News & Views
Step Inside Rita’s World:
News & Views with author Valerie Webster
Welcome to the blog of crime fiction author Valerie Webster
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Valerie Webster of Boulder, Colo. draws readers into the shadowy worlds of crime and crime fighters by using her 30+ year career in cyber and real-life security.
The result is riveting fiction based on real cases and policing applications with the main character Rita Mars—an ex-investigative reporter fighting crime around Washington D.C.’s beltway and beyond.
Webster’s debut novel Driven: A Rita Mars Thriller received critical accolades from readers.
Her second book in the crime fiction series, Objects of Desire publishes in late 2022.
Webster is a member of Mystery Writers of America and the national and Colorado chapters of Sisters in Crime.
Purchase Your Copy of Driven on Amazon Here.
PHISHING – IT’S NOT A WATERSPORT
Let’s start with a definition of phishing. It is the practice of tricking Internet users, through the use of deceptive email messages, phone calls or websites, into revealing personal or confidential information which can then be used to perpetuate identity...
Sisters in Crime
Sisters in Crime is sponsoring NaNoWriMo this November. They will schedule write-ins and weekly Twitter sprints to help you get to 50K words. They will also make other resources and support available. The #SinC50K will offer: 2 write-ins a day 6 days a...
Dark Money: How Rita Did It
In Driven: A Rita Mars Thriller, Rita spends time wading through corporate records, social media and online sources in her quest to identify the killer of her reporter friend, Bobby Ellis. Why is this such a slavish task when we believe the Federal Election...
National Novel Writing Month
National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Chris Baty started the project in with 21 participants in the San Francisco Bay area. Each year since on November 1, thousands of people around the...
Writing Contest for Unpublished Work
Each year the Pacific Northwest Writers' Association presents a contest for best in genre for as yet unpublished work. You’ll see these “best of” mystery and thrillers soon on shelves and online! Every genre has a sponsor and this year’s Mystery/Thriller...
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards
Finalists just announced in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards. RMFW offers encouragement and opportunity to writers in all genres through this annual contest. Winners will be announced and celebrated at the RMFW Hybrid Gold...
2021 National Book Festival
Create a personalized experience with the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival in 2021 by engaging in author conversations online, watching the broadcast special on PBS, listening to NPR podcasts, tuning in to Washington Post Live author interviews and...
2022 St. Martin’s Minotaur Mystery Writers of America
First Crime Novel Competition MWA is the premier organization for mystery and crime writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and folks who just love to read crime fiction. The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of...
Link Analysis – How Rita Did It in DRIVEN
In my book, Driven: A Rita Mars Thriller, my protagonist, Rita Mars searches for the killer responsible for her fellow reporter, Bobby Ellis’s death. She determined there was a political target of the story that got him killed and immediately began the search through...
Award Winning Reads!
These are the best of the best as awarded by the International Thriller Writers on July 10 . Awards were presented by literary luminaries Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Walter Mosley, Karin Slaughter and R.L. Stine. Best Hardcover Blacktop...
A Great Read for Futurists
A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. DoudnaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars A glimpse into how man becomes god. The 2020 Nobel Prize winner, Jennifer Doudna, A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power...
Wisting
SO – as a hard-core fan of mystery, thrillers and all things where I’m trying to figure out who the bad guy is and how to stop them, I rifle through Netflix and Amazon Prime as well as the world of books. I suspect you do the same. For the build of suspense and the...
"A Real Page Turner!"
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