tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13895057456836500872024-02-23T21:02:52.310-05:00Out of the FogOh, wait. Do I see something ahead?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-75528611536475735682024-02-05T16:19:00.000-05:002024-02-05T16:19:44.374-05:00OUTING THE FOG<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Sometimes you just need a little boost to get a clear signal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARdJyDRhXBEGosablSyf9IYXU9Ab3St_07AXz8TvmzT-6T2WYDfd6T2FVphSTkw_AdjuNywmq7GUKvdSMtuTGTXXteOsHIxbOeJHm_VLqeM6P3W4kbHWQlC8rcFAMTPBaKh2qVVoQZnW0VGcjq76JkQXgr6UC03bPxtlYEgFDnsG_j25e7NiqRO20D9s/s4000/IMG_20240202_141525052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARdJyDRhXBEGosablSyf9IYXU9Ab3St_07AXz8TvmzT-6T2WYDfd6T2FVphSTkw_AdjuNywmq7GUKvdSMtuTGTXXteOsHIxbOeJHm_VLqeM6P3W4kbHWQlC8rcFAMTPBaKh2qVVoQZnW0VGcjq76JkQXgr6UC03bPxtlYEgFDnsG_j25e7NiqRO20D9s/s320/IMG_20240202_141525052.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>My brain has been a lot like this picture; an antenna, encrusted in signal-blurring ice, frozen by elements beyond my control, engulfed in mists that shape-shift familiar landmarks into hunched and hidden versions of themselves. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The don't-get-up-from-that-chair-until-you-hit-one-thousand-words goal doesn't apply. I'm still writing like a fiend but with real-life stuff. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's my fiction writing that's taking the hit.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> The problem is that I really want to be making stuff up and writing it down. I don't want to be consumed with the issues numbing me. But life can get complicated. It's an iceberg/Titanic kind of thing. My writing life was sailing along until <i>crunch!</i> Creativity sank but life's damned iceberg continued on its merry way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">That iceberg took a long time to form. Family dynamics chilled relationships well beyond cold shoulders and icy stares. The deceptive slick of lies like black ice made normal conversations almost deadly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You may think you've never heard writer's block described like this before. My writing isn't blocked as much as it has taken on a different shape like the trees in the picture. I want to make up characters and create the bad things that happen to them. Crystallized in that block of ice are good people frozen in fear because of the wrong turns made when familiar landmarks gave way to the weight of the cold.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, I'm journaling and writing down events and thoughts because I know I'm at a point of transition. I'm at a point where the mist is lifting, more with the promise of sunlight than a break in the clouds.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The signal is getting stronger as the air warms. I'm no longer frozen into inaction. I've enjoyed the stillness of my artic world, but life didn't flourish.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">[BTW: That picture? I took it with my cell phone at the summit of Mount Sunapee. It's full color, no filters, and I related to it way too much.]</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-81966464587746382842024-01-02T13:42:00.001-05:002024-01-02T13:42:24.134-05:00EVEN MY KIDS LEARNED SOMETHING<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Interviews and podcasts are part of the deal in being a writer. We often say we write for ourselves but it sure is nice to get our words out into the world, and being an invited guest on a blog, CCTV, or podcast is always an honor and a great way to expand our reach into new audiences. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Each host has a theme or a vibe they adhere to. I've done interviews that focus on my experience as an equestrian, fiction author, journalist, or social connector. I enjoy learning what the host found interesting in my background for their readers/viewers/listeners. As fun as these interviews are, I always feel they are incomplete, there was more to my story. I wondered if anyone could get a complete picture of me as a person and as a writer.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Enter <a href="https://www.candyoterry.com/">Candy O'Terry's</a> podcast, "<a href="https://www.candyoterry.com/post/connie-johnson-hambley">The Story Behind Her Success</a>." Candy is a Boston radio icon and has interviewed over 1000 women including Mariah Carey, Crystal Gayle, Erin Brockovich, Valerie Harper, and so many more incredible, amazing, fantastic women. Candy does what so many interviewers don't; she delves into the alchemy of nature and nurture that made these women who they are.</span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHadUG3WTeYWRWEgSLyIO5tHxd80s-rwvIJq7wmIK_D3MJ0YCbm3n1y61xi0Civb5Y4f5r4Z_rm9que8n6AmjbNgUhUb0LMEPYTTuFgbF7Kj9pqkeDmEFrILT5I6AuyQ6_EKBYLH6wHhhnR2s2I3ZuQCZ6YHiPvarqBR9speCIjyFRAiPSYvdn_e8q4E/s667/Connie%20Candy%20Oterry%20promo%20shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHadUG3WTeYWRWEgSLyIO5tHxd80s-rwvIJq7wmIK_D3MJ0YCbm3n1y61xi0Civb5Y4f5r4Z_rm9que8n6AmjbNgUhUb0LMEPYTTuFgbF7Kj9pqkeDmEFrILT5I6AuyQ6_EKBYLH6wHhhnR2s2I3ZuQCZ6YHiPvarqBR9speCIjyFRAiPSYvdn_e8q4E/w400-h400/Connie%20Candy%20Oterry%20promo%20shot.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I confess, I never thought of myself as a "renaissance woman." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On a car trip with my son over the holidays, we listened to this interview together. Candy asked me about growing up on a dairy farm, law school, my career in banking, writing for BusinessWeek, and so much more. Afterwards, he looked at me with pride. "I never knew all that about you." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I had to wonder how that could be so. I've never exactly kept my life a secret from my family!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Anyway, take a listen to <a href="https://www.candyoterry.com/post/connie-johnson-hambley" target="_blank">my conversation with Candy here</a>.</span></div><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-31827487227461441472023-10-13T15:28:00.002-04:002023-10-13T15:28:31.405-04:00IT NEVER GETS OLD<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAjpTrNR290h1gxr5XTQ5hvkCeWMqlU5uryaDKQp2ohutHeIbt7z5BCfM_sfCqMiTMjV9b-TXTrvP05rAv85Mr7LWoxe-GjE6eBLHldcRkgjcm2n8eR9JFDHqGm4VRaDK_YqRZ9GrUOcWaectgVOW1qwLFe6JjLWpUhTlEJ2HZqNEjpSsCe1tX6cL2xI/s3000/Wolfbane%20Cover%20and%20Pages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2962" data-original-width="3000" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAjpTrNR290h1gxr5XTQ5hvkCeWMqlU5uryaDKQp2ohutHeIbt7z5BCfM_sfCqMiTMjV9b-TXTrvP05rAv85Mr7LWoxe-GjE6eBLHldcRkgjcm2n8eR9JFDHqGm4VRaDK_YqRZ9GrUOcWaectgVOW1qwLFe6JjLWpUhTlEJ2HZqNEjpSsCe1tX6cL2xI/s320/Wolfbane%20Cover%20and%20Pages.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It never gets old to see my name under the "Best New England Crime Stories" banner. This year, my short story "Wooden Spirits" appears beside other award-winning authors.</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wolfsbane-Best-England-Crime-Stories/dp/B0CKGVFQ7G/" target="_blank">Wolfsbane: Best New England Crime Stories 2023</a> once again brings together many of the best writers in the genre in our region. These 21 stories cover the full range of crime fiction, from the traditional amateur sleuth to the cop in the world of self-driving cars and AI bots running your home. The award-winning authors take us to the streets of Boston where drug dealers congregate and yet show us the true character of some of those on the mean streets. A decent man goes undercover and learns a few lessons the hard way, and a lawyer faces his own hard reality. Every story brings new insight and fresh perspective to the world of crime, the criminals, and the victims caught among them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jpD8ntizn5E_P_U-iSgOWihS2TCNMbG7BsEBEalAPw27J8IInxy1tamzqxYNrLgGg17N5V1oOM3xdlLWG0bka89YoFCB1UNS7LlIsn_zTYENOU5IAyQYFVryX538G7G3kjC0cbliJEZz51QnuuOMNEPjVYdjGHpFqtCA73SgSElbZgpl1xVWFoImIHw/s1585/Wolfsbane%20Front%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="1027" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jpD8ntizn5E_P_U-iSgOWihS2TCNMbG7BsEBEalAPw27J8IInxy1tamzqxYNrLgGg17N5V1oOM3xdlLWG0bka89YoFCB1UNS7LlIsn_zTYENOU5IAyQYFVryX538G7G3kjC0cbliJEZz51QnuuOMNEPjVYdjGHpFqtCA73SgSElbZgpl1xVWFoImIHw/s320/Wolfsbane%20Front%20Cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Read the work of these award-winning writers: Jason Allison, Christine Bagley, Brenda Buchanan, Christine H. Chen, Bruce Robert Coffin, Michael Ditchfield, Judith Green, Connie Johnson Hambley, Sean Harding, Eleanor Ingbretson, Zakariah Johnson, Paula Messina, Susan Oleksiw, Robin Hazard Ray, Ray Salemi, Lauren Sheridan, Bonnie Spring, Gabriela Stiteler, Frances Stratford, Leslie Wheeler, Carolyn Marie Wilkins</span></span><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-38792130314467677982023-09-18T12:03:00.005-04:002023-09-19T11:08:05.931-04:00AND THE WINNER IS...CRIME HITS HOME!<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I am absolutely rejoicing! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've written about</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/crime-hits-home-event-mysterious.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the launch</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> of this anthology </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">and of my excitement that my short story, CURRENTS, is </span><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/hanging-with-big-guns.html" style="font-family: helvetica;">included beside crime-writing greats</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">like Walter Mosely, Sara Paretsky, Naomi Hirahara, Gabino Iglesias, and more. There is even more terrific news that I need to share with you!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gIlxnrPOWWxRFv59wPN7JejQLejGk08BdAS8BYwk6Qb-FvXnKCrfhU2-LKJ391ShKQs5ISdomh1RXM8ovz8nNfx_WBxHATrWeqPl4pD3-GvAEtNuTdpdMNRH_hYVvWbgYufSVw2e4ML15hZStJscgGzc1owpHiVrOD4mGa9_DRTP0lIBklXWiRiVCm8/s2560/CRIME%20HITS%20HOME%20COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1677" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gIlxnrPOWWxRFv59wPN7JejQLejGk08BdAS8BYwk6Qb-FvXnKCrfhU2-LKJ391ShKQs5ISdomh1RXM8ovz8nNfx_WBxHATrWeqPl4pD3-GvAEtNuTdpdMNRH_hYVvWbgYufSVw2e4ML15hZStJscgGzc1owpHiVrOD4mGa9_DRTP0lIBklXWiRiVCm8/s320/CRIME%20HITS%20HOME%20COVER.jpg" width="210" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Hits-Home-Collection-Fictions/dp/1335425799/" target="_blank">CRIME HITS HOME </a>has won the coveted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Awards" target="_blank">Anthony Award</a> for Best Anthology!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My grandfather once said, "Show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are." If that saying holds true, then the great company I'm in means I write darned good stories.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">CURRENTS unfolds what happens when two assassins are stranded on a deserted island. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In fact, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Michael J. McCann, award-winning novelist and reviewer for the New York Journal of Books</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><a href="https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/crime-hits-home-collection" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">wrote a terrific review</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> of the whole anthology </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">and gave me an amazing shoutout!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Check it out:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our survey of editor Rozan’s spread wouldn’t be complete without mentioning “Currents” by Connie Johnson Hambley. The atmospheric and entertaining story of two assassins facing off against each other on a desert island in the Pacific, it’s an example of how an anthology like this one can bring our attention to an author whose fiction will bear closer examination in the future.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.875rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A columnist for <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bloomberg BusinessWeek</em>, Hambley has also independently published three thrillers in her Jessica Trilogy, including <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Charity </em>(2012), <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Troubles </em>(2015), and <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Wake </em>(2017). Her contribution to this anthology casts light on her current work, as it were, and encourages us to keep an eye out for what might be coming next.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, Yeah! I'm kinda chuffed today! 💞💞💞💞</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-56074712037106757872023-06-27T15:56:00.002-04:002023-06-27T15:56:46.328-04:00SEEING THE UNSEEABLE: UNHOMED ELDERS<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMLW2qfeSdCkffMpbj7eiPgl2L6vhEm8M0mu0u_4aGQquvI96n8RYgt-NUlkl5FZ48R0u6TaGODSm97QloCYk3GysQ8dkwKVujiAdHg4FvBBuwU78qHu27IhdhFgaq97lI-mkRkocpE3ga08VTjSlRc1SMpzi6X7h1BarLIsFzlZIiwZGWnTBXe8nrtc/s4000/IMG_20230504_164126439_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMLW2qfeSdCkffMpbj7eiPgl2L6vhEm8M0mu0u_4aGQquvI96n8RYgt-NUlkl5FZ48R0u6TaGODSm97QloCYk3GysQ8dkwKVujiAdHg4FvBBuwU78qHu27IhdhFgaq97lI-mkRkocpE3ga08VTjSlRc1SMpzi6X7h1BarLIsFzlZIiwZGWnTBXe8nrtc/s320/IMG_20230504_164126439_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I
