Tag Archives: Nook

From Cop to Writer – Different But the Same

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One of the things an applicant for the Los Angeles Police Department has to do in the hiring process is to be interviewed.  In my day, there were two police sergeants and a civilian on each interview board, and part of their duty was to determine if a person ‘had the right mindset’ to be an LAPD officer.
I know that one of the first questions I was asked was: Why do you want to be a police officer?  My reply, in part, was about wanting to help people. Not surprisingly, ‘helping people’ is a very common thread in applicant replies to the question, about why a person wants to become a cop.
With my new career of writing stories, if I’d been asked why I wanted to write, my reply would have been: I want to entertain people while giving them a glimpse into the world of the LAPD.
Little did I know that my writing career would achieve the same result as my police career.  Through my writing I’ve touched someone. I’ve helped someone.
I got this letter from a young woman and I was so impacted by her story and her words I asked her if I could share them with you.  She agreed.
The lesson to writers: If you think what you write can’t or doesn’t make a difference…think again.
This is the actual letter by the young woman I’ll call, Miss H…
Reading is by far not my specialty. I’m about three grade levels under my own on reading skills. Sure I can read your average every day children’s book but anything over 100 pages puts my heart in shock. In other words, I don’t read much.  
When I bought my Barnes & Noble Nook Color, I for sure thought, “I just wasted a perfectly good 240 bucks!” 
See this is where I was wrong. I ran across your book, A Dozen Deadly Roses, one day while sitting on my couch listening to the bickering and arguing of my dysfunctional family.  
At first I just skimmed over it then I took a second look. I decided to buy the book and open a page or two to see if it was worth reading. My journey through your book began slow, to slow. Then something caught my eye, Jade.  
Shockingly, we have much in common; a remarkable, strong willed mother, filling her duties as a cop in everyday life. It was everything I dreamt of being.  
I felt a strong connection with her and Donnie. My father is an alcoholic, I knew exactly what Jade was going through.  
Although Jade became a new idol in my world, I felt myself many times screaming at her, “why won’t you tell Mac that he’s the father, why?!” Then I realized it was for the better. It opened my eyes to that you shouldn’t always do the expected but rather do what’s best in that situation for you and others involved.
I also love the fact that you use to be an actual LAPD cop. When I read that about you, my heart skipped a beat. I felt like I had even more of a connection with your book because for once a fiction book wasn’t so fiction anymore. Your book had more life in it; it wasn’t “just a book” anymore. I loved that.  
My desire to be a cop has been a dream of mine for a long time. However, my mom and others like to crush that dream. Jade gave me a lot of courage in reading this book. She showed me that I need to be brave and stand up in what I dream and love. Jade also gave me the strength in my heart that seemed so broken from others. She made a light shine in me like no one has ever done before.  
Reading your book has changed my life.  
I was doubting my future before I read your book; here I had planned my whole high school diploma based on wanting to be a cop, and then it was just gone, like it wasn’t even worth any of the time I gave it. 
I felt lost, like a loser in a big ocean of popular people. 
Jade’s character made me open my eyes and realize that it’s my life and I can do anything I want to do if I believe I can.  
I thank you, Kathy Bennett, for not only changing my mind but showing me a new way of life. 
I will read your book again and enjoy every page turning chase it gives me. I assure you that you book was so worth every minute I put in it.
Kathy here – Needless to say I wrote back to Miss H and we’ve corresponded a few times. I found that when I wrote back to Miss H I’d put on my  ‘police officer’ hat and tried to offer advice, encouragement and compassion.  And you know what?  I was glad to wear that hat again.
Miss H feels I’ve changed her life with my book. Little does she know how much she’s changed mine.
Until next time, 
KMA367

Kindle Owners Should Know This Exciting News

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So you’ve got your new Kindle and loaded it up with lots of books.  You’re bound to have hours and hours of reading pleasure from some of your favorite authors and probably some newly published authors as well.  Have I got exciting news for you!

For many people who buy books traditionally, one of the customary experiences  is to have an author autograph and personalize the book for them.  But now that you own a Kindle, how do you get the author to ‘sign’ your copy of their book?

The answer is Kindlegraph.   I’m no techno-wizard, so I’ll include a link to the Kindlegraph website in a minute.  But I want you to understand the process to get an author’s autograph sent to your Kindle is very easy.

The first thing you’ll have to do is sign up for a Twitter account because you use your Twitter sign-in to access Kindlegraph.  I don’t know why you have to do this, but don’t let it scare you.  Just because you sign up for a Twitter account doesn’t mean you have to use it.  I have a friend who signed up for Twitter and has never used her account except to sign up for Kindlegraph.  If you’ve already got a Twitter account you’re all set for Kindlegraph.

So, you’ve signed up for Twitter, then the next thing you’ll want to do is go to the Kindlegraph website.  I’m about to include the link, but I’m not sending you to the home page.  I’m going to send you to a page where there is a brief video that shows exactly how Kindlegraph works.  The video was made by Kindlegraph’s creator, Evan Jacobs.  Once you’ve seen the video you’ll see how it works and how simple it is.

Here is the link for the Kindlegraph video:  http://www.Kindlegraph.com/about

Here is the link for Twitter:  http://www.Twitter.com

Naturally, I’m hoping you’ll buy my book, A Dozen Deadly Roses, and ask me to sign it for you on your Kindle.  If that sounds good to you, here’s is a link to my book at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/A-Dozen-Deadly-Roses-ebook/dp/B0054EU1KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326092602&sr=8-1

Oh, and for Nook owners…Evan Jacobs is working on a version for Nook as well!

