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Christopher Valen
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November 1
The American Booksellers Association has fired the latest salvo in the battle over the $9 hardcover by sending a letter to the U.S. Justice Department accusing Walmart, Target and Amazon of predatory pricing. Apparently, it's illegal to price a bo...
October 27
Just put the McDonald's arches on your cover. They'll buy it.
October 24
Oh, my God. Are you sure they read?
October 24
The Sucker Profile 1) Wearing Zubas on the promise they are "making a comeback real soon" 2) Rushing out to buy Windows 7 before "they're all sold out" 3) Owning this product Go get 'em, IJ.
October 23
October 23
Christopher Valen and Jon Loomis are now friends
October 23
October 23

Profile Information

Hometown:
St. Paul, MN
About Me:
Christopher Valen's debut police procedural, White Tombs, featuring Homicide Detective John Santana, was released on March 1, 2008. The Library Journal said of White Tombs, "it provides enough plot twists to keep readers engrossed and paints a clear picture of the Hispanic community in St. Paul." Armchair Interviews calls White Tombs "a 5-star read". White Tombs won the 2008 Reader Views Choice Award for Best Mystery and the 2008 Garcia Award for Best Fiction. The second book in the police procedural series entitled "The Black Minute" will be released in September 2009. For more information go to www.christophervalen.com. Also, visit his blog, Probable Cause, at http:/christophervalen.com/blog.
I Am A:
Writer
Website:
http://www.christophervalen.com
Books And Authors I Like:
Anything by James Lee Burke, Michael Connelly, Lee Child and John Connolly
Movies And TV Shows I Like:
I don't watch much TV, but I do enjoy watching Dexter on the Showtime network, Bill Maher on HBO and John Stewart and Steven Colbert on Comedy Central.
( )

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Christopher Valen's Blog

Christopher Valen

Officer Down

140 police officers in the United States died in the line of duty in 2008, a 14% decrease from 2007 when 181 officers died, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The 181 deaths in 2007 temporarily reversed a downward trend that had begun in 1980 when a record 205 officers died in the line of duty. Law enforcement officials attribute the decrease to better training, bulletproof vests and the use of tasers. But better training and equipment has not prevented a 20% jump… Continue

Posted on September 10, 2009 at 12:48am — 5 Comments

Christopher Valen

CSI Myths

The use of forensics in television dramas has created a legal phenomenon known as the “CSI effect.” Jurors today often view forensics as gospel based on what they see on their favorite shows. The August issue of Popular Mechanics magazine attempts to dispel some myths in a cover story entitled, “The Truth About Forensics”.

In real life, many forensic labs are understaffed and have a huge backlog of requests for services. Some state and city forensic departments have mishandled evidence, and sin… Continue

Posted on August 10, 2009 at 8:31am —

Christopher Valen

Sick Child or Sick Parent

When a child is very sick, most parents never hesitate to take the child to a doctor for treatment. But what if your 13-year-old Daniel Hauser, who is diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and your mother decides, based on her religious beliefs, that alternative medicines would be better than chemotherapy for treating your life threatening condition?

Fortunately for Daniel Hauser, a Minnesota judge saw the issue differently. He ruled that Daniel was "medically neglected" and consequently was in ne… Continue

Posted on May 23, 2009 at 10:00am —

Christopher Valen

Snipers

While writing my latest police procedural, “The Black Minute”, which will be released in September, I did quite a bit of research on snipers. I recalled some of that research after hearing the remarkable account of the three Navy Seal snipers who simultaneously fired three shots, killing the three pirates who were holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage off the coast of Somalia.

Probably the most famous sniper in United States history was Carlos Hathcock. During the Vietnam War Hathcock had 93… Continue

Posted on April 15, 2009 at 12:59am —

Christopher Valen

Throw-Down Guns

You’ve seen it in the movies and on television; you’ve read about it in numerous crime novels. A cop mistakenly kills a suspect he or she thought was armed. It’s a cop’s worse nightmare. Then, to cover their mistake, the cop plants a throw-down gun on or near the suspect.

In a case of life imitating art, Officer Jason Andersen, a Minneapolis police officer, is facing a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that he deliberately planted a gun on 19 year-old Fong Lee after fatally shooting him eight tim… Continue

Posted on April 4, 2009 at 4:20am — 2 Comments

Comment Wall (20 comments)

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At 6:58am on October 23, 2009, Jon Loomis said…
And thanks for the ad, Chris. The forum is (almost) always fun!
At 2:10pm on September 9, 2009, Daniel Hatadi said…
Hi Christopher,

You should be able to add the extra video promo code directly after the previous one. Just make sure that each of them begin with a 'less than' and end with a 'greater than' sign.

Cheers,
Daniel
At 1:49am on July 20, 2009, Preetham Grandhi said…
Hi Christopher, I want to introduce you to my debut novel "A Circle of souls" which is a murder, mystery, psychological thriller and a tale of justice and hope. Do visit www.acircleofsouls.com to read more about the book. Make sure you sign up to win an autographed copy of the book. You can also read more reviews by clicking on the More Reviews button at the website. Thanks for your time in advance.

Best regards

Preetham Grandhi

Early Endorsements for “A Circle of Souls”

Linda Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author: "A fascinating debut - this novel takes the reader to the darkest places in the human soul, from a writer with the authenticity to lead us there. A stunning thriller and an important read."

Judge Judy Sheindlin, star of the Judge Judy Show: "The seminal work of this fine author kept me glued to my chair until the adventure was over and the mystery solved. A great read!"

Book Synopsis:

The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.

Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.

The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
At 11:04am on May 24, 2009, Tom Cooke said…
Christopher,
Thank you so much for adding me as a friend. I've enjoyed reading your comments on this site and feel privileged to be added.
T.
At 1:12am on November 19, 2008, Dennis Leppanen said…
Hi Christopher,

Thanks for the invite. Look forward to White Tomb. Have always been a John Sanford fan.
At 1:56am on August 28, 2008, Christopher Valen said…
Boe,
You're welcome. CrimeSpace is an excellent website that generates good discussions and feedback. I've been very busy promoting my police procedural White Tombs (just added an event post for New Mexico) and working on the next book in the series. Never seems to be enough time in the day.
At 4:31am on August 15, 2008, carole gill said…
i'm sure I will.
I read the reviews and it sounds like the best book ever.
can't wait to get it!
thanks for recommending it!
At 11:20am on August 7, 2008, Luis said…
I'll probably ask you some things about writing fiction as I continue to develop that area of my writing. If you don't mind of course!
At 4:12pm on August 6, 2008, Luis said…
I'd be happy to share some of the investigative techniques I know.
At 3:39pm on August 5, 2008, Luis said…
Hi, thanks for accepting my request. I prefer reading police procedurals to most other kinds of crime fiction.

My work involves investigating both crimes and the persons who commit them. I write reports and recommend federal sentences.
 
 

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