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Non Fiction Authors
non-fiction writers on the Southern Noir Book Club portion of the show:
Award Winning Author,
Crime Writer for Oxygen
Jax Miller is an American author of several books, and writer for Oxygen True Crime. While hitchhiking across America in her twenties, she wrote her first novel, Freedom’s Child, for which she won the 2016 Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle and earned several CWA Dagger nominations. She has received acclaim from the New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, and many more. She now works in the true-crime genre, having penned her much-anticipated book and acting as creator, host, and executive producer on the true-crime documentary series Hell in the Heartland on CNN’s HLN network. It is currently streamable on Discovery Plus. Jax is a lover of film and music, and has a passion for rock ‘n’ roll and writing screenplays.
Jax will be featured as a guest in Season 4's Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible Saga Episodes along with Lorene Bible and Lisa Brodrick where we discuss the book, the case, and some of her thoughts in general.
Penguin Random House
The book is available in Paperback, Kindle, and Audible.
Try Discovery Plus with a 7 day free trial.
Award Winning Journalist,
Award Winning Author
Kathryn Miles is an award-winning journalist and science writer and made her way into the true crime genre with Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders. For more info on the book, click the link above.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Saint Louis University and took both her Master of Arts and Doctorate in English from the University of Delaware. The long-time editor of Hawk & Handsaw, Miles served as professor of environmental studies and writing at Unity College from 2001-2015 and has since taught in several graduate schools and low residency-MFA programs including, most recently, at Green Mountain College, where she was also writer-in-residence.
Miles is the author of five books: Adventures with Ari, All Standing, Superstorm, Quakeland, and Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders. Her essays and articles have appeared in publications including Audubon, Best American Essays, The Boston Globe, Down East, Ecotone, History, The New York Times, Outside, Pacific Standard, Politico, Popular Mechanics, and Time. She currently serves as a scholar-in-residence for the Maine Humanities Council, a faculty member for several MFA programs, and as a private consultant available for emerging and established writers. She lives in Portland, Maine.
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Some of the organizations that she's passionate about are: Outdoor Afro & Fat Girls Hiking
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Find more about her here: https://www.kathrynmiles.net/
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She is a featured guest on an episode where we talk about her book Trailed.
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Penguin Random House
Find Kathryn's Books by clicking the link below the book photo.
Available in Hardback, Paperback, Kindle, and Audible.
Award Winning Journalist,
Best Selling Author
An award-winning journalist and a critically acclaimed bestselling author, Kathryn Casey has written eleven true crime books and is the creator of the Sarah Armstrong and Clara Jefferies mystery series. Her books have been Literary and Mystery Guild selections, and DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS was made into a Lifetime movie.
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As a journalist, Casey has written more than a hundred national magazine articles and pieces for The Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Houston Chronicle. Based on her work for her book DELIVER US, she was featured in all three episodes of the Netflix limited series "Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields." A frequent public speaker, Casey has appeared on dozens of television and radio programs and podcasts, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, 48 Hours, Oprah, Investigation Discovery, the Travel Channel, and other venues.
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Her first novel, SINGULARITY, was named a Best Crime Novel Debut by Booklist, and Library Journal chose THE KILLING STORM for its annual list of Best Mysteries. Elle Magazine picked DIE, MY LOVE as one of the ten best thrillers and crime books written by a woman. True crime matriarch Ann Rule praised Casey as "one of the best," and #1 NY Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen has called Casey "a true crime great."
Casey is a member of the Authors Guild and Mystery Writers of America.
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'Deliver US'
Featured in the Netflix limited series: 'Crime Scene, The Texas Killing Fields'
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Critically acclaimed author Kathryn Casey delivers a riveting account of the brutal murders of young women in the I-45/Texas Killing Fields—a chilling true story that has already helped police uncover evidence that may link suspected serial killer William Lewis Reece to some of the heinous crimes. Over a three-decade span, more than twenty women—many teenagers—died mysteriously in the small towns bordering Interstate 45, a fifty-mile stretch of highway running from Houston to Galveston. The victims were strangled, shot, or savagely beaten. Six met their demise in pairs. They had one thing in common: being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In this harrowing true crime exposition, award-winning journalist Kathryn Casey tracks these tragic cases, investigates the evidence, interviews the suspects, and pulls back the cloak of secrecy in search of elusive answers.
