Writers in the Storm

by Piper Bayard of Bayard & Holmes

For those of us who write espionage or crime novels, knowledge of crime is essential. My writing partner, Jay Holmes, is a 45+ year veteran of field intelligence operations, and he has learned a thing or two about criminal activities over the years. Since many crimes that occur in real life and in fiction happen in driveways, today we will be addressing two of the most common driveway crimes–carjacking and kidnapping.

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Carjacking

Carjacking is a crime that has always been popular, but the crime has skyrocketed since Covid. For example, Chicago reported over 1800 carjackings last year.

In most cities, the arrest rate of carjackers is extremely low. Again to pick on Chicago, less than 5% of their carjackers are ever charged with the crime, so unless the victim shoots the carjacker, carjacking is a low-risk crime with high rewards. Because the arrest and conviction rate is so dismal, the biggest threat to carjackers is picking the wrong victim.

Intriguing Facts About Carjacking

Carjackers often work in teams. One of the most common places for them to strike is in the car owner’s driveway, and the most common time for a carjacking is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Increasingly, these teams involve children, some of them as young as ten years old. In DC, a 12-year-old was arrested and charged with four carjackings. An entire carjacking gang could be teenagers and pre-teens, so involving youth in this crime in books would be quite realistic fiction.

Carjacker’s Approach

Most carjackers target random cars that present opportunities at intersections and gas stations. In contrast, if they are looking in a neighborhood, they likely will have cased that neighborhood and made notes of the comings and goings of the residents.

Carjackers are most likely to target a vehicle at a home with good hiding places near the driveway, such as shrubs, trees, or other cars, preferably with no security cameras or motion-sensing lights in the area.

Once the driver opens the car door, they are most vulnerable when they have one foot in the car and one foot out on the ground as they are entering or exiting the vehicle. That is the sweet spot for a carjacker.

The carjacker can then rush forward, slam the driver’s leg in the door, grab them, and throw them hard to the ground.

If the keys are in the driver’s hand, the carjacker can easily grab them. If the driver has a keyless fob, the carjacker can grab their purse or make a quick search of pockets to find it.

If the carjacker slams the driver in the door and then throws them to the ground, the carjacker will want to do this so hard that the driver is too hurt and/or stunned to fight back. On the downside, when carjackers do this, keys can fly in any direction.

Writing a Plausible Carjacking Scene

When writing such scenes, this is a great opportunity to create a problem for an antagonist if they don’t see where the keys go. It could also give a bright protagonist an opportunity to throw their keys, making it difficult for the carjacker to accomplish their goal.

Though it is sometimes seen in fiction, it is rare that a carjacker would hide in a backseat and wait for the driver to get into the car. Most carjackers target random cars because they want . . . a car.

If they wait in a car for a person to get in, they then have a person and a car. The carjacker must then kidnap the person, creating its own set of problems. Plus, they have to then figure out how to get the driver out of the car. One way would be to order them out at knifepoint or gunpoint. Most people will get out of a car when threatened that way, leaving the car to the carjacker.

If the carjacker just wants a car, there are easier ways.

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Car Owner’s Defenses

All of a car owner’s best defenses happen before they ever get near the car. See nine steps you can take for greater driveway safety.

1. Clear away any good hiding places near the driveway.
2. Install good lighting in the driveway. Any kind of lighting will do.
3. If the driver parks in the garage, keep the garage clean so that no one can easily hide in it.
4. Scan the front yard and driveway for anything amiss while still in the safety of the doorway or, if just pulling in, in the safety of the car.
5. Pay extra attention when approaching the car while holding packages, children, or anything that keeps your hands occupied.
6. If exiting the vehicle with packages, look around first, then get out and look around again before reaching into the car for the packages. Remember that it is better to make multiple trips than to be incapacitated by being overloaded.
7. Do not text or talk on the phone between the doorway and the vehicle.
8. Keep your purse strapped across the body, making it more difficult for a carjacker to grab it with the key fob inside.
9. If expecting trouble, have a weapon in hand and be ready to use it. To do this without freaking out the neighbors, hold it inside a loose pocket or drape a sweater over the hand.

Preventative measures to avoid an attack are always the best defense against carjacking and other crimes in the driveway.

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Kidnapping

The most common way to pull off a snatch, or kidnapping, is for a team of assailants to pull up in a panel van and quickly grab the target off the street. This can be accomplished in seconds. However, a snatch from a driveway is also a viable option.

As a general rule, kidnappers work in teams of at least two and rarely more than three. If they are smart, one of their team is a woman, because women are disarming for most people.

Kidnapper’s Approach

If a kidnapping team is going to make a snatch in a driveway, they will likely have a woman who looks harmless to approach the target and an armed partner to subdue the target. They will also probably have a third person to drive the getaway vehicle.

