The idiom "got away with murder" has come to mean something other than its literal definition. Figuratively, it's used to describe someone who was allowed to do something that others would be criticized or punished for--such as "he gets away with murder just because he's so cute." But to a true crime writer, especially one who often delves into Cold Cases, the original definition takes back it's original meaning with all of its brutality, sorrow, … [Read more...]
VAMPIRE’S Sullivan Never Meant To Write About Bundy
Several days ago I wrote an article about real evidence, and how those personal items of murder can have an impact on the one holding and viewing such evidence. Mostly, the reaction will be positive, but there will be times when a sense of repulsion will surface based solely on what is confronting you. In the case of Richard Chase, there was one item that really turned me off. But most of it was interesting and contributed to my … [Read more...]
VAMPIRE Author Recounts Personal True Crime Story
“Follow that blood trail” I thought as I got out of my car. I was attempting to visit my brother in a downtown Louisville care facility (Ken had damaged his mind in the late 1960’s through the use of hallucinogenic drugs), but as soon as I pulled up to the curb of this three-story brick fortress-looking building, I spotted several small pools of blood, and a trail of blood leading inside. Being young and feeling invincible, I didn’t give it a … [Read more...]
Trailer for Ron Franscell’s new true crime EVIL AT THE FRONT DOOR
Louisiana – famous for its Mardi Gras, spicy cuisine, and Dixieland jazz – is also the scene of some of the most notorious crimes in the country. Bestsellers Ron Franscell (who wrote THE DEADLINE, a WildBlue classic mystery) and Rebecca Morris write about a sultry, Southern beauty who proved to be a deadly hitchhiker; the bloodiest day in New Orleans history captured on live TV; how life for a young woman changed just because she … [Read more...]
VAMPIRE Author Talks About “Why I Write True Crime”
Occasionally, folks will ask me why I write true crime. And without missing a beat, I always tell them that before I composed my first sentence describing the murder and mayhem that is such an ever-present reality on our planet, I’d been a student of these strange happenings for over three decades. You see, the first true crime book I ever read was Charles Franklin’s, The World’s Worst Murderers. It was 1965, I was ten years old, and I became … [Read more...]
Vampire: Kevin Sullivan discusses researching the Richard Chase murders
On December 2, my book, Vampire: The Richard Chase Murders was published by WildBlue Press. It’s a tale of terror, where the city of Sacramento, California was, for a very brief time, subjected to a series of diabolical murders and mutilations from the madman the world later came to know as the Vampire of Sacramento. Referring to him as “vampire” was not an attempt at drama, but was an apt description, seeing that Richard Chase loved drinking the … [Read more...]
RJ Parker Calls VAMPIRE A “Must Have”
"The Richard Chase Murders by veteran true crime writer and historian Kevin Sullivan is fraught with emotion and detail. I always admire an author who dedicates their project to the victims, and tells about who they were and not just the crime against them. This is a well-written book that was researched in person and facts gleaned from key players during and after the Chase murders. A must have book for all true crime enthusiasts … [Read more...]
Kevin Sullivan and Burl Barer discuss VAMPIRE
WildBlue Press author Kevin Sullivan appeared on the legendary Burl Barer's True Crime Uncensored show to discuss his books, including his latest true crime, VAMPIRE: The Richard Chase Murders. … [Read more...]
Ron Franscell: Is true crime’s death exaggerated?
A few years ago, author Joe McGinniss, whose Fatal Vision is among a handful of acknowledged classics in true crime, pronounced the genre deader than Marley: “The last three books I’ve written have been about soccer, which nobody in America cares about; horse racing, which nobody in America cares about; and true crime, a genre that expired sometime last century . . .” If the genre is dead, it died fairly young. It hasn’t even been 50 years … [Read more...]
BOGEYMAN-Channeling In Cold Blood
Veteran true crime author Steve Jackson channels the well-established In Cold Blood tradition of absenting himself from the plot, like a journalist, while constructing a narrative, driven by action and dialog, influenced by novel-writing technique. Jackson’s gradually unfolding story feels familiar to anybody accustomed to reading police procedurals and crime thrillers. The horrifying aspects of Jackson’s narrative, of the very killer every … [Read more...]