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Find more about her here: https://www.kathryncasey.com/
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She is a featured guest on an episode where we talk about her books 'Angel Falls' and 'Deliver Us.'
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Books are available in Hardback, Paperback, Kindle, and Audible where ever you get your books!
Retired Tulsa Police Sergeant | Cold Case Investigator | Co-Founder, IACCI | Author​
An award-winning journalist and a critically acclaimed bestselling author, Kathryn Casey has written eleven true crime books and is the creator of the Sarah Armstrong and Clara Jefferies mystery series. Her books have been Literary and Mystery Guild selections, and DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS was made into a Lifetime movie.
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Mike Huff is a nationally recognized homicide investigator with over 36 years of service at the Tulsa Police Department, including 31 years in the Homicide Unit. Throughout his distinguished career, Huff was involved in over 1,000 homicide arrests, tackling some of the most complex and high-profile cases in Oklahoma history. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the investigation of the 1981 mob-related murder of Tulsa businessman Roger Wheeler, which ultimately led to the exposure of Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger's involvement.
After retiring from the Tulsa Police Department, Huff continued his commitment to justice by leading the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Task Force. In this role, he coordinates a team of retired FBI and ATF agents, crime scene specialists, and DNA experts who volunteer their time to re-examine unsolved cases, bringing renewed hope to victims' families.
newson6.com
facebook.com
Huff is also the co-founder of the International Association of Cold Case Investigators (IACCI), an organization dedicated to providing resources, training, and collaboration opportunities for professionals working on cold cases worldwide.
In recognition of his exceptional service and contributions to law enforcement, Mike Huff was inducted into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Find more about him here: https://tulsadetective.com/
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Books are available in Paperback, hardcover, and ebook on Amazon.
Award Winning Journalist,
Best Selling Author
Tony Adame is an award-winning journalist, author, and podcast host based on Florida’s Gulf Coast. With a career spanning over two decades, Tony has reported for publications including The Wichita Eagle, Pensacola News Journal, and the Northwest Florida Daily News. His work has been recognized by both the Florida Society of News Editors and the Associated Press Sports Editors for its depth, integrity, and impact.
Tony is the author of Chase the Devil: Murder and Obsession on Florida’s Gulf Coast, a chilling true crime account that explores the dark consequences of control, manipulation, and obsession in a small Florida community. The book marks his debut as a nonfiction author and has already garnered attention for its meticulous reporting and emotionally resonant storytelling.
In addition to his work in print, Tony is the writer and host of the award-winning podcast The Sheriff: Murder, Lies & Revenge in Okaloosa County—a long-form investigative series that peels back the layers of corruption and betrayal within a Florida sheriff’s department.
Driven by a passion for uncovering the truth and giving voice to stories that demand to be heard, Tony continues to explore the intersection of justice, humanity, and crime through powerful narrative journalism.
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'Chase the Devil'
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When a charismatic young woman is found murdered in her Florida beachside home, the investigation unravels a chilling web of obsession, deception, and manipulation that shocks a tight-knit Gulf Coast community. In his gripping debut, journalist Tony Adame delivers a true crime story as unsettling as it is unforgettable—one where trust is weaponized, love turns toxic, and the devil you know might be the one who destroys you.
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Find more about her here: https://linktr.ee/tadame316
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Books are available in Hardback and e-reader format.