was surprised to see a woman slumped behind the wheel of the car. My regular
walk takes me down a dirt road to a wildlife sanctuary overlooking vast
stretches of marsh not far from where this photo was taken. It’s a beautiful, out-of-the-way spot where I’ve discovered
artists capturing angled light during the Golden Hour, bird watchers, and dog
walkers. It’s a wonderful place to soothe yourself in quiet and privacy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Finding
a car parked there wasn’t unusual. Finding a motionless older woman was.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The
small, late-model SUV had out-of-state plates and was chock full of clothes and
boxes holding papers, pictures, and other seemingly cherished items. I approached
slowly and absorbed whatever details I could. The passenger seat had stacks of food
in various states of consumption. Clothes—good quality ones with designer names
I recognized—hung on a rod suspended over the back seat. Heavy winter coats
hung next to summery blouses. The woman’s gray chin-length hair was held back
with a neat headband. She had a thick cardigan pulled up over her shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Her
chest rose and fell in a rhythm of sound sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I
relaxed. All these details created a picture for me. Here was an older woman
taking a road trip by herself and stopped in a gorgeous place to have a power
nap before finding another adventure on the road. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I
have to say, I was kind of jealous of my conjured image. She fought the
stereotype of the older woman who barely leaves home alone. I imagined a
healthy woman doing something fun. She looked to have the means to grab
whatever gusto life has to offer. I didn’t feel a need to tap on her window to
disturb her nap with nosey questions or to call the police to check on her
wellbeing. The power of MYOB was strong. I convinced myself that she was fine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But
why was her car filled to the brim? Why did she have so much food with her? Why
pack household goods for a road trip? Why was she so exhausted in the middle of
the day?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I
didn’t think much about these questions until another woman on the same road
made the local papers. Police came across the woman in the same spot. They
asked if she needed help. She responded she was fine, that she was on her way
home, and had taken a wrong turn. A wrong turn that veered off a well-marked and
paved street and went over a mile down a bumpy dirt road.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This
time, it wasn’t a sunny afternoon. It was midnight. And cold. It seems the
police were concerned enough about her “wrong turn” excuse to relay her
information to the next town’s police. Her home, the woman said, was just a few
towns away. They followed her to the town line, no doubt feeling that helping
her was as big an event they would have in their sleepy community that night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">An
hour later she was found dead in her burning car on the other side of town. An
investigation quickly discovered that she no longer lived at the address she
had given. In fact, she no longer lived anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A
pit formed in my stomach. I didn’t see these women as being unrelated to the
other. I saw them as horrible examples of a growing, yet invisible, epidemic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another
woman bravely tried to give voice to what I was seeing. She had become homeless
because she could no longer afford her home. She packed everything she owned
into her car and posted videos of what it was like to be an older person
without money or support. Resourceful, she found safe places to sleep in her
car. She recorded what cemeteries had working spigots where she could get water
and somewhat bathe. She talked about the struggles that brought her to
homelessness and the struggles to get out of it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In
my cluster of coastal towns, images of the perfect life fill the landscape. It
was these images that blinded me to what the reality most likely was for the
first woman I saw. We are blinded by our bias that homelessness is not supposed
to happen to our older adults. We default to ideals. Families step up.
Neighbors help neighbors. Communities have resources to swoop in and prevent a
life’s worth of memories from filling a shoebox stored in the trunk of a car. I
have learned that in my rural oasis, over eighty older adults, men and women,
are at risk of or have lost their home because of financial fraud.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It
is a number that staggered me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There
is a profound amount of shame that prevents awareness of this increasing
problem. Shame stems from a variety of reasons and is most potent when partnered
with denial. The older adults feel shame because they weren’t strong enough to
hold on to the brass ring of the American Dream and it slipped from their
grasp. Or they trusted the wrong person and was conned out of their money. Or
their child was too needy and took without asking. Or they were too frail or
afraid to say no. Or they didn’t see the theft until it was too late.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Each
of these reasons shames people into silence. The older adult is embarrassed
into silence and then lies to the outside world to stay wrapped in their
carefully crafted facade. The family is in a state of dysfunction because one
child took, another needs, or another sees but isn’t believed. The older person
doesn’t want to get anyone into trouble and remains increasingly isolated in
silence and fear. They just want the bad to stop but watch helplessly as
siblings war or neighbors disappear. Communities unwittingly enable the abuse
by denying that homelessness happens within their borders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I
was in my own denial when I came across that first woman. I chastise myself for
not knocking on her window to see if she was okay or needed anything. I should
have known better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I,
too, am watching a beloved elder be defrauded by her own child. I, too, am
cornered into silence for too many reasons to count. She’s afraid and filled
with shame, so she lies. Her lies help her keep face even as her world
dissolves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div style="border-bottom: double windowtext 6.75pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: thin-thick-thin-medium-gap windowtext 6.75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: thin-thick-thin-medium-gap windowtext 6.75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Laws protecting elders from
financial peril exist, but enforcement is complex, expensive, and completely
impotent when shame and denial cow the victim into lying. Change needs to
happen but can only happen when we stop denying what we see.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Resources:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">National Council on Aging: </span><a href="https://www.ncoa.org/"><span style="line-height: 200%;">https://www.ncoa.org/</span></a><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">National Clearinghouse on Elder
Abuse: </span><a href="https://ncea.acl.gov/"><span style="line-height: 200%;">https://ncea.acl.gov/</span></a><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</div></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-26793604113735953612023-06-01T15:02:00.002-04:002023-06-01T15:02:39.839-04:00AN AWARD NOMINATION AND A KILLER REVIEW!<p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's time to share some good news!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The anthology, CRIME HITS HOME, has been nominated for an Anthony Award! This award recognizes excellence in all things crime-writing-related. From novels to short stories, to collections like anthologies, even a nomination is something to rejoice in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, color me rejoicing! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've written about <a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/crime-hits-home-event-mysterious.html" target="_blank">the launch</a> and my excitement of my short story, CURRENTS, being <a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/hanging-with-big-guns.html">included with crime-writing greats</a> like Walter Mosely, Sara Paretsky, Naomi Hirahara, Gabino Iglesias, and more, but I learned something else that has me stunned.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Michael J. McCann, award-winning novelist and reviewer for the New York Journal of Books <a href="https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/crime-hits-home-collection" target="_blank">wrote a terrific review</a> and gave me an amazing shoutout!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Check it out:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our survey of editor Rozan’s spread wouldn’t be complete without mentioning “Currents” by Connie Johnson Hambley. The atmospheric and entertaining story of two assassins facing off against each other on a desert island in the Pacific, it’s an example of how an anthology like this one can bring our attention to an author whose fiction will bear closer examination in the future.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.875rem; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A columnist for <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bloomberg BusinessWeek</em>, Hambley has also independently published three thrillers in her Jessica Trilogy, including <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Charity </em>(2012), <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Troubles </em>(2015), and <em style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Wake </em>(2017). Her contribution to this anthology casts light on her current work, as it were, and encourages us to keep an eye out for what might be coming next.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, Yeah! I'm kinda chuffed today! 💞💞💞💞</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-33973830217288008242023-04-25T10:33:00.001-04:002023-04-25T10:33:17.894-04:00MYSTERY MAKING ON THE CAPE!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL4Ez98pLsFVB7TdWo0MpgQ8CrhHx6YKG__u-gelq9kK5MW1Q8uXd9hR0kNrdPrRBKY2CNypLC_s9Mg9C5HzB6omDbYgwnBPPaurk87KyzpHn-lW_WaZPdyUyxNES_r1vv4lX8oXZiCG7XdAi7vnJ-YDI7u0Ium1Hg-zjtF74F6KssE6AeGrvEwpO/s1080/MYSTERY%20MAKING%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL4Ez98pLsFVB7TdWo0MpgQ8CrhHx6YKG__u-gelq9kK5MW1Q8uXd9hR0kNrdPrRBKY2CNypLC_s9Mg9C5HzB6omDbYgwnBPPaurk87KyzpHn-lW_WaZPdyUyxNES_r1vv4lX8oXZiCG7XdAi7vnJ-YDI7u0Ium1Hg-zjtF74F6KssE6AeGrvEwpO/s320/MYSTERY%20MAKING%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">When: May 12 at 1:00</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Where: C<a href="http://www.centervillelibrary.org" target="_blank">enterville Public Library, 585 Main Street, Barnstable, MA</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Your ideas. Our crime.