Why are vampires so popular in pop culture? I mean, sure, Count Dracula wore nice clothes -- black tie for dinner and all -- and he lived in a castle, but he was so creepy. Bela Lugosi launched a career scaring the heck out of moviegoers in 1931’s Dracula. I watched it as a kid on late night “Creature Feature” TV shows in the1960s. Deep psychological messages escaped me at the time. Perhaps I was too busy bonking my little brother over … [Read more...]
FAITH-BASED FRAUD: A Clear-Eyed Look At Scandals Within The Church
Christian Ministry Watchdog Examines The Biggest Religious Scandals Of Our Time Author and Ministry Watch President, Warren Cole Smith, Pens New Book To Advocate For Transparency And Accountability In Evangelical Churches We live in a secular, skeptical, and cynical age. Americans have lost faith in its institutions – including the church. Although the vast majority of Christian leaders serve faithfully, examples of financial fraud, … [Read more...]
Warren Smith
Warren Cole Smith is the President of Ministry Watch, which is dedicated to bringing transparency, accountability, and restored credibility to the Christian ministry world. He has served as vice president of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview and as vice president and associate publisher at WORLD Magazine. He hosts the long-running podcast “Listening In” and he is the author or co-author of more than a dozen books, including A Lover’s … [Read more...]
Should a Serial Killer Be Set Free?
I knew the stakes when I wrote KILLING WOMEN: The True Story of Serial Killer Don Miller's Reign of Terror. I also know that absent a change in the law, serial killer Don Miller is going to be released from prison in 2031. How could that be? A convicted serial killer, now having been in prison for forty-plus years, released to an unsuspecting public? It's important to understand that Michigan serial killer Don Miller is not in prison for murder. … [Read more...]
THE REAL MR. BIG: How A Refugee Became The UK’s Most Notorious Cocaine Kingpin
Born in 1960, Jesus Ruiz Henao grew up poor, but wanted to be rich like the drug dealers he saw growing up in the cocaine-producing region of Colombia’s Valle of the Cauca. To realize his ambition, Ruiz Henao moved to London, United Kingdom, in 1985. There he and his wife settled in the quiet suburb of Hendon, where he held down mundane but respectable cleaning and bus driving jobs. At least to outward appearances ... Actually, Ruiz Henao … [Read more...]
Speculation, Avoid it Like The Plague
I’ve been writing books for 26 years. I’m a nonfiction writer and my world has always been one of finding the truth where possible, and that drive for accuracy has been with me the whole time. Getting to the truth should be the cardinal rule for all writers. But whenever the truth we’re seeking has not, or cannot be obtained, speculation will raise its head to take its place. And it is here where the nonfiction writer must be very … [Read more...]
Jesus Ruiz Henao: What I Learned From My Days In The Drug Trade
I was in charge of a multinational cocaine business, a Colombian national who managed to become the first billion pounds cocaine cartel in the United Kingdom. That was a massive life experience where I learned many things. For one thing, it’s astonishing to see how the power of money can corrupt government officials, no matter the country. Many bureaucrats are willing to help or even participate in the drug business without a second … [Read more...]
Author Reading from THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS by Benjamin Risha
Reading by author Benjmain Risha from his true crime memoir, THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS. Learn more about THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS. Purchase on Amazon. As the adopted son of two cult leaders, Benjamin Risha was raised to someday assume a place of leadership in the Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation with the Bible, and his parents' interpretation of it, as his guide. He believed the prophecies of his adoptive mother and father, which … [Read more...]
Cult Survivor and Author, Benjamin Risha, Exposes Life in Tony Alamo Christian Foundation During Author Interview
Interview with Benjamin Risha, author of THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS. Benjamin answers questions about his childhood inside the cult and his journey to write a memoir. Learn more about THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS. Purchase on Amazon. As the adopted son of two cult leaders, Benjamin Risha was raised to someday assume a place of leadership in the Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation with the Bible, and his parents' interpretation of it, as his … [Read more...]
Benjamin Risha
I am Benjamin Risha, a graduate student in Intelligence Studies and recipient of a bachelor’s degree in History. I was born a child of Arab and Jewish ancestry in the Tony and Susan Alamo religious cult. My purpose in the cult was to bring peace to Arabs and Jews, but fate had different plans for me. I escaped the cult when I was 17. I joined the US ARMY Reserves when I was 18, went to university, learned several languages, received several … [Read more...]