The tickle of curiosity. The gasp of discovery. Fingers running across the keyboard.

The World of Iniquus - Action Adventure Romance

Showing posts with label Tina Glasneck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tina Glasneck. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2017

Catch a Dragon by the Tail: Giving a Solid Base to Your Fantasy Work with Tina Glasneck

English: Dragon on Longshan Temple.
English: Dragon on Longshan Temple. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
ThrillWriting welcomes back our friend Tina Glasneck. For a list of articles that she's informed on this site use the search bar on the right.

Fiona - 
Tina, let's jump right on this. Recently, we sat next to each other on a writing panel. I was so intrigued by what you said that I wanted to corner you and pick your brain. Thank you so much for coming and hanging out with all of us ThrillWriters and ThrillReaders. Let's start with your educational background since that seasons our topic for today.

Tina - 

Sure. I have a Masters of Arts in Religion, as well as a Bachelors in Pastoral Christian Ministries. Prior to writing, I had planned on heading into Christian Ministry. Although plans changed, one thing I love is the education I received because of its lectures in the humanities, which included ancient civilizations, cultures, and languages. 

Theology is not just the study of the Christian bible, but so much more.

Fiona
And you've lived in Europe which also gives flavor to your writing. Can you tell us about that? How did you get there, what did you do?

Tina - 
I lived in Germany for six years where I also studied theology, and was introduced to so many different cultures, as well. In undergrad, I was a German minor, which took me to Germany. After graduation, I loved it so much that I returned. I attended a local university and continued my interest in theology, as well as history.

You can't live in Europe without being impressed by the history all around you. My interest in castles, for example, caused me travel around to view them; to check out the different sites throughout the country and Europe. I wouldn't be the person I am without the trip outside of the US. I do feel that it has provided an extra layer of spice that I didn't necessarily pick up prior to traveling abroad. 

Fiona - 
Now, let's scoop all of that background knowledge up and see how you applied it to your fiction. You have recently started writing about dragons. It's not the leap that some people might think it is. Can you tell how this all comes together?

Tina - 
LOL. Well, you are correct. Usually fantasy is not the avenue one would take with such a background. But for me, well, these characters appeared, and I couldn't shut them up! 


In my fantasy romance, A Dragon's Destiny, a woman discovers she is a dragon and has to come to terms with this new information, as well as her unique involvement in holding Ragnarok (the Norse Apocalypse) at bay. For this story, I have my heroine, Jasmine, travel back to the 1520s. This is the era that Europe was undergoing the Protestant Reformation. This was, also, a very important time when the Catholic Church continued to persecute people on charges of witchcraft, sorcery and the like. For this story, I wanted to delve into how those of the pagan belief would have had to deal with such a change in that changing world. Plus, everything with a dragon calls for a bit of fun too.

I consider this, the fantasy romance, to be the light to balance out the darkness that the mystery/thrillers create, as well. So, I was able to apply all of my background to create the tale, as well as provide some historical data as to what occurred during this time. 


Fiona -
You mentioned pagan - can you define that for our readers who might not have pagan friends. And, can you tell me if you use mythology from the pagan religions as an influence?

Tina -
Although the term pagan is constantly use to deride non-monotheistic religions, or religions that are not part of the Abrahamic- religions (like Judaism, Christianity and Islam), a pagan is just a non-believer. 


To clarify, the term pagan, from a Christian perspective, would be a heathen, or one that holds a belief that differs from that of the Abrahamic religions. Pagan of course, is a general term, and is usually used against those that did not adhere to Abrahamic religions. There are many different belief sets, but pagan is usually used to deal with religions that practice animism, polytheism, or anything that doesn't embrace that of the Abrahamic religions (or monotheism - the belief in one God).

That being said, Norse mythology played a very important role in creating the story, especially since I use many of the Norse gods in the story (including Odin, Loki, and Freyja). Although, the Marvel Comics' world has re-introduced the world to these deities, the original sources are quite fascinating in their own right.

Fiona -
How did you go about incorporating the myths to give body to your plotline, making them fresh and accessible to those not familiar with Norse mythology?



Tina -
 When it comes to the plotline, I believe in asking, "What if." In dealing with the events of Ragnarok, the Norse Apocalypse, my thought was to dive in and try to define it. In my studies, we did a lot of course work on eschatology (or the study of the end days). I wanted to do a comparison and see how that influenced and shaped paradigms, as well as the culture. 


That being said, after finding out that the gods pretty much kill each other, and things start over, you sort of get the idea that the gods would probably want to find a way to stay alive -- or stop Ragnarok. Who wants to die? That was the starting point. 