</b></span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Join four of New England's top mystery and crime writers for an afternoon of murder and mayhem. These Sisters (and Misters!) in Crime authors will create a new crime using ideas from the audience. While weaving their web of crime, the authors will pull back the curtain to explain their choices and show how a crime novel is created. Think of this as jazz improv for the homicidally inclined!</div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Authors:<br />Matt Cost<br />Kat Fast<br />Arlene Kay<br />Connie Johnson Hambley</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-35880231733834161352023-03-14T12:39:00.001-04:002023-03-15T10:55:22.933-04:00AUTHOR CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS: WILLIAM MARTIN & WILLIAM LANDAY<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> AUTHOR CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS: </b></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>WILLIAM MARTIN & WILLIAM LANDAY</b></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="1563" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxGTEncKZHmReCVkqdwD6A8EUVdfWLc3-862LQg_XpEQ7x8B5RBIvp07IGfjtuQEYzttDoVqC43Xp_rRb6kdJySBSGOScAASI98PKtOf9cKa8ArnPBdZs5Gn5qkn9wdEP-p_CNUVQ_ZROGWTOpLGT2DNphkbkjKwANwj1BqCcMcyybZJXuqN6IU-U/w400-h400/Newburyport%20Literary%20Festival%20Logo.jpg" width="400" /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">💕</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I'm thrilled to have been asked to interview two AMAZING authors at the upcoming </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Newburyport Literary Festival. Known for gathering some of the best authors and newest literary voices, this lit fest has something for everyone. Set in the gorgeous seacoast town of Newburyport, this is one event you cannot miss!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I have the pleasure of knowing both of these gentlemen from many New England author events. When the organizers of the lit fest asked me to interview them, I had to confess that each has been a not-so-secret author crush of mine. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bQ89UX6jJdEb1FauN2gVkgGQSoPKD9rwD4HJfQCOAhBWmWEmtsbkQl3Rkbll3gBrgReHshDknYDvMHj2ml-w33IpkBxnf0e2pzBt_Vm9BET2M9OoXN9bVZMyk_Zgbgc1aC9Pq8DoKqLNtxpsYA8cCCketzFAosMzBNfiVIwqJVlVujL0Bxwlqi6Y/s433/William%20Martin%20GOH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bQ89UX6jJdEb1FauN2gVkgGQSoPKD9rwD4HJfQCOAhBWmWEmtsbkQl3Rkbll3gBrgReHshDknYDvMHj2ml-w33IpkBxnf0e2pzBt_Vm9BET2M9OoXN9bVZMyk_Zgbgc1aC9Pq8DoKqLNtxpsYA8cCCketzFAosMzBNfiVIwqJVlVujL0Bxwlqi6Y/s320/William%20Martin%20GOH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="538" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDuHv4ctDEl7QMr2ou7UVXvMlIR1bUN7bowIy6Ba7r2gvRBiyZ8zfj3o9vODL0lJf_z7JrgL_GWXdjS3-ExQM27plVZR8OYyE-IbvLPmQ8imddSDdrF2g4diZelcGR2kiHJ96j6JkWeAaNNFzZ6V4L1ke9jXmCYl__l-iAxUKVKDOSgPyj2DG7rzb/w296-h206/Bill%20Martin,%20Connie%20Interview%20Crime%20Bake%202022%20CROP.jpg" width="296" /></span>I interviewed <a href="https://www.williammartinbooks.com/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Martin</a> at the recent New England Crime Bake. His newest book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-December-41/dp/B09M4CKR9P/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>December '41</i>,</a> is a historical thriller in the best way. Set in the early days of World War II, Bill takes his readers on a high-stakes coast-to-coast chase to thwart a highly-trained killer from assassinating the president. Referred to as the King of the historical thriller and a master storyteller, Bill is as charming as he is talented. I promise to get him to dish on his inside secrets of writing his multiple award-winning New York Times bestselling titles and his stint as a screenwriter on movies that <ahem> didn't quite make them award-worthy</p></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: 500; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-mj0bjw66CW3lLVAfdxxCTGEjEpZ9Dd4oDUjNWwOt12wLUBj_P4DNFCNqrIUy972UR0xESzQWzVLOKhxIL62MqldaoUFaVYNK6bzrPf6hovLKddZyE2Z1LPQYxQpkeKtbr5K71VV8EGvb-e1viP-eMPO9FNztGrQN_oS0WDqU0MSEHyGaNs1tOxW/s940/William_Landay_940_529_72-ppi2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-mj0bjw66CW3lLVAfdxxCTGEjEpZ9Dd4oDUjNWwOt12wLUBj_P4DNFCNqrIUy972UR0xESzQWzVLOKhxIL62MqldaoUFaVYNK6bzrPf6hovLKddZyE2Z1LPQYxQpkeKtbr5K71VV8EGvb-e1viP-eMPO9FNztGrQN_oS0WDqU0MSEHyGaNs1tOxW/s320/William_Landay_940_529_72-ppi2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1fTJaTI0LkwGJvuJrAVgnGKocbPqCjrtQO_xkIR6O0WmV_JYIN5Wh6n4ltPSknTcRPYEVLAbYv8IvgSOjGtF0gyXIcF1MQBNe8wnTD_57Z4xob47OBrgMqe3gTSJCHnboU1j31nR7CW971oUpI9-MRDVNa43mosQPvmJhOaFT0Z4bsoetCqgdicO/s1890/IMG_20181018_203338154.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="1890" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1fTJaTI0LkwGJvuJrAVgnGKocbPqCjrtQO_xkIR6O0WmV_JYIN5Wh6n4ltPSknTcRPYEVLAbYv8IvgSOjGtF0gyXIcF1MQBNe8wnTD_57Z4xob47OBrgMqe3gTSJCHnboU1j31nR7CW971oUpI9-MRDVNa43mosQPvmJhOaFT0Z4bsoetCqgdicO/w269-h250/IMG_20181018_203338154.jpg" width="269" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Oh, and then there's <a href="https://www.williamlanday.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Landay.</a> I haven't yet had the pleasure of interviewing Bill, but we've chatted at mystery galas and library events. We've compared notes on how our legal backgrounds infuse our novels with realism and suspense. Of course, Bill's <i>Defending Jacob</i> sets the Gold Standard for legal thrillers and his new <i>A<a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-That-Mine-Carry-Me/dp/B0B5PTVY7Y/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ll That Is Mine I Carry With Me</a></i> does the impossible: It matches and often exceeds the expectations set by <i>Defending Jacob</i>.</div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: 500;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;">My job is to do my homework and create an interview that informs, entertains, and lets both of these incredible authors shine without displaying my crushes too much. I don't yet have the time or the location of our interview, so check back here or on the <a href="https://newburyportliteraryfestival.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Newburyport Literary Festival website</a> for updates. While you're there, check out the other amazing authors who will be participating.</div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: 500;"></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: 500;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small; font-weight: 500;">The 2023 Newburyport Literary Festival will feature the following:</span><ul style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Friday, April 28</span>: An opening event at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, hosting authors Peter Orner in conversation with Andre Dubus, and a cocktail party to follow at The Grog Restaurant. (Paid event)</span></li></ul><ul style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Saturday, April 29</span>: A vibrant day of in-person author readings and signings (No cost to attend) </span></li></ul><ul style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Sunday, April 30</span>, an exciting day of virtual author readings and discussions (No cost to attend)</span></li></ul><p></p></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-18857861199720327822023-02-24T09:36:00.001-05:002023-02-25T22:21:06.588-05:00WEBINAR: LEGAL CONSTRUCTS OF A GREAT MYSTERY<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What do you need to write a great mystery? Imagination, of course, and a certain approach to logic and clues that can unravel the most vexing crimes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Going to law school honed my skills of seeing beyond the obvious and red herrings. For me, getting a JD was my writing BootCamp, although I didn't know it at the time! I foolishly thought my conflict-hating self would just love that career. Nope. Not so much.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Instead, I learned how to parse fact from fiction and how to present a case with (hopefully) airtight logic. I learned that creating a compelling mystery is like formulating a winning strategy for a case using one carefully planted fact (a.k.a. "clue") at a time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYIvk4-zefR4_D59cZy9KMho8vo1witj5jVwScC6f-7DuYHESEshrk3M1dSFo8yKSpJfwezNVEhX45fvSc9PODcCL5pxNrKiHHj74WDdJLFsuWGKjx_T0o7-L0Wmw1YWW_hvmaavPtW3oGFJfv-O9sY2KH3rGKyVTv_deNFBb_P-XALFbV17q9yhu/s300/Sm.%20Logo%20%20-%20Treasure%20Coast%20Sleuths%20-%2077kb%20(1).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYIvk4-zefR4_D59cZy9KMho8vo1witj5jVwScC6f-7DuYHESEshrk3M1dSFo8yKSpJfwezNVEhX45fvSc9PODcCL5pxNrKiHHj74WDdJLFsuWGKjx_T0o7-L0Wmw1YWW_hvmaavPtW3oGFJfv-O9sY2KH3rGKyVTv_deNFBb_P-XALFbV17q9yhu/s1600/Sm.%20Logo%20%20-%20Treasure%20Coast%20Sleuths%20-%2077kb%20(1).png" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />On Tuesday, March 7, I'll present "Legal Constructs of a Great Mystery" to Florida's Treasure Coast chapter of Sisters in Crime. This is an updated talk from the well-received keynote I gave to the League of Vermont Writers.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Pre-registration is required:</span></p><p><span style="color: black; font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://sistersincrime-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5xxSVhCCRhCNT0oKCTEL0A" rel="noopener" style="word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">https://sistersincrime-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5xxSVhCCRhCNT0oKCTEL0A</a><br /><br /><br />After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-3473490881170242112023-01-23T12:11:00.000-05:002023-01-23T12:11:03.027-05:00BOOKWORM CAFE!<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What could be better in life than curling up with a good book on a cold winter morning with home-baked muffins and coffee on hand? How about adding chowder, conversation, and supporting local readers and writers?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">If you answered yes, then I have an event for you. The Bookworm Cafe has been a staple in our community to bring together authors and readers in a relaxed atmosphere. Authors talk about our craft to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at the writing and publishing process. I'll be giving a talk at 11:00 and sharing tips on how to get that story idea out of your head and different writer groups that can help.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">There will be a little something for children, fiction and non-fiction lovers, and folks curious about memoirs!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhApDsBJKXjHetTpf4QJaT66I9e1_daL4YDBWZM_dDwP0spreJi1A8YALbx2ioWbzRAHKqsIg8AO3_YHUpoPUeVxK3xKuXM_Yttoh-TTZy3XWeBg2H_xSKt94M2YjUfWiNCmziNk8ONNXPlrcWdug5Lr9H8GgpNhn0El2dQdauqN21cEOUaAILmi_A/s1012/2023-01-23.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1012" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhApDsBJKXjHetTpf4QJaT66I9e1_daL4YDBWZM_dDwP0spreJi1A8YALbx2ioWbzRAHKqsIg8AO3_YHUpoPUeVxK3xKuXM_Yttoh-TTZy3XWeBg2H_xSKt94M2YjUfWiNCmziNk8ONNXPlrcWdug5Lr9H8GgpNhn0El2dQdauqN21cEOUaAILmi_A/s320/2023-01-23.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>When: Saturday, February 4, 2023</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (my talk is at 11:00)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Where: First Congregational Church, 175 Main Street, Rowley, MA</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-38333296645715765182023-01-04T13:52:00.001-05:002023-01-04T16:14:44.263-05:00A REVIEW OF 2022 AND A 2023 WISH<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've decided that 2022 wasn't so bad after all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ptVaLdpuB6jZJNj2nw4nNyllgBoURaCirRtFH1rYaMB3eSL7H6SzciuZydDYj_FTz_MOLXKYO7pXLX1cp9y3cdbdqm7vabw3Q9p-zWO058EbQpbfSdaOHENx2gIJSowNYnHyCcxdoJR1K0PGi2d9X3K-FFOmdpMedCwze-imD1UJCz7xbLhzKwC8/s2560/CRIME%20HITS%20HOME%20COVER.