The woman on the team would, like the carjacker, approach when the driver has the door open but has not yet stepped into the vehicle. She would come up the driveway with a story about a lost child, misdelivered mail, or some other normal reason to approach a neighbor. Meanwhile, the partner is hiding nearby around the edge of the house, in some bushes, on the other side of the car, etc.

When the driver is distracted by the woman, the partner rushes up, tasers or otherwise subdues the target, and tosses them in the car. The woman jumps in with them, and they drive the target’s car a couple blocks away to the getaway vehicle. While driving, they drug the target. Then they park the target’s car, make the transfer, and make their escape.

It is also possible that a kidnapper would wait in the back seat of a car until the target gets in. This is far less common, and they would most likely be someone who is working alone.

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Driver’s Defenses

Again, the best defenses are those listed above. By the time someone is in a vehicle with a kidnapper, there are not many options left to them. However, “not many” is not the same as “nothing.”

1. Carry pepper spray and/or have it handy in the car.

The downside of this is that one must be very careful where they spray it, or they could hurt themselves more than the attacker.

2. Carry a perfume spray bottle with ammonia.

Again, one must be careful where they spray it, but on the upside, such a thing in a car or a purse will likely go undetected and unchallenged in areas with strict weapons control.

3. Carry a kubaton keychain to assist in a fight.

4. Make a fist with a key protruding forward between the fingers and punch the attacker in the eyes, throat, groin, or anywhere else that presents itself.

If the attacker is in the front or the back with the target, the target can punch for the attacker’s throat with the near hand, and when the attacker blocks, jab them in the groin with the other hand. A key between the fingers with that jab could do some real damage. A word of caution, though. Do not use the car key for this move. It could break off, and then it’s real trouble.

5. If possible, get out and run.

This may seem like it should have been at the top of the list, but it isn’t because sometimes, a car is blocked in a secluded location, or the surrounding threats are worse than what’s happening in the vehicle.

Pro Tip:

If someone is in your car and running is an option, the target should run toward the back of the car if possible, especially if the assailant has a firearm. The assailant would have to turn around to shoot the target and they would probably miss. Even if they hit the target, the person would most likely survive. Few people actually shoot like my writing partner.

Final Thoughts

If a person is approached by an armed assailant and told to get in the car, whether in the driveway or any other location, the target should always run, fight, or both, even if the assailant has a firearm. That is because inevitably, whatever the attacker would do once the target got in the car would be far worse than what they would do in a driveway.

Any questions about carjacking or kidnapping in the driveway? What about other crimes that can occur in the driveway? Are there other crime locations you would like us to address?

About Piper

Piper Bayard is an author and recovering attorney who works with 45+ year veteran of field intelligence operations, Jay Holmes. Their first full-length fiction release, The Leopard of Cairo, is now available in both eBook and Print at Bayard & Holmes.

About Leopard of Cairo

John Viera left his CIA fieldwork hoping for a “normal” occupation and a long-awaited family, but when a Pakistani engineer is kidnapped from a top-secret US project and diplomatic entanglements tie the government’s hands, the Intelligence Community turns to John and his team of ex-operatives to investigate — strictly off the books. They uncover a plot of unprecedented magnitude that will precipitate the slaughter of millions.

From the corporate skyscrapers of Montreal to the treacherous alleys of Baluchistan, these formidable enemies strike, determined to create a regional apocalypse and permanently alter the balance of world power. Isolated in their knowledge of the impending devastation, John and his network stand alone between total destruction and the Leopard of Cairo.

What People Are Saying About Leopard of Cairo

“A lightning-fast tale of intrigue, lies, and the mother-of-all terrorist plots. Big story, big adventure, big thumbs up!"

~ JAMES ROLLINS, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Sigma Force Series

Top Image by TRƯƠNG QUÂN from Pixabay

by Colleen M. Story

When the publisher for my latest novel, The Beached Ones, asked me about getting blurbs for my book, I replied, “Sure!”

Inside, I was thinking, “Oh no!”

Though I’ve published five books so far—two novels traditionally published and three nonfiction books self-published—I had never asked for blurbs. I hate to bother people. I know how busy everyone is. Plus it’s just plain awkward to cold-ask someone to read your book and give you a blurb.

But this is the best traditional publisher I’ve worked with to date, and I wanted to do everything I could to help The Beached Ones succeed. So I got to work.

Turns out the whole experience was extremely positive. I wrote about the process on my motivational blog, Writing and Wellness, in case you’d like some tips on how to do it.

But then there’s the question of where to find these people. Who has the credentials that would help your book succeed? And which of those might be willing to take the time to read your book and give you a blurb?

