Your Villain Is Sneaking Over Our Borders? Info for Writers with Vincent Annunziato

Does your plot include crossing a border into the United States? You'll have to get your character past the border guards.

To help inform our writing about US borders, I've invited Kindle Scout Winner Vincent Annunziato to join us today.

Fiona - 
Vincent, in the news we often hear about border issues, and it seems like a wonderful dynamic to add to a plotline since it is a struggle for life or death, a way of living, and more. Can we start by your background?

Vincent - 
First of all, I have to state that I am acting on my own personal accord and I am not officially representing the government or CBP. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

My background: I have worked for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since 1996. I started out as an Inspector at Los Angeles Airport. I worked in various positions for 8 years which included passenger processing as well as cargo processing. Eventually, I was offered and accepted a position in Washington, DC. I was hired at what is termed a "Subject Matter Expert." In this position I helped build the CBP Information Technology (IT) systems. I have been there for 11 years and am now a Director.

As an IT Director, I work on one of the largest and most successful civilian government projects the federal government has budgeted. I oversee programs that Customs brokers use to bring cargo into the United States.

On this project, I have received 5 Commissioner awards in my tenure. One of them, called the Ambassador Award is the highest facilitation award given to non-uniformed staff. I was one of 2 selectees out of all of customs personnel to receive it.

I currently oversee three major programs for CBP, Cargo Release, Single Window and Mobility Apps. And yes, in my spare time I write novels.


Fiona - 
Please tell us what the duties of the border security force are?

Vincent -
Border Security breaks down into a couple of different components.

• There is the human aspect which people are most familiar with. There is a difference between immigration and passing through Customs. Immigration focuses on rules governing people. Customs focuses on rules governing goods. 
• When a person enters from foreign into the US they agree to abide by the laws as set forth in this country. 
• The person must have proper identification such as passports and visas in order to come here legally. 
• They also must adhere to the laws governing what is lawful to bring into the country. I'm sure many have seen little beagles sniffing for fruits and vegetables. But anything purchased overseas is subject to our authority. 
• There is also the non-human aspect. 
• To import goods into the country importers must make entry. As an example if a person were to import clothing or watches they would need to file the proper data or documentation. 
• Imported goods have what is called duties or taxes and those charges are collected by Customs. People coming from overseas are responsible to declare those items or suffer severe penalties.

That is a summary of what CBP does with people at the border. If we expand to cargo related items. I would like to give you a little historical information.

CBP is a self-sufficient agency. Meaning we pay for ourselves.

The agency itself has been around for several hundred years. It is one of the oldest US agencies. Signed into being in 1789, the Customs service has quite a history.

CBP has two main responsibilities. Protecting our borders and collecting revenue. We are the buffer between international terrorism and the safety of our homeland. Since we are also a revenue-collecting agency, we keep our economy moving strong. Cargo comprises most of our revenue. Individual duties are a very small portion of what the agency takes in. Commercial revenue arrives on large ships coming into ports such as Long Beach, CA and New York. It can come in on planes, trucks, trains, etc…. All of these modes of transportation bring goods into the country. And all of those goods that come into our economy are subject to taxes and duties.

The importing companies pay the US government to legally bring goods into the country.



Fiona - 
How are the border guards chosen? What kinds of backgrounds and expertise are sought after?

Vincent - 
Border guards, or better stated, Customs Officials are broken up into a number of different divisions.

We have Customs and Border Protection Officers, Border Patrol Agents, Agriculture Officers, Immigration Officers, Air and Marine divisions.

Customs Officers apply to the government and are selected based on education and experience. It is the ground floor of law enforcement and you have to have a clean background, meaning no felonies associated to your name.

Officers go through a 12 to 13 week training course if selected and are trained in a number of different areas.
Everyone who attends the school must be able to prove they can: 

• Fire a weapon 
• Have good physical ability 

They must be able to pass a battery of academic tests too. These tests include understanding international laws and regulations and harmonized tariff schedule (classification of goods).

Fiona - 
What kinds of personalities would do well in this job and conversely which personalities would create tensions in a plotline?

Vincent - 

• There many different types that serve in this agency. It is quite large. But when you look at the types that the public comes in contact with I really see two categories. There are the military types that come straight from military backgrounds.
• They are usually very letter of the law and disciplined. 
• Those without a strong law enforcement background or military background are usually more analytical. They will dig very deeply into the laws and smuggling habits and leave no stone unturned. 
• We see these types on specialized teams performing large volumes of reconnaissance to study up on items like black market goods, drug marketing, etc. 
• As far as plotlines, I would stay away from the typical postal worker type that is slovenly and does very little.
• Those without military background, such as myself fall into a   different category. 
• These types tend to be more analytical. 
• There are more astute in the irregularities they see from trends. 
• There is one other distinct difference especially with the younger ones. They tend to be very generation Y. Meaning they work toward small goals, very internet savvy, and believe they can do anything even if they don’t have the experience.

Fiona -
What is the craziest thing that you've ever heard of being smuggled either into or out of our country?

Vincent - 
Birds Eggs. Apparently, a person came into the airport and several officers noticed she had very large hair that went straight up. Her hair caught a lot of attention, but nobody immediately saw anything wrong.

When the woman was called into secondary for questioning, apparently the officer heard what sounded like chirping. Sure enough the woman was smuggling exotic birds into the country and they hatched in her hair. LOL

Fiona - 
That's hysterical. While many focus on the southern border when they think of border control, my concern is our vast shoreline. Does the border control and the coast guard work in tandem? What is does that relationship look like?