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1677" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ptVaLdpuB6jZJNj2nw4nNyllgBoURaCirRtFH1rYaMB3eSL7H6SzciuZydDYj_FTz_MOLXKYO7pXLX1cp9y3cdbdqm7vabw3Q9p-zWO058EbQpbfSdaOHENx2gIJSowNYnHyCcxdoJR1K0PGi2d9X3K-FFOmdpMedCwze-imD1UJCz7xbLhzKwC8/s320/CRIME%20HITS%20HOME%20COVER.jpg" width="210" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many opinions this time of year revolve around how exhausting the past year was for them. Adjusting to new normals nudged folks out of their comfort zones, or some might say cocoons. Working remotely had been pretty terrific for many of us. We didn't have to know if the pandemic was over or if we could simply exist maskless in a place of benign neglect.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've been on the slow-to-adapt side of the New Normal Bell Curve. Yes, I'm fully vaxxed and boosted, but being a writer has its benefits, and not having to wear hard pants or heeled shoes are two of them. Zoom has been another great tool, but life is more than seeing other humans sixteen to a screen.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In April I hit two amazing goals. The best was the release of my short story, <i>Currents</i>, in the Mystery Writers of America's anthology, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Hits-Home-Collection-Fictions/dp/1335425799/" target="_blank">Crime Hits Home</a></i>. The thrill of seeing my name alongside crime-writing greats like <a href="https://www.waltermosley.com/" target="_blank">Walter Mosely</a>, <a href="https://saraparetsky.com/" target="_blank">Sara Paretsky</a>, <a href="https://www.naomihirahara.com/" target="_blank">Naomi Hirahara</a>, and more as crime fiction's top authors hasn't faded</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. Nope. Not one bit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The second April goal? Fitting into said hard pants for the book launch at the iconic Mysterious Bookshop. Yep. April was a banner month.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I watched my fellow writers inch back into in-person events over the summer. Masks became optional. Heartfelt hugs returned. As wonderful as these things were, I found my writer's brain had taken a vacation to points unknown. My productivity for new work tanked but I found I was able to focus on revisions of a WIP and submissions. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOf4TTkQHuueE6iAH-zYHuGRBSDArlksTjm9QnC1HwcDTT1MgkIrOh92ov6NGoN7ASEfaf5D2Q26w46e0nJvuYSfjrIgvOxglgE9liyNCW0S1Jw50xutL-9uX5HMU8v6q7ynqCAsYJ75Ur0j_W1tXWV6VIemlLh2fpRHUh4M-A1XotatDZL11LP1F/s960/Bill%20Martin,%20Paula,%20Connie%20Interview%20Crime%20Bake%202022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOf4TTkQHuueE6iAH-zYHuGRBSDArlksTjm9QnC1HwcDTT1MgkIrOh92ov6NGoN7ASEfaf5D2Q26w46e0nJvuYSfjrIgvOxglgE9liyNCW0S1Jw50xutL-9uX5HMU8v6q7ynqCAsYJ75Ur0j_W1tXWV6VIemlLh2fpRHUh4M-A1XotatDZL11LP1F/s320/Bill%20Martin,%20Paula,%20Connie%20Interview%20Crime%20Bake%202022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The lead-up to November brought all things <a href="http://crimebake.org/">Crime Bake</a> to priority status. This three-day conference for writers of crime and mystery has been an anchor of the New England writing community for over twenty years. From dreamers with an idea or unpublished manuscript to seasoned pros with dozens of titles and awards to their names, it's truly a must-go event and I'm proud of being its co-chair even if I whine a bit about the time commitment involved. (Truth be said: running a conference during that pesky COVID uncertainty is not easy.) My interview of NYT best-selling author <a href="https://www.williammartinbooks.com/" target="_blank">William Martin</a> with co-chair <a href="https://paulamunier.com/" target="_blank">Paula Munier </a>was an absolute highlight. Yes. I wore heels and lived to tell the tale.<br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSXf2cczQib_ZGoaOMRkmBh2S0KcafOX2xAbo_r7QOx4oOx0G9iG5s1mXsTsjIiO7VsJbT46Q3r8NIHeJAh5w9j1uRzh8Wig_xh5OcM82XVXWomrkVUQkc90aZpvljmHEonlwqijPiEQ3b9FpPWC4F8811FV0MTxP9B4Vndqvl-9TTsTjwAfwsO9Dv" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSXf2cczQib_ZGoaOMRkmBh2S0KcafOX2xAbo_r7QOx4oOx0G9iG5s1mXsTsjIiO7VsJbT46Q3r8NIHeJAh5w9j1uRzh8Wig_xh5OcM82XVXWomrkVUQkc90aZpvljmHEonlwqijPiEQ3b9FpPWC4F8811FV0MTxP9B4Vndqvl-9TTsTjwAfwsO9Dv" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><p>December brought the publication of a non-fiction piece in<a href="https://mysteryreaders.org/journal-index/legal-mysteries-3/" target="_blank"> Mystery Reader's International's Legal Mysteries </a>compilation of essays and columns edited by Janet Rudolph. I was happy to leverage my doctorate in law, my writing chops, and my passion for giving to the larger community into this piece. </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This past year wasn't all about writing. I'm the parent of three amazing kids who have grown into adults despite my habit of referring to them as kids. Each has set their own course and I try <i>really</i> hard not to over-parent but to be as supportive as possible. This support has come with the following conversation:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Middle Son approached me one day last summer. "Mom, can you watch my dog when I travel?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Of course!" I said with too much enthusiasm and commitment thinking this would be <i>at most</i> a two-week stint. "How long will you be gone?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"About a year."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><Gulp></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGClamWLR8gmSU3sK22VU6CzBH6KG3WtjM3Jz5enpZzCfXFwZZJUa9MO-EbXfbtcKP9wqaXBIYvwkyQBOTOekZViaWeTcUAoAeeVhK7EFWOxsNFfskL_pKJFY78gfP_ZlhXlUc0VT4Ao9apc_yxHN4RaNx9nXwGs8eXxtKrclmCeZi7seeXC7_hmL/s871/Pop%20and%20Connie%20in%20NH%20Woods.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="871" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGClamWLR8gmSU3sK22VU6CzBH6KG3WtjM3Jz5enpZzCfXFwZZJUa9MO-EbXfbtcKP9wqaXBIYvwkyQBOTOekZViaWeTcUAoAeeVhK7EFWOxsNFfskL_pKJFY78gfP_ZlhXlUc0VT4Ao9apc_yxHN4RaNx9nXwGs8eXxtKrclmCeZi7seeXC7_hmL/s320/Pop%20and%20Connie%20in%20NH%20Woods.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It appears that two weeks was not enough time to pedal a bike from Boston to Key West to California with a planned hike on the PCT. Silly me for being so naive.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, my husband and I are the proud keepers of a very adorable Beagle named Pop. Our two cats are not as pleased, but if 2022 taught me anything, it was to just roll with it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This is my round-up for 2022 and I'm looking at 2023 with guarded optimism. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I wish you and yours all the best.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-34667656051301226692022-04-06T17:13:00.001-04:002022-04-06T17:13:33.037-04:00CRIME HITS HOME EVENT: THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ap7GiJM2ZVh7Lz3lZMkw2FmcF3GtTv08keSHxJ3Sp-BQKN_po53ocRpA5K1JlMTwye8vtVP1XDUJEfU6MZClMCAIN9siJBmGm_itWD0wt7vNbPtdYFm5-j5P9VBM0m5J9Hn9LrFjsqWCGRQFoIQNX6ihsN9cbUZWbefqB_akOMvNYSkvDZUCDcpm/s400/mysterious%20bookshop%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ap7GiJM2ZVh7Lz3lZMkw2FmcF3GtTv08keSHxJ3Sp-BQKN_po53ocRpA5K1JlMTwye8vtVP1XDUJEfU6MZClMCAIN9siJBmGm_itWD0wt7vNbPtdYFm5-j5P9VBM0m5J9Hn9LrFjsqWCGRQFoIQNX6ihsN9cbUZWbefqB_akOMvNYSkvDZUCDcpm/s320/mysterious%20bookshop%20logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>WHAT: </b>Party</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">WHY: </b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">To celebrate</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><i style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">CRIME HITS HOME</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">WHERE: </b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren Street, NYC 10007</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">WHEN: </b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">Wednesday, April 27, 6:00-8:00</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">WHO: </b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt;">You and your guest</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span></p><p>The Mysterious Bookshop is proud to host a party to celebrate the publication of the 2022 Mystery Writers of America anthology. Many contributors will be on hand to sign copies. The event is free (the book is not; it is $27.99) and open to members of MWA and customers. Mark your calendar!</p><p></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Edited by the amazing SJ Rozen, contributors include: Walter Mosley, Connie Johnson Hambley, Naomi Hirahara, Susan Breen, Gabino Iglesias, Stephen Liskow, Sara Paretsky, David Bart, Jonathan Stone, Bonnie Hearn Hill, Neil Plakcy, Ovidia Yu, Gary Phillips, Renee James, Alexandra Jamison, Tori Eldridge, Ellen Hart, G. Miki Hayden, and Jonathan Santlofer.</div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Many contributors will be on hand to sign copies.</div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiea5ONDeLXId54xz5ur5M3-DY5S43I5Oqi1dnpk_49GbboHuTXUTG75_Oc6_efXr_WpC7SJ_mZZnhakpL88D47CuDEASi-oKkI1BlmxwfTfDTv5tCicXPVgG5kquUkV3Rr5ECZsncHJbmY81yN9sIUzf7wVcwvAFz5VJjK7Txdy29TmKHszzLH5tpY/s1080/CRIME%20HITS%20HOME%20all%20author%20cover%20image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiea5ONDeLXId54xz5ur5M3-DY5S43I5Oqi1dnpk_49GbboHuTXUTG75_Oc6_efXr_WpC7SJ_mZZnhakpL88D47CuDEASi-oKkI1BlmxwfTfDTv5tCicXPVgG5kquUkV3Rr5ECZsncHJbmY81yN9sIUzf7wVcwvAFz5VJjK7Txdy29TmKHszzLH5tpY/s320/CRIME%20HITS%20HOME%20all%20author%20cover%20image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-33905134622772460912021-09-27T12:32:00.002-04:002021-09-27T12:32:58.244-04:00Vermont Law School Alumni Book Club.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineGUTNh6J6YcpgAJwaBYytYjBeEMgDEZRAHXppJuimgM_He-G0TleTyGPL0Vas66g9khKJ5cALduGIkABeM9zYJiY7iybGs6rttqig3G8VJQODaX-Pul4ozjOVVhGOTy_tQua__F5o-g/s496/Vermont+Law+School+VLS+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="496" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineGUTNh6J6YcpgAJwaBYytYjBeEMgDEZRAHXppJuimgM_He-G0TleTyGPL0Vas66g9khKJ5cALduGIkABeM9zYJiY7iybGs6rttqig3G8VJQODaX-Pul4ozjOVVhGOTy_tQua__F5o-g/s320/Vermont+Law+School+VLS+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">As an alumna of Vermont Law School, I'm looking forward to speaking with "Swans" about my book, "The Troubles," and answering the inevitable questions of what life is like outside the confines of a career in law! Details on how to get a link to the event can be found here:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start;" /><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="https://connect.vermontlaw.edu/events-calendar?cid=2&ceid=1064&cerid=0&cdt=9%2F30%2F2021&fbclid=IwAR1EEYbHtZAiprZEvJkc9C7wC52OUEq8tC0QwqxopqeB4thXxJ_X3m4uotU" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: start; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://connect.vermontlaw.edu/events-calendar?cid=2&ceid=1064&cerid=0&cdt=9%2f30%2f2021</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This event is open to Vermont Law School alumni and guests.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Time: 7:30 pm ET</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-23723672089446803802021-07-14T13:04:00.001-04:002021-09-27T15:33:28.568-04:00SHOOTING WITH THE BIG GUNS <p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Oh, yeah! I'm beyond thrilled that my short story will appear alongside great crime authors. Below is a repost of the announcement by Mystery Writers of America (with permission).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">~~~</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH5K9ZSJcmLqsc6PjfdnavM4e6Y3O_jWo5dR5vpLkQNo2q6fpoHj-j6J3D9m3iCaDOq8FLo4JWk6WSu9AI6A24S37VzX-3P0L34rQwQoVxtWv13_Wk07Wh3fDv5fH7arkC6rrssvv6P0/s324/mwa+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="324" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH5K9ZSJcmLqsc6PjfdnavM4e6Y3O_jWo5dR5vpLkQNo2q6fpoHj-j6J3D9m3iCaDOq8FLo4JWk6WSu9AI6A24S37VzX-3P0L34rQwQoVxtWv13_Wk07Wh3fDv5fH7arkC6rrssvv6P0/w200-h173/mwa+logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Publications Committee of Mystery Writers of America is thrilled to announce
the full list of contributors for the next MWA anthology, CRIME HITS HOME, edited by
S.J. Rozan and forthcoming from HarperCollins in 2022.