Journalist,
Award Winning Historical
& True Crime Author
Joe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a Master’s in Mass Communication, both from Oklahoma State University, with post-graduate study in social psychology at Ohio University. Joe is the author of the multi-award-winning historical and true crime Vigilante Series of books from the Missouri History Museum. The Mack Marsden Murder Mystery: Vigilantism or Justice, was followed by Necessary Evil: Settling Missouri with a Rope and a Gun, and It Ends Here: Missouri’s Last Vigilante. He wrote the true crime book He Didn’t Kill That Kid: Art Fleak and the Fight for Wayne Garrison. As a journalist, Joe’s articles have appeared in “D” Magazine, Texas Monthly, America’s Civil War, Wild West, True West, History Happens Here, U.S. Naval History, and various newspapers. Also by Johnston—Franklin: Images of America Series, for Arcadia Press, and Jesus Would Recycle, a prophetic 2004 book on the environment. He illustrated How People Lived in the Bible for Thomas Nelson Publishers, and Horses, a children’s book for Dalmatian Press. Johnston's e-books include Somethin’ from Nothin’: The Four Dimensions of Creativity, and How to Fail in the Music Business, Or Succeed If You’d Rather.
Unrelated to true crime, but connected to writing, Joe co-penned Mark Chesnutt’s hit single and dance hall remix, Texas Is Bigger Than It Used To Be, which can be found on the 8 Seconds (Film) Album. As a songwriter, music producer, and publisher he has contributed to sales of over 15 million albums on seven different record labels. His co-written song Honestly, appeared on LeAnn Rimes’ debut album Blue, earning Billboard Music Album of the Year, and a CMT Album of the Year nomination, plus multiple Greatest Hits releases. He contributed to a Grammy-winning album and has 6 other nominations.
Joe negotiated The Chicks first Nashville record label deal and has worked with stars like Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, George Straight, LeAnn Rimes, Alabama, Marty Stuart, Mark Chesnutt, T. Graham Brown, Riders in the Sky, John Anderson, and Ian Tyson. Also Pop legend Melanie (Roller Skate, Woodstock), Comic songster Tim Wilson, Jim Horn (the Beatles), and Timothy B. Schmidt (the Eagles). Notably, he produced background vocals on 3 Platinum albums for Mark Chesnutt.
He won Gospel Music’s Dove Award, with multiple nominations and 4 other Finalist songs, and the Nashville Songwriters Association International Achievement Award. He co-wrote Count Your Blessing, the only song to go Number One twice on the Southern Gospel charts.
Joe is known as a song scout, tracking down hits for his artists, including the title cuts of Restless Heart’s Matters of the Heart album and Alabama’s Cheap Seats, on which he played on the backing tracks. When Joe couldn’t persuade Chesnutt to record Money in the Bank, it became a Number One for John Anderson. He has recorded with Glen Campbell and played with Modern Jazz Quartet at Tulsa’s legendary jazz mecca The Rubiot.
Joe is currently working on the film "Rosa & Black Gold" of which he co-wrote the screenplay.
He also led the advertising team that invented the McDonald's Happy Meal, so that's pretty cool.
Bounty Hunter,
Private Investigator
& True Crime Author
Greg Overacker is a bounty hunter, private investigator, and author. He has been involved in investigating cold cases and has written a book titled "The Hunt for Brianna Maitland: The Relentless Pursuit of Answers to One of Vermont’s Biggest Mysteries" which can only be found in print on his publisher's website. The book delves into the mysterious disappearance of Brianna Maitland, a case that has remained unsolved for years.
Overacker’s dedication to solving this cold case has led him to work with State Police and the family of the missing woman. Additionally, he is a member of Harris Mountain Investigations, where he has been investigating the Brianna Maitland case pro bono since 2006. His commitment to finding answers demonstrates the importance of private investigators in cases where police resources may be limited.
He appears on a special episode.
Author
Marta McDowell lives, writes and gardens in Chatham, New Jersey. She shares her garden with her husband Kirke Bent and assorted wildlife. Her garden writing has appeared in popular publications such as Woman’s Day, Country Gardening, and The New York Times. She is a regular contributor to the British journal Hortus.
Marta's work typically follows the relationship between the pen and the trowel, that is authors and their gardens. Her latest book, Gardening Can Be Murder explores the garden as the inspiration for writers of crime fiction. Timber Press also published Unearthing The Secret Garden, Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, All the Presidents' Gardens--about to be released in a revised edition--and Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life. All the Presidents' Gardens made The New York Times bestseller list and won an American Horticultural Society book award in 2017. Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life won the Gold Award from the Garden Writers Association and is now in its eighth printing. Her books have been translated into Chinese, Italian, Japanese, and Korean.