Vincent - 
Yes, CBP works very closely with the Coast Guard. The agency has its own Air and Marine Division.
Every area of the country is very dangerous and has its own component to deal with.

People don't think of Canada as an area that could be potentially dangerous, but I can tell you that many people forget about the car bomber that was trying to come in from up there to blow up LAX where I used to work.

The Coast Guard can stop ships if it needs to out on the ocean and although I don't have much personal experience that area we are both a part of the same department (DHS) and the two agencies have joint activities when necessary.

Fiona - 
You mentioned earlier the issues with weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) can you tell us, without giving away State secrets, the kinds of equipment that would be used to monitor for this and if there is a special task force employed?

Vincent - 
Officers are equipped with devices that can detect nuclear weapons. There are also machines that are used to detect these devices. The agency of course also relies on intelligence that it garners from outside sources such as other agencies. Every unit that works the front line receives training to detect these types of items and how to respond.

Fiona - 
When you read books or watch movies that include border safety, what do you see written incorrectly (the technical side of things)? What stereotypes do you wish the writers would stop using (the personality side of things)?

Vincent - 
Tough question. Most of the time when I see officials from CBP portrayed, they are either in the background not doing anything or being portrayed as somewhat lackadaisical. That drives me crazy.

The officer in their role has to make decisions in a matter of seconds. They are looking for something that is at the 6th sense level. Is it a twitch, or unexplained nervousness reaction?

These officers don't need probable cause to approach someone they only need mere suspicion. So an officer, a good one is "INTUITIVE." They see things before the average person, and they can decipher another person's actions into tangible, confrontable issues.

How does an officer identify a "swallower" or one who swallows drugs to smuggle into the US? Is it a person who dresses slightly off? Who looks a little slower? A little more active? When you get to this point in your character analysis, you are really uncovering a potentially complex creature that is very cognizant of their surroundings.

One other thing that may be helpful to understand, is that these people are not shy. They are always in front of the public, looking for smuggling activity. Because of this, they are usually dealing with uncomfortable situations and are not intimidated easily.

Fiona - 
You mentioned a swallower. First question - could a scent-trained K9 pick up on the scent inside of a person if they had thoroughly cleaned after the swallow? And part 2 if you have a suspicion you have a swallower how do you prove/disprove the suspicion - what 4th amendment rights are preserved by the person?

Vincent - 
K-9's cannot pick up scents on someone who has swallowed balloons filled with narcotic.

It takes a specially trained officer to recognize this kind of smuggling. I will say that it is one of the most dangerous methods for smugglers to agree too. If the balloon bursts, the people smuggling in this manner will die a horrible death.

With international law, a person is taken in (again on mere suspicion). If a person is suspected of smuggling in that manner, they are brought to a hospital for x-rays and/or a monitored bowel movement MBM. Literally, the potential smuggler will be watched and the officer will wait until they have passed the items before going any further.

Fiona - 
Describe "horrible death."

Vincent - 
The narcotic acts like acid inside the body and literally eats away at the organs. This method was also used with dogs and puppies. Dogs have the drugs surgically implanted and when they reach the US, they are killed. Many dogs have been found in the streets with their stomachs cut open. The drug trade is a cruel and vicious employment.

Fiona - 
They made puppies eat narcotics balloons? There's a special ring in hell for such a villain.

Vincent - 
Yes. These people are not businessmen. They are murderers. And the MULES (smugglers) who humanly transport drugs are people in dire straits.

Smugglers are usually desperate for money, so they see the money which can make them more in one successful trip than what they make in a year. Of course once they do smuggle, they can't get out. If they try, it isn’t just them who have their life threatened, but all their family and friends. Nobody wins in this business.

Fiona - 
Do border officials ever do undercover ops? Or are they always in uniform?

Vincent - 
There are special ops where people go out in plain clothes. For the most part CBP is uniformed.

Fiona - 
Do you have your own jail system?

Vincent - 
No

Fiona - What happens to the people who were being brought over in human trafficking? Are they given medical treatment? Are they sent right home? Does this response change if they are minors?

Vincent - 
This is a sad situation. I don't really have experience with this, but yes, I do know that people are treated well, and then returned to the country they came from. They receive medical treatment and then they are deported.

Fiona - 
A question about integrity - it seems to me that if I were a bad guy (and karmic retribution didn't terrify me) that I would try to plant some people in the roll of border guard so I could get a free pass when it came to my nefarious shipments. How does your agency thwart such plans?

Vincent - 
LOL - yeah, I don't think too many criminals are into Karma. Greed usually is the prime motivator. As every agency we self police. There is a separate Internal Affairs unit that does prosecute and oversees cases.

We have a website that tracks people who succumb to criminal activity. The numbers never make sense to me. I don’t know why anyone would aid the bad guys. It’s amazing to me that people give up a good paying job for a quick hit. The cash that people make doesn’t add up either. It’s not like they make enough to go buy an island. So they give up a good paying job for some cash. Just an odd thing in my book. But something for writers to think about.

Fiona - 
How do you interact with the various governments do they give you heads ups? Do you work cases together?

Vincent -
Fiona this is very complicated question. The regular officer does not interact in this manner. The agents who are not the same as officers probably have more experience in this area. Officers usually assist in cases where our expertise is needed. We understand the flow of goods, but most of the international liaisoning (I know that's not a word) is done a different level. Agencies have to have agreements in order to share information.