Ten MWA members earned a spot in the collection through an anonymous
submission process, joining stories by 10 authors originally invited to contribute to
the collection.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Congratulations to David Bart, Susan Breen, Tori Eldridge, Connie
Johnson Hambley, G. Miki Hayden, Bonnie Hearn Hill, Alexandra Jamison, Steve Liskow, Neil Plakcy, and Jonathan Stone, whose stories will appear alongside those
by Rozan and writers she personally chose to participate: Carolyn Hart, Naomi
Hirahara, Gabino Iglesias, Renee James, Walter Mosley, Sara Paretsky, Gary
Phillips, Jonathan Santlofer, and Ovidia Yu. </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“What was most exciting about the stories we received for the contest — and what
made it so difficult for me and the judges to choose — was the variety of different
ways the writers interpreted home,” said Rozan. “For some it was a physical place, for
others a community, a family... Home is what you make of it, and these writers made
wonderful work.” </span></blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Judging for the anthology was done by a distinguished panel of these writers’ peers.
Alex Segura of the MWA Publications Committee worked with judges Jonathan
Brown, Brendan Dubois, Cheryl Head, Michael Nava, and Laura Joh Rowland,
who read and selected stories from the anonymous submissions — difficult decisions
given the quality of the writing submitted by so many other MWA members.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MWA adult anthologies are published each spring with a new guest editor. Rozan,
Segura, and Laurie R. King, chair of the Publications Committee, are grateful to
everyone who submitted a story this year and to everyone who has helped bring the
project so far — and excited to present this book to mystery fans next spring! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">From the original call
for submissions:
“Safe at home — that
feeling when you’re
in your living room,
your team’s stadium,
your family’s Sunday
dinner. But even here,
in this safest of places,
sometimes CRIME HITS
HOME. What happens
then?” </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"What was most exciting
about the stories we
received for the contest ...
was the variety of different
ways the writers interpreted
home.”
-SJ Rozan </span></blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><u>CRIME HITS HOME STORIES:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Naomi Hirahara, “Grand Garden” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* David Bart, “The World’s Oldest Living Detective” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Sara Paretsky, “Little House in the Big Woods” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Susan Breen, “Banana Island” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Gary Phillips, “Flip-top” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Neil Plakcy, “Oyster Creek” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Renee James, “Stalking Adolf” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Connie Johnson Hambley, “Currents” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Gabino Iglesias, “What They Knew” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Alexandra Jamison, “Haunted Home on the Range” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Walter Mosley, “Not Exit” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Tori Eldridge, “Missing on Kaua’i” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Carolyn Hart, “Calling Mr. Smith” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* G. Miki Hayden, “Forever Unconquered” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Jonathan Santlofer, “Private Dancer” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Jonathan Stone, “The Relentless Flow of the Amazon” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Ovidia Yu, “Live Pawns” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Bonnie Hearn Hill, “The Happy Birthday Song” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* Steve Liskow, “Jack in the Box” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">SJ Rozan, “Playing for Keeps” </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* indicates stories chosen from anonymous submissions</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-71465851507528431512021-06-29T12:42:00.001-04:002021-06-29T12:42:26.950-04:00Heart Strings<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> As fiction authors, we want to burrow into your emotional spectrum and connect with as many as we can. We've done our job as you turn our pages late into the night or cradle the finished read for those precious moments when our story seeps into your bones. We want you angry. Or happy. Or terrified. It's our job to entertain. Or enlighten. Or provoke.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Non-fiction is that and more. We burrow into our own emotions or experiences and unfold a story we hope is illuminating or interesting in some way. We want to connect, but the connections we seek are different. Sharing a small corner of the human experience brings us closer together.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Under my non-fiction umbrella are various pieces of journalism. I hoped my recently published <a href="https://www.fa-mag.com/news/elder-financial-exploitation--when-a-financial-advisor-makes-the-invisible-undeniable-62530.html?section=" target="_blank">article in Financial Advisor Magazine</a> would spark a deeper appreciation of the complicated tentacles of elder financial exploitation. It did. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I received an email from a woman who was helpless to stop the exploitation of her mother. In part, she said, "reading your words was like reading my mind: </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">my mom could not see herself as a victim </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">and was still lucid. A</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">s you so succinctly expressed it, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">'although cognitively intact, M</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">om was emotionally powerless </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">to stop her victimization.'"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, yeah. There's that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's hard for me to feel good about connecting with someone whose mother experienced "unspeakable psychological/emotional abuse." This is one human experience I don't want to share.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But, here we are.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-51559493669034410702021-06-18T10:01:00.003-04:002021-06-18T10:01:34.341-04:00Getting Attention: Financial Advisor Magazine<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We've heard the saying, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A writer would say, "An epic tome of love and betrayal begins with one story."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But we all know such a story has tentacles that reach well beyond the words on the page.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When the subject is elder financial exploitation, the impact is felt beyond victim and culprit. Families crumble. Relationships fray. Hearts break.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But every bit of awareness builds hope that one family's heartache will lead to another family's triumph.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I'm gratified that sharing one tiny corner of my story was important enough to be published in <a href="https://www.fa-mag.com/news/elder-financial-exploitation--when-a-financial-advisor-makes-the-invisible-undeniable-62530.html?section=" target="_blank">Financial Advisor Magazine.</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRa1b0z4uZS-9xb0cQntpESHu5jBLcVmoFf65bkOnBTG-qZwpnfD9nCY0kvcBn9CjKQFGTahrWrnvNJDc1eJswmMlmPv6yqJgg9wW-JTqyMUN_dNSNKOOYDIbZYg4PwwPxp-_ZUm1IH8/s972/Screenshot+%252880%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="972" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRa1b0z4uZS-9xb0cQntpESHu5jBLcVmoFf65bkOnBTG-qZwpnfD9nCY0kvcBn9CjKQFGTahrWrnvNJDc1eJswmMlmPv6yqJgg9wW-JTqyMUN_dNSNKOOYDIbZYg4PwwPxp-_ZUm1IH8/s320/Screenshot+%252880%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've heard from many people since this article was published. Some praised the clear-headed approach of what can be done within stringent legal guidelines. Others confided that their experience was worsened by inept, and sometimes corrupt, advisors. In all instances, it's clear that so much more must be done to combat the insidious crime of elder financial exploitation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-68699206250419089912021-06-15T00:00:00.009-04:002021-06-15T09:23:40.507-04:005. Fear, Shame, and Love: The Hidden Epidemic of Elder Financial Exploitation Part Five: Resources<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">[This is the final of a series of articles leading up to World Elder
Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2021]</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>Part Five: Resources</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Today, June 15,
marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Started in conjunction with the United
Nations and the World Health Organization, WEAAD seeks to increase
understanding and awareness of the “cultural, social, economic, and demographic
processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. . . [while] acknowledging
the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.
WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and
communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Abuse can be
physical, emotional, sexual, or financial. Neglect and abandonment are also
recognized forms of abuse. State and federal laws seek to protect elders and vulnerable
adults by codifying criminality and identifying illegal acts. This series of
articles has focused on the insidious and vastly underreported crime of financial
exploitation and abuse against elders. The crime is equally as damaging as
other abuses. Most victims are unaware that they have legal protections due to their
medical vulnerabilities or simply age. Many states define “elder” as anyone
over 60.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Unlike other abuses
that may have visible signs of harm like bruises or poor hygiene, financial
abuse has few outward signs. The predator may physically or emotionally isolate
the elder from supportive friends or family, so clues may go unnoticed. Friends
may be reluctant to question changes to wills or financial documents fearing
overstepping into private matters. Behavior changes like anxiety, depression,
and evasiveness may not trigger an inquiry into the root cause. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Contrary to
popular assumptions, financial exploitation is not a problem only of the
wealthy. Elders may receive Social Security benefits or enjoy savings or a
pension plan that other family members do not have. Because elders may be the
only family members with a steady stream of income, experts fear a hidden
epidemic of financial abuse as the impact of COVID is fully realized. Victimization
occurs through unpaid loans, theft, coerced or fraudulently signed documents
like home deeds, wills, or Powers of Attorney. Family dynamics and embarrassment
add to the reluctance of an elder to report a crime. Saving face and not
wanting “to get anyone in trouble” contribute to financial exploitation is a
hidden epidemic. With Baby Boomers reaching retirement age at the rate of over
10,000 per day, the impacted class of potential victims is burgeoning and
becoming what experts in the field refer to as an “incoming tsunami of disaster.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Most predators
don’t see themselves or have others see them, as evil people. They are the
sons, spouses, daughters, grandchild, close neighbor, landlord, or trusted
professional. Bad actors come in all shapes and sizes. They feel entitled to
overrule the elder’s wishes for inheritance or money flow for a variety of
reasons. Many do not see replacing the elder’s decisions with their own as
criminal. The elder’s wealth is “owed” to them because of perceived past
sleights or current needs. Predators discount the elder’s wishes to treat
siblings equally. Estate and financial plans and the powers that they provide
are prime targets for abusive acts.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The most common
profile of a predator is a family member in distress. They may have substance
abuse issues, but most likely have financial stresses. They may view themselves
as being entitled to the assets of the elders by either birthright or
proximity; they are the person “on deck” handling the elder’s day-to-day needs
while remaining oblivious that their actions may have directly contributed to
that elder’s isolation from outside supports.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The elders
themselves become the perfect victims. A parent may hide the crime out of a
need to protect their child from legal consequences, or a tenant may not
complain in fear of eviction from a landlord. The victim feels shame that they
“allowed” a family member or close friend to take advantage of them. They don’t
want anyone to get into trouble. They just want the actions to stop. The elder
victim will often blur the truth to investigators–the very people who are
trying to help stop the financial drain. A toxic mix of co-dependency with the
abuser and embarrassment contribute to the invisibility of the crime.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">How can you
protect yourself or another from harm? Good estate and financial planning are
essential as well as communicating your wishes to others who do not have a
financial or emotional stake in the outcome. Changes to estate documents are a
common ploy to alter an inheritance plan. Having a will, trust documents,
healthcare proxy, living will, Powers of Attorney are your first line of
defense. Sticking to the plan and withstanding pressure to change documents is
the second. For many, this is easier said than done. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you know of a
vulnerable adult or someone over 60 years of age whom you suspect to be a
victim of financial exploitation, there are resources to help you understand
the crime as well as to help the person. Search “(State’s Name) Elder Abuse” to
further the process of understanding how you can help. Many states have adult
protective services agencies that will listen to your concerns on a
confidential basis and conduct an investigation if warranted. Your state
attorney general’s office will have a group dedicated to all forms of elder
abuse.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">National
organizations often have referral links to your state’s agencies. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">National Center of Elder Abuse</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">https://ncea.acl.gov/WEAAD.aspx</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">American Association of Retired
Persons (AARP) Information on Fraud Types and Prevention</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">https://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/our-work/income/info-2015/fraud-prevention.html</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">National Institute of
Health/National Institute on Aging</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/elder-abuse"><span color="windowtext" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/elder-abuse</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">National Guardianship Association</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">https://www.guardianship.org/</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">National Institute of Justice</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/financial-exploitation-elderly</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">National Academy of Elder Law
Attorneys</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">https://www.naela.org.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">###</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of.html" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part One: The Crime</a><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_13.html" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Part Two: Predators</span></a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_14.html" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Part Three: The Perfect Victims</span></a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_90.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Four: Bad Actors</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_0965997783.html" target="_blank">Part Five: Resources</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Elder abuse is a crime that can be physical, medical, financial, or emotional/behavioral in nature. Neglect and abandonment of an elder can be crimes as well. If you or a loved one is the subject of suspected abuse, call your local adult protective services to speak confidentially with a knowledgeable expert.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">=============</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><div><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-83124103313239390192021-06-14T11:36:00.009-04:002021-06-15T09:23:21.113-04:004. Fear, Shame, and Love: The Hidden Epidemic of Elder Financial Exploitation Part Four: Bad Actors<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">[This is the fourth of a series of articles leading up to World Elder
Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2021.]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Part Four: Bad Actors</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Helen’s* predator, Jane*, took
advantage of her Alzheimer’s disease. Elizabeth’s* son, Craig*, took advantage
of his relationship with her and the family’s station in their community. Both women’s
families ultimately looked for help from the courts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As many families discover, even
the best intentions can pave the road to Hell.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Best
Practices for Protection<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Best practices for protecting
yourself and your loved ones from being financially manipulated is to have
solid estate and financial plans that include wills, trusts, Powers of
Attorney, healthcare proxies, and more. Using a reputable law firm willing to
work with your chosen tax/financial advisor to create a comprehensive and
seamless plan will mitigate confusion and unnecessary additional costs upon the
final resolution of your estate. A letter written by you explaining your
understanding and intent is also valuable, as is making sure a person who has <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no financial or personal interest</i> in the
resolution of your affairs knows your desires. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Helen had all of the right
documents in place. She and her late husband had put together a comprehensive
plan years before his death. They made two critical miscalculations: They
failed to predict Helen’s slow cognitive decline. She was still able to execute
legal and financial documents well before she was declared incompetent to do
so. Also, she amended documents using a new law firm. When Jane had Helen draw
up new documents using a new attorney, Helen’s decades-long relationship with her
trusted family attorney was rendered moot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Shortly after new estate and
financial documents were created, Helen’s much-loved summer lake house was
sold. Her family protested the decision, but Helen was firm: “My house, my decision,”
she claimed. “Besides, I need the money.” Her declaration ignited her family to
investigate, leading to her diagnosis and the appointment of a guardian over
her affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Elizabeth, too, had all of the
right plans and documents in place. Her youngest child of three, Mary*, had the
education, experience, and temperament to handle Elizabeth’s complex estate.
