Deception

True Crime

I have read hundreds of true crime books and some of what happens to real people inevitably finds its way into my stories. I love true crime authors like Ann Rule, Gregg Olsen and Carlton Stowers who focus on the victims and their families and on the detectives and prosecutors who are dedicated to bringing murderers to justice. I recently discovered that one of those writers, Carlton Stowers, had a son who committed murder. While Stowers was winning awards for his books, his son was making his life hell. Stowers did everything possible to help his son and get him on the right track, but it proved to be a hopeless endeavor. For years, Stowers and his family suffered terribly because of the crimes committed by his oldest son until finally his son killed his own ex-wife and was imprisoned. In prison, Stower’s son developed enough of a relationship with his father to contribute to a book about their ordeal, Sins of the Sons. Through all of the hardships, disappointments and depression, Stowers managed to keep writing and become one of the most respected writers in his genre. For all of us writers who sometimes get discouraged and find it difficult to face a blank page, he serves as an inspiration.