Who has had the biggest influence on your life and career?
My mother and father, of course, followed by my late wife, Lisa, and my current wife, Audra. I also have a core group of friends I have known since grade school and one buddy from college that are major influences.
As far as people outside my inner circle, I have drawn inspiration from the likes of James Hetfield, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Elton John, George Romero, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Jack Lambert of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Each one of them stuck to their guns and went after what was important to them, and fought tooth and nail, but with honor, to attain what was rightfully theirs. Also, they all tended to skew outside the so-called "norm" and basically did not give a damn about what people thought about them.
What does your significant other think of your job?
She thinks it's great! She's not real big on the phone calls from serial killers or mass murderers. She also hates it when people spread lies about me on the internet, but she has learned to accept that such treatment comes with the territory.
I have been blessed in that both of my wives were eagerly accepting of my chosen profession and fully supportive. Plus, writing books allows me to take care of our daughter, Emma, so we don't have to send her to daycare. She gets 24/7 hands-on parental care. I could not ask for a more perfect scenario.
Do you truly believe that true crime books can make a difference in people's lives?
I certainly hope so. The obvious answer is that it can teach people to watch their backs. I receive letters from readers who told me they will not walk home at night alone after having read about Rachel Newhouse in the opening sequence of my book, Dead and Buried. I also receive letters from rape victims who have read the same book and thanked me for giving them a voice.
More specifically, Harriett Semander, mother of Elena Semander, a victim of Coral Eugene Watts from my book Evil Eyes, was able to finally put away her boxes of clippings of her daughter's murder she had gathered for more than twenty years after my book came out.
The ability to give a voice to the dead is quite powerful and moving. As is the power to give a voice to the killers and tell their stories as well.
Several years ago the late Jack Olsen said that true crime had become a "false crime" genre because, according to Jack, a majority of true crime authors would fabricate and embellish details about the crimes. What do you think?
Unfortunately, most of recorded history written by people who did not actually participate directly in those events is patently false. As such, I believe Mr. Olsen's argument was fatuous, since even autobiographical accounts are witnessed and recounted through a slanted prism, oftentimes used to place the subject in the best light possible.
I do believe, however, that Mr. Olsen's general take on the true crime genre was correct -- too many true crime authors make stuff up! I personally do my best to make sure I only use quotations that were uttered in courtrooms or are recalled by those who said them and then corroborated by those who may have heard such utterances. Of course, just because documentation exists and people back other people up does not mean that such statements are 100% accurate or that even the intent is appropriate.
No matter how many interviews an author conducts, no matter how much research is unearthed, no matter how much fact-checking goes into a book, an author will never get the story exactly right. All you can do is make it as accurate and truthful as possible and not create something supposedly more "entertaining" to spice things up.