Mary became Elizabeth’s named estate executor, trustee, financial and
healthcare Power of Attorney–the very powers that are catnip to predators. Mary
took her responsibilities seriously and forged open and transparent
relationships with her mother’s legal, financial, tax, and healthcare
professionals. Neither Mary nor Elizabeth ever dreamed that Elizabeth would be
the subject of a guardianship petition.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Guardianship
as a Tool<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Having a guardian help with a
loved one’s affairs is a godsend for many families. Any person interested in an
adult’s welfare can file a petition. State laws provide for another person or
professional to assume decision-making duties when individuals are no longer
capable of making health, living, personal, or financial decisions for themselves.
The term “guardian” is often interchanged with “conservator” when those duties
are restricted to property or financial decisions, famously shown with Brittany
Spears’ conservatorship. A person may have lost the ability (known as
“capacity”) to make decisions on one or any combination of each because of a
disease, injury, or infirmity due to age. Once in place, the guardian replaces
the ward’s (also called the “incapacitated person”) legal authority to make
decisions for him- or herself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Guardianships can be invaluable
tools for families struggling with a loved one who cannot care for themselves.
Courts look to granting the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">least
restrictive</i> powers by assessing the totality of the alleged incapacitated
person’s legal, medical, family support, and financial situation. They may
appoint a guardian over all or part of the ward’s affairs, supplanting the
ward’s past and future decision-making with those of the guardian. Courts
provide oversight to ensure that the scope of care meets the ward’s needs
without exceeding set limits. Guardianship fees are paid out of the ward’s
assets. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Netflix movie,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> I Care A Lot </i>sensationalized the total guardianship
of an elder.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Like any tool, guardianships can
cause irreparable harm if wielded by a bad actor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Good Tools
and Bad Actors<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Oversight and transparency are
key drivers to having a good guardianship experience. If that process fails, guardianship
can become part of the problem. Once Helen was determined no longer to have the
legal capacity to make her own decisions, the court-appointed a professional
guardian to manage all of her affairs. The guardian had total control over Helen,
including where she lived and all of her financial and legal matters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sadly, for Helen’s family, the
professionals and the lawyers charged with overseeing her guardianship were bad
actors. Although the lake house could not be “unsold,” the family sought to
unravel investment, will, and trust changes that benefitted Jane. In a twist
made for the movies, Jane’s newly deepened pockets paid for the roadblocks that
stopped the family from reclaiming much of what was lost. Only after the family
sued the guardian and the lawyers involved were they able to find and reclaim a
fraction of Helen’s wealth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Craig was enraged that Mary
questioned his unpaid six-figure loans from Elizabeth and property transfers.
Elizabeth cowered from his rages and defaulted to giving Craig anything he
wanted just to stop his tirades. Mary stopped Elizabeth from doing more, citing
long-standing estate and financial plans made decades before and reviewed
regularly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Craig filed a guardianship
petition against Elizabeth, claiming that she was incapable of caring for
herself. He wanted full control over all of her decisions. He also claimed that
Mary used her designated powers to block Elizabeth from her assets. He claimed
that Mary violated her fiduciary duties and should be replaced. By him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Fortunately, for Elizabeth, the
attorneys and court involved in managing her petition were Good Guys. The court
appointed an impartial evaluator to interview all persons and to gather as much
evidence as possible to either support or refute Craig’s claim that Elizabeth
was incompetent. The evaluator scrutinized Mary’s actions, assessing if either
Craig or a professional should replace her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The court dismissed the petition,
declaring Elizabeth of sound mind. They determined she had all of the
appropriate documents, support, and people in place to manage her affairs
effectively. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Bad Actor in Elizabeth’s case
was her son. He tried to wield a good tool, like guardianship, in order to gain
access to legal and financial power over an elder. Like most victims, Elizabeth
just wanted the abusive acts to stop and didn’t want her son to get into legal
trouble. She ignored her counsel’s advice to prosecute and insisted, “He filed
because he loves me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Elder financial exploitation is a
mire of subtle harms where privacy is a predator’s shield and where patterns
may speak more loudly than the victims themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">###</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part One: The Crime</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_13.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Two: Predators</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_14.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Three: The Perfect Victims</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_90.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Four: Bad Actors</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_0965997783.html" target="_blank">Part Five: Resources</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">*All names have been changed upon the request of the families.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Elder abuse is a crime that can
be physical, medical, financial, or emotional/behavioral in nature. Neglect and
abandonment of an elder can be crimes as well. If you or a loved one is the
subject of suspected abuse, call your local adult protective services to speak
confidentially with a knowledgeable expert.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-4549232927416421602021-06-14T10:08:00.008-04:002021-06-15T09:23:03.494-04:003. Fear, Shame, and Love: The Hidden Epidemic of Elder Financial Exploitation Part Three: The Perfect Victims<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">[This is the third of a series of articles leading up to World Elder
Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2021.]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>Part Three: The Perfect Victims</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Helen* and Elizabeth* were
victims of the same crime. Helen because she had Alzheimer’s. Elizabeth because
she loved too much. The insidious nature of elder financial exploitation
fosters the creation of the perfect victim. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It’s Not
Just the Wealthy Who Are Targets<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">One doesn’t need to be wealthy to
be targeted. Seniors are often the one family member with a steady income from
Social Security, savings, or a retirement plan. With 10,000 Baby Boomers
reaching retirement age each day, and with less than an estimated 10 percent of
financial exploitation cases being reported, many experts caution about a
hidden epidemic of abuse that is reaching a tipping point as the financial
impact of COVID comes into full view.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The crime of financial
exploitation is the conversion of money, services, or property from an elder
through coercion, deception, undue influence, or misrepresentation. For some,
there may be co-concurrent physical abuse as evidenced by unexplained bruises
or sores. Even missing aids like eyeglasses, walkers, or hearing aids may
signal attempts at isolating or intimidating the victim to coerce a financial
benefit. Yet, exploitation cases of the medically frail or of those living in
an institutional setting were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">less</i>
prevalent than of elders who lived alone. Independent elders comprise over 66
percent of the reported cases. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Exploitation can happen where no
relationship exists between the victim and the criminal such as with consumer
fraud found in mail, phone, or Internet scams. However, the vast majority of exploitation
occurs inside a relationship where there is an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">expectation of trust</i>, such as with spouses, children,
grandchildren, neighbors, and professionals. Visible signs may include stolen
credit cards, missing checks, forged signatures, fraudulent or unauthorized
transfers, and identity theft. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Weaponized
Relationships<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Invisible signs include behavior
changes. Guarded or paranoid behavior, secrecy, lies, and letting things go
that once caused concern are red flags that something is amiss. Depression,
anxiety, withdrawal, apathy, or anger–common symptoms of abuse–may have a
variety of causes, and few would expect a criminal act as a trigger. Abrupt
changes in estate documents or financial security often go unnoticed even by
the closest friends. The crime’s invisibility adds to its misunderstanding,
including blaming the victim for their problems.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Weaponized” relationships contribute
to this crime being one of the most underreported as misdeeds look and feel
like a “private matter.” Even a victim entangled in the web of an abusive relationship
often cannot tell the difference between an act of freedom or an act of
coercion. They just want the abuse to stop.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Both Helen and Elizabeth had
something that Jane* and Craig* desperately wanted, needed, and felt entitled to.
For Jane, it was money. For Craig, it was money, property, and something as
hard to define as a family legacy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In Helen’s case, it was her best
friend who defrauded her of millions. In Elizabeth’s case, it was her son who
bullied her into silence when loans went unpaid or questionable property
transactions occurred. They became the perfect victims.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Eccentricity is a privilege of
the old and making a questionable payment is not in and of itself evidence of
exploitation, but intent and reasoning matter. The prosecution of the crime
often hinges on the victim’s testimony. For the criminal, a perfect victim is
someone who cannot or will not admit a crime has been committed. This can stem
from a spectrum of reasons from fear of reprisal from the criminal, to embarrassment
and shame. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Denial and
Silence<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Both Helen and Elizabeth denied they
were victims. Neither woman would bear witness against the criminal despite an
overwhelming amount of evidence. Both were easily intimidated into silence in
large part because of the station that the criminals had in their lives. Feeling
helpless and dependent upon the criminal, fear chilled any motivation to push
back against actions they and others knew were wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Silence enables and emboldens the
predator, making the victim an unwitting accomplice to their own victimization.