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Marta's newest book about plant and horticulture themes in crime fiction is called Gardening Can Be Murder.
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She is a featured guest on an episode.
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Her book is available for in Hardback & on Kindle.
Author
Karen Pierce is a self-confessed foodie, amateur cook, and avid reader of Agatha Christie. At the age of twelve, she picked up a Christie pocketbook from her grandmother’s bedside table. It was ‘Third Girl,’ a glorious romp through London of the sixties, and she was hooked.
Over many years of reading and rereading Christie’s novels, she noticed the role food played in many of the mysteries. Curious to know if the ingredients Lucy Eyelesbarrow gives to the inspector in 4:50 from Paddington actually constituted a recipe for soup, she followed the list and to her surprise and delight made a quite delicious mushroom and lemon soup. This led to other questions – what is a cold coffee soda? What is a canapé Diane? Who grows marrows? Why does Poirot dislike English coffee so much? And what on earth is sirop de cassis? The resulting investigation led to the writing of Recipes for Murder – the first exploration of food in Christie’s novels.
She has attended and volunteered at several Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Conventions and has taken pilgrimages to Torquay and Greenway House, Christie’s hometown and home. She currently resides in Toronto, Canada.
'RECIPES FOR MURDER'
Drink and dine with recipes inspired by the best-selling novelist of all time. Poisons, knives, and bullets riddle the stories of Agatha Christie, but so does food, which she uses to invoke settings, develop characters, and, of course, commit murder. This to-die-for cookbook offers recipes written by the author for one accessible, easy-to-follow dish or drink for each of Christie’s 66 mysteries. Recipes include Fish and Chips at the Seven Dials Club, Literary Luncheon Meringues, Oysters Rockefeller on the Orient Express, Sixpence Blackbird Pie, Orange Marmalade from Gossington Hall, and more. Along the way, you’ll learn how to make an exquisite omelet, how to roast a leg of lamb properly, and how to serve perfectly timed steak frites. Framing these dishes are insightful essays and headnotes that detail the history of the recipes, their context in Christie’s life and times, and the roles they play in the source works. Based on extensive research and investigation, all dishes appear traditional to their respective eras, so steak fried for 1923 but marinated and grilled for 1964. Completing the collection, thematic menus assemble recipes for a Halloween murder mystery gathering, a “Christie for Christmas,” a book club buffet, and other occasions, making it a filling tribute to the grand dame of detective fiction.
This book has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by Agatha Christie Limited, RLJ Entertainment, or any individual or entity associated with Agatha Christie or her successors.
She is a featured guest on an episode of Southern Noir Book Club.
Her book is available for preorder in Hardback & on Kindle.
author
J.D. Morrison is an Oklahoma Native now living in Missouri with her family. This is her second novel.
'SHATTERED JUSTICE:
THE OKLAHOMA GIRL SCOUT MURDERS'
Shattered Justice, bearing the title chosen by Paul Smith (Sheriff of Mayes County, OK, from 1981 to 1985), describes Smith’s squelched efforts to get justice for three little Girl Scouts murdered deep in the woods just outside Locust Grove, OK, on June 13, 1977. Lori Farmer, 8, Doris “Denise” Milner, 10, and Michelle Gusé, 9, were bludgeoned and strangled while sharing a tent during their first night of summer camp.
Morrison chronicles Smith’s attempts to get three suspects (one of whom confessed) charged in the killings, only to be stopped cold by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, which still claims that Gene Leroy Hart, a prison escapee, was the lone killer. Following a ten-month manhunt, Hart was brought to trial and acquitted by a jury in 1979.
Smith and Morrison, who both appeared in Fox Nation’s The Girl Scout Murders in October 2022, together put forth a compelling analysis of evidence that points in another direction. Morrison now reveals details from hidden law enforcement records that she discovered in early 2022–records that Smith was deprived of during his stint as sheriff—as well as a death bed confession letter mailed to Morrison in the spring of 2021.