Here, based on my results, are the best places to find qualified people who would be happy to do just that.

1. Writer’s Conferences

You know how the experts are always telling you to do your best to make connections at writer’s conferences? It’s not enough to just go, attend the classes, pitch your book, and go home. Much better if you reach out and talk to some people while you’re there. You never know who you might meet.

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some very nice writing mentors, teachers, and other authors while attending writer’s conferences. This group yielded more blurb writers for me than any of the others listed here.

To make more of these connections, sign up for a workshop near you. Then it’s just a matter of introducing yourself and asking questions. (Are you a writer? What type of writing do you do? Are you enjoying the conference?) Sharing a coffee or a few laughs can go a long way toward cementing a connection.

Follow up when you return by connecting with these people online. Support their posts by “liking” or “retweeting.” Sustain these connections and you’re likely to have people who would be willing to help you out when the time comes.

Avoid: Making it all about you and your writing. You’ll make more friends at a conference if you are interested in what others are doing.

2. Social Media

Social media can be a good place to make connections. Interact with other writers and readers by supporting their work, making comments on their blogs, and of course, posting your own content so they can do the same.

As you build your network, pay attention to the people who most frequently interact with you. Then when it comes time to find those who might be willing to blurb your book, you’ll know whether your book would be one they might like and whether they are the type of person willing to help you out.

Avoid: Engaging in reciprocal blurb requests: “I’ll blurb your book if you blurb/review mine.” Some authors are fine doing this, but it doesn’t feel right to me.

If I admire the author’s work, all is well, but what if I feel it wasn’t a five-star read? Then I’m in trouble. If I give an honest review, the author may feel betrayed. If I give a dishonest review, I feel like I’ve betrayed myself.

If someone isn’t willing to read/review your book without you giving them something in return, feel free to thank them and move on. You can find others who will be willing to do so without tying you to some return favor.

3. Writers of Books Like Yours

When my publisher first asked me about blurbs, they told me to create a “wish list” of names I’d love to have on my cover. This is a great way to start, as it gets your wheels turning in terms of possible readers.

You may have big names on your list like Margaret Atwood, Lee Child, Steven King, and the like. I've found that these big authors rarely respond to blurb requests from authors they don't know. Most don't even offer their contact information anywhere online, as they're inundated with requests as it is.

Many other bestselling authors, on the other hand, haven't become celebrities yet. If you're regularly reading books like yours, you're likely to know who these authors are. Who are the breakthrough writers in your genre? Who are the newcomers?

I approached one bestselling author who had written a book that had a lot of similarities to mine. When I asked her for a quote, I included everything I loved about her book and briefly pointed out the similarities I saw in our stories. I was thrilled when I heard back from her. Unfortunately, she had a conflict and couldn’t get to my story in time for printing, but she still wanted to read it.

Consider: I found many of my “similar” authors when gathering examples for covers for my book. During the cover design phase, my publisher asked me to share some samples of covers I liked. The process of researching these helped me find books that were much like mine. After all, if the cover appeals to you, it’s likely the story is similar to yours as well.

4. Editors

Over the years, you've probably gained several editor contacts. These may be editors who helped you early on in your writing career, those you hired to help edit your books or even editors you met at conferences.

Many will have great credentials, which can give your book the social proof that it needs. Most are busy but reach out anyway. You may find one who believes in your writing enough to help out.

Avoid: Of course, it doesn’t work to ask the editor who worked on the book you’re launching to write a blurb. Even if you didn’t mention this person in the acknowledgments (which you should), this could come back to bite you if someone reveals the relationship.

5. Writers you've featured or interviewed.

If you make a regular practice of interviewing and featuring other authors—whether on your website, blog, podcast, or YouTube channel—you’ll have a ready-made list of people who may want to read your book.

It’s not about doing someone a favor so they’ll do one in return. It’s about meeting more people and growing your network list. Then when it comes time to ask for blurbs, you’ll have a group of people within which you may find some who may truly enjoy your new book.

Avoid: Again, it’s best to avoid the tit-for-tat type of arrangement, where you feature them so they should blurb you. Instead, think about those authors who may truly enjoy your book. Pay attention to the types of books they write and read. Consider too that some writers are also regular book reviewers. They may be ideal people to add to your list.

6. Teachers and Mentors

Writing instructors are typically wonderful people. They dedicate their lives to helping other writers succeed. If you were lucky enough to work with such a person—in college, in a workshop, or in some other type of educational setting—reach out and ask if they might be willing to give you a blurb.