Helen and Elizabeth’s lives were inextricably woven into the lives of their
abusers. Any action they took would have a ripple effect. The complicated web
of co-dependency tightened, making this crime similar to domestic abuse. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Co-Dependent
Victims<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Before she was determined to be
incompetent to sign documents, Helen trusted that Jane was helping organize her
affairs. Jane provided the companionship Helen wanted. Investments and homes
disappeared. When questioned, Helen lied to protect Jane, fearing she’d be left
alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Helen’s family began the
uncomfortable task of unveiling a once-trusted friend as a thief. They were shocked
and saddened by Helen’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but were dumbfounded by what
followed. They could not unravel the transactions that Jane illegally
benefitted from. Jane fought back. Legal complexities spiraled. Helen was
placed under guardianship. What had been hoped to be the end of Helen’s
troubles, incredibly opened another chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Elizabeth found herself in an
abusive, co-dependent relationship with her son in part because of her need to
be needed. Her youngest daughter, Mary*, worried about large checks and
property transfers to Craig. Elizabeth insisted the multiple payments were “just
this once” to “help Craig out of a tough spot.” When Mary observed that the
payments and transfers were not what Elizabeth’s late husband and she had
agreed to as part of their estate and financial plans, Craig became enraged at
Mary’s “meddling” and Elizabeth tried to hide transactions to foster family
peace. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Families, friends, and most
professionals don't like to see a crime. Instead, they see siblings who don't
get along, or parents who had "favorites." <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Patterns
Speak More Loudly than Victims<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Blocked from unfettered access to
Elizabeth’s money by Mary’s advocacy, Craig upped his game and instead focused
his attention on ensuring that he would profit as much as possible when Elizabeth
eventually passed away. He targeted Elizabeth’s wills and trusts that Mary had
been appointed to. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For vastly different reasons than
in Helen’s case, Craig filed to gain full guardianship over Elizabeth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Patterns of transactions often
speak more loudly than the victims themselves. In both Helen and Elizabeth’s
cases, a multi-year pattern of financial transactions emerged. Their loved ones
summoned help, feeling as if they were betraying family codes of loyalty.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The patterns of elder financial
exploitation and abuse transcended the boundaries of an ailing or sound mind. The
women’s legal, tax, and financial advisors clearly identified a predatory
constellation of acts. Doubts of criminality vanished.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Like an abused spouse, Helen and
Elizabeth claimed their financial black eyes were caused by their own trip down
the stairs. They didn’t want their predators to “get into trouble.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jane and Craig had found the
perfect victims.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">###</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part One: The Crime</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_13.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Two: Predators</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_14.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Three: The Perfect Victims</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_90.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Four: Bad Actors</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_0965997783.html" target="_blank">Part Five: Resources</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">*All names have been changed upon the request of the families.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Elder abuse is a crime that can
be physical, medical, financial, or emotional/behavioral in nature. Neglect and
abandonment of an elder can be crimes as well. If you or a loved one is the
subject of suspected abuse, call your local adult protective services to speak
confidentially with a knowledgeable expert.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-27763856025829154642021-06-13T10:20:00.010-04:002021-06-15T09:22:33.494-04:002. Fear, Shame, and Love: The Hidden Epidemic of Elder Financial Exploitation Part Two: Predators<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">[This is the second of a series
of articles leading up to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2021]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>Part Two: Predators</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Helen’s* family was stunned by
her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. They were equally stunned when that diagnosis didn’t
protect her or her family from the ravages of elder financial exploitation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A family vacation home was sold
and the proceeds disappeared. Banking and investment accounts vanished or the
balances diminished in an unexplained plummet. Like many elder victims, Helen
became increasingly defensive, evasive, and confused. But it’s not only the
ailing who can be exploited. The insidious truth is that healthy elders
(defined as anyone over 60 years of age) can become victims, too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Clever Scams<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Financial scams are limited only
by the predator’s imagination and no prior relationship between the victim and
predator is needed. Scams can come in the form of phone calls by persons
alleging to be a family member (most often a grandchild) in some kind of urgent
trouble or a customer service representative offering a ‘refund’ that cleverly
morphs into the victim sending money (frequently in the form of gift cards) to
cover an ‘error.’ The Internet can be a minefield of scams only a click away. Mail-based
fraud may take the form of charity or political solicitations. Unscrupulous
home maintenance professionals may also take advantage of elders, where sneaky perpetrators
pad invoices or submit false bills altogether. The American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP) has a trove of articles to help identify and protect
yourself or loved ones from phone-, Internet-, and mail-based scams at
aarp.org. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We can begin to protect our elders
from nameless or faceless predators with advice like, “Don’t give out personal
or financial information over the phone or unfamiliar websites,” or, “Don’t
respond to direct mail solicitations.” Calling your local resource center or
council on aging for referrals to trusted professionals or home repair
businesses is also a line of protection. Yet, elder financial exploitation is
one of the most under-reported crimes. Why? Because it’s a crime of access and
opportunity most often enacted by a family member or a close family friend. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Trusted
Predator<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, who are the people who
exploit others?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">They are the sons, daughters,
spouses, friends, grandchildren, landlords, or professionals who have sat with
you on a sunny afternoon. They have access to the elder, most often by living
with them or in close proximity to them. Unlike the fraud schemes mentioned
above, they have a close relationship with the elder, and it’s that
relationship that becomes weaponized. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Helen’s case was a perfect storm
of bad actors. What began as self-serving acts of one individual tragically
became a case of predatory guardianship. As fictionalized in the Netflix movie,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Care A Lot</i>, professionals charged
with protecting vulnerable adults are well-positioned to exploit their charges.
Most conservators or guardians have sufficient state-mandated oversight to
eliminate abuses, but even well-intentioned tools can add to problems. (More
about guardianships in a later column.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Widowed years before, Helen lived
away from family in a retirement community. Isolation from supportive family
and friends is a key contributor to abuse. For Helen’s family, what had seemed
like an ideal situation of independent living added to her vulnerability.
Removed from the questioning eyes of family, Jane* began to exert influence. Small
transgressions went unaddressed. Jane became emboldened and began to “wean”
Helen from her other relationships, further embedding herself into Helen’s
affairs. Jane became an indispensable friend, displaying hurt if not included
in Helen’s plans. Soon, the family realized Helen had little privacy from Jane,
and Helen became evasive when questioned about her friend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Isolation can be physical, but it
can be psychological as well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Elizabeth’s* youngest daughter,
Mary*, didn’t understand the increasingly large checks written to her brother,
Craig*. When questioned, Elizabeth withdrew, mentioning how angry Craig had
become at Mary’s inquiries. Elizabeth struggled to “keep the peace,” and began
to avoid Mary in fear of making Craig mad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Jane and Craig used their access
to begin separating the vulnerable elder from people or institutions
instrumental in the healthy support of that elder. Once isolated, the
opportunities for their actions to go unquestioned increased. Perpetrators of
financial exploitation are most often a close family member like a husband or
grandchild. They leverage the loss or worsening of their relationship as a
weapon–“do this or else”–or as a gaslighting wedge, “Don’t you remember? You
owed me money for gas and groceries.” Or worse. “Oh, these documents? Trust me,
it’s nothing. Sign here.” What the victim’s family sadly finds out too late, is
that one signature can make a lifetime of savings disappear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A ‘Justifiable’
Crime<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">People who exploit others often
do not see their actions as wrong. Jane began her theft feeling Helen had
“enough” money and, with her failing health, would “never miss it.” Craig felt
entitled to Elizabeth’s money through a misguided combination of “oldest son”
and a sense of entitlement. Observed from the outside, exploitative
relationships don’t have the typical red flags one would expect in an abusive
relationship. Perpetrators of elder financial abuse and exploitation enjoy the
cloak of “private family affair” that makes questioning details by a concerned
person uncomfortable. An addicted child or cash-poor son may be sheltered by a
parent reluctant to disclose painful family secrets. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Helen was surely vulnerable and
the family was justifiably upset at the changes of her financial health, and,
as a result, their inheritances. Yet, Jane felt justified and protected. Mary
felt anger toward her mother and brother for continuing a pattern all knew was
wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Once diagnosed, Helen’s family reached
out to others for help, only to uncover a shocking underbelly of corruption.
Mary found stopping her mother’s financial drain had a surprising twist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">How and why?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The next articles will provide
some answers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">###</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part One: The Crime</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_13.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Two: Predators</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_14.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Three: The Perfect Victims</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_90.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Four: Bad Actors</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_0965997783.html" target="_blank">Part Five: Resources</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">*All names have been changed upon the request of the families.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Elder abuse is a crime that can
be physical, medical, financial, or emotional/behavioral in nature. Neglect and
abandonment of an elder can be crimes as well. If you or a loved one is the
subject of suspected abuse, call your local adult protective services to speak
confidentially with a knowledgeable expert.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-68648858194387793122021-06-12T09:52:00.008-04:002021-06-15T09:22:13.154-04:001. Fear, Shame, and Love: The Hidden Epidemic of Elder Financial Exploitation Part One: The Crime<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">[This is the first of a series of articles leading up to World Elder
Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2021.]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>Part One: The Crime</b></span></span></p><p><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Helen Younger’s* last words were, “You lied to me.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What was left of her family had gathered at her bedside as the final
hunger of Alzheimer’s was sated. Their faces had become strangers to her, and
they clung to the surprise moments when her fog would lift and she would call a
family member by name or comment on a recent accomplishment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Their huddle was both to pay respects and homage to the family matriarch,
but it was also protective. In her fading years, Helen had signed away most of
her assets to Jane* and her son, Jack*. Helen’s life may have been coming to an
end, but the ugly process of proving elder financial abuse and exploitation had
only just begun.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The family stiffened when Jane
walked into the room. The lines of conflict had already been drawn and Jane and
Jack’s appearance had been negotiated through lawyers and guardians. Jane was a
southern-based “Snow Bird” acquaintance of Helen and her husband for many
years. New Hampshire Yankees at heart, the Youngers had accumulated millions
with frugal living, smart real estate choices, and shrewd investing. After
Helen had been widowed eight years earlier, Jane became Helen’s best friend. The
family wanted to block Jane’s request for a final goodbye, but the court ruled
no harm could come from a long-time friend bidding her final respects.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Jane entered the room with
exclamations of love and missives for Helen. “We miss you and love you, Helen
dear!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">“You lied to me.” Helen’s last
words were directed to her one-time BFF.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Early
Warnings<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Years before, the first trickle
of money in Jane’s direction looked like the generosity of a well-off friend to
a modest-means buddy. Shopping trips started as buying a blouse or trinket for
Jane, but then slowly morphed to full-blown wardrobes and more for Jane, her
son, and another “friend.” Helen’s wardrobe, however, remained stuck in 1980’s
neons with padded shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Those warning signs could be
explained away. “Oh, it’s just a little shopping with the girls,” Helen could
say, but the family grew worried at the increasing credit card charges. They
faced a common junction: Their beloved elder had begun to make questionable
decisions. Eccentricity and quirks are the privilege of old age. Helen brushed
aside voiced concerns. A person has the right to do with their assets as they
damned well pleased. Just because a son or daughter objects, or the money-flow
is outside a “norm,” doesn’t mean the expenditures are illegal or wrong. “My
money. My choice,” is a common refrain. Helen’s children and grandchildren hit
an all-too-common wall.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Freedom to choose worries
countless families who face the same dilemma. Long before it was clear that
Helen was losing her abilities to discern “fraud” from “freedom,” Jane was
embedding herself deeper into Helen’s private affairs. Helen had been living
the vibrant life of a robust retiree at a posh assisted living community in
Florida. Family noted nothing unusual during their visits, but would admit that
visits and phone calls are different than seeing someone’s day-to-day life. Troublesome
patterns could go unnoticed. Close friendships often provide an early warning to
family members for memory issues that are more than a senior moment. Another
set of eyes from a helpful friend can be a blessing and provide crucial
insights into behaviors and health. Personal boundaries vary, so one friend’s
“help” can be another friend’s “intrusion.” Trust becomes a bankable asset. Trusting
Jane, Helen divulged financial details.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More warnings happened. Family members
compared notes and realized the mysterious Jane was omnipresent during their
visits, giving them little privacy. In rare private moments, Helen became
nervous and evasive when questioned about Jane, the increasing credit card
bills, and the missing bank statements. A beloved family lake home was suddenly
sold and the proceeds were unaccounted for. Names changed on investment
accounts, or those accounts disappeared entirely. Tensions and suspicions
escalated rapidly. Helen became increasingly deceptive. Jane insisted Helen’s
decisions were unimpeachable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The Subtle
Crime<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">One doesn’t need to have
diminished capacity to fall victim to a predator. The slide into Alzheimer’s
can explain some of Helen’s behaviors, but victims of financial exploitation display
similar evasiveness. Anxiety triggered by probing questions is not limited to
individuals with ailing brains. In fact, those elders who have all their
marbles can be even more deceptive and evasive of probing questions. Quite
simply, they know something is wrong but feel powerless to stop it. They evade
and hide the crime because they are embarrassed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The U.S. Department of Justice
defines exploitation as “. . . <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an act of forcing, compelling, or exerting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">undue influence</i> over a vulnerable adult
causing the vulnerable adult to act in a way that is inconsistent with relevant
past behavior, or causing the vulnerable adult to perform services for the
benefit of another.” (emphasis added) Broadly defined, “services” includes, but
is not limited to, paying the influencer’s bills, co-signing loans, providing
food, shelter, or transportation, providing employment or references, and
signing documents without proper counsel such as deeds, leases, or Powers of
Attorney. Elder exploitation is not a crime solely of the wealthy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Identifying a “vulnerable adult”
is not the hard part. Vulnerability can be developmental, medical, or behavior-based.
