shirley dicks

Female

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:: Originally from Concord NH...living in TN now
About Me:: I moved to Tn when my oldest son was wrongly convicted and sent to death row. I started writing at this time and wrote our story and then went on to write other books. My life story was the third one published after Death Row, and Victims by New Horizon Press called, They're Going To Kill My Son.

Then I wrote From Vietnam To Hell, Congregation of the Condemned, Young Blood, Road Angels, Long Journey Home, The Choice Is Yours and finally redid my life story, brought it up to date the past twenty years, and changed the title to A Mothers Torment and published it myself. www.amotherstorment.com

I wrote articles that were published in magazines and was on Geraldo, Maury, Sally, Jerry Springer, Rolonda and The Shirley SHow in Canada. The BBC then did a documentary on my life that was play ed overseas.

My youngest son Trevor Dicks and I spoke out on the Journey of Hope each year in a different state. www.trevordicks.com That's two weeks of speaking out against the death penalty and more violence, creating more victims.

Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking also speaks out on the Journey as does Sam Shepperd who is the son of Dr Sam Shepherd convicted of killing his mother and sentenced to die. Sam has spent his whole life trying to prove his innocence. The movie, THe Fugitive is based on his story.

I also went on TN death row and five of the guys came out to do a DVD called The Choice Is Yours where they talk to the kids about the dangers of doing drugs, alcohol and hanging in gangs, and with the wrong kind of people. The video I take to schools and speak to the kids to try and stop them before they end up in prison, or death row. www.thechoiceisyours.org

When my oldest son Jeff Dicks was killed in 99, due to medical neglect, I started the Jeff Dicks Coalition, www.jeffdicks.org to save prisoners from medical neglect, and to stop the murdering of these prisoners by being denied their medication.

Trevor and I fought for over twenty years to prove Jeff's innocence to no avail. I have a letter from a minister who says that he knew Jeff was innocent because Strouth told him so, and that he did the crime, but he called it privilege information and said he could not tell anyone and would let Jeff die unless Strouth were to die first and then he could tell the truth.

This is so wrong, but I knew of a case in Texas where an attorney did the same thing. Let an innocent man be executed when he knew the man's brother killed the officer. This should not be allowed to happen if someone's life is in danger.

Last year I lost my youngest and only son left, and since then I haven't been able to speak out. I'm hoping soon I'll be able to do so again.

In the meantime I'm writing a fun book about ladies fifty and older. Anyone who fits in this category and would like to be included, contact me at sdicks@blomand.net. It's called, There IS Life After Fifty.
I Am A:: Writer
Website:: http://www.shirleydicks.org
Books And Authors I Like:: I like many different books, true crime, romance, true stories, humor and westerns. I like Ann Rule, Nora Roberts and many others.
Movies And TV Shows I Like:: I don't watch many, but like stories on Lifetime which are mostly true, Lost, Dallas when it was on, Survivor. Movies I like humorous and true stories.

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shirley dicks

Hi Maryann, there are so many innocent people in prison and on death row. I know people out there laugh as the innocent thing, but in the past couple of years they've found 120 people to be wrongly convicted on death row and have been freed. No telling how many innocent ons they already killed
You could still write a book on that inmates story and self publish it.......

May 23, 2007
Tom Cain

It's pretty humbling to spend ones life inventing dramatic stories and then come across someone who has lived through real pain, injustice and loss. I really feel for your tragedy and I applaud the spirit with which you've survived and emerged, undefeated and unbowed.

May 24, 2007
chelbel

Hey Shirley. Thanks for the Friends invite.
I read your prologue and it had me in tears. x

May 27, 2007
Angela Wilson

Thanks for the invite. Your life journey has been incredible. You have a purpose in life and God has definitely opened the doors for you to speak your message. Keep writing. Keep speaking.

Jun 1, 2007
Shirley Wells

Thanks for the invite, and nice to meet another Shirley.

What an amazing story. I found it very humbling. The death penalty should be abolished - as it was over here in the UK.

Jun 2, 2007
shirley dicks

great to meet each of you and hope to get to know you better. Trying to check out all the pages but it takes time to get to them all....I find them all very interesting and wish I was rich so I could read all your books....I wish you all success. By sharing information I'm sure we can all be more successful in marketing and selling our books....and so glad this group was started....

Jun 4, 2007
Sara Reyes

thanks for the add

Jun 22, 2007
Adam Haynes

You sound like a straight shooter. I like that.

Jun 22, 2007
david boggis

Your experience is almost too awful to be contemplated. Thank you for inviting me to be your friend.

