Welcome!
My love for all things literary began when I was a child and my mother would read to me the Alice stories by Lewis Carroll, Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, and Peanuts by Charles Schulz. Once I learned to read and write on my own, I started writing stories for my own amusement. I first started writing for others in my teens when my nephew and I exchanged our own sci-fi stories modeled after Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who.
In college, while studying chemical technology, I discovered the awesome power of the written word when the love letters I wrote to my girlfriend grew into novellas complete with exotic locals, conflicted characters, multi-layered plots, and -- of course -- suitably steamy situations. The stories worked and my girlfriend soon became my wife.
After college, writing took a back seat to earning a living and I held a number of jobs, eventually moving into computer technology. But I continued to dabble in writing, mostly non-fiction articles and commercial business pieces. Now that I'm once again focused on fiction, this site serves as a showcase for some of my work.
Trial by Fear
Simon Jacks is an idealistic young attorney with a prestigious Chicago law firm, about to start the most important case of his career, defending the accused in a series of grisly sex slayings dubbed The Toolbox Murders. But in a moment of stress Simon throws a punch at another attorney and is ordered to take some time off. Retreating to a secluded island cabin near northern Michigan with his family and friends, Simon hopes for a relaxing vacation. Instead he encounters conflicting ideologies, jealousy, and betrayal.
And more. Someone is stalking them.
Soon, childish pranks turn deadly in an episode of terror. To survive, Simon may have to sacrifice his most precious conviction: that everyone deserves a fair trial.
Imagine thousands of people behind bars, some for theft and arson, some for rape and murder, some facing years in prison, some facing the death penalty, all wrongfully convicted of crimes they didn't commit. Now imagine the people who did commit those crimes still at large, living among us, free to attack again. This is the frightening picture painted by organizations like Truth In Justice and the Innocence Project.
Trial By Fear is a fictional account of what happens when the wrong man is arrested for a series of grisly sex slayings. It's now available in pocket paperback and download from Lulu.com, and in trade paperback and hardcover from Amazon. Find it at numerous other online retailers or order it through your local bookstore.
Read an excerpt.
Facts Behind the Fiction
My blog on serial killers, rapists, and wrongful conviction. Yes, it's a bit dark.
March 1, 2010 - Media Whore or Murderer?
Joran van der Sloot can't keep out of the public eye.
Twice arrested for the 2005 murder of American teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba, and twice released, van der Sloot is back in the news after making another confession.
Shortly after Natalee went missing, van der Sloot denied any involvement in her disappearance. But apparently he enjoyed the attention he got by being a suspect. In 2008, he appeared on Dutch television in a video in which he tells a friend that after leaving a nightclub with Natalee, he had sex with the 18-year old girl on a beach. She "started shaking" and lost consciousness. Van der Sloot says he panicked and called a friend to help him. The two men put Natalee's body in a boat, and the friend dumped her in the ocean the next day.
But that was a lie. Van der Sloot admitted making the comments, but said he only told his friend what he wanted to hear; it wasn't true.
Van der Sloot's current story skips the friend with the boat. In the new version, van der Sloot himself dumps Natalee's body in a swamp.
Police aren't buying it. Prosecutor Peter Blanken says that he and Aruba police tried to verify the story, speaking to witnesses and checking facts. But they've determined it couldn't be true.
So why would van der Sloot make another false confession? Blanken responds, "You should ask him. Maybe he wanted to be on camera or make some money."
More ...
Covert Maneuvers
It is 2375. The war with the Dominion is over, the Bajoran wormhole is open, and beyond it lies the Gamma Quadrant, just waiting to be explored. Ready to do what Starfleet has always done, Captain Angus McTavish and the crew of the U.S.S. Symphony are eager to seek out new life and new civilizations.
But there's been a change of plans.
Unknown to McTavish, his ship has become a pawn in a deadly game of treachery and deceit between rival factions, extremists who'll stop at nothing to achieve absolute control of the Federation.
Meanwhile, the disparate crew of the Symphony have their own problems: jealousy, prejudice, and passion. They'll have to set aside those issues if they're to have any hope of fighting the forces that threaten all they hold dear.
Covert Maneuvers is my first foray into the world of Star Trek fan fiction. It's an ongoing series that begins just after the Dominion war in 2375 and features an original group of characters. All is not well in the Federation ...
Episode One: In Harm's Way
Episode Two: Between Friends
Episode Three - Coming soon!
Incursion
This started out as an experiment in episodic fiction for a friend's site at www.randomnotions.com, where I'm a Contributing Editor. In the beginning I had no idea how the story would develop. I had no outline or even an overview. Well, that has now changed. I've figured out what the story is about and who the characters are, and I'm quite excited about it.
I would describe Incursion as a sci-fi suspense thriller, a cross between The X-Files and 24, with some Lost and StarGate thrown in. I'm looking forward to continuing it, as soon as I get some pesky client work taken care of.
Frequently Asked Questions. Let me know if you have more.
I enjoy hearing from my readers, but please use a meaningful subject line or your message may not make it past my spam filters. Write to me at jonathan@jonathanmycroft.com