Shattered Justice covers one of the biggest whodunnits in Oklahoma history and meticulously educates the reader as to why no one has ever been held accountable for the horrendous crime. Morrison makes her case with disturbing and explosive details of misconduct by those who, seemingly, are determined to prevent justice from being meted out to the guilty.
J.D. is featured guest on one episode.
Award winning Journalist,
Best Selling Author
Sally Denton is an investigative reporter, author, and historian who writes about the subjects others ignore--from a drug conspiracy in Kentucky to organized crime in Las Vegas; from corruption within the Mormon Church to the hidden history of Manifest Destiny; from one of America's bitterest political campaigns to the powerful forces against Franklin D. Roosevelt. She has an extensive background in print and broadcast, as well as magazine and book writing.
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Sally is the author of eight books, including bestseller The Bluegrass Conspiracy, and the coauthor of a classic account of Las Vegas, The Money and the Power. She lives in Nevada.
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'THE COLONLY'
An investigation into the November, 2019 killings of nine women and children in Northern Mexico—an event that drew international attention—The Colony examines the strange, little-understood world of a polygamist Mormon outpost.
In The Colony, bestselling investigative journalist Sally Denton picks up where the initial, incomplete reporting on the attacks ended, and delves into the complex story of the LeBaron clan. Their homestead—Colonia LeBaron—is a portal into the past, a place that offers a glimpse of life within a polygamous community on an arid and dangerous frontier in the mid-1800s, though with smartphones and machine guns. Rooting her narrative in written sources as well as interviews with anonymous women from LeBaron itself, Denton unfolds an epic, disturbing tale that spans the first polygamist emigrations to Mexico through the LeBarons’ internal blood feud in the 1970s—started by Ervil LeBaron, known as the “Mormon Manson”—and up to the family’s recent alliance with the NXIVM sex cult, whose now-imprisoned leader, Keith Raniere, may have based his practices on the society he witnessed in Colonia LeBaron
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Find more about her here: https://www.sallydenton.com
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She is a featured guest on an episode where we talk about her book The Colony.
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The Colony is available in Hardback, Kinde, and on Audible.
Founding Director of the West Virginia Innocence Project,
Former Federal Prosecutor, Author
Law professor, an innocence litigator, and a former federal prosecutor. She has exonerated wrongly convicted clients, founded the West Virginia Innocence Project, obtained presidential grants of clemency for drug offenses, and co-edited a guide to causes of wrongful convictions, The Wrongful Convictions Reader.
Valena teaches at Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and co-leads the Academy for Justice, a criminal justice center at ASU connecting research with policy reform. Her experiences as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., and as an innocence litigator in Mississippi and West Virginia, shape her writing and advocacy on wrongful convictions, forensic evidence, prosecutors and incarceration. She has served as an elected board member of the national Innocence Network, an invited board member of the Research Center on Violence, and an appointed commissioner on the West Virginia Governor’s Indigent Defense Commission.
'MANIFESTING JUSTICE:
WRONGFULLY CONVICTED WOMEN RECLAIM THEIR RIGHTS'
It's both a blueprint for reform and a clarion call to change popular ideas of innocence and freedom.
Drawing on interviews with both innocence advocates and wrongfully convicted women, along with Beety’s own experiences as an expert innocence litigator and a queer woman, Manifesting Justice provides a unique outsider/insider perspective.
Find more about her here: https://www.valenabeety.com
She is a featured guest on an episode of Southern Noir Book Club where we discuss her work, her life, and her book.
Manifesting Justice is available in Hardback, Kindle, and on Audible.
Author & Civil Rights Attorney
Mr. Adams was wrongfully convicted of a crime at age 17 and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum-security prison. After serving nearly ten years and filing multiple appeals with the assistance of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, the Seventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals exonerated him.
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He used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an advocate and attorney for the underserved and often uncounted. Mr. Adams earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in May 2015.
