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Ann Rule's Guestbook and Web Log
True Crime Writer Ann Rule's Web Log and Guestbook
Ann Rule's Guestbook and Web Log 
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Hi Ann, I hope you are doing well. I don’t know if the topic has been posted on any older comments, but I am writing to ask you to PLEASE consider writing a book on Casey Anthony.
I have become SO spoiled by your amazing books and your writing talent that I truly struggle to read true crime books by other authors.
You have a God given talent for writing and I, for one, am very thankful I discovered your books!!! ;o)
Hi, ANN and all ARFs!
Canyon Pam, if Ann doesn’t want to exterminate those critter moles, they’ll just move next door and come back when she’s not looking. 🙂 Our cats used to take care of them when we lived on acreage in PA.
Colorado Rosie and Marsha: Ann wanted something that would not harm the little guys, not something that would eat them alive. I’d consider the other suggestions here, such as the gum, moth balls, human hair, or Riddex vibrating stake–in fact I may try one of the latter myself.
Pretty sure the gum would result in a slow and painful death if they ingested it.
Oh so sorry! I did not know that Ann was looking for a different method of ridding her garden of the troublesome moles. Well here it is, another month moving right along. I have been meaning to ask a question and get some opinions and my brain seems to shut down once and awhile and I forget. Have any of you watched the show “Toddlers and Tiaras”? I watch it once in awhile and it frankly stuns me. I cannot understand these mothers and fathers who participate in that madness. I am horrified at seing babies and young girls made up like 25 plus year olds, shaking their little bodies and posing provocatively. Am I alone in my opinion?
Not at all. They are going to have nothing but problems when those girls grow up. They are going to think that they should be entitled to whatever they want. And because of their training…. they’ll know how to go about it. That’s not reality. We’ve got too many parents (over achievers) who push their kids into things so they can live vicariously through them. Pretty sad if you ask me.
ANN,
YOU ARE THE VERY BEST TRUE CRIME WRITER .
I HAVE ALL YOUR BKS,AND ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT BK.
I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL FAN OF YOURS SINCE 1993.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WRITING.
DEBI JOHANSEN
You can easily buy books directly on the Kindle, just hit Menu > Shop in Kindle store and type for what you want to buy, and hit “buy”. Love my Kindle, and I wish I could’ve tore through Stranger Beside Me on it.
So sorry to hear about Lucy. At least she isn’t suffering anymore.
Congratulations on the wedding.
As for the mole, try putting moth balls down the hole. They don’t like that. We tried those things that you stick in the ground and they emit a sound. They didn’t work for us. But, everyone is different.
Can’t wait for the new book. Take care!
Good to hear from you Ann! My advice to you is to get a doxie! My mini doxie Heidi was a great hunter! They were originally bred in Germany to hunt badgers and you know how tough badgers are! We had problems with ‘possums and our little Heidi rid them for us! As for the raspberries! Oh I am so jealous! Yummy! And the Casey Anthony saga…I watched her leave jail also and not much I can say but that the jury totally got it wrong. When my hubby heard that she was being sent money while in jail he grumbled about “women who write, send money or marry convicts”. Needless to say he was stunned when I told him it was men sending her money and marriage proposals. There is no amount of plastic surgery in the world that will change her mug. ’nuff said. Looking forward to the new book Ann! Have a great week!
Hi, ANN and all ARFs! Great hearing from you, ANN. You certainly are a busy lady! I’m looking forward to reading your new book, DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU. I know it will be a page-turner because I’ve read all of yours and have never ever been disappointed. Many of the readers here share my views, I’m sure.
As far as ground moles go, they are persistent little beasts. I’ll let you use our dachshund, Annie. She is the best mole destroyer you could ever have! She took care of our cousin’s yard in just a few visits. Well, then he had to re-sod. 🙂 But she’s safer than poison and more fun than you can imagine!
Seriously, I’ve heard that JuicyFruit gum, wrapper and all, down the mole holes, does away with them. That’s safe, too, and smells good.
Best regards to all who read this and take care.
Hey, Ann, you are the absolute best author!! One way to have moles/gophers move on is to put some human hair down the holes. They will then go somewhere else as they don’t like the scent of humans. Next time you get your hair cut, ask your hairdresser to give you your hair or someone elses. Annie
When the investigators found that Casey A. had lied about the Nanny why was that not timelined for the jury. It seems to me that if there was a timeline of those first 31 days the jury would have had a better picture of everything including when George showed up with the gas can and what happened after all that came down.
