I never thought I would write or edit five prison-related books. That was not my intention some 15 years ago while traveling a beaten-down, two-lane highway to the Dwight Correctional Center. I was about to have my first interview with a female inmate, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. What I thought would be a one-time interview, turned into a two-year journey and my first book — “The Rita Nitz Story: Life Without Parole.”
While working on Rita’s book I met another inmate who was incarcerated for killing her five-year old stepdaughter. The inmate, Becca, suffered from a bipolar disorder and unable to recall the murder. After obtaining copies of her mental health record and confirmation of her mental illness, I began another two-year journey that turned into a second book — “Cherry Blossoms & Barren Plains: A woman’s journey from mental illness to a prison cell.”
A memoir based on my experiences as a victim of childhood sexual abuse — “Mnemosyne: A love affair with memory,” provided a distraction from my prison-related books. “Supermax Prison: Controlling the most dangerous criminals,” and “Dark Days in Chicago: The Rehabilitation of an Urban Street Terrorist,” brought my total to five books. My role in “Dark Days” was that of an editor, writing coach, and supporter.
Now I’ve stepped into the world of Urban Fiction; a genre quite foreign to me, but popular among readers interested in raw, violent stories associated with urban culture, crime syndicates, etc… The stories are page-turners, emulating the darker side of humanity.
This is where I met Jovon Scott, author of recently published “Blood of my Shadow: The Rise & Fall of the Syndicate.” Together, Jovon and I explored the underbelly of urban culture. For those unfamiliar with this genre, I suggest that you acquaint yourself with another patch in the quilt we call America.
This is my journey of enlightment where I jumped into the unknown, allowing myself to experience each spiritual adventure.
Larry, You are open to seeing the opportunities and are willing to put in the effort to make things happen. I have appreciated your books. I am reading Don Winslow for the craftiness of his plotting and all the rest. He is a writer’ writer and award winner… and his stuff gets optioned into movies. So see if you see some inspiration from his work I suggest starting with “California Fire and Life”. Linda Stanley
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