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!
Castle: Fool Me Once – A Review
I almost want to jump up and turn cartwheels (in spite of the ruptured disc in my back). This week's show was definitely a cut above what we've had to endure so far this season. In fact, it was so much better I didn't even yell and scream at…
OD: Page 246 Of My Spiral Notebooks
Wealthy.
Mansion.
Porsche.
Fame.
Money.
Parents.
Away.
Party.
Friends.
Corvettes.
Mercedes.
BMW.
Music.
Laughter.
Food.
Drinks.
Pot.
Cocaine.
Heroin.
LSD.
Mushrooms.
Fun.
Hash.
Speed.
Pipes.
Bongs.
Meth.
PCP.
Smoke.
Snort.
More…
Stuart Kaminsky: We’ll Miss You
Stuart Kaminsky
1935-2009
My heart is broken this morning. Stuart Kaminsky has passed away.
I had the unique honor of assisting Stuart with the police and forensic information in his CSI novels. I'll never forget his reaction…
Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen
Deputy Sheriff Francis David Blake, 42
Burnet County Texas Sheriffs Department
Deputy Francis Blake died in an automobile accident on October 3, 2009. He was responding to a serious motor vehicle crash when he hit a deer. His car then…
A Troubled Week For Police Officers
Sergeant Mickey Hutchens and Officer Daniel Clark were both shot yesterday while responding to a domestic disturbance at fast food restaurant in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Both officers remain in serious condition. Sergeant Hutchins…
Cops: Writing Their Love Lives and Hunting Rabbits
Police officers face many difficult challenges during the course of their careers, challenges most people would avoid at all costs. For example, exchanging a few rounds of live ammunition with a doped up bad guy, or how about working…
Castle: Inventing The Girl – A Review
Well, another Castle episode is in the history books. This week's show titled Inventing The Girl was written by David Grae, an accomplished TV veteran with many popular shows to his credit, like Gilmore Girls, Without a Trace, and Moose…
Handguns: You’re Still Writing Them Wrong. Yeah, You!
Okay, I attempted to read another book last week, a book I wanted to toss off a steep cliff into the Pacific Ocean. Why would I want to drive 3,000 miles just for the pleasure of watching a book sink into Half Moon Bay? It's a simple…
Weekend Road Trip: It’s Time For A 200 Word Short Story Contest
The Curse
I waited impatiently after shoving my quarter into the slot. After all, she'd never been wrong before. I heard the coin tumbling through the mechanism, finally striking the empty metal container below.
Suddenly, her world-in-a-box…
Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen
Deputy Sheriff James Anderson, 39
Lee County Alabama Sheriff's Office
On September 24, 2009, Deputy James Anderson was intentionally struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle during a traffic stop. Deputy Anderson leaves…
Norm Benson: My Former Beat – The Dark Woods
Forestry combines art and science, and grapples with the ecological riddles of our time; but it’s also a job.
Norm Benson is a Registered Professional Forester. During his thirty years for the California Department of Forestry…
Castle: The Double Down – A Review
Let's just skip the preliminary fluff and get down to business. After watching this episode I'm in no mood for making nice.
The title of this week's episode is Double Down. Perhaps the network should have opted for calling it Double Trouble.…
Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen
Lance Corporal Jonathan Nash, 41
South Carolina Highway Patrol
Lance Corporal Jonathan Nash was killed while leading a charity ride in memorial of a fellow trooper, Hardy Godbold, who died in a 1992 automobile accident…
Psychologist Richard Helms: The Zoloft Made Me Do It
Richard Helms retired after a nearly quarter-century career as a professional psychologist in 2002 to teach at a college in Charlotte, NC. He has been nominated three times for the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award (Juicy Watusi, 2003;…
Castle: Deep in Death
He's back! Nathan Fillion (Richard Castle) exposed a little "naughty" and a little "nice" in the season opener, Deep In Death. The action heated up quickly when a couple of scantily-clad faux patrol officers used Castle as their private…
Lisa Black: Forensics, Lightning, and Missing Persons
Lisa Black spent the happiest five years of her life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist she analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, paint, glass, hairs, fibers, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence. Now she's a latent…
Weekend Road Trip: Arizona Revisited
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 a corner…
Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen
Patrolman Jerry Jones, 27
Charleston West Virginia Police Department
Officer Jerry Jones's career came to an end on September 13, 2009. He and other officers were involved in a pursuit with a suspect wanted in a hit and…