BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR F.M. MEREDITH

It’s always a pleasure for us to welcome back F.M. Meredith, AKA Marilyn Meredith, to Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. F.M. is the author of over thirty published novels. Her latest in the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, from Oak Tree Press, is No Bells. Rocky Bluff P.D. is a fictional beach community between Ventura and Santa Barbara and F. M. once lived in a similar beach area. Learn more about F.M. at her website and blog.

F.M. is currently on a blog tour. The person who comments on the most blogs on her tour will win three books in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series: No Sanctuary, An Axe to Grind, and Angel Lost. Be sure and leave your email so she can contact you. -- AP

Going On Ride-Alongs

My police officer son-in-law took me on my first ride-along. For those who don’t know what the term means, it’s when a civilian is allowed to ride in a police officer’s car during his shift. By the time I did this, he’d already piqued my interest in law enforcement by stopping in for a cup of coffee after his shift was over to tell me what all had happened that night.

His first admonition to me was, “Don’t tell anyone you’re my mother-in-law.” This was in the days before seat belts, and believe me, he took me on a wild ride. He even made me get out of the car and run along behind him when he went searching for an intruder on the school grounds. (I doubt that would ever happen today.) I was impressed by his ability to talk down an angry person and thoroughly enjoyed my evening on this first ride-along.

After we moved to a smaller town, I decided I would like the experience again. It is absolutely amazing what doors will open when you tell people you are a writer. I called the local police department, asked to speak with someone about doing a ride-along, and I was directed to the Chief and was given an appointment to meet him. When I told him what I wanted to do and why, he quickly agreed.

My first ride-along with this department began with the evening shift change. When the sergeant said a writer was going along with one of the officers, I heard a young man say, “I hope it’s not me.” Of course that’s who was picked to haul me around.

Though this young fellow did talk to me a lot, he wouldn’t let me out of the car. The best I could do was lower the window and listen. One of the incidents he investigated appeared in my first mystery, The Astral Gift. This fellow drank a lot of coffee, so we went back to the station quite often for potty breaks.

My next experience with this same department was with a female officer. She was great. Her main assignment on that particular Saturday night was doing bar checks. She took me with her into every drinking establishment, some seedy ones and others popular with the younger set. She gave me the history of each one, even telling me about secret exits out of the older buildings. Inside, she’d talk to people, check IDs and when she was through, she’d raise her voice and say, “Anyone see the little old lady who came in with me?” Everyone would point in my direction. (Not so great for my ego and at the time I wasn’t all that old.)

The only time I didn’t get invited to accompany her was on a supposed domestic violence case. Domestic violence cases are considered the most dangerous of all. She disappeared inside the house and all was quiet. Her sergeant arrived and asked me if I’d heard anything. He went and listened at the door, came back to me and said she was a champion at quieting these kinds of situations and he’d leave this one up to her. When she finally came out, she told me what had happened and what she’d done. It hadn’t escalated to physical violence; the kids were just frightened because of the yelling going on and had made the call. She talked with the couple until she felt it was safe to leave.

The rest of the night was quiet, and as we drove the dark streets, she told me what it was like being the only female officer in an all male department. There was no special place for her to dress. Some of the wives resented her and let her know. Her son was worried about her because it was such a dangerous job. Though I didn’t keep notes, I’ve used so much of what she said and her feelings in both of my series. In the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, you’ll find some of the things I learned from this woman personified in Officer Stacey Butler.

By the time you get to No Bells, the latest in this series, Stacey’s status has changed from single mom to a married officer.

Those three ride-alongs gave me a lot of material for my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, and also my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series.

Would I go on a ride-along again? Probably not, but it’s an experience anyone who isn’t in law enforcement and writes about it should do.

In the latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel, No Bells, Officer Gordon Butler has finally found the love he’s been seeking for a long time, but there’s one big problem, she’s the major suspect in a murder case.

Thanks for joining us today, F.M. Readers, don't forget to leave a comment with your email address if you'd like a chance to win the three books F.M. is giving away as part of her blog tour. -- AP