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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Masters of True Crime -- It's Here!



Can't stop reading today....my copy arrived in the mail....and it's gripping!  

The MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME: CHILLING STORIES OF THE MURDER AND THE MACABRE anthology is here. 


So far I've read Katherine Ramsland's tale of an evil woman in Mussolini's Italy who would put the medieval witch in Hansel and Gretel to shame.  Burl Barer's Alaskan story of a pack of siblings whose dreams...carried out in deeds...lead to a jury making up its own charge. Hey! The Burl Barer story, #7, leads right to "The Trophy Wife." Story #8 is written by Camille Kimball.  I admit, I read that, too.  Hint: The trophy wife is not the person you think it would be...

I can't wait to get to Harold Schechter's contribution next, a story which transports us to a high-brow and ritzy neighborhood, into the home of a luminary of the Golden Age of publishing, broadcasting, and academia. 

I realized I better come here first and share the news about this anthology -- that it's finally in a bookstore near you!  Or just click here and get it instantly.
MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME is perfect for when you have an appetite for a good story...and want to consume the whole thing before the laundry buzzer rings or the garage guys finish with your car. Each story is self contained and separate from the others. Sample the writing of seventeen different veterans of the true crime genre as they bring you stories from Britain to Manhattan, from Tennessee to Michigan, from the frozen expanses of Alaska to the prickly heat of Arizona.  

As for Story #8, I have something special planned for you. There have been new developments since that book went to press. Why not get a copy--or give--a copy in time to check back here for the update? I will post the new developments to The Trophy Wife next week. 

Pssst! Going to jail, buying documents, and everything else it takes to get this kind of info  for the blog takes time and money! Every time you make a purchase here, it helps me be able to do more for you! 


Click the "Bookstore" tab above to see or buy the rest of Camille's books



Monday, June 25, 2012

Secret Life of the Soundbites: Bridal to Homicidal

What's it like to be alone with a convicted killer?
In a very, very tiny room?

 Want it? Click this!
Or browse at the Bookstore tab

You just watched "Bridal to Homicidal" on E! Network.  You heard Marjorie Orbin's voice.

She was talking to me when that tape was recorded.

Listening to those jail tapes as I prepared for the E! show, I remembered there was a lot more this remarkable woman had said to me that had never seen the light of day. I suddenly realized there was now a way I could let you in on that....and at the same time explain why E! needed my tapes.





You saw me, in the white suit, talking to the camera on "Bridal to Homicidal." You also see me here standing next to Marjorie. Why do I look so different in the two images?  I realized I had a chance to explain that, too.  (Hint: it has nothing to do with makeup or lighting)

So what I've done is prepare a special edition True Crime Short specifically to be a companion to the TV shows you see on Marjorie Orbin, especially "Bridal to Homicidal."

This True Crime Short is not a re-hash of what you've already seen on TV or read in my book, WHAT SHE ALWAYS WANTED.

No.

It contains selected excerpts of interesting things that Marjorie told me on tape that did not make it on TV or into the book.  It is a collection of soundbites that either stand alone or are wrapped up in personal impressions I made at the time. The style is akin to what you might have read in "Reporter's Notebook" sections in your favorite newspaper or TV newschannel, only a lot longer.


What kind of thing you will find in MARJORIE ORBIN AND ME: THE RAW JAIL TAPES ? 

Glad you asked.  Here is the Table of Contents:

I. Marjorie and Camille Meet at Last

II.  Marjorie Talks About Jay

III. Childhood Dreams and Nightmares

IV.  Small Groups of Soundbites by Topic:
On Talking to Me
On Stripping
The Other Husbands
On Friends 
On Work
On Jail and Prison
On Relationships
"Joke's On Me"

V. What We Said to Each Other

And why didn't these soundbites make it into the book or onto TV? Well, I've put the answer inside the True Crime Short.  It is available for your E-reader. The publishing industry is changing and I'm glad to have a convenient and affordable way to bring you bonus material.  This is an experiment for me. Let me know what you think about it.

