April Appearance

Appearance, Writing
I will be presenting TWO ROUTES TO THE TRUTH at the Jambalaya Writers’ Conference in Houma, LA on April 11, 2015. This lesson will help writers move their fictional sleuths convincingly–and legally–through the interrogative process. I will offer examples of how I have used these same techniques to elicit confessions in real cases, as well as illustrate how I have applied these techniques to my own fiction.

The conference will be held at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library, which is located at 151 Library Drive, Houma, LA  70360. The conference contact is Lauren Bordelon. Here’s a link to register for the conference or to contact Ms. Bordelon:


The line-up includes New York Times Best-Selling Author Wally Lamb and Louisiana’s own Award Winning and Best Selling Author Debra LeBlanc. I heard Ms. LeBlanc speak several years ago at the Bayou Writers’ Group Conference in Lake Charles and it was amazing! You won’t want to miss her!

Here’s a link to the agenda:


Hope to see you there!

BJ Bourg


In Honor of April Fools Day

Flash Fiction
In honor of April Fools Day, here’s a flash fiction piece I wrote years ago that originally appeared in the April 2006 issue of Writer’s Post Journal: 

HAPPY FIRST

by BJ Bourg

Jenny LeBlanc squatted to kiss Gracie’s forehead. “Be good for Granny tonight. I’ll be back in twelve hours.”

Gracie scrunched her nose. “Mommy, how many days is that?”

Jenny laughed and ruffled her four-year-old daughter’s hair. “It’s like watching Blue’s Clues twenty-four times.”

“That’s too long! I don’t want you to be a cop no more.”

Jenny pulled Gracie close and squeezed her tight. “This is the last time, Pumpkin Seed. I promise.”

Jenny stood, hitched the gun belt up on her waist, and walked out the door. Her polyester pants whistled as she walked to the patrol cruiser. She smiled. That was a sound she wouldn’t miss.

Jenny arrived at the squad room early, as she had every day for seven years. Officers Jim Reginald and Bill Ridley were seated at the conference table.

“What are you two doing here so early?”

Bill pulled a white cake box from under the table. “You think we’d let you leave without a party?”

Jenny’s eyes moistened. “I’m going to miss you guys.”

“Once you settle into your eight to five,” Jim said, “you’ll forget all about us.”

***

It was ten after midnight and Jenny had to use the bathroom. Another thing I won’t miss. She grabbed her police radio. “118, Dispatch, I’ll be out at Country Saver for a minute.”

“10-4, 118. Give me a call when you get inside.”

Jenny walked in and nodded to the clerk. “Can I use your phone?”

The clerk dialed the number and handed Jenny the phone. The dispatcher answered in a frantic voice.

“What’s going on?” Jenny asked.

“It’s Bill and Jim. They went out at a shots fired complaint on West 118th Street thirty minutes ago. They’re not answering their radio!”

“Do you have a call back number for the complainant?”

“There’s no answer. Oh, God, I’m so scared—”

Jenny dropped the phone and bolted out the door. She flipped on her top lights and siren and raced down Highway One. A truck loomed ahead. She swerved to pass it. At that moment, her radio crackled. She glanced down for a split second. When she looked up, headlights blinded her. She screamed and jerked the steering wheel to the left. Tires screeched. Metal crunched. Jenny lurched forward and the airbag abruptly smashed her face. She felt the back of the squad car rise and flip end over end. Glass shattered. Her body was smashed and bent as metal wrapped violently around her…

When the car came to rest, Jenny lay motionless. She tried to move, but couldn’t. Why can’t I feel pain?

The police radio crackled. “Dispatch, 118,” called the dispatcher, “you can cancel that previous call.”

Jenny blinked. Everything was black. She swallowed hard and choked on the blood that pooled in her throat.

“Dispatch, 118…happy first of April.”

Jenny gasped. Her mind drifted to Gracie—waiting at home. Her body convulsed as her heart slowed to a stop.

“Dispatch, 118, do you copy?”

Those were the last words Officer Jenny LeBlanc heard.

BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016).
 
© 2015 BJ Bourg

Book Marketing Kung Fu vs. Telemarketing Tae Kwon Do

Writing


Telemarketer: “Hello, I’m ABC from XYZ. How are you tonight?”
Me: “I’m great. How are you?”
Telemarketer: “Fine, thank you. We’re conducting a survey—”
Me: “Hey, I need you to do me a favor. Go to Amazon.com right quick.” Slight pause. “Let me know when you’re there.”
Telemarketer: “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t have access to a computer at the moment. I’m calling because—”
Me: “Okay, then get on your cell phone and access Amazon from there. Stay on this phone with me and get on the internet with your cell phone.”
Telemarketer: “Believe it or not, I don’t have a smart phone, sir. The reason I was calling is—”
Me: “Ask someone to borrow their smart phone and get on Amazon real quick.”
Telemarketer: “I’m sorry, sir, but we’re not allowed to have cell phones while we’re doing surveys.”
Me: “Well, do you have a pen and paper?”
Telemarketer: “Yes, sir, I do have that.”
Me: “Let me know when you’re ready to write something down.”
Rustling noise in the background.
Telemarketer: “Okay, I’m ready.”
Me: “Write down ‘BJ Bourg’—that’s the name of the author.” I waited a few seconds. “Got that?”
Telemarketer: “Yes, sir.”
Me: “Now write down ‘JAMES 516’—that’s the name of the book.” Again, I waited a few seconds. “Did you get that?”
Telemarketer: “Yes, sir.”
Me: “When you get a chance, go to Amazon.com and buy a copy of the book—you WON’T regret it!”
Telemarketer: “Okay, sir, thank you for the tip. Goodbye.”
The line went dead.
Book marketing kung fu wins!

BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016).
 
© 2015 BJ Bourg

My Son’s Golden Birthday

Family
Twenty-one years ago, on the 21st day of March, Brandon was born. One year later he got his first taste of birthday cake–my, how things have changed!

With his arrival came the best titled I’ve ever held…”Dad”. That was the first happiest day of my life (the second came when Grace was born) and he’s brought me nothing but good times and happy memories. Sure, there were worrisome times–like when he had severe asthma as a child and when he broke his back in high school–but we came out the other side stronger and closer.
 

Brandon has always been the best son a father could ask for and, when Grace Bourg arrived, he became the best big brother a sister could ask for. (I’m amazed at how well Brandon and Grace got along all of these years–considering I had siblings–a true testament to their good character.) He remains both to this day.

 


Brandon has developed into an amazing young man and he continues to grow every day, pushing himself to be the best that he can be in every facet of his life. Due to his hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence, I know the future holds great things for him. I look forward to watching him mature into an amazing “old” man and being there to cheer him on the entire way.



Happy Birthday, Buddy. I will always love you, support you, and wish you the very best.

P.S. You’re like a son to me.

BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016).
 
© 2015 BJ Bourg

Cover Reveal: THE SEVENTH TAKING

Writing
I just received the cover for my upcoming suspense/thriller, THE SEVENTH TAKING, which be available April 5, 2015 through Amber Quill Press. My favorite book covers have scenic backgrounds and my favorite scenes are mountains, so I guess it’s no surprise that I love the cover art.


Many thanks to Trace Edward Zaber for the outstanding work.

BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016).
 
© 2015 BJ Bourg

Another Story in Woman’s World

Flash Fiction
My “Solve-It-Yourself Mystery” titled ON THE ROCKS is in the February 16, 2015 issue of Woman’s World and is on newsstands now…well, except for that one rack near that one register in the Mathews Wal-Mart, because Grace and I bought the whole stack. The story features recurring characters, Detectives Grace Winston and Brandon Sharper.

Imagine how horrible it would be if…

Family


Imagine you decide to take your daughter hiking in the wilderness area of the Kisatchie National Forest and the last time you had cell service was about twenty miles back. You hike for an hour, or so, without a care in the world. The sun is going down, so you decide to go back to the parking area to make the long drive back to Leesville, LA.



Imagine you get to your dark blue Tahoe and stick your hand in your pocket, but your keys are gone. You realize instantly that the ULL lanyard that had been hanging from your pocket must’ve been ripped away by some tree branch you brushed against somewhere deep in the woods. You don’t have a flashlight and your cell phone is locked in the Tahoe, so you can’t use the flashlight feature on it, and the sun will go down before you can find your keys.



Imagine you start calculating the costs and chances of getting a ride to an area with cell service and finding a GMC dealer on a Sunday evening who can cut a key and bring it out to you. You realize that won’t happen and you know the only way your daughter will not have to sleep outside in the cold wilderness with no shelter is if you find those keys. You set out to backtrack the thousands of steps y’all took through the dense wilderness, although knowing it’s futile and night will fall while y’all are deep in the backcountry. There’s no doubt in your mind y’all will be wandering aimlessly in the dark, trying to remain on the trail while feeling blindly around for the keys.


Imagine you and your daughter get about two hundred yards down the trail, rushing to beat the sunset, when you see a hiker from Lake Charles named Dominic Doucet walking toward y’all. You open your mouth to ask if he’s seen a set of keys, knowing it’s a long shot, but he smiles and raises his hand—and your keys are dangling from the ULL lanyard he’s clutching.


I didn’t have to imagine that scenario. It was very real. It happened when I took Grace to climb the only outdoor bouldering rock in Louisiana, Wolf Rock Cave, which is located near Fort Polk, LA. 



After climbing all morning and exploring the narrow cave, we decided to head north to the Kisatchie National Forest. The last time we were there, Grace was about five, and it was cool to show her the area again—especially the very spot on the beach where she was hit in the face with a football.


In any event, I want to publicly extend my thanks to Dominic Doucet. As I told him that day, he was truly a Godsend and saved me a lot of money and trouble.

What a difference 10 years can make…

 
BJ Bourg
www.bjbourg.com

Alive Into Hell

Writing
My book of short stories titled Alive Into Hell is available on Amazon in Kindle edition. It contains twenty of my previously published short stories. Here’s a brief description:

Lydia Becker wants to leave her INDOLENT husband, but he’s holding a secret over her head that makes it impossible to go; Rebecca Simms goes camping in the mountains with her husband and all is well until a BEAR starts nosing around, but the bear might not be their biggest problem; Edward Brooks uses his BACKYARD for more than work, and he might just pay a hefty price; A noise disturbs a man’s sleep and something, or someone, really gets his BLOOD pumping; Reggie KELLER and his wife take the full brunt of a storm while out boating on the lake and they argue over their recent divorce plans; Winston’s discovery makes him lose his lunch, but that won’t stop him from trying to make a DEATH notification; Russell Allen doesn’t like his son’s new video game, but Brock wants to get to the FINAL LEVEL regardless…

To find out what happens to these folks, check out their stories and a dozen others, which feature normal, everyday people thrust into impossible situations that almost always calls for a murder, but are they justified? One thing is certain…the right person does not always die.

Ranging from flash pieces to medium-range shorts, these stories can be gulped down with a morning cup of coffee, an afternoon sandwich, or a midnight snack. If you decide to give them a try, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

BJ Bourg