During law school, Mr. Adams worked as an investigator for the Illinois Federal Defender’s Program. For his work with the clemency petition of Reynolds Wintersmith, ultimately granted by President Obama, he received the National Defender Investigator Association Investigator of the Year award.
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He served as a public interest law fellow under the Hon. Ann Claire Williams, of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. This is the same court that reversed his wrongful conviction because of his trial lawyer’s constitutional deficiencies. Mr. Adams also clerked in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York with the late Honorable Deborah Batts.
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In early 2016, he started as an attorney with the Innocence Project in New York. Working in the litigation department, Mr. Adams earned one of his first victories, exonerating a man in the same Wisconsin prison where he had served time during his wrongful conviction.
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Mr. Adams launched the Law Offices of Jarrett Adams, PLLC, in 2017 with offices and attorneys in New York, NY, Chicago, IL, and Milwaukee, WI. He expects to open a Los Angeles, CA office in 2022.
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He is also a co-founder of Life After Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions and developing an ecosystem of support and empowerment for exonerees’ as they rebuild their lives after exoneration.
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As an author, Mr. Adams shares a cinematic story of hope and redemption in his memoir, Redeeming Justice. Redeeming Justice: From Defendant to Defender, My Fight For Equity On Both Sides Of A Broken System, published by Penguin Random House, is the poignant story of how an innocent young adult of color experienced the injustice of a legal system that purports to provide “justice for all.” His account of incarceration, exoneration, and redemption has been featured widely in the media, and he has become a sought-after motivational speaker for athletes, students, inmates, attorneys, and others.
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Find more about him here:
https://jarrettadamslaw.com/
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He is a featured guest on an episode of Southern Noir Book Club.
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Available in Hardback, Kindle, & on Audible.
True Crime Podcast Researcher
True Crime Author
Michelle's interest in true crime began at the same time as her coulrophobia: She learned early on that her mother once lived across the street from a real-life killer clown. In addition to serving on the True Crime Bullsh** research team, Michelle is an author. Her "True Crime Trivia" book series covers fascinating and surprising facts about all types of cases, and is available at major book retailers. Her next series will highlight missing people.
True Crime Trivia: 350 Fascinating Questions & Answers to Test Your Knowledge of Serial Killers, Mysteries, Cold Cases, Heists & More: This book contains intriguing trivia related to serial killers, unsolved mysteries, and infamous crimes. It’s a great read for true crime enthusiasts.
True Crime Trivia 2: Test Your Knowledge of Serial Killers, Cults, Cold Cases, Mysteries, Organized Crimes & More with 300 Chilling & Fascinating Quiz Questions: In this sequel, Michelle Tooker continues to challenge readers with thought-provoking questions about true crime topics.
True Crime Trivia 3: Test Your Knowledge of Serial Killers, Unsolved Mysteries, Infamous Crimes, Hoaxes & More with 250 Chilling & Fascinating Quiz Questions: The third installment in her trivia series explores even more chilling aspects of true crime, including unsolved mysteries and infamous hoaxes.
Would You Rather? True Crime Edition is packed with over 1,000 chilling and thought-provoking questions about the criminal mind, famous cases, mysteries and more.
Michelle is a featured guest on an episode of Southern Noir Book Club.
A Professor, A Police Officer
& True Crime Authors
Cameron Santana is a veteran law enforcement officer with more than 18 years of experience in the field. He holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate and spent 16 years with the Raleigh Police Department, where he served in a variety of roles. A graduate of Western Carolina University, Cameron brings both frontline expertise and investigative insight to his work. He currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Jenna, and their two children.
Brian Santana is a college English professor and writer with a passion for storytelling and uncovering the truth. He earned his undergraduate degree in Drama from UNC-Asheville in 2003, followed by a Master’s in English from North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. from The George Washington University. Brian’s academic background and literary expertise bring depth and clarity to his true crime writing.
