The 1907 Shirley Opera House nearly burned before it was built. A barrel of tar ignited and was extinguished but reignited later causing considerable damage to the construction. One of the workers fell from the rafters. No record of his injuries was listed. The Red Heifer Saloon, managed by Bert Hotchkiss, brought male violence within the walls. Rumors of a deadly shooting and of an Indian woman being thrown to her death from the upstairs … [Read more...]
The Face Of Abuse
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRUTH. THIS IS THE FACE OF ABUSE. When you are a victim of domestic violence you remain silent. You endure your abuse under the false beliefs that it will end. That it's not really that bad. Tomorrow will be better. The truth is that you become more and more fearful and even more vulnerable. You begin to believe all that your abuser says about you, and you become so frail and extremely weak minded that you actually become the … [Read more...]
Joni Ankerson Discusses How Victims Of Abuse Are Labeled
Let us be realistic and admit that making the decision to take your abuser’s life and breath is not that of a weak and wrecked woman. That decision, that action comes at the exact moment when your entire being says “no more.” It is the moment when a woman decides to move forward and save her life. Women who have killed their abusers are not murderers, they are simply women who want to LIVE. Unfortunately, these women are placed on the same … [Read more...]
TO KILL OR BE KILLED: A True Crime Memoir Of Domestic Violence, Survival, And A Prison Sentence
Twelve years of domestic violence at its absolute worst. Constant abuse, control, manipulation, and threats. It had to end some day, some way. The day we met in October of 1997, I was working at the District Court in Traverse City, Michigan as a Deputy Clerk. It was like most other days with arraignments, sentencings, civil case hearings and the like. People shuffling in and out, everyone taking care of their important business with court … [Read more...]
Book Trailer for NO ANGELS
Official book trailer for No Angels: The Short Life and Brutal Death of Brandaline Rose Duvall by Steve Jackson, a New York Times Bestselling Author. Available in ebook and paperback: wbp.bz/naa A little before midnight on May 30, 1997, fourteen-year-old Brandy DuVall waited at a bus stop in the Denver area for a ride back to her grandparents' home after spending the evening at a friend’s home. She was wearing a bright-red Chicago Bulls … [Read more...]
Book Trailer for TO KILL OR BE KILLED
Official book trailer for the true crime book, To Kill or Be Killed by Joni Ankerson. Learn more and get your copy here: wbp.bz/tkobka Available in paperback and ebook. Obviously, I knew better than to take a life — but that was before. Before him. The day we met in October of 1997, I was working at the District Court in Traverse City, Michigan as a Deputy Clerk. It was like most other days with arraignments, sentencings, civil case … [Read more...]
Book Trailer for ‘TIL DEATH DO US…’ by Patrick Gallagher
Official book trailer for the true crime book, 'Til Death Do Us...' by Patrick Gallagher. Learn more and get your copy here: wbp.bz/tildeathdousa Available in paperback, ebook, and *NEW* in audiobook. In August 1945, Gladys Lincoln of Sacramento contacted prosperous Dr. W. D. Broadhurst of Caldwell, Idaho, and rekindled a romance from twenty years earlier. After many passionate letter exchanges and several sexually-charged meetings, they were … [Read more...]
Author Steve Jackson Discusses “The Ripple Effect” Caused By A Hauntingly Violent Crime
When I originally set out to write about the murders of Venus Montoya and Brandaline Rose DuVall more than twenty years ago, I had no idea the various paths the tale would take. I thought it was basically a story about the brutality and downfall of a small but violent Denver street gang, the Deuce-Seven Bloods. What made it different from other gang stories was that instead of shooting at rivals, some members had been accused of killing two … [Read more...]
Joni Ankerson
Joni Ankerson lives in her hometown of Traverse City, Michigan. After being released from prison in April of 2017, she returned home to the house she grew up in and is moving forward with her new, independent life. She is a strong advocate for victims of domestic violence and has many family members, friends and community members that support her and stand behind her. She hopes that by sharing her story, other victims will gain the … [Read more...]
Alice Kay Hill On The Historical “Queen Of The Prairie”
Dusty-backed rattlesnakes, coldly oblivious to an artificial world, were displayed in an unlikely place: the storefront windows of the two-story 1907 Shirley Opera House, Atwood, KS. Rawlins County boys tasted fear and conquered it by rapping on the wavery panes of original glass, hoping to create a strike. This was an ageless form of entertainment, baiting danger at the expense of a perceived enemy. It was not, however, fit entertainment for the … [Read more...]
