, I’ll have to take the secret to my grave. I promise, though, you won’t have to dig very deep to find this author’s New York Times bestselling thrillers.

*Remember, send your guess to me at lofland32@msn.com. DO NOT post your answer in the comments section of this blog!  Doing so will automatically disqualify your entry.

The first correct answer receives the free Driving Simulator session at the 2013 WPA. The session is for the winner of this contest only, and is not transferable. There is no redeemable cash value.

We will announce the contest winner on Thursday 1-31-13.

 

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Writers’ Police Academy Donates To GTCC Foundation

WPA donates to GTCC

 

The Writers’ Police Academy is an event like no other. Those of you who’ve attended the WPA have seen the size and scope of the event, and you know what a monster it must be to plan and organize. Actually, it’s a massive undertaking involving well over 100 dedicated planners, law enforcement professionals, forensics experts, EMS personnel, firefighters, volunteers, speakers, and others. Hundreds of hours and hard work go into planning the WPA.

Not only are we tasked with coming up with a fantastic program each year, we have to be sure our hands-on workshops are safe. After all, we’re not the typical writers conference. Our attendees don’t sit in hotel meeting rooms for hours on end. Instead, our recruits train at an actual police/fire/EMS academy, and we want you to have the experience of a lifetime—a writer’s Disneyland! Without a doubt, though, the effort is extremely worthwhile.

And then there are the “recruits,” the writers who attend to shoot, drive, handcuff, and fingerprint for nearly three days. There’s door-kicking, underwater evidence recovery (someone may actually get to suit up next year and do a little diving with the team), shallow graves, firefighting, gunshot wounds to treat, police k-9’s, and much, much more! And we get bigger and better each year. 2013 will be no exception. Man, have we ever got some excitement in store for next year!!

Of course, we can’t forget all the generous people who donate books and other items for the raffle and silent auction. And, our wonderful sponsors and guest presenters who help make the WPA possible each and every year…thank you so much. Your kindness and generosity is very much appreciated. We couldn’t do this without you. *A special thank you to Sisters in Crime!

Anyway, you guys know how this works…we pay all the bills, set aside a little for the next year’s start-up, and then donate the remaining funds to GTCC’s criminal justice foundation. The money is used to supplement the college’s strained public safety training and education budget. Remember, the dozens of police, fire, forensics, and EMS professionals all donate their time to help you, so it’s only proper that we, in turn, give back to them!

So, I’ve said all that to say this…Yesterday, Denene and I traveled to the campus of Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC), the home of the Writers’ Police Academy, to present the WPA’s 2012 donation to the Criminal Justice Technology Foundation. Receiving the check from me (pictured above) is Eric Holloman, chair of the criminal justice department. Also pictured, from left to right, are Denene Lofland, Sandra Neal, and Andy Russell.

So, before I reveal the amount, could I have a drum roll, please…

Here goes.

This year, thanks to all of you, we were pleased to present the foundation with a check in the amount of $12,300.00. That brings our donation total to over $30,000.00 over the past three years.

Again, we could not do this without your support. Therefore, on behalf of the Writers’ Police Academy and everyone involved, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

See you in 2013!

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Liz Mugavero: One Of The Best Weekends Of My Life!

Liz Mugavero

 

I spent a beautiful September weekend in North Carolina being shot at by drug dealers, shooting (and killing) fugitives and uncovering a makeshift grave.

It was one of the best weekends of my life.

But I expected nothing less from my first Writer’s Police Academy. I’d heard only great things about Lee’s event, and every one of them was true. Being immersed in the world of law enforcement, experiencing what these brave men and women experience every day, getting hands on and seeing and hearing the reality of their job was incredible and sobering and endlessly fascinating.

Crime has always drawn me (not committing it, I promise) as much as telling stories has drawn me. The first research paper I ever wrote as an 11-year-old detailed the Charles Stuart murder case in Boston. While my friends were reading Sweet Valley High books, I could be counted on to have my nose in a true crime serial killer account. Even then, I was fascinated with the “whys” of each story, a gift from my grandfather, who spent decades as a detective in Lawrence, Mass. and had the stories to prove it.

Family and friends of police officers know: a large part of police work is retelling the war stories. I was always an anomaly in my family due to my outlandish imagination and obsession with scary stories, so my grandfather’s penchant for telling these narratives — both real and embellished — was a breath of fresh air. Those stories drew me into his world, like a key to a secret club. They fed my imagination and got me asking questions and gave me yet another reason to admire him. I ate them up and imagined the days when I’d get to tell my own.

As an adult, I didn’t pursue the job. But I did the next best thing: I became a crime fiction writer. Which meant learning everything about how cops and sheriffs and FBI and DEA agents do their jobs to make it believable on the page. I read tons of books, wormed my way onto any crime story I could catch as a reporter and supplemented my interest with friends on the job. I collected stories from police captains, parole officers and corrections officers. I tried to weasel my way into ride-alongs and local police business.

And this year, I finally got to the Writer’s Police Academy.

Lee and the law enforcement professionals who gave their time and expertise to our quirky group gave us an invaluable gift. We were privy to not only their firsthand experiences, but seeing and being part of those experiences. Crashing though doors with shields and rifles and learning how to sweep an apartment potentially full of lethal enemies, feeling the adrenaline rush to discover a person actually waiting behind the door (right, Edith?) and understanding how easy it would be for something to go wrong in a split second.

Going through a firearms simulation where a mass shooter is killing innocent people and trying to gauge if and when you should shoot him. Traipsing through the woods (we were lucky the weather happened to be nice) and finding a finger in your path, and a few yards later finding the person the finger belonged to buried with leaves and twigs in a shallow hole. Imagining the insects swarming, the smells, the aftermath.

Watching a live police chase and seeing what could happen when a traffic stop turns into something much more menacing. Learning how someone could slip out of their handcuffs and give a cop a really bad night.

And the stories. As much as I loved being “shot at” by drug dealers and shooting bad people and everything else Lee had in store for us, what really grabbed me were the stories. Every officer and agent there let us into their lives. Some of the stories were funny, others were tragic, some were downright terrifying. But they were all real. I could’ve sat there for weeks and just listened, whether it was tales of a killer sighting his or her prey, the realities of gang violence, or how undercover cops avoid a drug dealer’s request to prove themselves by taking drugs. My grandfather would have been in his glory.

Everything I did, saw and heard that weekend gave new meaning to the phrase “putting your life on the line,” and that’s what these people do every day. I was already grateful for the law enforcement officers who work so hard to keep us safe. Now, I’m indebted.

Lee and all our instructors—thank you. I’ll see you next year, as long as you’ll have us.

Liz Mugavero is a former journalist presently navigating the world of corporate America. Her first series, the Pawsitively Organic Gourmet Pet Food Mysteries, will debut next May. She presently resides in Connecticut but is Massachusetts born and bred. Connect with her on Facebook, http://facebook.com/liz.mugavero  and Twitter, @lizmugavero or at lizmugavero.com.

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