I also used a lot of Church history to recreate some of the incidents that I portray in the book, as well. I think by adding them both, it provides a great bit of detail for the reader to pull them more into my world. I went with the themes of who wants to die and let's embrace your truth. The worlds then collided and my creation was born.

When incorporating my myths, it takes a good amount of research. I am forever grateful for Google Scholar. 


Fiona - 
That leads to my next question: Not everyone has your level of scholarship in their back pocket. 

I know in some of my work I have used Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. One of my college courses that has influenced my writing the most was an art history class where I learned about images and the stories from Christian art as well as the tarot, numerology, pagan stories and so forth so when we were looking at art we knew the background of say Io and Zeus. Absolutely fascinating. 

How do you suggest authors conduct their research? What sources could they go to if they wanted to give their fantasy depth as well as fun?

Tina - 
This will sound cliche, but the Internet can be your friend (or worse nightmare). I approached research as I would on a collegiate level, searching for proper scholarly sources that will provide a better understanding of the myths and their interpretations. 


For this, I include such help as Google Scholar, which is a search engine that is a part of Google that allows you to search academic papers, and scholarly literature. 

Another jumping off point, if one is more visually stimulated, is the History Channel, and PBS. Through documentaries, one can find great nuggets of information to then assist in one's own research. 

Personally, my favorite is just a trip to the local library and either by asking questions of the librarian and just perusing the nonfiction shelves. The information is usually there, you just have to find it (and that can be the most difficult, but also the most fun, because, you'll walk away with tons of fodder to include in your story). 

Additionally, with fantasy a lot comes down to world building and the rules of the world you're creating. Christian Theology does not speak well of the dragon (a simple comparison is that the western understanding of the dragon is that it is maleficent, while the eastern version is that the dragon is wise). The dragon is mentioned in not very good terms, so you have to know the world you are placing your characters in and how to maneuver them in it. If you are writing fantasy, the best thing you can do to get a handle of it all is to read from that genre to discover its rules, as well.
Fiona - 
I have Kindle unlimited and when I'm doing research I look up documentaries (which are free to me) and listen to them like lectures, taking notes.

Let's talk magic. . . 

Tina - 
Sure. While preparing for this book, I took a course course called Magic in the Middle Ages. The course showed how the understanding of magic went from that of healing (natural magic) to being understood as maleficent (demonic). This mindset is what would eventually lead to the Inquisition, which officially lasted until 1908, and even the Salem witch trials, and how we regard magic today (as being demonic). 


The greatest thing to know is that words have different meanings and understandings based on the time period that they are used. The course did not teach magic, but showed how the world interacted with it. Nowadays, we probably wouldn't burn someone at the stake, but that is how our culture has changed over the years and how we handle the differences in faith and the understanding of what magic truly is. 

Fiona - 
And A Dragon's Destiny?

Tina - 
A Dragon's Destiny has a bit of my heart and soul in it. I wrote it because I was having a crisis, whereby I could no longer write darker pieces (a real problem for a murder mystery writer to have). I needed something with a happier ending, and a message for me to learn from. This story was me pulling myself up from my bootstraps, sort of a rebirth. 


Here is the blurb: Curses are destined to be broken... In this the first of the Dragons series, time travel and fantasy are weaved together in a fast-paced, funny yet emotional romance. Jaz, a fish out of water in the real world, discovers that she is actually a dragon who must seek her true destiny in another, parallel place. There she discovers that Erich, the man she secretly lusts after in real time, is the Dark Knight. He's ruthlessly extinguishing the ancient Norse religion in an emerging new world. Is he the beloved Jaz is tasked to find in order to release her dragon heart? 

Fiona - 
How does this series affect your other writing?

Tina -
I am being as prolific as possible right now. I recently released the first two issues of my Detective Damien Scott murder mystery serial, with am actively working on completing books 2 and 3 from the dragons series. You can take a girl back in time, but you can't make her give up her dragons -- LOL. 

There are two things I learned through this entire process: Everything has consequences, and I am trying to make sure that I discover what those are when building my worlds and my characters. AND, be true to yourself. Oftentimes, the best stories are the stories you need to tell. I needed to tell my dragon story and sharing it with the world has blessed me more than I ever thought it could.

