Being America’s Best Crime Writer, I spare no expense when researching my books.

Spare No Expense

Working on two new projects. One starts in 1972 and plays out over the next 30 years. It’s a murder mystery/love story. In creating characters, you have to make them interesting. In this case we have Stan Kovac, a 63-year-old grandfather – he loves TV.

Chapter 5 starts at 8:10 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, 1972, with Stan sitting on the sofa with his sheepdog Lucky lying on the floor next to his feet. Stan’s watching TV – which means All in the Family. I only need one paragraph to add a little flavor – I dig a little – that night’s episode is “Edith the Judge” – dig a little more & here’s all I need:

“Archie Bunker’s doing the laundry at the laundromat when the washing machine breaks down and chews up all his clothes. So Archie gets into an argument with the owner, and they’re both threatening to sue each other.” – cost me nothing except about 5 minutes of my time.

A few scenes later, however, Stan goes to visit his daughter at 10 p.m. – just as Mission Impossible is starting – now I want something specific – I want the opening tape-recording that gives Jim Phelps his instructions.

The first part is easy – the episode’s “Trapped” – but getting the verbiage of that tape recording is almost an impossible mission – YouTube has lots of videos showing some tape recordings – but none from the show on February 26th.

Nitpicker that I am, I refuse to use the dialogue from another show – I have to find the right one – or else go back – shit-can the TV scenario sideshow – start over & find something else.

So I’m all over the place – checking every streaming service – then wind up at Amazon Prime where I find the whole series – and the right episode – but it ain’t free – the recording goes like this:

“Good morning. Mr. Phelps. An Army payroll equivalent to eight-million dollars has been stolen from a military base in Southeast Asia and is now on its way to the United States.

Although conventional law enforcement agencies have learned that the Stafford family – Joe, Arthur, and Doug – which controls a world-wide smuggling operation is responsible, no information has been developed which might lead to a recovery of this money.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get back that eight-million dollars. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim.”

And the tape recorder starts smoking – by the way – did you ever see an episode where Jim chooses NOT to accept?

Hip-hip-hooray – got exactly what I wanted – but success came at a price – a whole $2.95 to own that episode – but sonavabitch – sales tax brought my cost up to $3.17 – like I said – I spare no expense.

I’m America’s Best Crime Writer

and I approve this message.

Warner Books published Born to Be Wild in 1992 & it still sells every day at Amazon & Kindle. True story about certain members of the Warlocks motorcycle gang.

The story takes 21 years to play out – with many twists & turns – an amalgam of Sons of Anarchy & Breaking Bad – but these outlaw bikers make the Sons look like Cub Scouts.

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