A Murder on Campus: The Professor, The Cop, and North Carolina’s Most Notorious Cold Case tells the true story of the 1973 murder of 19-year-old Virginia Marie Olson near UNC-Asheville. Spanning over 50 years, the case remained unsolved despite multiple victims, chilling parallels, and decades of investigative effort. Authors Brian and Cameron Santana—an English professor and a veteran cop—reveal new findings and ultimately identify the man they believe was responsible for one of North Carolina’s most haunting cold cases.
Award Winning Journalist,
True Crime Author
Kirk McCracken is a multi-award-winning journalist and true crime author based in Oklahoma. With over 17 years in the newspaper industry, his reporting has earned recognition from the Oklahoma Press Association and the Associated Press for its depth, accuracy, and dedication to community storytelling.
Born in Bartlesville, Kirk began his journalism career in 2001 as the sports editor for the Sapulpa Daily Herald. He later served as managing editor at the Mannford Eagle and the Sand Springs Leader, where he combined investigative grit with a passion for highlighting both the human side of news and the untold stories of Oklahoma history.
Kirk is the author of Because of the Hate: The Murder of Jerry Bailey, which chronicles the 1976 killing of a beloved high school football coach in Sapulpa and the small-town silence that followed. The book was featured in Season 4, Episode 1 of the Investigation Discovery series Murder Under the Friday Night Lights.
His second book, Queen of the Bootleggers: The Life and Murder of Cleo Epps, explores the rise and mysterious death of one of the only female bootleggers in Northeast Oklahoma, whose ties to the Dixie Mafia led to one of the state's most compelling unsolved crimes.
With a journalist’s eye for detail and a storyteller’s heart, Kirk continues to uncover forgotten cases and amplify the voices lost in history.
"Because of the Hate: The Murder of Jerry Bailey"
He is a guest on an episode of SNBC.
True Crime Podcast Researcher
True Crime Author
Jeff Provine published his first novel, a steampunk space adventure, when he was just 19 years old. His works include both fiction and nonfiction. As a college professor with an MA from the University of Oklahoma, Provine has developed courses on the history of comic books and the life of Charlie Chaplin. He is involved in creating web-comics and blogs, and he campaigns for the integration of internet media in the classroom.
Jeff is known for his ghost tours in various Oklahoma cities. He explores local folklore and shares spooky tales related to haunted places. Some of his books include:
Haunted Garfield County, Oklahoma: This book delves into the surprising haunted tales of a town on the prairie, including spooky cemeteries, the shadowy figure in Dead Man’s Cave, and the legend of John Wilkes Booth.
Haunted Shawnee, Oklahoma: In this book, Provine uncovers the history and strange tales of Pottawatomie County, including spectral monks, haunted shops, and a 1910 serial killer.
Haunted Oklahoma City: Explore the mysterious first death of a man hanged after the Land Run, an underground city in the Chinese quarter, and other haunted stories from Oklahoma City.
Haunted Guthrie, Oklahoma: Once the capital of the territory, Guthrie now serves as a place frozen in time with Victorian downtown streets. Many of its residents are said to still roam the brick-paved streets.
Haunted Norman, Oklahoma: Peer into the rich history of this college town, including legends of haunts at the built-over first cemetery, Griffin Memorial Hospital, and Lake Thunderbird, where bigfoot and a giant red octopus allegedly hang out.
Campus Ghosts of Norman, Oklahoma: Provine began the OU Ghost Tour in 2009. His book features the scariest stories from the tour, along with more tales from Campus Corner and beyond.
Jeff is featured on a special Halloween episode.
Author
A North Carolina-based writer long fascinated with serial crime and the psychology behind it, E.J. Hammon became interested in Ted Bundy's life over two decades ago. She has authored a blog about him since 2009, aptly titled, "Confessions of a Bundyphile" and she has written several in-depth articles regarding his psychology for various true crime sites, along with true crime podcast scripts. This book is her first in what will become a series of true crime books referencing a variety of killers.
"TED BUNDY: MEMORIES OF THE BEAST"
Can a man who howls under the moon after killing one of his victims be no longer described as human, but as a beast? In their quest to delve into the mind of Ted Bundy, E.J. Hammon and Fabien Richard had to hear the tales from the mouths of his surviving victims, of the investigators who tracked him down, of the lawmen who sought to convict him, and of those who trapped this animal inside a cage before his final punishment, death by electrocution.
