Con or Legitimate?

by Charlotte Hinger

Steve's post yesterday was about notable quotes from writers. He keeps a booklet full of these. 

Words of wisdom from my family have lodged in my heart. Their advice surfaces from time to time. This has been a strange week in that I've gotten three invitations to speak at book events. One of mother's sayings popped up in my mind. "Never trust anyone who tries to impress you with their honesty."

Huh? Yes, it's true. I've also learned that the more someone tries to convince you they're legitimate the more wary I become. So here's how I sorted these "opportunities."

Above all else--here's my ironclad rule for everything related to publishing. DO NOT GIVE ANYONE ANY MONEY.

The first invitation was an online book club which appears to be legitimate. It boasted of a huge international readership. There was a Facebook and LinkedIn presence. I expressed interest and everything proceeded at good clip until the organizer said the club required a fee to distribute materials to their members. 

Not a chance lady. In fact the discussions cooled immediately when I mentioned that, au contraire, I charged a fee for participating, and sent my agent's contact information. There is a great post about on-line book clubs by Kevin G. Chapman: https://kevingchapman.com/2025/10/03/authors-beware-look-out-for-book-club-scams/

Kevin's post is outstanding. He goes into detail about his back and forth emails from a scammer. Boy, are these people ever clever.

When checking out people, places, or information, always remember to Google deep. Read all the pages listed. It's easy to manipulate search engines for the first and second pages. Another red flag was the lack of any gossip or reviews on sites such as Goodreads. 

So on to the second invitation. It was to speak at brick and mortar store, Inkberry Books, in Niwot, a town here in Colorado. It sounded like a good opportunity. The owners wanted me to discuss Mary's Place--a book dear to my heart. We had to work out an issue about sales. Mary's Place is traditionally published through the University of Nebraska Press. I can't bring in books on consignment without losing money. We both happily agreed that customers would order directly through the store. I'm looking forward to the event. I really admire their aggressive marketing during a time when independent booksellers are struggling. 

The third event is in Colorado Springs. The group is the American Association of University Women. I enthusiastically accepted this invitation to speak at their annual fundraising event. I gave a similar presentation several years ago here in Fort Collins. Talk about readers! This group is shrewd, organized, and very discerning. AAUW works hard to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.

I'm honored by the number of members who have already read Mary's Place.

My mother is not your mother, but believe me taking her advice is a good idea for everyone. "Do not trust anyone who tries to impress you with their honesty" And always remember my overriding advice to new authors, old authors, and everyone in between. "DO NOT GIVE ANYONE ANY MONEY. 

Introducing Steve Pease

 by Steve Pease (Michael Chandos)

Thanks for the invite to join this most interesting writer’s blog. I am Steve Pease and I live in Colorado’s Black Forest. I write mysteries and science fiction under the pen name of Michael Chandos. Why a pen name and why that one will be a future blog. My education is aerospace engineering, astronomy and criminal justice. I spent 34.5 years as an USAF officer and then a Senior Civilian doing intelligence analysis on foreign space technology. I have experience in most intelligence disciplines including double agents and the three-letter agencies.

When I retired, I wanted to write “medium-boiled” private eye stories, so I studied the profession to make sure I got things right and I became one along the way. I was licensed in both Colorado and New Mexico. I have my own company, Glass Key Investigations, which I am finally shutting down to write full time, in between house chores. In this blog, I’ll talk about the PI business and maybe even the movie business too, and how it affects your writing.

Television and movies do not reflect real life. Surprised? The Private Eye's image in the mind of most Americans (and elsewhere) was formed on the screen and in pulpy mystery novels, and it's mostly wrong. We don't pull guns, beat up thugs, plant or steal evidence, drink whiskey from our desk drawer or take dirty photos thru motel Venetian blinds. PIs rarely get involved in solving crimes. They investigate, privately. I seldom detect clues. Detectives work for the police department. PIs sometimes work for the Defense. Sometimes, they investigate the Detectives to see if they made mistakes to the advantage of the Defendant.

PIs come from everywhere: law enforcement, county government, military, law firms. We're in a tough business, and we need insurance, permits, equipment and coffee. We pay rent, buy health insurance, eat and fight privacy laws in ignorant State legislatures. Oh, and we need good shoes and a comfy chair. We deal with people under tremendous personal stress and sometimes with hidden agendas. We need good people skills. Sometimes, I think I need certification in marriage counseling.

I put it all into my stories. Mostly short stories, so far.

If you want to write about PIs, or any profession for that matter, you have to get the basics right. Authenticity breeds trust in your story. Dan Brown (daVinci Code) and Dr Sir Arthur Ignatius,Conan Doyle (Sherlock) can force two unrelated facts together to make a better story, but most of us are confined to imaginations backed by reality. Hook ‘em with a few properly placed facts and they’ll follow you when you soar.