Ann: Riddex Mole Repeller. Riddex is one company that makes them, but I’m sure there must be other companies that do. They make them for gophers also, but those perhaps may be the same thing. They are little battery-operated stakes you stick into the ground near the area you wish to be mole free. The stakes emit harmless vibrations that drive the moles to drink yet will not harm them. The moles simply move off. About twenty bucks each.
P.S. There has never been any word on Julie Weflen. This is the hardest thing for people who have lost someone they love–never, ever, knowing what happened to them. One of my cases in the new book is like that. I only hope that when the book is released and travels all around the world, someone WILL come forward with the missing sliver of information that could help find her.
Ann
Hi Everyone,
It’s a rainey Sunday in July in Seattle. It’s good writing weather and my flowers aren’t drying up, but usually we can count on sunshine from July to October 15th. Been trying to finish Don’t Look Behind You AND move all the furniture, dishes, pots and pans, knicknacks, etc. out of my kitchen, family room, and living room because they’re coming tomorrow to demo those rooms and give me a fancy new kitchen and one great big living/family room. Leave it to me to set those deadline dates in the same week. At least–I hope–they’re not going to demo my office. It’s very small and it’s packed with all kinds of books, research, pictures, scrapbooks saved by my latest killer, and wall-to-wall pets. When will I ever get organized?
One of the long cases in this book is kind of like the book and movie: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY. Anyone remember that? The handsome main character commits cruel atrocities his whole life, but it doesn’t show on his face. The lines, wrinkles and scars show on a portrait of himself he keeps hidden away. After all this time of writing about sociopaths, it’s still so difficult for me to understand how selfish AND self-involved some humans are. But there comes a time when they’re all alone, having cut off people who tried to love them. I’m glad you like to get to know people in my books really well–this book delves very, very, deeply into the lives I write about.
My raspberries are ripe and there are tons of them! They came with this house I moved into last year, and what a nice bonus. I planted one Zuchinni squash and one grape tomato plant. The naughty mole (moles?) in my backyard dug a hole and piled dirt right between them. I know moles have to eat their weight every day–or something like that–but I’m beginning to get impatient with them. I don’t want to kill them. I just want them to go away–maybe next door where nobody lives and the garden has gone to weeds. Anyone know a humane way to discourage them? K.C., the cat, stands guard over mole holes, but I don’t believe he’s much of a deterrent.
Casey A. Where will she go? Even overseas, she’s hated. I wonder if there IS enough plastic surgery to hide who she really is. I devoutly hope that she doesn’t pull a “Diane Downs” and get pregnant again. How many men would be attracted to her? Probably there are some–just like the women who fall for infamous killers and marry them when they’re in prison. It’s a chance to share being a “celebrity felon.” And maybe get rich. She’s broke for now, her family doesn’t seem to want her around, and there are bound to be those angry people with only one oar in the water who want to gain fame by killing her. Is she smart enough to realize that? I guess we’ll be discussing her for a long time, won’t we?
I’d better get back to work. I miss talking with you all more frequently but I’ll make up for that when I get this book to my editor. He’s reading the first 200 page case on the train on his IPAD as he leaves for vacation. I guess I need to get one of those. I bought a Kindle but I can’t figure out how to order books on it.
Do I plug it into one of the ports on my computer and then go to the Amazon site? I went kicking and screaming from an electric typewriter to a computer, shouting I couldn’t do it–but it changed my life and I couldn’t write without my computer now. I go back to the time when there weren’t any automatic washers or dryers, we had an old furnace and the coal was delivered to the basement down a chute, and TV was far in the future. I’m doing my best to keep up with all the electronic advances. My dear agents are proud “Luddites” who still have a plain old non-electric typewriter and only got a cell phone because their nephew gave them one. But I don’t know what I would do without the Internet. It saves me from all those desperate dashes to the airport to send manuscripts to New York by FEDEX! And look how it puts all of us in touch!
Love,
Ann
Oh good grief; you remind me of a friend who is so ambitious about multiple projects at once. I SO MISS raspberries, but once diverticulitis set in around age 55 or so, I have to bypass all my favorite foods with seeds, not to mention no more chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Sigh. There have been at least 2 makes of The Picture of Dorian Gray, one fairly recent that’s mediocre at best. Liked he one with Angela Lansberry as the sweet young thing. Any word on the TV series yet? Looking forward to your new book as I sweat here in MN. Oh and on a depressing note – Casey has indeed mentioned another baby, even adopting one. Can you imagine the application? Won’t go there.
Alana, if Casey really has mentioned adopting a child, I sincerely hope social services will devil away and make the right choice for any possible child! Knowing what happens in the UK and US (excepting Jerri, who always goes the extra mile for her clients), I won’t hold my breath!
Ann is arguably one of the most dedicated talented authors of my time. I am hooked on her books. True crime stories have always facinated me. Love you Ann!!!
