Mallett shines a new light on the inspiration behind the shocking best-selling novel and explores what happens when true crime and literature meet. Grace Metalious, born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, came from humble beginnings. A former mill worker, mother of three, and school principal's wife, she would shock the nation in 1956 with the publication of Peyton Place, her first novel about a murder in a small town. Quickly becoming the … [Read more...]
COLD BLOODED: A True Crime Story of a Murderous Teenage Vampire Cult
Investigators and Central Florida residents were horrified when 16-year-old vampire cult leader Rod Ferrell was arrested and charged with bludgeoning a cult member's parents. When they realized the slain couple's 15-year-old daughter was missing, they feared she was a victim, too. Detectives and journalists swarming over three states soon uncovered a web of blood-drinking occult rituals, illicit sex, wildly dysfunctional families and spiritual … [Read more...]
COLD BLOODED Author Frank Stanfield: Why Are Vampires So Popular?
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...]
Netflix Documentary “The Sons of Sam” to Feature WildBlue Press Author
The true crime community has been buzzing about Netflix true crime documentaries for years: Making a Murderer, The Staircase, Tiger King, American Murder: The Family Next Door, and more recently, Night Stalker and Crime Scene: Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. The next highly-anticipated project from Netflix? The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness. The trailer entices viewers by hinting that the narrative we all know about David Berkowitz and the … [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...]