Fiona - 
(English is a living language and can grow with new words. I like liasoning.)

I was thinking that the particular government and their GDP as well as the politics would have a great deal to do with things. What should I have asked you if I knew enough on the topic to ask?

Vincent - 
I guess you might ask how we keep our business competitive in a global market.

US business is one of the agency's priorities. International agreements are signed to keep domestic companies competitive. There is something called anti-dumping.

When a company from foreign produces a lot of goods at cheap prices they can flood the markets here in the US so that our companies go out of business. CBP protects our country by setting up quotas.

Fiona - 
What types of flooding? Is this Chinese steel?

Vincent -
Could be batteries, transistors, TVs. Could be anything.

Fiona - 
Besides writing on your work commute, how has your job influenced your writing?

Vincent - 

Several things actually. One I have become a very good observer of personal interactions. Many of my experiences in my work life have influenced me.

Some people identify well with a badge. They see the person as someone who is protecting them vs. others who feel the badge signifies something that is stopping them from what they want to do.

Also, I use as a constant motif one of the issues I have dealt with on an on-going basis. The job day in and day out is the same and a lot of overtime is worked so the officers have to face the same public everyday it weighs on you after a while. Overcoming that obstacle mixed in with a feeling of there has to be something better always finds its way into my characters.

Fiona - 
Can you give me a synopsis of you Kindle Scout Winning novel?

Vincent - 

33 Degrees is a very different dystopian/post-apocalyptic.

33 Blurb:

It is said that in the depths of the Underground lies a weapon so powerful it will save the Northern herd from the cruelty slavery has put them under. It is said that anyone who holds the Pulse, holds the power to freedom. It is said… well after so many years, no one really believes it anymore.

18 year old, Javin has grown accustomed to death. Burdened by a new ice age, little food and very little fuel for heat, only the strong survive under the threat of nature and the cruelty of the South. Survival is a train ride away and missing it can be deadly. Everyone battles to board so that they can work in the mines where Northerners are paid with two small meals and enough coal to heat their homes for the night.

Everyday's a struggle for the herd. Survivors would rather die than live and many say that even the sun has turned its back on them. They believe it is hidden behind the Southern wall in a city where no Northerner will journey. Javin has his own personal issues as he waits for the perfect time to kill and be killed. Only there’s one catch. A new found love, sparks unexpected hope.

In this dystopian, post-apocalyptic view of the future, Javin must rise from the depths of despair and help his people find their way back to their rightful place in the world.

A daunting task for anyone living in a world where it is too warm to die, and too cold to live.

Fiona -
And finally, per tradition will you tell us a scar story?

Vincent -
Between my thumb and pointing finger I have a scar shaped like a bird. As a young boy I picked up a piece of wood with a nail in it and lifted it not realizing it was connected at the other end. I pulled hard and the wood slipped out of my hand. When the wood snapped down the nail pierced me in the soft muscle between the two fingers. It went straight through. Ironically, no blood.

Fiona -
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us today, Vincent.

If you want to stay in touch with Vincent, here are his links:website: www.vincent-robert-annunziato.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VincentRAnnunziato
Google+: google.com/+VincentRobertAnnunziato

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Cheers,

I am NOT Hostile (I'm just adverse): Trial Witness info for Writers with John Higgins, Esq.

A few of you have written to me asking for an article that explains what a hostile witness is. ThrillWriting friend, John Higgins, has kindly stepped in to illuminate this for us.

John spent 26 years in government, the last 15 years as a Deputy Attorney General and statewide prosecutor. John prosecuted cases in 19 of New Jersey's 21 counties, from simple assault to homicides including writing the plea agreement for the serial killer nurse Charles Cullen. (Information about Cullen HERE) 

Fiona - 
John, welcome and thank you for coming. We've all heard about hostile witnesses on the stand, but I'm assuming this isn't referring to their in-the-moment demeanor. Can you explain how and why a witness would be addressed with that adjective?


John - 
Well actually, it can be in-the-moment demeanor. Depending on the court rules in a specific jurisdiction, there are different requirements for someone to be considered hostile, actually.

Let me go back one step and explain how the whole witness testimony procedure works.

I will do it from a criminal trial perspective. If your readers want to do it in a civil lawsuit setting substitute plaintiff for prosecutor.


In presenting a case, the prosecutor must provide evidence for each of the elements specified in the statute that makes a criminal offense.

Under United States law, an element of a crime (or element of an offense) is one of a set of facts that must all be proven to convict a defendant of a crime. Before a court finds a defendant guilty of a criminal offense, the prosecution must present evidence that, even when opposed by any evidence the defense may choose to present, is credible and sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed each element of the particular crime charged. The component parts that make up any particular crime vary depending on the crime. (link)

• Mental state (Mens Rea) - intent related blog link
• Conduct (actus Reus) - the illegal act
• Concurrence -  you have an illegal action and the intent to do that action at the same time
• Causation - harm ocurred

Witness testimony is often used to fill those elements, but so can evidence in the forms of documents, pictures, DNA, etc.

The prosecutor always goes first as he or she has the burden of proof.

Witnesses are prepped before trial so we know what they will testify to or about.