Fiona - 

I learn something every time we get together. Thank you so much! Here's how to stay in touch with Tina:

http://www.TinaGlasneck.com
http://www.facebook.com/TinaGlasneck/
http://www.Twitter.com/TinaGlasneck/

Tina Glasneck
Mystery, New Adult Paranormal & Fantasy-Romance Writer
tinaglasneck.com



ALSO: TINA AND I ARE IN A GIVEAWAY! SCROLL DOWN FOR A CHANCE TO WIN 35 BOOKS!

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Who Has Jurisdiction? A Question for Crime Writers with Tina Glasneck

This post was written by ThrillWriting friend Tina Glasneck, who jumped in to help me out as I am furiously trying to meet a deadline for my publisher. So a big thank you and welcome to Tina. Tina's other articles on ThrillWriting are: Paralegals 101  and Prepping the Alleged Perp.




Who has jurisdiction?

Being a part of a writing community provides opportunities that are not always possible to enjoy alone. This past weekend, I attended a wonderful workshop regarding the Cop Culture and the Organizational Differences in Law Enforcement.This workshop was about getting the details right.







There are different branches of law enforcement including, Tribal, Federal, Task Force, State Police, Private Security, Sheriff, Local Police, and even Campus Police. When creating a crime story, a mystery that entails that a crime occurred, it is important for to question jurisdiction, and to know which law enforcement agency might respond.

In understanding the jurisdiction issue (and it is not always based on county, city, state or country lines), let's look at the example of a laptop being stolen. If it happens on a college campus, it’s usually something reported to Campus police, but it could also be reported to the city or county police who have jurisdiction over that campus, based on where the campus is located.

What about the state police? Would they look into something as benign as a stolen laptop? Well, it all depends. For example, in Virginia, Virginia State Police would be called in “to investigate any matter referred by the Governor.” Additionally, “[t]he Attorney General, commonwealth's attorneys, chiefs of police, sheriffs and grand juries may request the Department to investigate matters that constitute Class 1, 2 or 3 felonies.”

Class 1, 2, or 3 felonies include: murder, and malicious wounding, and although it does not include burglary or grand larceny, I think that if it is connected to such a matter, it could then still fall under the perview of the State Police.



Now let’s suppose that this laptop has something egregious on it – say it is connected to a serial killer, and all of his victims, for such a matter the FBI would be quite interested. According to the FBI’s website: “The Bureau concentrates on crime problems that pose major threats to American society. Significant violent crime incidents such as mass killings, sniper murders, and serial killings can paralyze entire communities and stretch state and local law enforcement resources to their limits. Particular emphasis is put on criminal street gangs, bank robberies, carjackings, kidnappings, interstate transportation of stolen property and motor vehicles, assaults and threats of assault on the president and other federal officials, and the theft or destruction of government property. As part of this priority, the FBI also investigates crimes against children, art theft, child prostitution, fugitives and missing persons, and crimes on Indian reservations.”

Can you see where we're going with this? It is not just the object but how it connects to the overall crime.

And what about these organizations working together. Borders do not always stop one law enforcement's jurisdiction. This is called concurrent jurisdiction. Concurrent jurisdiction means: "The authority of several different courts, each of which is authorized to entertain and decide cases dealing with the same subject matter.”

It is important to understand concurrent jurisdiction, especially in our understanding of the FBI, DEA, and others working in a task force. “In law enforcement, “concurrent jurisdiction” may exist, where a crime may be a local, state, and federal violation all at the same time.” See FBI on task force.

This is where task forces come into play, and there will be agents from multiple agencies on the task force.” Task forces typically focus on terrorism, organized crime, narcotics, gangs, bank robberies, kidnapping, and motor vehicle theft. “Ibid. As a side note, the FBI does investigate matters which take place on Tribal land, as well, just as it can have an attache in the embassies located outside of the US borders..

Another jurisdiction to consider is the sovereign jurisdiction of the Tribal nations. The Federally recognized tribes, who have reservations, are their own sovereign nations. While some of these reservations have their own tribal law enforcement officers, those that do not have their own police force use officers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). For more information, see BIA.Gov

When writing that next piece and working on solving that next case, consider that question of jurisdiction. Not only do we have to look at the crime itself, but as to the severity of the crime and if concurrent jurisdiction is indeed possible. The theft of this laptop can, from my understanding, be a jumping off point for multiple agencies to get involved in the investigation, and it will depend on the details on who actually takes the lead.

A special thanks to Lilianna Hart and Scott Silverii for leading such a wonderful workshop in making sure us writers get it right, and can take our writing and careers to the next level!


