And, Ginger nails it. Definitely a personal anecdote to start off: if I was writing about the misconceptions about being handicapped and not looking it too obviously, I'd begin with the Daly City cop who told me I "didn't look crippled enough" to merit that blue parking placard.

I am CRANKY:

The Publications Committee of MWA is delighted to invite you to submit stories for "Burden Of The Badge", Stories of Cops on the Job, the second of three MWA anthologies contracted by Little Brown. The first Anthology, "Relationships Can Be Murder", was edited by Harlan Coben and will be published in October. The second Anthology will be edited by Michael Connelly. The third will be edited by Linda Fairstein in 2007.

"The best detective stories are not about cops working on cases, but of cases working on cops." This phrase, coined by Joseph Wambaugh, is the theme chosen by Michael Connelly for this anthology. Ten new stories "heavy on character" by MWA members will be commissioned by the editor, and ten new stories will be selected by a MWA panel from a pool of open and blind submissions by MWA members. Members in any category of membership may submit stories -- you do not need to be previously published, but you must be a member in good standing (dues paid).

I don't write that kind of crime story, damn it. Might have to try.

My wife is trying to make me type till my hands fall off. Unless only members can play. We could do like that nauseating husband and wife that try to make you think there's a woman named Judith Michael cause she's Judith and he's Michael. And they write together...nauseating, que no? But we could rule the mystery writing world! Interesting Wambaugh story: The last time I read writer's digest, he was in it. Giving props to older writers and telling young people not to jump in too hard, because My First Lay is all they know. But he said to be careful what you do for life experience, because that's how he ended up in LAPD.Oh, sj, I probably have more advice and places to publish and all that than you ever could want,

Damn it, you need to be a member (see line about dues paid and in good standing). Mine are. I just don't know if I can write that kind of story.

I bet you could. Just make the haunted cop a little bit less...metaphorical than most of the other writers. Give him one personal demon and, one, like, actual demon.

Huh.

I could maybe do that....

Problem is, I don't really write cops. Detective, private, but officialdom, not so much.

I wonder if I could salt the mine, and have it be Patrick Ormand, dealing with something? My easily bored and very restless cop from the Kinkaid Chronicles?

I wonder if I could salt the mine, and have it be Patrick Ormand, dealing with something? My easily bored and very restless cop from the Kinkaid Chronicles?

YES PLEASE.

Umm. That is...

I was hoping you'd say that.

That would be a great idea, Deb. Cross pollinate the Kinkaid Chronicle anyplace you can!!!

Want Books!!!

(blink)

Dude. That sounds like a yes.

OK. The next five or so days are basically dead zone for work getting done except in small bites between party and stuff, but I still think Cruel Sister is getting finished next week. And working on an Ormand short on one hand and London Calling on the the other? Actually probably good for both books.

BTW, I want to pimp something, because anyone who knows me at all well will know what inspired this: a beloved buddy (went to hang out with her San Diego a few weekends back) wrote an incredible villanelle and, well, what made her do it will be obvious to my friends and I should shut up and just say, WOW. Go read.

I'd begin with the Daly City cop who told me I "didn't look crippled enough" to merit that blue parking placard.

BTDT, a cop looked me in the face while I was sitting in the car and said I didn't look handicapped. I think I gave him a wise ass response by asking him how he could know that by looking at my face, and then pointed out the hand controls on my car.

Ginger, thanks for the advice. I figured it would be a good idea to let this anger become something creative.

I think I gave him a wise ass response by asking him how he could know that by looking at my face, and then pointed out the hand controls on my car.

I went ballistic. This was after he'd asked to see my paperwork and been shown everything he was legally entitled to ask to see. He then threw his demand for more ID, I told him no, I didn't think so and I didn't much care for the reek of harrassment I was getting off his sorry ass, and he'd better have a damned good reason and now would be a good time to produce it. He made his crack, and I went nuts. I don't like authority figures even on good days, but this was two days after San Jose Metro cops had beat our homeless friend John up and taken all his stuff, including the shoes he was wearing, leaving him shivering in a rainstorm until we could get there.

I got out of the car and body-bumped him and screamed at him, along the lines of "listen up you braindead insensitive asshole motherfucking moron, I have multiple sclerosis and there are days when it hurts to put my feet to the ground but you know what, fuckwad, that is NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS, I want to see your ID and when I'm done nailing you you'll be scooping dog turds along the highway" melt melt melt.

Son of a bitch took it in total silence, and then apologised and gave me his ID and told me he'd learned something, and he hoped I woudn't report him but he absolutely had it coming.

Bastard. Took the wind right out of my sails. I wanted to stay mad.