Often times, there are statements already given under oath by a witness to a police officer, detective or even in front of the grand jury. (related blog post)



As prosecutors, we

• Expect the witness' testimony to be in accord with their previous statements.
• Prepare a witness close to trial to also make sure they remember.
• Allow them to read any pre-existing statement of their own if need be to refresh their recollection as part of trial prep (this can also be done in while they are on the witness stand – they can review their statement but not read from it). Remember, often a case can take 2 years or more before it goes to trial.

So as we go into trial we know the lay of the land. The prosecutor in putting on his case in chief (meaning his main testimony and evidence supporting his version of the case) must elicit what is known as direct testimony - that is we are required to ask open ended questions.to trial

So as we go into trial we know the lay of the land.

The prosecutor in putting on his case in chief ( meaning he's the one with the burden of proving his case) must elicit what is known as direct testimony - that is we are required to ask open ended questions.

We can do a bit of guided testimony to move along preliminary areas - this means we are looking for yes or no answers, which has in effect the information we are looking for as part of the question.

After we get direct testimony from our witness the defendant's attorney gets to cross examine, which means that they can ask questions that should elicit a yes or no answer.

They can ask open ended questions as well but using the yes or no answers they can box in a witness and confine them to the specific information in the question asked.

Follow me so far?

Fiona -
What if the witness wants to expound beyond a yes or no to indicate a shade of grey?

Are cross questions only supposed to be black and white?

John - 
Well a witness under cross will often try to get the information in and generally a judge will allow them to give a fuller answer to some extent. If that witness gets cut off, I can do what's known as re-direct. I can ask them to fully answer that question after the defense attorney is done with cross examination.

Fiona -
Good thank you.

John -
Now one other parameter, cross examination is limited to the topic areas covered on direct examination unless it's bringing in information like a prior criminal conviction that would impeach their truthfulness.

So redirect is also limited to the areas covered in cross examination. That way a whole new area doesn't open up. If you missed it the first time, you can't then go into it afterwards unless it's some form of rebuttal.

Generally, any witness one calls in the case in chief is a friendly witness - one who supports the prosecutor's view of the case, confirmed of course in pre trial preparation.

Now, there can also be a witness that I would rather not call because they are tied to the defendant in a significant way but for whatever reason I need information that they have and therefore have to call in my case in chief. I'm trying to think of a good example...let's say someone who can put the defendant at the location of the crime, but they are the boyfriend or girlfriend of the defendant. They do not want to testify against their loved one. (And they don't like me, lol.) They would be considered an adverse witness.

• It’s obvious they will not want to testify for me because of their tie to the defendant.
• I know they will be trouble for me.
• I can argue (ask the judge) to call them as an adverse witness. (Remember, I know this ahead of time.)
• So, I get to cross examine them from the very start, eliciting mostly yes or no answers not asking them open ended questions, confining their testimony to the certain topic

Now we get to hostile witnesses

A hostile witness technically is someone who is expected to testify consistently to what they testified to earlier. I believe they will do that but when they get on the stand they change their testimony drastically.


Fiona - 
What are some things that could make them hostile? My mind goes to threats and intimidation.


John -
That could be true, or they are playing games and trying to protect the defendant.

Generally, the prosecutor would ask a couple of questions confirming this change in testimony, and to make obvious this new version. To be safe, us their surprise I would ask for a sidebar, and then argue to the judge that I did not expect this testimony. It came out of nowhere. They had testified much differently before or told me other information.

I would then request that I be allowed to treat the witness as a hostile witness. Then I can keep their testimony much more confined through cross examination type questions.
That can also happen in pre-trial preparation, where you find out that they will be testifying as a hostile witness. Some jurisdictions require you to show more evidence to the judge if you know before hand. Similar to an adverse witness but on steroids.

A wise prosecutor is careful about these things, wanting to keep the judge up to speed. If it goes wrong in front of the jury, you could walk into mistrial territory.

Fiona - 
Really?

John -
You have to be careful what's heard in the jury's presence often in a trial the jury is kept out of the courtroom while these type things are dealt with. Once a jury hears it, they can be given a corrective instruction by the judge, but that only does so much.

If one of your witnesses just becomes really argumentative with you, you can request the court to have the witness just answer the question, but it certainly makes your case weaker.

I know that was a lot to digest....

These things present themselves on a case specific basis. Doing a trial is in many ways an art form.

Sometimes the prosecutor just elicits all the damaging information about their own witness, prior convictions, or weaknesses in the beginning of a case, admitting the problem and not giving the defense attorney the chance to make it appear that we were hiding something from the jury, or that the defense found this gaping hole in the case.

Fiona - 

Okay here they are 2 different scenarios:

1) An ex-wife wants to see ex-hubby go to jail. She is testifying. The guy is innocent, but she can put a spin on things that makes it not so clear that he's innocent - what do you do with her?

John - 
Her testimony would be in support of the state's case from what you describe. So I don't know that I would have her in hostile or adverse witness territory at all.

Now if she was lying, and I knew it. I wouldn't use her as a witness in support of my case at all.

The defense attorney will bring out her lies on cross if I didn't know she was lying. Prosecutors are not omniscient.

Fiona - 
Could the defendant's lawyer say she was hostile?

John - 
No. He gets to cross examine her if I use her as a witness first anyway. If I never called her, and he decided to call her, and he knew she was lying, he could then seek to have her treated an adverse or a hostile witness, yes.

The defense attorney is also confined to direct questions when he puts on his case.