Jun 22, 2007
Steven Dunne

Hi Shirley
Thanks for the warm welcome. Sounds like quite a life story.

Jun 23, 2007
shirley dicks

Hi David, Adam and Sara, great to have you as friends. Will be checking out your sites and books as well. I just got this one out, and trying to finish up one on ladies fifty and older called, There IS life After Fifty.... www.thereislifeafterfifty.com Want to have it ready for the Christmas holidays....it's a fun book after some of the more serious ones I've done and I'm enjoying writing it.....

Jun 23, 2007
CT

Thank you for inviting me to join your friends here Shirley. You're always in my thoughts and prayers.... Caroline

Jun 28, 2007
shirley dicks

Hi Caroline and Christopher.....If you got my notice about A Mothers Torment, I shouldn't have sent it on this place. I've gotten quite a few nasty answers back, but since I'd gotten a lot of book notices sent to me on BOok Network I thought the rules were the same. However, I found out quickly that it wasn't. You aren't allowed to send any info on your books on this group, so I had to apologise to those who sent me back emails.. I should have found out the rules first before sending anything, but I didn't so to anyone I sent it to , I'm sorry about that and it won't happen again on this group.

If I'd have gotten a notice about a new book out, I would just delete it if I wasn't interested, or sent a nice note letting them know it wasn't allowed. But not everyone does that. You can be sure I'll check next time I decide to do something like that again....

Jun 28, 2007
Regina Williams

Thank you for the invite I really appreciate it. When I get back from vacation, I'll drop by and say hello.

Jul 4, 2007
Sheri Fresonke Harper

Wow, you've had a lot of difficulties. What a great way to pursue justice. :-) Sheri

Jul 23, 2007
Dave Keel

Hi Shirley,

Thanks for the invite. You have had such difficulities and yet you have remained so strong. You are to be admired.

Jul 23, 2007
carole gill

Thank you. I'm so sorry for all that you and your family have gone through. all the best to you.

Jul 23, 2007
Brenda Chapman

Hi Shirley - Good to meet you and thank you for including me in your list of friends. Your son's story is tragic. We do not have the death penalty in Canada, and for that, I am glad. Do you have a lot of support in your battle to end the death penalty in the U.S.?
Brenda

Jul 23, 2007
Sheri Fresonke Harper

Good to meet you, too, Shirley :-) Sheri

Jul 23, 2007
Brenda Chapman

Shirley - I am very sorry for your losses. It must have been very difficult for you and your family. As for some talk shows, they tend to go for the shock factor and the lowest form of entertainment. I can tell you that anyone I know in Canada is opposed to the death penalty on principle. We've had too many murder sentences overturned years later - David Milgaard, Stephen Truscott to name but two. We have a section in the Dept. of Justice that reviews cases to see if there has been a miscarriage of justice in murder cases.
Brenda

Jul 23, 2007
carole gill

I'm sure you have. To live with injustice especially when it has destroyed family must be the worst. I think you are one strong woman. I also think by writing you might be helping yourself to continue to survive and go on. Going on is what your family would want. so you do it, you carry on! And my God continue to bless you).

Jul 23, 2007
Camilla Trinchieri

Hi Shirley-thanks for the invitation. You have one hell of a story. Continued strength. Ciao camilla

Jul 24, 2007
carole gill

I think it's best that you keep busy. it helps, I'm sure. you are being the most constructive you can be. what a role model you are.

Jul 24, 2007
Regina Williams

I know what you mean about the family reunions. We've lost so many over the last three years or so. But it's still great to see the ones left and make the effort every year to be able to attend.

Jul 24, 2007
Ken Isaacson

Hi Shriley...Thaks for the invite.

Jul 26, 2007
surfingcheryl

Hi Shirley...Hey, I get nasty emails when I promote as well. Don't sweat it; it takes a while to learn how to do this subtly. You live and learn.
Cheryl Swanson

Jul 27, 2007
Kelli Stanley

Thanks for the invitation, Shirley ... and for all the dedication and hard work you've put in to helping people, despite your own suffering. Keep telling your story. People will listen.

Take care,

Kelli

Jul 27, 2007
Cormac Brown

Hello Shirley and thank you for the invitation.

Aug 3, 2007
Marcia Moore

Hello Shirley,

Thank you for inviting me. You truly have a lot of courage.

Aug 16, 2007
Gayle Wigglesworth

Shirley, Thanks for asking.

Feb 14, 2008
Lynette Rees

Thanks for the add, Shirley.