With more than 15 interviews with criminologists, law enforcement professionals, and witnesses who were unlucky enough to cross the path of the “Lady Killer”, Ted Bundy: Memories of the Beast is one of the most detailed documents ever compiled on this case. From anecdotes shared by one of his friends of the Mormon church to the moving story recounted by a survivor of the Chi Omega massacre, this book is a must-read for researchers and avid readers of true crime.
“In Ted Bundy: Memories of the Beast, you will learn more about these types of murderers. Fabien Richard and E.J. Hammon reveal the secrets of a tortured soul. I highly recommend this book.”
-John Douglas, author of Mindhunter
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E.J. is a featured guest on an episode of Southern Noir Book Club.
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To purchase his books, click Book Photo above.
Check out her Blog 'Confessions of a Bundyphile'
Journalist, author
A write based in France, Fabien grew up with a father in law enforcement, but decided not to pursue his father's career path. He, instead, sticks to writing and journalistic investigation.
"I am a poker journalist who’s been working in the arts for a few years, but for the past fifteen years I have spent a minimum of two months a year in the United States. My visits to Utah have caused me to relate to Bundy because of the fact that he was a Mormon.
I wanted to understand how a man who had everything to succeed could have wasted his life so much.
Ted Bundy also brings together all the elements of an extraordinary criminal case: An intelligent, elegant, successful man who, instead of becoming someone to look up to, became a murderer, repeat offender, barbaric, bloodthirsty, calculating, and who turned his life into something worse than any horror thriller."
- Excerpt from his interview with Crime Piper.
"TED BUNDY: MEMORIES OF THE BEAST"
Can a man who howls under the moon after killing one of his victims be no longer described as human, but as a beast? In their quest to delve into the mind of Ted Bundy, E.J. Hammon and Fabien Richard had to hear the tales from the mouths of his surviving victims, of the investigators who tracked him down, of the lawmen who sought to convict him, and of those who trapped this animal inside a cage before his final punishment, death by electrocution.
With more than 15 interviews with criminologists, law enforcement professionals, and witnesses who were unlucky enough to cross the path of the “Lady Killer”, Ted Bundy: Memories of the Beast is one of the most detailed documents ever compiled on this case. From anecdotes shared by one of his friends of the Mormon church to the moving story recounted by a survivor of the Chi Omega massacre, this book is a must-read for researchers and avid readers of true crime.
“In Ted Bundy: Memories of the Beast, you will learn more about these types of murderers. Fabien Richard and E.J. Hammon reveal the secrets of a tortured soul. I highly recommend this book.”
-John Douglas, author of Mindhunter
He is a featured guest on an episode of Southern Noir Book Club.
To purchase his books, click Book Photo above.
Retired NYPD Detective, author
Author Vic Ferrari is a retired New York City Police Department detective with the hamstrings of a twenty-year-old. A survivor of an Irish father and Italian mother, Vic loves a cold beer and insists on you removing your shoes when entering his home. Vic writes about his time with the NYPD and gives you a behind the scenes look at crime and criminals. When he's not writing, he's picking up after his neurotic Irish Wolfhound. Always looking to save a buck, Vic splits his time between Branson, Missouri, and Papua New Guinea. He currently lives in Florida.
Vic now has a podcast of his own: Cops, Crime, & Chaos
Vic is a featured guest on an episode of Southern Noir Book Club.
To purchase his books, click the link below the Book Photo above. Available in hardback, paperback, and ebook.
To Be a Guest Email Us!
If you are interested in being a guest on the show as a crime, mystery, or thriller author and would like an interview with Raven on your own special episode, email me at thesirenspodcast@gmail.com with your information. Please include your name, profession/expertise, a short bio and, authors, please feel free to request our address to send us a copy of the book you would like to promote.
We do not charge booking fees for having guests on the show.
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Please note: All guests are expected to either join us in the studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for recording or be prepared for at-home recording with their own gear.
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