Then I get to cross examine his witnesses.

So ...testimony in a trial goes like this:

• Prosecutions goes first puts on a witness and has to use direct (open ended) questions.
• Defense atty then gets to cross examine..prosecution can than redirect, defense can then recross for each of the state's witnesses.
• After all the State witnesses are called, the State rests its case.
• The defense gets to put on his case and calls a witness. Defense must use direct (open ended) questions.
• Prosecution gets to cross examine.
• Defense gets to do redirect.
• Prosecution gets to recross
• When all of the defense witnesses are done, then the defendant rests its case.

Fiona - 

Whew!

Scenario 2) Defendant's fiance is called to testify against the love of her life. Agh! She witnessed the crime, but she doesn't want Cuddle Bear to rot in the slammer. She is on the witness stand, defiant and protective. What do you do? 

John - 

In scenario #2 she would qualify as an adverse witness right off the bat from what you describe. Mainly because of her status as the defendant’s fiancé. A better example would be: We cut a deal with the fiancée to testify against Cuddle Bear so she gets lesser charges in exchange for testimony against the guy. She remains consistent about testifying against the fiancé all through trial preparation. Now, she gets on the stand and does what you said above, becomes belligerent and now untruthful.

I would then request she be considered a hostile witness. And I would confine her testimony tightly -- get exactly what I needed from her and get her off the stand.

Remember, I can always request that the court advise her to confine her answers to the questions asked. If the defense attorney attempts to follow up on whatever she just mentioned, I can object on the basis that it's beyond the scope of the direct testimony.

Of course, any objection is at the discretion of the trial judge. He may sustain or overrule the objection.

A hostile witness can be fatal to a case.

Fiona - 

Thank you so much for that explanation. Are you sure I can't convince you to write a book - Courtrooms Explained: Information Writers?

John -
Right now, I am working on my memoirs. I'm still in the proposal stage. I'm not sure if that will take two months or two years. 

Fiona - 

In the meantime though, we can listen to your sagesse, John is on Practical Solutions For America at 11 pm EST on the Barb Adams show every Saturday night, discussing problems in american and solutions www.radioamerikanow.com

I know you'll want to tune in. Listening to professionals speak gives you a rhythm and tone quality that you can use in your writing. Word choices, thought processes, all of it adds to depth of character. (And you'll probably enjoy the subject matter, too.)

Here is John's  website 

Thank you to John for sharing his expertise and his willingness to help. 

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE
Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. Cheers,When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Removed for their Safety Does Not Mean they're safe: Foster Care for Writers with Nikki Grey

____________________________________________________
Today, we are talking about writing characters correctly and specifically characters who are involved with Social Services as foster children. 

There are many reasons why a child might be placed in foster care such as:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Neglect (including such things as food, safe/clean environment, emotional support)
• Medical neglect
• Incarceration of the parent/guardian
• Abandonment
• Voluntary placement because of parent/guardian illness.
• Placement because of parental/guardian death

There are also non-parental/guardian involved reasons for placing a child within the system 

• Juvenile delinquency
• Truancy
• Runaways



Length of stay in U.S. foster care (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To help us with this subject, I welcome Nikki Grey.

NIKKI GREY
Robby Barthelmess, photographer

Nikki Grey was born in Southern California, but grew up in Northern Nevada. At 12 years old, she entered the Nevada foster care system, and spent the next six years living in different foster homes. After a great deal of self-advocacy (including realizing the power of writing after she wrote the Nevada governor’s office when she felt her case was being mishandled by social workers), the then 17-year-old moved in with one of her high school teachers, who later adopted her as an adult.

Nikki grew up wanting to become a lawyer and advocated for herself during court hearings about her living situation in foster care. Later, after working in two law offices, Nikki decided she wanted a different career. In hopes of going into public relations, Nikki chose journalism as her major at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is now a freelance writer.

In Nikki's case, she became part of the foster care system when her mother was dying from cancer, her extended family was unable or unwilling to care for her, and she experienced abuse and neglect.

Thank you so much for your willingness to share your story so that we writers can write our characters correctly in our storylines, Nikki.

From your experience, can you walk us through the child's perspective? How does one learn they are going into care? Who interacts with them? And who has ongoing contact with the children once they are placed?

Nikki - 
In my case, and many cases, the child doesn't know what is going on or what foster care is or where they are going.

A social worker came to my house and told me to pack a bag full of clothes but not to take anything valuable. I was doing laundry so she had me fill a garbage bag with dirty clothes.

She drove my brother and me to an emergency shelter group home, where she said we'd only be for a few weeks (which is why she wouldn't let me take more than a few outfits).

Once I arrived, I had to "inventory" all of my clothes by writing my initials on the tags so if they were stolen by another child they could be identified. That was upsetting. My brother was placed in a foster home before I was. I stayed in the emergency shelter for six months before a placement, in a different town, was found for me.

Once placed, I had a social worker who was supposed to visit once a month. This didn't always happen but happened more for me because I was moved around a lot. I was allowed to speak to my mother on the phone.

She had colon cancer so when I was removed from my father's home I couldn't live with her.

Fiona - 
What were the things surprised you about being a foster child?

Nikki - 
I felt like I was being punished, like I was in jail (when, in fact, my dad was the one in jail).

I was surprised at how many rules I had to follow and how many of the group home workers and foster families were unkind to me. I thought, why are they doing this if they don't like kids?