If this is your first visit to my blog I hope you’ll come back again.  Take a look around my website and I’ll see you soon.

Until next time,

KMA367

A Cop Wrestles For Control

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As a former police officer, I’ve been in countless situations where my heart beat out of my chest whether it was from fear, excitement, or adrenaline.

When I chose to retire, I kind of thought those days were behind me.  In fact, I looked forward to spending my days writing my books and trying to snare the one agent and publisher who would make my dreams of being a published author come true.

About the same time as my retirement, I also began to hear tales of self-publishing and how some writers were making a go of it.  I investigated the process and for various reasons (mostly due to having control of the process) I chose to self-publish my book, a romantic suspense, A Dozen Deadly Roses.  In fact, having control of the whole publishing process was very appealing to me.

So, in June 2011, I made my book available on Smashwords, Kindle, and Nook.  Then I let my friends, family, and all my blog followers, Facebook friends, and Twitter followers know that I was now a published author.

Every morning I went to my account sections of my various retailers to see how my sales were doing.  I was quite pleased to discover that it seemed my sales were going better than average.  Of course it was impossible to know for sure, but I felt I was doing pretty good.  I can remember saying to my husband, ‘I just hope I can maintain ten sales a day’.  Then something wild happened.

This past week my Nook numbers spiked.  I sold double-digits in one day on Nook – where I’d previously been selling one or two books a week.  I was thrilled and had no idea what caused the jump.  I knew something was up, so I searched the Barnes and Noble site and found that I was on the list of the Top 100 Barnes and Noble Nookbook (e-book) Police Stories.  I was giddy with excitement!  This was like winning the lottery.  My heart was beating like a machine gun.  Immediately I got online and spread the word about this stroke of luck.

Each day I’d get up and check my numbers; and while the other retailers remained static, my Nook numbers were soaring.  A day or two later, I then discovered I was in the Top 100 Barnes and Noble Nookbooks!  I was beside myself.  I couldn’t believe it.  I got online and put out that announcement too.  I think for two days I was really really happy.

But then pressure began to mount.  First of all, I had no idea what had caused my rapid assent to the tops of these lists.  I certainly wasn’t controlling my sales.  I was beside myself with worry that I didn’t have a follow-up book for readers to buy.  I was afraid that I’d reached the pinnacle of my writing career after just a month and a half of being published.  I wasn’t reveling in the fact I was up on the shelf next to James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Michael Connelly,  or Tom Clancy…to name a few.

But today, I finally realized something.  I can’t control how many books I sell.  I can’t control if I make it on one list or another.   All I can control is writing the best books I can.  Writing as many books as I can, and nurturing the relationship I have with my friends, family and readers.

So this is my promise to you.  I will do everything I can to write a book that entertains you, makes your heart beat with excitement, and gives you characters to root for and care about.  I will be there for you as family, friends and readers.  I hope you’ll come visit me at my website, or on Facebook or on Twitter. www.KathyBennett.com, www.Facebook.com/Kathywriteslapd, www.Twitter.com/Kathywriteslapd

That’s all I can control.  Where I land in my sales is out of my hands…and in yours.

Until next time,

KMA 367

Wanna Be A Crook?

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Well, now you can be – and be in no danger of going to jail.  This is my way to announce my debut novel, A Dozen Deadly Roses is now available as an e-book for Kindle here: http://tinyurl.com/3rqlr9t and, as an e-book at Smashwords.com for other formats here: http://tinyurl.com/42gcyjo. If you don’t have an e-reader, you can read the book on your computer.  Go to Smashwords.com  and purchase the HTML version.   The Nook and other e-book readers will be added within the next couple of weeks so you can purchase them at their respective websites – and don’t worry, I’ll let you know when those formats are available.

Now about that crook business…The larceny comes in with the fact you can own this book for only $.99!  That’s less than your favorite beverage at Starbucks.  Heck, that’s less than most anything you can buy.


Here’s a hint of what the book is about:


Los Angeles Police Officer Jade Donovan is being hunted.  There’s the lieutenant who’s out to get her, the psycho who’s stalking her and leaving dead roses at her door, but most frightening of all, she’s been assigned to partner with her son’s father, Mac Stryker.  Mac doesn’t know he’s Donnie’s dad, and Jade will stop at nothing to prevent him from finding out and possibly taking away her son.  She will protect and defend him at all costs.


Mac Stryker is a cop with something to prove.  Five years ago, he’d been forced to resign the police department in disgrace when he was too drunk to take action during a shooting.  Now, Mac is sober, back on the force and back working with Jade Donovan, the rookie who’d saved his life.  Worse, he finds himself attracted to Jade and her precocious son, Donnie.  But Mac is through with love.  The violent death of his wife and daughter turned him into an alcoholic, and he won’t put his job or his heart at risk again.  He will protect and defend them both at all costs.


But when the deadline looms on Jade’s dozen deadly roses stalker, will the two partners manage to put aside their differences in order to save their son?


It’s taken me many years (too many to mention) to make my dream of being a published author a reality.  I KNOW A Dozen Deadly Roses is worth the buck.  So, if you’re a reader, please take a chance on me and give the book a try.  And if you aren’t reader – tell your friends who are.


If you DO like the book, please leave a quick review at the site where you purchased the book.  Those reviews are more valuable than gold to a writer.

Thank you!


Until next time,


KMA 367