Feb 14, 2008
John Boundy

Hi Shirley...Thanks for the invite. Always like to meet new people!

Feb 14, 2008
Ron Adams

The pleasure and honor is mine Shirley. Thanks for the invitation.

Feb 14, 2008
Karen Allingham

Hi Shirley, nice to meet you and to hear your amazing story. Keep fighting!

Feb 14, 2008
Laura L. Cooper

Shirely,
You've certainly been through a lot. Thanks for the invite.
--Laura

Feb 14, 2008
Earl Merkel

Best wishes to you, Shirley.

Feb 14, 2008
J. Shanon Roggenbuck

May God guide us gently as we journey by night.

Feb 15, 2008
Lynette Rees

Yes, I agree, promotion is hard. I've been lucky with my first two books as I wrote them to make funds for the charity, I have had a lot of support from my manager and another member of staff when I've gone out to speak at various places.

I don't know how I'll be when I go it alone though!

I'm sorry to hear about your son. I'm sure he'll be with you in spirit and you'll draw strength from that.

Keep in touch!

Lynette

Feb 16, 2008
Christopher Valen

Shirley,
Thank you for the friend invite. I remember reading about your son's tragic case. I recently started a crime blog at http://christophervalen.com/blog where I discuss the social, political and economic impacts of crime and injustice. My first entry dealt with the Innocence Project and Timothy Masters, who was wrongly convicted of murder and recently released in Colorado.
Christopher

Feb 20, 2008
Brian M Kennedy

Dear shiley; Thx for the add.

Brian

Mar 10, 2008
Margaret

Hi, Shirley,

Thanks for adding me as a friend. I'm two years older than you, and would love to chat about us ancient gals and their fun and games.

Margaret

Mar 10, 2008
Chris Ewan

Hello Shirley. Thanks for the invite.
Best wishes
Chris

Mar 11, 2008
Karen Burene

Thanks Shirley for friending me. I'm quickly approaching 50, in July. Do I qualify???

Also, I worked as a corrections officer in both MI and NC and can tell you first hand, medical care sucks in the prison system, or what they call medical care. An inmate in the unit I was working in nearly died because staff thought he was "well enough". When I came on shift and saw his condition I bugged the Sgt. and Lt. for hours until they finally transported him to a medical facility. When he returned he thanked me, as he was just hours away from death. This was not the only instance. So I can relate to your story.

All the best,
Karen

Mar 18, 2008
Patrick Mackeown

Wow! You're one strong lady. Thanks for the add.

Mar 18, 2008
Sheila Quigley

Hi shirley, would love to be your friend, I think you are a very brave woman.

Mar 18, 2008
Christopher Valen

Shirley,
Thanks for checking out my website and book, White Tombs. The trailer for your book is very powerful!! What happened to your son was a real tragedy. Was his story profiled on 60 Minutes. I seem to recall seeing it. One of my blogs dealt with prosecutorial misconduct. It is so difficult to believe that it can and does happen so often. Can you tell me who created the video for you and approximately how much it cost? Thanks and stay in touch.
Chris

Mar 19, 2008
Christopher Valen

Shirley,
Thanks for the information regarding the video. Let me know if you think it helps your book sales. I'll certainly mention your name if I contact him.
FYI. I changed some of the font on my website to white so that it's easier to read:)
Chris

Mar 19, 2008
Ken McCoy

Hello Shirley,
You sound like a a strong and interesting woman. I have a story along the same lines, although the injustice isn't personal. For the past few years, in between writing my usual fiction, I've been writing a true life about a man, Billy, who came to me with a story about how he served 25 years in jail for a murder I'm pretty sure he didn't commit. I did a lot of research before I began to write his story, which is both horrific and fascinating. So far, the book isn't finished. Main reason being that I make my living as a crime fiction writer. True crime is difficult to sell unless it's a high profile crime. I expect I'll get it finished some time soon and hopefully published, if only for Billy's sake. Sadly the US doesn't have a monopoly on criminal injustice. Good Luck.
Ken McCoy

Mar 27, 2008
Ken McCoy

I'd actually thought about making it a fiction book, but its strength lies in the true stories Billy tells about his time inside where he meets many men who have been wrongly imprisoned for murder, some of whom were famously pardoned, although a pardon and compensation doesn't even begin to heal the scars left by a wrongful conviction for such a crime. I will finish his book one day soon, if only for his sake.
Ken

Apr 1, 2008
Maggie Bishop

Hello Shirley,

Thank you for the invite. I love the idea of books with people over 50. Maggie Bishop, Perfect for Framing out Fall 2008

Apr 1, 2008