Hint! Get it before the price goes up!  Just 99 cents right now!



Read a short excerpt by clicking on the post "Facing Marjorie for the First Time."

Pssst! Going to jail, buying documents, and everything else it takes to get this kind of info  for the blog takes time and money! Every time you make a purchase here, it helps me be able to do more for you! 

Friday, June 22, 2012

Bridal to Homicidal Video!

What: One hour E! Network special featuring four brides who turned to homicide...including Marjorie Orbin
When: Monday, June 25
Time: 8 pm Eastern BUT CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
Where: E! Network
Watch this video
...you know you wanna...it's only 10 seconds...go ahead!

                                     
 Marjorie Orbin, subject of my book WHAT SHE ALWAYS WANTED, is seen at least twice in this video. That's her stunning blonde hair near the beginning in the wedding photo. And again with her head down in the little dark police interrogation room. 

I'll be in the show, too. For behind the scenes and what to expect, check out this post: New Show

After working closely with the producers for weeks, I can't wait to see how BRIDAL TO HOMICIDAL turned out. Since you're the kind of person savvy enough to visit this site, I'll let you in on a little secret beforehand. 

First, turn the volume down to "whisper".....

BRIDAL TO HOMICIDAL will be playing soundbites of Marjorie that I recorded myself during my one on one chats with her. Come back here after the show for a special surprise about that!

(click on a title below to buy)
Camille Kimball's books: 
Marjorie Orbin & Me: The Raw Jail Tapes
                        **What She Always Wanted** as seen on TV!
                 **A Sudden Shot** as seen on TV!

Thoughts on this or any article at this site? To the next person whose comment I use for a post I will send a free signed book!  (If you post as "anonymous" for convenience, try to include an identifying website or name in your remark so no one else can claim your prize!)  For an example, please click here.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

BRIDAL TO HOMICIDAL -- on E!

 
Pssst! Going to jail, buying documents, and everything else it takes to get this kind of info for the blog takes time and money! Every time you make a purchase here, it helps me be able to do more for you!
E Logo


It's time to reveal the name of the show we just shot in May. It's a summer special for the E! Network....and it's called "Bridal to Homicidal." One of those brides is Marjorie Orbin, subject of my book, WHAT SHE ALWAYS WANTED.

Unforgettably, for the first time you will hear Marjorie's voice as she spoke to me from behind bars. By special arrangement with me, E! Network is using the actual tapes I recorded whenever I visited Marjorie in jail. 




“E! Entertainment Special: Bridal to Homicidal”
Premieres Monday, June 25th @ 8:00pm ET/PT
In the all new” E! Entertainment Special: Bridal to Homicidal”, E! recounts fascinating and disturbing stories of housewives who Snapped."



Be sure to check your local listings for exact times in your area.  





The network says....

Bridal to Homicidal

You've heard of "Real Housewives," the ones who are more interested in shopping and lunch dates than housework and PTA meetings. But another type of housewife is making major headlines. This one hour special features stories about spouses who have crossed the line from domestic duty to being downright deadly. From hiring hit-men to handling the dirty deed themselves, these women all took a violent journey going from Bridal to Homicidal. Premieres 6/25
 WHAT SHE ALWAYS WANTED...the book!


Be sure to watch this site for more news about the tapes you'll hear on the E! Network!



Friday, June 8, 2012

I Feel Angry %#!$!!

The very 1st lipstick mark forehead kiss for Paul. He gave me roses, I responded spontaneously.

 On June 8, 2006 Paul Patrick was a hard-working family man. That is, he provided for his ailing mother while his sister did the caretaking.  Before that night was through, he was sprawled on a blistering sidewalk, shot full of lead, the RANDOM victim of evil disgusting serial killers. He would never work again. His whole family has been drained, exhausted, and shattered.

