Welcome to my first blog. Technically, it's the second, but I wanted to get the Halloween info out to readers in plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming festivities. If you haven't read it, you might want to give it a look. It's full of useful information straight from your friendly law enforcement professional.
My name is Mark Stout, and I'm a police detective. My career in law enforcement began in 1991 after serving four years in the United States Air Force. I spent the first seven years as a patrol officer, the remaining twenty plus have been in the detective division. In the coming months, I'll be sharing some of my experiences and knowledge with you. If there's something you'd like to hear about, let me know, I'll do my best to answer.
About seven years ago, I began writing a book. It was a poorly written collection of scenes with some dialogue thrown in. But, as I continued putting ideas on paper, it began to take shape. I allowed several people to read it and it was well received. I didn't know if they were patronizing me or if their assessments were genuine. Either way, I kept plodding along, and with a little help, I was able to turn the ramblings into something that resembled a manuscript.
One of the things I learned during this odyssey was that there is a distinct difference between being a writer and being a storyteller. I can tell a story, but the writing part doesn't come easy for me. The storytelling part is the hardest, or so I"m told, but that's small comfort when I'm trying to put what's in my head on paper.
In November of 2017, I called Scott Pratt whom I had met early in my police career and asked him for advice. I knew that Scott had been successful in his writing career and thought he could provide some insight for the up and coming neophyte author. Scott was gracious enough to read the manuscript, and to my delight, enjoyed it. He told me that if you could make a reader cry and laugh, all the while keeping them in suspense, then you had a gift. I had accomplished this with my writing. He believed in it enough to agree to take me on as a collaborative partner. For this, I'm grateful.
So, here we are a year later. "The Sins of the Mother." is now out. The journey has had its share of ups and downs, and my emotions have ranged from despair to euphoria. I'm sure I've been a challenge to deal with, not to mention the fact that some had to live with me. Thank you, Mom, Beckie, Dillon, Dakota, and an individual who asked to be anonymous. She knows who she is. Also, thanks to Spencer who helped with the website. And thank you, the reader, for giving me a chance. I know you'll love the novel!