Most writing instructors have impressive credentials themselves—ones that will look good on your book—and their helpful personalities make them accommodating. Just be sure to give them enough advanced notice so they can fit your book into their busy schedules. (That goes for everyone—aim for at least four months before your book will be published.)

7. Writing Group Members

If you belong to a writing group—or even if you belonged to one in the past—this may be a source of potential blurb writers for you.

Those who read your early work may have an invested interest in seeing your book succeed. Plus they may just plain love your writing! Think of people in your group who fit that description, then consider asking them for a blurb.

Remember: You’re looking for people who are “qualified” to give your book a blurb. That means they have credentials that readers will trust. Though any good early review may be helpful, when looking for blurbs (that will be printed in the book when it’s published), you’re looking for people that, because of their credentials, seem like “authoritative” voices readers can trust.

Example: “Ah, well if a Pushcart-Prize winner liked this book, then I probably will too.”

Note: The Beached Ones is forthcoming from CamCat books on June 14, 2022. Get your FREE excerpt here, or preorder now! (Buy links and book trailer here.) Get FREE chapters of Colleen’s books for writers here.

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About Colleen

Colleen M. Story is a novelist, freelance writer, writing coach, and speaker with over 20 years in the creative writing industry. Her latest release, The Beached Ones, is forthcoming from CamCat Books in June 2022. Her novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others.

Colleen has written three books to help writers succeed. Your Writing Matters was a bronze medal winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards (2022). Other titles include Writer Get Noticed! and Overwhelmed Writer Rescue. Get free chapters of these books here.

Find more at her author website (colleenmstory.com) or connect with her on Twitter (@colleen_m_story).

Top Photo by Tobias Aeppli from Pexels

by Penny C. Sansevieri

As someone who writes non-fiction and has a longstanding blog where I release free content, I feel I am a great example of an author that has faced and conquered the challenge of convincing people to buy non-fiction books. There is tons of free information out there, and it can be hard to compete -- both with other authors and also with yourself!

I see many non-fiction authors leave this factor out when planning and executing their book releases and promotions. The fact that they’re not just competing with other books, but they’re also competing with Google and all the free information available out there on pretty much any topic is a crucial element in any book's success.

So, let’s talk about ways to make your non-fiction book stand out in today’s crowded and distracting market.

You Need Your Own Unique Approach

This goes without saying, but you need to stand out from your competition. What are your key selling points? Why should people buy your book? You have to have a better answer than simply saying, “My way works better!” because that’s not convincing enough if you’re a potential buyer. Trust me; everyone says that.

Once you create your list of key selling points, you need to include them in your Amazon description in an easily digestible way, for example, a bulleted list. Bullets draw attention and should be extremely compelling. What if the bullets were all potential buyers got to read about your book? How convincing will you be? Take the time to make sure your first impression persuades your buyer.

Your Buyer Should Be Your Focus

Yes, you have to sell your book’s content, but people don’t buy a book just because of the content. They buy a book because of what they hope it will do for them.

So your unique selling points are essential, but so is convincing people you’ll make their lives better in some way. That’s something a lot of free online content doesn’t get a chance to do!

Use your book description to convince potential buyers you wrote your book with their needs in mind. Make it about them and what you can do for them, and I assure you they will be interested.

Don’t Leave Out All The Free Information

You have your unique selling points and your emotional appeal, and now you should also be hitting people over the head with Google and free info reference! There’s no such thing as making it too easy for someone to make a buying decision.

You may be hesitant to give out information for free, but it allows readers to trust you as a resource. Plus, since you’re not giving away everything, buyers will be eager to buy your book to learn more.

Never assume!

Too often, I see authors miss key sales opportunities in their book description because the value of the book seems so incredibly obvious to them. But you should never assume the value is obvious to the buyer. You have to convince them.

Work it into your description WHY your book will serve someone better than simply Googling info about your topic online. If you don’t have a strong argument at the ready, then you have some serious work to do.

You Need a Clear Plan

Having a clear plan for what you give away for free on your platform and what you include in your book or books is extremely important. Otherwise, your strategy can become a jumbled mess.

There’s a lot you can accomplish for your sales funnel by giving away quality info on your blog or in your podcast, but if you give away too much, it makes your book less competitive.

Don’t wing it; figure out your boundaries and justify why that division serves your long-term goals. You have to give a little to get a lot in this area- but every author needs to decide their limits for themselves.

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About Penny

Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a bestselling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU. She was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine. 

Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon visibility campaigns as well offering national media pitching, online book marketing, author events, and other strategies designed to build the author/book visibility.

She is the author of 18 books, including "How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon," "Revise and Re-Release Your Book", "5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors," and the newly-released “From Book to Bestseller.”

AME has had dozens of books on top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal. 

To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, visit www.amarketingexpert.com.