I was also surprised that many of the homes I ended up in didn't seem any better than the one I left. I was abused and neglected in foster care, too.

And the worst was always assumed of me; I must be a bad kid, because my parents were bad or other foster kids were.

I was surprised by the horrible stories I heard of former foster kids who lived in the groups homes I did. How they were prostitutes or pregnant; why did my foster parents tell me these things?

And I had no privacy.

Fiona - 
Can you tell me about some of the new rules you were expected to follow?

Nikki - 
I couldn't stay the night at a friend's house. I had to do chores, but often not just to clean up for myself or foster siblings. I had to clean up after my foster parents.

I had one foster father insist I clean my room for his "military room inspection". He'd look for dust with a white glove on and if he didn't find anything he'd lift a piece of furniture, like a dresser that was too heavy for me to lift, find dust and fail me. So then I'd be grounded.

I was grounded a lot and then had to do chores on the ranch I lived in, like clean up horse poop.

There is more, but I don't know that I need to go into all the specifics.

Fiona - 

Were you offered counseling? Did you have a trusted adult at this point to help you deal with your mother's impending death?

Nikki - 
I actually had to go to counseling (although I wanted to, it wasn't optional). So, I did have a counselor help me deal with my mom's death.

I didn't have a trusted adult, per se, until I moved in with my foster mother (my teacher), aside from my grandmother, but she couldn't care for us so that's not exactly the same.

I had a few teachers and coaches say nice things to me, which I held on to.

At the time I didn't see it this way, but I was very fortunate to have been moved into a small town, because people noticed me there. I think in a city or larger area, foster kids may "slip through the cracks" with no one noticing because there are so many people and so many things going on.

Fiona -
If you could give one fairy god-mother swish of the wand to every foster child what would you gift them?

Nikki - 
A family, but I don't think that's what you're asking. I'd give them the ability to believe that being in foster care is temporary and that, although the bad that has happened to them in their life so far likely wasn't their fault, when they become adults they are in control of their lives, for the most part, and can make good decisions that will make their lives better.

Fiona - 
When you read books or watch TV and movies which include a plotline that has foster children what kinds of mistakes do you think writers who do not have a personal experience with foster care make.

Nikki - 
Foster children have long been misrepresented in the media by shows like Law and Order. I mean, how many plot lines where the former foster kid is the criminal can you run? Other shows, while entertaining, depict foster children as deviants. In The Secret Life of the American Teenager foster youth Ricky Underwood, who was sexually abused by his father prior to entering foster care, manifests his self-loathing by sleeping around with girls, treating them badly, and ultimately becoming a teenage father after a one-night-stand.(I'd like to add that The Secret Life character does end up becoming a good dad in the end.)

Although there are many negative statistics that show what tends to happen to foster kids when they grow up, not all foster children turn out to be criminals. And constantly receiving messages that imply that’s all we are going to amount to isn’t doing anyone any favors.

With that being said, Law and Order is a really great show! And I liked The Secret Life of The American Teenager, too.

I'm just saying it would be nice to see other outcomes represented more frequently. The Fosters on ABC is better at making the characters more multi-dimensional.

Fiona - 
What do you wish that I asked about foster kids?

Nikki - 
A few things off the top of my head, that I would like to add.

• I think it's important that people realize that prior to entering foster care, these children have had difficult lives, most likely, and the things that have happened to them have shaped their worldview, how they act, how they speak, how they treat people. 
• They often didn't have great role models showing them how to live. Even then, they probably love their families, even if those families abused them. It's all they've ever known. And then they are taken from that, thrown into a new world, with little guidance and few, if any, people who take the time to understand them, help them cope and grow. They then are sometimes treated badly and again and again moved around, causing problems in their schooling.
• Foster kids can tell if people are judging them or looking down on them. And they may be too proud to admit it, but this can be humiliating. They just want to be like everyone else.
• Foster care is scary sometimes. You don't know what's going to happen; you have little to no control over any of it; and you're lonely. It can be very, very lonely.
• These kids need people who are patient and loving and understanding. Not judgement. But they also need people who are firm and provide (appropriate) discipline. The saddest thing for me to see is foster kids who end up just like their parents. It doesn't have to be that way.

Fiona - 
Why are the children moved around so frequently?

Nikki - 
Not all children are moved around frequently, but some are. There are so many reasons. Sometimes if foster kids get into trouble, they get kicked out (which is sad, because kids misbehave and most of the time, their biological parents won't kick them out for that). Sometimes the foster parents aren't equipped to deal with a certain child's needs or didn't realize what they were getting into. Sometimes the kids are abused in the homes. Or they don't get along with their foster families. Or because they don't qualify for that level of care anymore. There are levels in the foster care system and those levels constitute different types of care and different funding, it's kind of complicated.

Or foster parents might just not want you anymore; that happens, too.

Fiona - 

Can you ask to be moved?

Nikki - 
You can ask, but there aren't many foster homes so your wants might not be listened to unless you're being abused, then they'll remove you, but foster kids don't always tell their social workers what's going on.

I was moved from town to town because there weren't homes available near my school often.

Some kids lose credits and have difficulty advancing grades or graduating because they have to switch schools frequently. Fortunately, this didn't happen to me.

Fiona - 

Can you talk a little about your writing and if/how you think your foster care experience influenced you?

Nikki - 

I'm a full-time freelance writer.