 (Look for Scott Silverii ThrillWriting articles by doing a search at the top right-hand side of this blog)

___

TINA GLASNECK writes in an array of genres and loves a good story. She appreciates a good cup of coffee, characters that cause visceral responses, and a nice helping of laughter to balance it all out. Learn more about Tina and her writing at
 www.TinaGlasneck.com


Some things are worth killing for.... Alexandria "Xandy" Caras was charged with murder - a mass murder. The charges were dropped; the case dismissed. Or was it? A serial killer with a "Moses complex" is out for blood - Xandy's blood - and the blood of those who have sinned against the 10 Commandments. The bodies are piling up, and he's getting closer to his number one target: Xandy. Only her death will make it all stop, silencing the deranged killer who thirsts for far more than just revenge.

AMAZON LINK

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Prepping the Alleged Perp - Information for Writers and Readers with Tina Glasneck

ThrillWriting welcomes Tina Glasneck.
Tina's Web Site


Fiona - 
Tina you've visited with us before talking about your job as a paralegal (ThrillWriters you can go to this LINK to read the article), and you mentioned preparing a client for the stand. Let's start with - is it typical for a defendant to want to take the stand? What issues might be part of that decision making process?

Tina -
Thanks for having me back.

When it comes to preparation for trial, most will want to testify. However, should it become apparent that they plan to lie on the stand, the attorney has a duty to not allow this to happen. In fact, an attorney can face disbarment if it comes out that he has encouraged his client to perjure himself on the stand. This could be cause for an attorney to "fire" or withdraw from representing a client. 

When it comes to deciding if the defendant should testify, usually it comes down to the type of case, and the type of evidence available to substantiate the defendant's alibi. 

From my experience, when there is corroborating information to assist in the not guilty statement of the defendant, the attorney is more likely to allow the defendant to testify. However, when their story is filled with holes, the alibi witnesses cannot confirm anything, when there is evidence to say otherwise, then it is usually suggested that the defendant not testify. Luckily, here, one is considered innocent until proven guilty, and the defendant is not required to put on evidence to support his innocence. The Commonwealth is required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is indeed guilty though.

Fiona - 
The decision has been made between the client and the lawyer as to whether or not the alleged perpetrator will testify. Now they turn to you, the paralegal. Can you take us step by step through your process?

Tina - 

Yes, you are correct: the client's decision is based on the legal advice of the attorney. Once it has been decided that the defendant will testify, then I am usually called forth to step in to assist with trial preparation.

Once a client retains an attorney, one of the motions filed for a criminal matter is called the Motion for Discovery, whereby the defense requests exculpatory information -- exculpatory, meaning that the information provided is favorable and and tends to possibly exonerate the defendant of guilt; they are not required to provide inculpatory evidence, which tends to prove guilt. 

  1. Make sure I'm aware of the facts of the case -- this requires reading the indictments, warrants, and the initial statements of law enforcement as provided by the Commonwealth (prosecution) in the discovery package. 
  2. The stage that the case has come to the office will also dictate what documentation I am able to review. In Virginia, felonies are sent to the General District Court -- a lower court-- for a preliminary hearing. The standard is different, and once the preliminary hearing is held, the matter is certified and sent to the grand jury, who will then send it on to the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court is a court of record, and the General District Court is not -- meaning, if the preliminary hearing has taken place, the defendant's prior attorney would have had to hire a court reporter to transcribe the hearing (not all do this, unfortunately). If a court reporter was present, then the transcription can be ordered. The transcript will also give us insight as to the prosecution's case, and testimony. Part of my job for prepping, would be to review the transcript, comparing it with the other reports-- law enforcement statements etc, to see if the statement has remained the same or not. 
  3. If this a murder trial, review the autopsy report, and if questions arise as to what is stated therein, inform the attorney as to what conflicting details so that we can arrange a conference call with the medical examiner to clear up any questions. 
  4. After I've gathered all of my notes, and can piece together everything that is stated, as to the charges, what the prosecution's version of events is, I then have to scrutinize the defendant's version of events. Over the course of our representation, he would have provided this information numerous times -- however, the truth never changes. I would then be tasked with interviewing him, playing devil's advocate, and confronting him with some of the information from the prosecution in hopes of making sure that the truth he's been providing us remains the same. This is not always easy, and many defendants have gotten upset over the years, not understanding that my job is to ask those questions. 5. Should the defendant have provided us with names of potential witnesses (be they factual or character, then the process follows the 5ws -- who are they, what do they know, when did this occur, where were they when the crime occurred, and sometimes, how do they know this information). For the defendant, I am also following the basic 5ws, and 1H scheme, to glue all the pieces together. 
Fiona - 
You've had lots of colorful clients - can you tell us a story of how it can all go wrong?

