The Graveyard Shift Blog

Since 2008, Lee Lofland has written over 2000 articles on his blog, The Graveyard Shift. Topics such as police procedure, forensics, criminal behavior, and what it’s like to be a cop has helped countless numbers of popular and aspiring writers.

His life’s mission – to remind writers that cordite is dead and gone. Just say no to cordite in your books!

What Is An Arrest?

    * Tomorrow - Literary Agent Lucienne Diver On Creating Buzz
Capitola California

Weekend Road Trip: Capitola, California

  Capitola, California is located in Santa Cruz County on Monterey Bay. In the early 1960s, a large group of normally passive birds began attacking Capitola residents and tourists. Nearby Santa Cruz was a favorite vacation spot for…
Lt. David Swords: Precinct 7-11

Friday’s Heroes: Lt. Dave Swords on Miranda

  Lieutenant David Swords (ret.) is a thrity year veteran of the Springfield, Ohio Police Department. Nearly half of Lt. Swords’ police career was spent as an investigator, working on cases ranging from simple vandalisms to armed robberies…
Martha Alderson

Martha Alderson: Blockbuster Plots For Writers

    Martha Alderson, M.A. is an international plot consultant for writers. Her clients include best-selling authors, screenwriters, writing teachers and fiction editors. Her own fiction writing has won attention in several literary…
Becky Levine

Becky Levine: Poirot, Marple, and Aliens

  Becky Levine is a writer, freelance manuscript editor, and book reviewer. Her first children's mystery is currently doing the agent hunt, and she is the co-author, with Lee Lofland (yes, that Lee Lofland) of The Everything Kids I Want…

Scott Hoffman: Don’t Let A Glock Kill Your Book

A refugee from the world of politics, Scott Hoffman is one of the founding partners of Folio Literary Management, LLC. Prior to starting Folio, Scott was at PMA Literary and Film Management, Inc. He has served as Vice-chairman of the Board…
Set handcuffs

Allison Brennan: Truthful Fiction

  New York Times Bestselling Author Allison Brennan is a former consultant in the California State Legislature and lives in Northern California with her husband and five children. Her eighth romantic thriller, TEMPTING EVIL, is on sale…
Winslow Arizona

Weekend Road Trip – Arizona

  Turn up the A/C because this week we're headed to Arizona's Painted Desert. First stop, Meteor Crater.   Meteor Crater is located just off Interstate 40 near Flagstaff. Drive twenty miles to the east and you can stand on…
Lt. Monty McCord

Friday’s Heroes: Lt. Monty McCord

Monty McCord is a retired police lieutenant in Nebraska. His 23 years of service included deputy positions for two rural sheriff's offices (one of which was a four man office), and then retiring from the Hastings Police Department. Duties included…
Peter Gessner

Peter Gessner: San Francisco Private Investigator

  I've been a private detective in San Francisco for nearly twenty years. My cases have ranged from traffic accidents and missing persons to decades-old homicides and complex civil litigation. Each one is a learning curve. There…
Dr. Katherine Ramsland: Inside the Archives of Rome's Crime History

Dr. Katherine Ramsland: You’re not Losing Your Voice, You’re Gaining Another’s

  Author Bio: Dr. Katherine Ramsland has a master's degree in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a master's degree in clinical psychology from Duquesne University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Rutgers. …
Joyce Tremel

Joyce Tremel on Civilian Police Employees

  Joyce Tremel works for the Township of Shaler Police Department located just north of the City of Pittsburgh. She holds a second degree blackbelt in Taekwondo and volunteered as a trainee instructor for two years. She is a member of…
Benjamin Leroy

Publisher Benjamin LeRoy: Importance of Introductions

  Benjamin LeRoy is the founder of Bleak House Books, a publisher of crime and dark literary fiction headquartered in Madison, WI. He was recently featured in Publishers Weekly's FIFTY UNDER FORTY series. The story can be read here.…
Garden of the Gods

Weekend Road Trip – Garden of the Gods

  I'm in Witchita, Kansas at the Scene of the Crime conference, so this week's Weekend Road Trip will be hosted by author Terry Odell. She's decided to take you guys to Pikes Peak, Colorado for a tour of the Garden of the Gods. Terry promises…
Dave Crawford

Friday’s Heroes – Police Officer Dave Crawford

  Police Officer David Crawford I've met many dedicated police officers who go above and beyond what's expected of them. They'll take a bullet for their partner, if necessary. They'll take one for you, too, if that's what it takes…
Tracy Seybold

Working The Graveyard Shift With Author/Police Dispatcher Tracy Seybold

I am a police dispatcher, and I work the graveyard shift in a small county in southern Colorado. Once the sun goes down, I am the only contact point for three law enforcement agencies, three fire departments, two ambulance garages, the department…
Should know about DNA

Things Writers Should Know About DNA

  Sometimes, we just seem to get our tangs all tonguled up and use the wrong words in our stories. Perhaps we learned those incorrect little language units while watching television, or while reading a novel written by a die-hard CSI fan.…
Literary Agent Janet Reid Goes Undercover

Literary Agent Janet Reid Goes Undercover

  I'm here undercover. Lee Lofland thinks he invited me over to do a guest stint on his blog.  What I'm really doing is getting to know you, his readers, and worming my way into your good graces.  Why?  Cause I just sold a book…