I have been published in national print and online media outlets. My articles have appeared in New Hair Trends, American Survival Guide, Geek Out and other Engaged Media magazines. I used to be a features reporter at a newspaper and, recently, I started publishing personal essays about my life. I hope to do that more in the future.

I write fiction, too, and I just sent my newest manuscript (with a protagonist who is in foster care) to my agent.

I think having experienced a lot with my family and foster care helps me have empathy. I've seen a lot in life for my age and that helps me as a writer.

I care very much about people and their struggles. I hope to use my writing to inspire and help people, including foster kids!

Fiona - 

Thanks, Nikki.

If you want to stay in touch with Nikki Grey you can contact her through her WEBSITE and on Twitter

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. Cheers,When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Every Day Carry for Police: Information for Writers

We're going to take a quick look at the typical tools available to officers as they confront their days.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Duty Belt

Disadvantages

• Weight - upward of 30 lbs. (think one-year-old baby) many of the belts are made of leather, though modern uniforms often use nylon to be lighter and washable (think body fluids). 
• Gravity - with all of that weight, the belt wants to slip down. "Belt keepers" circle the duty belt sometimes referred to as a Sam Browne, to hold it snugly to the officer's dress belt. These are snapped into place. See an example of what it looks like HERE.

Advantage - 

• Having equipment at the handy.

Typical EDC (every day carry)

• Pepper Spray - TW blog article
• Semi-automatic pistol in a security holster - TW blog article
• Magazines (clips) - TW blog article
• Phone - TW related article
• Flashlight
• Mini-flashlight (typical preparedness saying "One is none and Two is one.")
• Asp -  TW blog article
• Portable radio
• Taser - TW blog article
• Handcuffs TW blog article
• Handcuff keys
• Zip ties - TW blog article
• Glove pouch (latex)
• Bullet resistant vest (required by some jurisdictions adds about 5 lbs to the already 10-15 lb duty belt)
• By individual discretion - back up gun (police personal gun often in an ankle holster)
• By individual discretion knife/utility tool such as a Swiss Army knife or Leatherman.
• By individual discretion a kubotan - TW blog article

The Patrol Vehicle

• Mode of transportation
• Mobile office
• Equipment storage

Modifications might include:

• Push bumpers TW related blog article
• Rifle mounts
• Prisoner partitions
• Specialized locking systems
• Wiring systems which support the add ons
• Hidden lighting systems
• Bar lights
• Weapons lockboxes
• Camera equipment
• Sirens
• Radio equipment
• Computer terminals (called MDT for Mobile Data Terminal)
• For officer safety, the light that usually comes on when opening the door is often disconnected.

In the Trunk of the Patrol Vehicle:

• Fire extinguishers
• First Aid Kit
• Shotgun TW blog article
• Gas mask/protective suit
• AEDs or Automatic External Defibrillator (at around 1200$ these are slow to getting in each vehicle)TW blog article
• Traffic cones
• Flares
• Floatation devices
• Rechargeable flashlight
• Snow chains

Other Equipment might include:

• Radar 
• Alco-Sensor (for initial analysis of blood alcohol levels)
• Tint meter
• Ballistic shield
• Pepperball gun - this shoots round pellets (like paintball pellets) filled with a powder form of pepper spray. Shot at the feet the powder will spray up to disperse a crowd; hit in the chest of an aggressor or suicidal person it gives the officers time to take non-lethal action.

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. Cheers,When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

TOXIC: Information for Writers from Forensic Toxicologist Sabra Botch-Jones

Today, ThrillWriting welcomes Sabra Botch-Jones. Sabra is a Forensic Toxicologist and full-time faculty member at Boston University School of Medicine’s Biomedical Forensic Sciences graduate program. She teaches courses in Drug Chemistry, Forensic Toxicology and Instrumental Analysis in Forensic Laboratories.

Fiona - 

Sabra Botch-Jones, M.S., M.A., D-ABFT-FT
Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Boston University School of Medicine
Biomedical Forensic Sciences

Sabra, you have a very cool title. At what point did you realize that you wanted to be a forensic toxicologist?

Sabra - 
I realized that the field of Forensic Science was “where” I wanted to be in during my junior year of my undergraduate degree when I took an Introduction to Forensic Science course. I “thought” I wanted to be a psychiatrist. I did not know that the sub-discipline of Forensic Toxicology was my calling until I was working as an intern at the Federal Aviation Administration during my final year of undergrad.

Fiona - 
Here is a PRIMER on Forensic Toxicology.

Can you tell us what a forensic toxicologist does?


Sabra - 
A forensic toxicologist is like a chemist. We conduct instrumental analysis on biological samples (like blood and urine, but also body tissues or even bone at times) to determine the presence of drugs, including alcohol, and sometimes other compounds (like heavy metals, etc.) 

We are also trained in the interpretation of those results and what they may mean based on the case we are working with. For example, a toxicological result in a living person such as a Driving While Impaired (DWI) case may be different if we find the same value in a deceased person.

Forensic Toxicologists can work in Federal, State, County or private laboratories. The cases can involve living and deceased individuals.

Fiona -
You're sitting on the couch in your den, enjoying a bowl of popcorn with some of your colleagues and watching TV - a crime show. What are the things that make you throw food at the screen and yell at the writers for getting it ALL wrong? What points do you want writers to pay the closest attention to so that you can enjoy the plotline?