More importantly, frailty and loneliness, both common issues among the elderly,
are recognized contributors. What may surprise some is that most states define “elderly”
as anyone over 60 years of age. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Exploitation of an otherwise
healthy elder who has full capacity to make his or her own decisions is
difficult to indentify, let alone prosecute. Embarrassment and the need to save
face lead to defending the predator. Most victims just want the abuse to stop.
They do not want the predator to ‘get into trouble.’ The result is the victim,
as the key witness to the crime, will not testify against the predator. They
become unwitting enablers of their own predicament.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Yet, Helen’s diagnosis identified
her as a vulnerable adult, but it didn’t offer the family an easy path to
resolution. Their story is a cautionary tale for all of our beloved elders
regardless of their health.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Who are these predators? Who
helps them? Are they “evil” people? What can we do to protect our loved ones?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The following articles will
explore these questions and more. Not everything is as easy as we hope.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">###</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part One: The Crime</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_13.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Two: Predators</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_14.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Three: The Perfect Victims</a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_90.html" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Part Four: Bad Actors</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://cjhambleyblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/fear-shame-and-love-hidden-epidemic-of_0965997783.html" target="_blank">Part Five: Resources</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">*All names have been changed upon the request of the family.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Elder abuse is a crime that can
be physical, medical, financial, or emotional/behavioral in nature. Neglect and
abandonment of an elder can be crimes as well. If you or a loved one is the
subject of suspected abuse, call your local adult protective services to speak
confidentially with a knowledgeable expert.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-76891078794051378302021-04-01T14:17:00.001-04:002021-04-01T14:17:24.948-04:00Remembering an Infamous Man<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Often, our personal memories of famous (or infamous) folks
are more vivid and impactful than those provided to use by the news.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Such is the case of G. Gordon Liddy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For those of you too young to know his name, Liddy became
famous because of his role in the Watergate scandal during the Nixon
administration. Some call him the “mastermind” behind the break-in that
culminated in Nixon resigning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Liddy spent more than four years in prison. He later said he’d
do it all again for his president.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">His loyalty to a difficult president and his participation
of illegal acts made him a pariah to some. My mom never lost her empathy for
him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Mom and Liddy’s wife, Fran, went to the College of New
Rochelle together. They were friendly and Mom lived in Fran’s mother’s home
when Mom started her career as a teacher at an elementary school in
Poughkeepsie, New York. They kept in touch as Fran married and started her
family. Mom recalls the boys as being “good swimmers” and “each one of them was
athletic.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When Liddy ran for a seat in the New York congress, Mom held
a cocktail party for him. She remembered her guests were more interested in
drinking than listening to a fledgling politician, but Liddy was a good sport
and kept his introductory remarks short and his humor sharp. If his later years
evidenced anything, it was that he was passionate about what he believed in and
didn’t shy away from taking action he felt compelled to take. “He had a dry wit
that softened his imposing manner,” she recalled.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Why write these memories? I’ve written about Liddy’s
involvement in a devastating chapter in</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXSzGbT8yTqp1-k-xpLTv8-n3V08GgOkxSFCiT14jSy7wKevKYZEJTb1ZbRj1KykI4QTCnfNujN9odRiNrhtP_AUIngGGuj7PgAoelw4sc_3TfbfGFjENlXXNkWsgx84hFNxtFYbdpsc/s2048/IMG_5067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1543" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXSzGbT8yTqp1-k-xpLTv8-n3V08GgOkxSFCiT14jSy7wKevKYZEJTb1ZbRj1KykI4QTCnfNujN9odRiNrhtP_AUIngGGuj7PgAoelw4sc_3TfbfGFjENlXXNkWsgx84hFNxtFYbdpsc/s320/IMG_5067.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /> my family’s life. <a href="https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2015/03/10/pawling-barn-fire-anniversary/24716431/">An
arsonist burned down our family barn</a>. Although not the lead prosecutor on the
case, Liddy helped our family as much as he could. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The help he gave Mom and our family during that difficult
time was enough to engender Mom’s lifelong sympathy for him. Be he good or bad,
she wasn’t going to abandon him. During his four years in prison, she
corresponded with him, recalling that his responses were “sparsely written” but
appreciative of her connection.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When Fran died, her funeral was to be held in Poughkeepsie.
A blizzard made travel difficult, but Mom made it to the church, only to find
it locked. The priest said the storm had kept the family from traveling from
Washington. Mom sent her condolences, but always regretted not being able to
say her final good-byes in person. “I wanted Gordon to know I tried.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When I told Mom of his passing, she said, “I’m truly
saddened. I hope his death was peaceful.” She wasn’t going to forgive his
wrongs, but she wasn’t going to take away from his good, either. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Of all the reactions I’ve read about his life, I think Mom’s
recollection of him is the most kind. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-33571659411889617582021-03-19T11:19:00.001-04:002021-03-19T11:19:55.654-04:00THE MOST NERVOUS SPOUSES OF ALL<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My crime-writing friends often joke about their search histories being stuff of NSA nightmares or of the sidelong glances received when overheard in public sussing out gory scene details.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Then, there are the nervous smiles from our spouses.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One friend couldn't decide on which poison to use to kill a pesky antagonist. Arsenic? Too common. Cyanide? Too traceable and the bitter taste a dead giveaway that could stop a victim from drinking a lethal dose. After sounding ideas off her husband, she gave him an iced lemonade made without any sugar to see how much he would drink before stopping.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He took a sip, put down the glass, and asked, "We're happy in our marriage, right?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Long live the long-suffering spouse of a writer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I thought my husband and I were beyond such misunderstandings or fear. After a year of 24/7/365 togetherness, all fears and worries should have been dispelled, or at least thoroughly aired out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A Zoom writers' group proved me wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We start each session with a prompt and write for five minutes. I've posted a few of the responses in this blog and it's always fun to see the different ways we continue from a single beginning. This time, the prompt read:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The last few nights she had a recurring dream about ...</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I continued with:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"...killing him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The delicious thought wrapped her in layers of warmth. No more leg twitches. No more snorts and grunts. No more stale flatulence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She'd be free.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The wave of happiness receded with wakefulness. "Damn it," she said as she pulled on her robe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Night after night. Happy. Wake. Happy. Wake.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She couldn't take anymore.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Then the dreams invaded her days. She couldn't stop the thoughts. Her only respite came in planning actions. Gun? Too messy. Poison? Where to buy? Accident? How? When? Where?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The thoughts wrapped her in happiness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Then...he didn't wake up. She nudged him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She took the pillow from his head. </span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Nothing.</span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"No! No! No! It can't be!"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She woke to a snort.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He rolled over. "Morning," he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Morning, Love. Coffee?"</span></p></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We read our responses aloud to one another, laughed at our follies, and continued on with our session. Afterward, my husband appeared at my office door. He gave me a nervous smile. "That's not the first time you killed a husband in your writing."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I scoffed. "I haven't! That was the first."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He then listed other times my characters' husbands or significant others met untimely ends. His memory stretched back into years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"We're happy in our marriage, right?" </span></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-30836125740161974332021-03-10T14:06:00.001-05:002021-03-10T14:06:47.013-05:00Sisters in Crime New England at the Newburyport Literary Festival!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Make a Mystery with Sisters in Crime New England Authors</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_I4UQkr5hqIxbsJL3DjTyfimXeyHuU1j0jdbjcslipeyTfTRlockaZ31fYBshp3OjGBOIq7bdnRbt8ZcEvlg6Lo6w_jO4OX6Kbg_iUi2sX18kC6OcmHNKIQjTa6B7TcJMzhkAm4HRPA/s768/Newburyport+Lit+Fest+final+2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_I4UQkr5hqIxbsJL3DjTyfimXeyHuU1j0jdbjcslipeyTfTRlockaZ31fYBshp3OjGBOIq7bdnRbt8ZcEvlg6Lo6w_jO4OX6Kbg_iUi2sX18kC6OcmHNKIQjTa6B7TcJMzhkAm4HRPA/s320/Newburyport+Lit+Fest+final+2021.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div> </div>
<div><span style="color: #050505;">Join Sisters in Crime New England authors Richard Cass,
Lorraine Sharma Nelson, Gerald Elias, and Connie Johnson Hambley as they
build a story with YOUR clues while pulling back the curtain on the writing
process! You’ll provide names, setting, motives, weapon and more. From each
suggestion, the authors will talk about what goes in to each decision and how
one small detail can alter an entire story. Join us for this interactive and
fast-paced improv with authors and enjoy the fun as they create a brand new
murder mystery on the spot! </span></div><div><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #050505;">Go to: https://newburyportliteraryfestival.org/ to learn more about registration for this FREE event.</span></div>
<div><span style="color: #050505;"></span> </div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389505745683650087.post-19521353289223271692020-10-15T10:20:00.003-04:002020-10-15T10:20:59.883-04:00COUNTDOWN TO NEW ENGLAND CRIME BAKE!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrM5BSRqGRcI8xRdOJnN58b5dK8Yc-8Zladr8IBpFhyphenhyphenDhDTVaCqAtuhpWS9Lzh4WPl6zxjss-FpZXlTB-xdk272wnsWwyzqnbnZJYLMfpSmwZ4mrxZpNsYTAFfIwRCx1ziuCADsSCjaQ/s940/Masked+Murder+Open+Reg+Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrM5BSRqGRcI8xRdOJnN58b5dK8Yc-8Zladr8IBpFhyphenhyphenDhDTVaCqAtuhpWS9Lzh4WPl6zxjss-FpZXlTB-xdk272wnsWwyzqnbnZJYLMfpSmwZ4mrxZpNsYTAFfIwRCx1ziuCADsSCjaQ/s320/Masked+Murder+Open+Reg+Image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="font_8" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="color_15"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: helvetica-w01-light,helvetica-w02-light,sans-serif;">Saturday, November 7, 2020, 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM ET</span></span></span></span></p><p class="font_8" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm beyond proud to be Co-Chair of this terrific conference.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="wixGuard"></span>The New England Crime Bake is the premier conference for writers and lovers of crime writing in New England. Held every Veteran’s Day weekend, Friday through Sunday, Crime Bake has sold out annually for almost a decade. This year, that pesky virus is keeping us apart, so we've gone virtual! The conference is FREE this year and more of you can join us!<br /><span class="color_15"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jointly sponsored by the New England chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, Crime Bake is a learning experience, a networking opportunity, and a wonderful time. Attendees include writers at all stages of their careers, representing every genre in crime writing, including mystery, thriller, suspense, YA, historical, and true crime. In addition to writers, the conference appeals to all lovers of reading and crime, including librarians, booksellers, agents, editors, publishers, and fans.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Crime Bake committee has worked hard to capture the essence of what makes this conference so special. We will celebrate the authors in our community who have had their debut novels published and hear the clever turns of phrase in our Flashwords! contest. As always, the Al Blanchard award will be given to the best short story! We'll have panels on writing during the pandemic and what the publishing landscape looks like in 2020. You won't want to miss industry insiders dishing on current trends.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Join us! This is the best year to sample what makes Crime Bake unique and loved!<br /><span class="color_15"></span></span></p><h4 class="font_4" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="color_15">VISIT THE <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a dataquery="dGV4dExpbmtfa2dhd2YxanY=" href="https://crimebake.org/">CRIME BAKE WEBSITE</a></span> FOR MORE INFORMATION</span></h4><p><br data-cke-eol="1" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com