Fictional crime has occupied the majority of my creative time over the past ten years, but I’m venturing back into the realm of true crime this summer when I release my new podcast, Dead Before Deadline. The first season will consist of 12 episodes, all of which revolve around stories I covered during my time as a crime and investigative reporter with the Columbus Dispatch.
The podcasts will include some stories that have already received national
attention, such as that of Billy Milligan, who was charged with raping three
woman, but found not guilty by reason of insanity after using a multiple-
personality defense, and the strange and mysterious case of the Circleville, Ohio, letters. I cherry-picked the best stories for the first season of the podcast. I did not, however, include the Just Sweats murder-for-insurance scam. I had to keep something in my pocket for season two.
My daughter, Jaclynn Yocum Wilson, is serving as my co-host. We recorded the first six episodes last week at the studios of To the Moon Creative in Murfreesboro, Tenn. We’re hoping to get the final six episodes recorded later this month.
Dead Before Deadline . . . and Other Tales from the Police Beat was the title of
one of my non-fiction books. I decided to reuse it for the podcast. Originally, I
wanted the title of the book to be, Death by Elvis . . . and Other Tales from the
Police Beat. That got nixed by the publisher. However, the first story in the
podcast involves a death connected to Elvis Presley.
Stay tuned. I’ll keep you posted on the release date of the first episode.



Featured Author at the Canal Town Book Festival
I am honored to be the featured author at the 2023 Canal Town Book Festival in Dover, Ohio, this weekend. On Friday, May 26, I will be speaking at the opening ceremonies at the Dover Public Library at 6 p.m. On Saturday, I will be meeting with readers and signing books from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by and say hello. Thanks to The Bibliophile bookstore in Dover for handling the sales of my books at the event.
His Honor, the Chairman of Education and Libraries
Last year, I was named the 2022-24 honorary chairman for Education and Libraries for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. On Sunday, June 11, I’ll be the featured speaker at the organization’s international conference in Louisville, Ky. Thanks to Carmichael’s Bookstore, the city’s oldest independent bookstore, for handling my book sales at the event.
If they’re reading my blog in heaven, I can only image the perplexed look on the angelic faces of some of my former English teachers when they see my name and the phrase “chairman for Education and Libraries” in the same sentence.