Sabra - 
So, I don’t have a lot of time to watch TV. As the mom of a 2 year-old, I watch a lot of Curious George (which I love); therefore, I don’t get to watch a lot of crime shows. But if I do, the over simplification of some things and the time it takes drives me crazy.

I don’t let it get to me too much because I know the producers and writers are working with time constraints to tell a story. Plus, as Forensic Toxicologists we are always trying to reduce the time it takes to perform analysis so at times it makes me wistful for faster analytical times. 

There is one other humorous thing forensic toxicologist like to joke about and that is wearing white clothes in the laboratory. Besides our lab coats, we don’t typically do that, but now I do it on purpose because every time I do I think of a shows like CSI.

Some points that would really impress me would be using the difficult names of our instrumentation like Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry or Supercritical Fluid Chromatography.

Fiona - 
Do you ever go to a crime scene? Do you ever interview a witness or a family member? Do you ever seek (outside of the laboratory) evidence to support a theory that you came up with while doing your forensic analysis?

Sabra - 
Those are good questions, because the typical answer to that question would be no. Most Forensic Toxicologists stay in the lab and are very happy to do so. But, I have been very fortunate in that during my career I worked in a medical examiner’s office with a Forensic Anthropologist who needed help in recovering skeletal remains. Therefore, I have been to scenes -- some were and some were not crime scenes. In one instance, we actually found drug paraphernalia. I do not interview witnesses or family members, however I have spoken with individuals who believed they were being poisoned or victim’s family members to address their questions and concerns.

Also, depending on the laboratory, we may conduct experiments to determine why something happened. One of those areas as a Forensic Toxicologist would be to recreate storage conditions to determine analyte stability.


Fiona -
With whom do you interface? How do the samples get to you? 

Sabra -
We interface with medical examiners, attorneys, police officers, judges, jurors, and at times family members. Depending on the laboratory, samples may be hand delivered or may be sent to us. 

Fiona - 
From whom do you get information for what you are looking for in the sample? Do the detectives ever sit down and chat with you about the case and their theories/what they are trying to prove?

Sabra - 
Case information comes in a variety of different ways. If medical information is available for a case, we would review it. We may also look at the investigators' narratives and police reports. Some police officers go through extensive training to become Drug Recognition Experts, and their reports can be very useful. Police officers or investigators do not usually discuss their cases with us, unless they need interpretation on what the results mean. They may want to understand what a drug is and what its effects would be. We don’t typically get involved in the “proof” of a case, as our role is that of a scientist or “fact finder”.

Fiona - 
Let's talk plot twists. If a sample is collected -- at the scene or a hospital, for example -- and it is properly packaged for clean chain of custody. Is there any way that a character could taint your sample or switch your sample or for that matter change your report to reflect something other than what was found? The presence of drugs for example?

Sabra -
As a plot twist that's a fun one but a nightmare in reality to a Forensic Toxicologist. 

The purpose of chain of custody is to preserve and protect the evidence. But for this example, we don’t have to look too far for real life examples of mistakes that have been made. Storage is one, let’s say you have an unstable analyte that must be kept at a certain temperature or it begins to degrade. Leaving a sample locked in the back of police car (intentionally or unintentionally) might have deleterious effects.

Another scenario would be switching out a sample before or at the lab such as having an “insider” or a “break in” at the laboratory. These all make me shudder but are reason why we have so many safeguards and security measure in our laboratories.
Fiona -
Have you been to court as an expert witness?

Sabra -
I have been to court as an expert witness and I have interacted with both the defense as well as prosecutors. As a Forensic Toxicologist in government laboratory I primarily dealt with the prosecutors or District Attorney’s office. As a consultant, I have dealt mainly with the defense. The hearing was fairly straight forward.

Fiona - 
What was it like to sit in the witness box? Did the defense lawyers try to rattle your cage?

Sabra - 
I have had attorneys try to rattle me before I took the stand so that I may not present myself in the best possible way. The witness box is a very important place to be and I believe an individual who has the opportunity to sit there should show it the respect it deserves. 

Fiona - 
Can you give examples of defense rattling techniques? That's good plot fodder.

Sabra - 
I had the opportunity to do an interview for The Setup (you can find my interview here: http://sabra.botch-jones.usesthis.com/) and the image I provided was one of a flask and cocktail glass held up to my face. This image represented what we do as Forensic Toxicologists, looking for chemicals that enter the human body. I had an attorney show me the image before testifying and during the cross-examination. I believe he wanted to rattle me, but when he asked me about the interview I had the opportunity to talk about what we do as Forensic Toxicologists and the technology we use. 

Fiona - 
I always ask my guests to share their favorite scar story or lacking scars their favorite harrowing event story. Would you share?

Sabra -
I have been very lucky to not have many scars, but the ones I have I wear with pride. The longest was from an emergency C section for my son (I also have a couple on my face from him when I let his nails get too long). I am really fortunate to not only get to be a mom but also a scientist. It’s a tough balance, but being a mom, I think has complimented my new role as an educator of future Forensic Toxicologist and Forensic Scientists.

Fiona - 
Where could an author look for new material - what's being explored in forensic toxicology?


Sabra - 
One of my research focuses include New Psychoactive Substances, and I think this is a great area to explore for writers. Not just the use, but how they are made and obtained.

Fiona -
Sabra, thank you so much for helping us writers out. I truly appreciate your time and expertise.

You can stay in touch with Sabra on  Twitter
fTox Consulting, LLC. website
BU faculty website

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.