Stories of justice, vengeance and redemption
Books
Welcome to Marble Hill, Iowa, a small town where every quiet street and familiar face conceals hidden depths of mystery and intrigue. In The Marble Hill Crime Blotter B.D. Lawrence masterfully crafts a series of thrilling stories that follow Police Chief Tom Petrosky and State Police Forensics Specialist Patricia Johnson.
Lefty Bruder is a former St. Louis County Police detective who lost his right arm in the line of duty. He has always had a soft spot for girls caught in human trafficking. His former lieutenant arranged a private investigation license for him after his accident and convinced Lefty he has a calling to help those girls.
To forsake his assassin life and start over with her, he must evade the FBI and the mob, who want him imprisoned or dead.
Coming in late 2024!
(Cover is a concept only)
Recent Short Stories
Mother’s Comfort
Ten-year-old Munni begs on the streets of Allahabad, India. She’s always relied on her mother for help, protection, and love. But lately her mother isn’t herself. Through a series of supernatural events, Munni’s mother arranges a better life for her precious daughter.
The Hole In One
Jimmy McCormick has always beaten the odds. But now, he’s faced with odds that may be unbeatable. And if he doesn’t beat these odds, he loses his life.
Look Before Leaping
A darkly humorous and chilling thriller that follows Mr. Larson, a man (or is he?) on trial for murder. A murder Larson claims was not murder but a necessary killing.
For Slaying Evil Monsters
Eight year old Brandon Marsh is not at all crazy about his mother’s new husband, but there’s really nothing he can do about it. But, when his mother and her new husband go on their honeymoon, his uncle gives him a mysterious toy he got in Hong Kong. Could this toy be the answer to Brandon’s problems?
Recent Reviews / Articles
Book Review of The Hay Bale by Pricilla Bettis
A short review for a short story. Only 34 pages total. The theme of vengeance runs throughout the story, though it’s not obvious until the end. This is a horror story written in the vein of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”. Not quite that quality, but “The Lottery” is one of the all-time great short stories. The Hay Bale is dark, creepy, and disturbing. Everything one wants in a horror story…
Book Review of Without Fail by Lee Child
Number six in the Jack Reacher series features justice, of course. It also has vengeance as an undercurrent, though this isn’t obvious until about two-thirds through. No redemption that I’ll give credit for. This is my first Reacher read. I’ve seen both seasons of Reacher on Amazon Prime and thoroughly enjoyed them, so thought I’d try the books. I wasn’t disappointed, though the story in this one is not as compelling as either of the two seasons of the show…
Book Review of His to Love by Z. Peabody.
There is redemption in this long novella, but I feel the redemption has already happened to the two main characters as they are both Christians. The story is a romance. I’m not sure the sub-genre, (and there are no categories listed on Amazon) but those of you more familiar may recognize it. Anyway, we might vaguely say both Sophia and Griffin are redeemed when they finally come together…
My Writing Technique: Scene Ahead Blog on ACFW
Some writers are plotters. They write a detailed outline of the entire story before writing a scene. Some writers are pantsers. They write with no outline and no idea where they are going. I started as a plotter. I wrote a wonderful ten-chapter outline for my first book. But when the book ended up being thirty chapters, that was the end of outlining. However, I also found I could not just plow ahead with no idea where I was going. I came up with a process that is a combination of the two extremes. It’s a technique I call scene ahead…