Today is June 8, 2012. This is an important anniversary for Paul. Whenever he autographs a book for a fan, he always writes "6-8-06" under his name.  There is no chance he can ever forget the date his once robust and productive life took a screeching halt and became a daily battle for every breath.  Ever since I've known Paul, we have had a special visit on this anniversary. He gives me more details of what he remembers from that night. He tells me witty and often rhyming slogans that embody his philosophy of fighting on, of triumphing.

But late last year, Paul lost his mother, who on June 8, 2006 had gone from the family heart patient to the family engine, staying at Paul's side constantly, advocating for him in endless hospitals and nursing homes.  Pushing his buttons as only a mother can, Mary Patrick nurtured the twinkle in Paul's eye and helped him focus on goals.  She also saved him from several medical crises in which her instincts proved superior to customary but off-the-mark-in-this-case institutional regimens.  Without her quiet captaining of Paul's journey, his path has veered.  2012 has been very, very hard on him. And on those of us who now do the hand-wringing and have no idea how to make things any better. Early in the year he endured yet another major surgery. Instead of making his life better, soon he was in the ICU and we were bracing ourselves for the worst, which seemed inevitable.  He pulled off another of his Hollywood comebacks, and the threat of imminent death passed. But he has never bounced back from this surgery and near-death experience. His level of health and quality of life are dramatically worse than they were last year.

I went to see Paul today -- June 8, 2012. I wanted to start our visit by showing him recent messages of support he'd received on FaceBook. I had gotten a screen all ready because there is no wi-fi where he currently is.

I couldn't wake him up.  I am under instructions from the family to do so if I find him in slumber, because he hates so much to miss my visits. Today he fluttered up to brief moments of recognition but quickly slid back into the Sand Man's grasp. I asked for professional help from the staff, but they told me this has become "normal" for him.  Guess I'm lucky that in all my other visits, I found him so much more "present." Nevertheless, they tried to wake him, too. Finally I leaned down and gave him the forehead kiss that leaves the famous lipstick mark he loves so much.  No response.

The discomforts and indignities of his life are all too easily recognized as he slept. Just for the record, getting shot in the belly leads to very unhappy things.  He is pale. So, so pale.

I am furious.  I want to scream every four letter word ever heard at the docks when the fleet's in.  I want to smash dinner plates with a baseball bat.  I want to cry. I do cry. I am so angry at what has happened to this vital soul, this sparkling personality, this Irish raconteur, this son of a kind and faithful mother. 

I write about Paul Patrick a lot. Yes, out of a cast of hundreds in the A SUDDEN SHOT: THE PHOENIX SERIAL SHOOTER story, Paul is the one who gets most of the attention. While Paul is very special, so are the rest of the characters. It simply isn't possible for me, without benefit of a very large cloning lab, to keep up with all of them in a meaningful way over a period of years.

There are dozens of victims in the Serial Shooter case (a complete list is available in the back of the book). I know that each  one still suffers agonies large and small because of their run-in with the dimmed headlights and swiftly slung rifle barrels of Dale Hausner and Sam Dieteman.  Some families suffer worse than Paul's, because they go to bed each night knowing their beloved died while some creeps laughed.

So I hope that the people who read my updates on Paul remember that every time I write about him, I am really writing about all of them. He made himself their representative at trial. And I must ask him to keep filling that job now. What Paul has lost, they have all shared in.

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is how do I do this kind of work, it entails so much sadness, so much gore?  My answer usually emphasizes that my work also exposes me to so much heroism and love, so much good, that I "live in that space."

Today I'm finding it hard to live in that space. Today I freakin' hate killers. HATE THEM.


(click on a title below to buy)
Camille Kimball's books:
                 **A Sudden Shot** as seen on TV!

Thoughts on this or any article at this site? To the next person whose comment I use for a post I will send a free signed book!  (If you post as "anonymous" for convenience, try to include an identifying website or name in your remark so no one else can claim your prize!)  For an example, please click here.