Author Dänna Wilberg
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August Went Missing!

9/7/2015

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In August, I attended the fabulous Writers Police Academy conference in Appleton Wisconsin. (Hosted by former police detective and author, Lee Lofland) Each morning we were bused to the Fox Valley Police Academy to learn/experience what it takes to investigate a crime scene.  In the real world, the work is tedious, and requires hours of accurate documentation. As a result, the team is able to paint a picture of what happened to the victim and how to pursue the person(s) responsible for the crime.

Appleton's Coroner talked about her role as an elected public official. Often bodies are not recovered immediately, and decomposition requires her to become a biological sleuth. Her favorite clue? Maggots! Maggots inform the investigation team when and where the crime occurred. Fascinating, but not a topic you want to engage in around lunchtime!

The attendees were privy to high profile cases, the psychology behind the crime, and the killers capture. Mock murder scenes were set up to photograph and document. We had the opportunity to glove up and take blood swabs, learn about blood spatters and lividity. Some of the attendees were able to sign up for 'ride-alongs' and go on board an airplane to learn about terrorist attacks and what to do about belligerent passengers. We met the canine team for the Appleton Police department, and witnessed a mock bank robbery.

All in all, the conference was fascinating, and I feel better prepared to launch into my next series, "Borrowed Time". Meeting real undercover detectives, and FBI agents, give a writer great ideas! My crime scenes will reflect what I learned at WPA. I am excited to present  complicated characters and gruesome details.
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What People are saying about "The Red Chair":


If you're looking for a taut, well-written thriller--this is it. The tension begins early and grows and grows. Danna Wilberg has woven a complex mystery full of compelling characters who are as real as your next door neighbors . . . with one exception: one (or more) of them is stalker/murderer. You'll find yourself wondering "is this the one?" Chances are, you won't guess who it is....Kirk Colvin

This book has hidden powers. From early on in the book I wondered if this was actually a great American novel, and not just a formula-one romance-mystery genre product to feed the hungry (reader). I'm a picky reader, and though I've been known to read a "cozy mystery" (this is not one of those), or a bloody horror story, I get tired of them real quick. Wilberg is different. She can write her head off, and with what I'd call alchemical results. I swear I had a soul transformation when I had finished it, and that is what every novelist hopes to do....Barbara Y'barra