Education and awareness, that’s the key. It’s what Ann does with her books. Educates victims, potential victims, their families and the public in general. Educate, be aware and get involved.
To All, I was abused throughout the summer at the age of 4, My Mom, was working right next to the business that this happened. We lived in a small town, everyone trusted everyone. & don’t say sorry, Please, it made the the educated, strong woman I am today. I am not a victim or a survivor, I’m a thriver.
Parents, even in this day and age, think of a killer, a baby rappers, a kidnapper as looking like a monster, we even call them monsters. However, I think Anne will agree here, as she has written about the ‘Stranger beside her’. They are not monsters, they don’t always abuse, their kids before killing them, and the majority of sexually motivated crimes have nothing to do with sex. There is still a fear from parents that if they teach their children about stranger daanger, or go through ‘what if’, scenarios, that they will scare there kids. Get good books written on how to talk to your kids about what to do if, it empowers them, not instills fear, it also makes it more likely they’ll talk to you about things, if you keep a line of communication open, even on the uncomfortable topics. Education is the key. Kids that are abused at home are less likely to talk but there are signs, learn the signs, and report suspicious acting out of a child. The key point here is educate yourself, educate your kids, give thempermission, to use their gut feeling. DO all you can. Mainly, let your kids know that if they find themselves in a situation, that it’s okay to scream, kick fight, yell ‘this is not my mom or dad,”, bite, rip at eyes ears, puke, fake an asthma attack, anything to keep from being moved to that next location.
Hi, ANN and all ARFs!
I didn’t follow the Anthony case too closely, but I did watch as the judge read the instructions to the jury. At the time I was thinking to myself, “These are awfully complicated for anyone to follow or comprehend.” There were many “if this, then that” types of phrases, not to mention the different choices they could have made.
My opinion is that the people on that jury were so sick of sitting in that courtroom already that when it came time to figuring out how to deal with the instructions they just wanted to make it easy on themselves and not have guilty consciences about ‘maybe’ convicting an innocent, so they took the easy way out and voted “Not Guilty” just to get out of there.
Regarding the 8 year old NY boy who was slaughtered by one of his own religious sect, it makes me sick to my stomach. Every time I hear of a child being so abused I’m saddened beyond words. “Man’s inhumanity to man” explains it but doesn’t help deal with the fact that people like that monster walk among us every day.
Hi Ann and ARF’s,
Say a prayer for the small boy in New York that was butchered by another psycho male. Why can’t we protect our children from the monsters that roam our streets?
God love the parents but leaving a ten year old to roam the streets of New York, even if it was for a couple of blocks) is only asking for trouble. Lord rest his young soul.
Blaming a parent is like blaming a little girl for wearing shorts & a tank top, thaat she’s asking to be raped, the only blame here is w/ the accused, & he is still innocent until proven guilty. For heavens’ sake, let’s not go there ( re Anthony exteme ) again. & Yes my prayers are daily with all missing , murdered & exploited children.
Sherri: I didn’t blame the poor boy’s parents. Just to say, as , we have to be more vigilant as a society and protect our young, even if that means wrapping them up in cotton wool.
I can’t remember if I mentioned my opinion about Casey’s reaction the day little Caylee’s remains were found…but not proven to actually be Caylees…that to me should have been mentioned more by the prosecution. Casey was totally upset when those remains were found, so much so that she said she was sick. To me, she was upset because “the gig was up”. She knew it was Caylee…SHE KNEW because SHE put that baby there herself! She was not so upset when that other little baby girl was found earlier …why? Because SHE KNEW that it was not Caylee. To me, that was a huge red flag…she was so upset because she knew before anyone else did that it was Caylee…because she put her there.
I also believe the duct tape was evidence of guilt. Why wrap the baby all the way around the head if you are just trying to keep her quiet? Three times? She is guilty of murder in the first, in my opinion.
Deborah:
Ann had mentioned the “Second-Degree Murder” question in a recent post. I remembered having heard Judge Perry mention it in the jury instructions also, but then began to doubt what I’d heard. Found a link to a copy of the Anthony jury instructions someone had put on a local website, and sure enough, the jury DID have the option of Second Degree (or it appeared so in the instructions). I’m sure someone would be able to explain why there was no mention or reference to this when the verdict was read. I have absolutely no idea.
I just have to wonder what the instructions to the jury were that they came up with a NOT GUILTY verdict. Even my 5 yr old grand-daughter thought she was guilty. Casey will never lead a normal life, probably not as good a life as she would have in prison even because the court of public opinion has condemned her (rightfully, IMO). I just hope she never has any more children.