Tina - 
Yes, there have been a variety of people who have walked through that door. They all have one thing in common though: the need for help, and I think as a paralegal, having the desire to help people has always made it worthwhile to do the job. Although I cannot give any specifics, the worse scenario to have is to have the client suddenly decide to change his testimony on the stand. Understand: we've spent by that time months prepping everything; the client has given us the same story over and over. Then, on the day of trial, when the client takes the stand, he then decides to change everything.

Fiona - 
So YIPES! someone's up there lying through there teeth - the lawyer isn't required to say, hey judge. . .

Tina - 
This is best answered by the Virginia State Bar: The lawyer must advise the client of the possible consequences of committing perjury, attempt to persuade him to change his mind, and advise the client that if he follows through with his plan, the lawyer is obligated to reveal the perjury and move to withdraw from the case. If the client has already testified and then later acknowledges to the lawyer that his testimony was untruthful, the lawyer should counsel the client to correct the testimony, and advise the client that if he will not correct it himself, the lawyer must do so. Once the lawyer knows that the client has committed or is going to commit perjury, she may not withdraw without taking any additional action, and she may not permit the client to testify in narrative form in order to avoid directly eliciting the false testimony. As a paralegal, if I am made aware that the client plans on committing perjury, this information I must pass on to my attorney so that the proper steps may be taken.

Fiona - 
What kinds of people provide good character witnesses and how do you make sure they're good? On TV shows (and we ThrillWriters no better than looking for reality on a TV show) they say, "That's great Mr. Stevens, but you were convicted of sodomy back in 1984 -- should we rely on your testimony for good character?

Tina - 

A good character witness is educated, gainfully employed, has never committed a crime of moral turpitude, had no convictions, and an all around upstanding member of society. Also, it helps if they are NOT related to the defendant. When related it does not have as much weight, in my opinion.


Character witnesses are like the endorsement of others for our lives; they give credence when they are good people. So, for example if someone commits a robbery, and his defense was he was hungry. Well, you have someone from a soup kitchen testify that they often saw him at the soup kitchen.They then knew he was having a hard time, and they've had meaningful interactions with the client. This has a little more weight because they have less of a reason to lie than family members would.

Fiona - 
Do you also prep the witnesses? What can one legally do with witness preparation?

Tina - 
For witness prep, the only thing we are trying to do is ascertain what they know, how they know it, and anything they may have seen -- this is for factual witnesses. For character witnesses, used greatly at a sentencing hearing, they are used to show the jury and/or judge the person behind the charges, i.e, to humanize the defendant.


Fiona - 
What do you see being written incorrectly about this process and how would you have writers fix their plot lines.

Tina -
I see a lot about attorneys violating the rules of ethics. Attorneys strive so much to not only get their license but to also be good officers of the court. This should be kept in mind when an attorney-like character is considered shady.

Fiona - 
What do you wish I had asked today but didn't know enough to include? 

Tina - 
"Do you mean Tina, that paralegals serve as in-house private investigators?"

 Yes, we are constantly putting the pieces together to solve mysteries, and should something be outside of our scope or expertise, that is when a true private investigator might be retained.

Fiona - 
Can you tell us about Deadly Sins?

Tina - 

Alexandria "Xandy" Caras was charged with murder--a mass murder.
The charges were dropped; the case dismissed.

Or was it? 

A serial killer with a "Moses Complex" is out for blood--Xandy's blood--and the blood of those who have sinned against the Ten Commandments. The bodies are piling up, and he's getting closer to his number one target: Xandy. Only her death will make it all stop, silencing the deranged killer who thirsts for far more than just revenge.


You will find this book in the box set Murder and Mayhem 20 books 99 cents.


I am excited to be a part of the Murder and Mayhem boxed set, which includes amazing voices of the mystery and thriller genres. This has been a life-changing experience to say the least. The set has contains stories where heroes have unbeatable odds, and coming from my profession, I’ve seen that on a daily occasion. There is nothing like walking out of a court room after a not guilty Verdict has been reached, and all because I did my job. Paralegals are vital to making magic happen, and I’m lucky to have considered myself a part of this wonderful profession.




Fiona -

Thanks, Tina, for this great information. And my mystery In Too DEEP is in that boxed set as well.

Tina and I would really appreciate your supporting us by buying our boxed set. 20 Books 99 cents. Leave us a message in the comments when you've made your purchase so we can thank you!