Inside Lenz Network

Mark Robinson was in front row of traffic that morning; he broke 9 bones and punctured a lung; he is incredibly lucky to be alive. Mark is currently director, internal communications, ING, in Windsor, Connecticut. He has a communications background; that experience plus direct involvement in crash add up to a unique opportunity to provide a first-person account and to get access to behind-the-scenes information, including the personal stories of victims and their families.  

For details of this case for the broadcast please read Tragedy on Avon Mountain-Ten Years Later by host, Donna R. Gore.  For host information refer to her Website DonnaGore.Com

Cold Case Investigative Research Institute continues on the "From the Scene of the Crime Tour". Director Sheryl McCollum and her team of experts are heading across the country to meet with families, experts and law enforcement involved in several high profile cold cases, and many that have not been heard about in the media. They will be joining Shattered Lives each Saturday to talk about what they've accomplished at each of their stops as they make their month long journey across the US.  

For background informaton on the tour CLICK HERE and listen to a previous podcast announcing the details of the the tour.

HOLLOW WORDS vs VIBRANT IMAGES ~ DO YOU USE WORDS TO DRAW PICTURES FOR YOUR READERS?

Join us when hosts Morgan St. James, author of 14 books, and Eric James Miller, author and President of Writers of Southern Nevada, discuss one of the key elements in writing fiction---the art of drawing pictures with words using artful, rhythmic prose. "The trick is to also make it simple and direct. This technique of using words to trigger a mental image is a variation of show, don’t tell."

Language that is too sophisticated, complex or gimmicky, or long blocks of flat narrative sometimes called a laundry list, often trigger inattention instead of creating a visual experience.

You might protest that extensive description draws the reader deeper into the story. Unfortunately, it generally works the other way. Why? Because long, occasionally dull passages break the action. They literally freeze the characters in place during a boring dissertation.

Cold Case Investigative Research Institute proudly kicks off the "From the Scene of the Crime Tour". Director Sheryl McCollum and her team of experts are heading across the country to meet with families, experts and law enforcement involved in several high profile cold cases, and many that have not been heard about in the media. They will be joining Shattered Lives each Saturday to talk about what they've accomplished at each of their stops as they make their month long journey across the US.  

For background informaton on the tour CLICK HERE and listen to a previous podcast announcing the details of the the tour.

Don't let PITFALLS become PRATFALLS. Many writers don't realize they are making mistakes because everything seems to be moving ahead smoothly. Sometimes it is what you AREN'T doing, not what you ARE doing. Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller discuss potential mistakes writers make--even seasoned ones--and some of the things that can be done to sail past them.

Krush Kent and Marcus Strider of the Guardian Angels discuss Baltimore and Charleston, what's the difference? Are race relations handled differently in these cities, and why?

WHO SHOULD YOU ASK 

 TO READ YOUR MANUSCRIPT?

Feedback from “first readers” is extremely helpful. They generally aren’t professional editors. Some may be published writers and it is good for the group of first readers to also include readers who are not writers.

 Like most things that involve someone’s opinion, however, there is a hitch. Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller will delve into things that make an ideal first reader...and it isn't your Aunt Agatha who thinks everything you write is a masterpiece. What do you need to consider?

This is an inspirational story about the power of conviction: the wrongful conviction that sent James Tillman to prison for over 18 years, and the power of his own conviction that helped him persevere, offer a transformational forgiveness and earn a redemption that is so valued he remarkably calls his experience in prison, “a gift.” 

"The Power of Conviction" is for people who are facing tough times. You will understand that you’re not alone, that things can be brutally bad and we can react poorly at times, but where there is love, there is always hope. 

How did James Tillman endure 18 years of hell in prison? What specific lessons can you learn about the transformational power of forgiveness, love and conviction? When faced with your own challenges in life, what will you choose?

Did you know that habit can be your worst enemy? It doesn’t matter if you write fiction, nonfiction or poetry—writers pretty much base everything upon their own imagination and experiences. Our imagination is triggered by things we’ve seen, learned or actually lived through. In the beginning, we have a basket full of ideas just waiting to be developed, but eventually we work our way through most of them. Then what? How to come up with fresh scenarios and characters?

Are you a creature of habit?

Do you take the same route from place to place whenever you travel between certain destinations? Do you have favorite restaurants and limit yourself to what you know and love on their menu? Is there a style that defines you? Do you only read favorite authors?

Authors Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller offer tips and techiniques to break out of your rut.

Shattered Lives Radio discusses the efforts of those in Connecticut who are trying to bring more awareness to their state’s Safe Haven Law which was enacted in 2000. Host Donna Gore welcomes her guest, retired Meriden, CT Police Chief Robert N. Kosienski to shed more light on the importance of Safe Haven laws and the impact it has on the lives of, not only abandoned babies, but also the life of the mother.