PTSD is an increasingly common psychiatric condition that has many origins and manifestations. As with most psychiatric conditions there has been a long of history of scientists searching for some physical explanation, or at least an underlying substrate for these conditions. Everything from schizophrenia to criminal behavior has been studied. PTSD is no different.

Now a new study from Duke University, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry last November, sheds new light on possible anatomical changes in those susceptible to developing PTSD. This alteration lies deep in the brain in the hippocampus/amygdala complex, which is part of the larger Limbic System, areas of the brain associated with emotions, stress responses, learning, memory, socialization, and many other things. The researchers studied 200 combat veterans and found that PTSD sufferers tended to have smaller amygdalar and hippocampal volumes as compared to “normal” subjects.

Does this mean we now have a test for determining who is vulnerable to developing PTSD? Not yet. But this study is a step in that direction.

My first Dub Walker thriller, STRESS FRACTURE, dealt with PTSD and its treatment.

Here’s my question: Can the police/coroner/forensics determine which was the cause of death–suffocation or blunt force trauma? If so, what would the signs be pointing to asphyxiation?  Also, if it matters, this is set in 1969.

Judy Merrill Larsen, author of All the Numbers

http://www.judymerrilllarsen.com

A: If the victim died first from the asphyxia, the ME would have no problem since the blow to the head would cause no bruising or bleeding. At death the heart stops and blood flow ceases and a corpse will not bleed or bruise easily. So the ME would see a mark where the victim was struck but no bleeding or bruising and know that the blow was delivered post-mortem.

If he was still alive when struck, things become a little more difficult for the ME but he should still be able to tell. Bruising and bleeding at the site of the blunt trauma would show that the victim was alive when struck but if there is no significant brain injury found at autopsy he would know that the force of the blow did not cause death and the asphyxia must have. If there is a brain injury such as cerebral contusion (brain bruise) or bleeding into or around the brain, he might have difficulty determining the actual cause of death. Of course any evidence of blunt trauma would point to homicide and not suicide since someone using a plastic bag for suicide would not likely also strike themselves in the head.

But I see a bigger problem with your scenario. If she was unconscious from being strangled, she would wake up within 10 seconds to a minute or so after the pressure was released unless she had significant brain injury from lack of oxygen. If she were simply strangled into unconsciousness, which is due to blocking blood flow thru the carotid arteries to the brain and not blocking breathing, as soon as the pressure was released and blood flow reestablished, she would wake up very quickly. Much sooner than he could put a bag on his head and die from asphyxia. For her to be out that long would require some degree of brain injury and I don’t think that’s what you want. Of course, if he drugged her first and then strangled her to the point he thought she was dead, but she in fact wasn’t, then she would awaken when the drug effect wore off. Here he could be dead for hours before she awakened.

Congratulations to all my fellow nominees. They are:

BEST NOVEL:

Dare Me – Megan Abbott [Reagan Arthur]

The Trinity Game – Sean Chercover [Thomas & Mercer]

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn [Crown]

The Beautiful Mystery – Louise Penny [Minotaur]

The Other Woman – Hank Phillippi Ryan [Forge]

BEST FIRST NOVEL:

Don’t Ever Get Old – Daniel Friedman [Thomas Dunne]

The Professionals – Owen Laukkanen [Putnam]

The Expats – Chris Pavone [Crown]

The 500 – Matthew Quirk [Reagan Arthur]

Black Fridays – Michael Sears [Putnam]

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL:

Whiplash River – Lou Berney [William Morrow]

Murder for Choir – Joelle Charbonneau [Berkley Prime Crime]

And She Was – Alison Gaylin [Harper]

Blessed are the Dead – Malla Nunn [Emily Bestler]

Big Maria – Johnny Shaw [Thomas & Mercer]

BEST SHORT STORY:

“Mischief in Mesopotamia” – Dana Cameron, EQMM, Nov 2012

“Kept in the Dark” – Shelia Connolly, Best New England Crime Stories: Blood Moon [Level Best]

“The Lord is My Shamus” – Barb Goffman, Chesapeake Crimes: This Job is Murder, p.97 [Wildside]

“Peaches” – Todd Robinson, Grift, Spring 2012, p.80

“The Unremarkable Heart” – Karin Slaughter, Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance, p.177 [Mulholland]

BEST CRITICAL NONFICTION WORK:

Books to Die For: The World’s Greatest Mystery Writers on the World’s Greatest Mystery Novels – John Connolly and Declan Burke, eds. [Hodder & Stoughton/Emily Bestler]

Blood Relations: The Selected Letters of Ellery Queen, 1947-1950 – Joseph Goodrich, ed. [Perfect Crime]

More Forensics and Fiction: Crime Writers Morbidly Curious Questions Expertly Answered – D.P. Lyle, M.D. [Medallion]

The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie – Mathew Prichard, ed. [Harper]

In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero – Otto Penzler, ed. [Smart Pop]

After death, some corpses mummify rather than decay. This more likely will happen in very dry environments but can happen in almost any circumstance. If the corpse dessicates (dries out) more quickly than it decays, mummified remains are produced. These corpses are leathery, dark brown, and appear as if the skin has been “shrink wrapped” over the bones. They also can be very difficult to analyze.

For years, rehydrating finger pads with water, glycerin, and some other liquids, has allowed investigators to obtain fingerprints from mummified corpses. Now it seems that Alejandro Hernandez has found a way to do this with an entire mummified corpse. Very interesting.

We have some wonderful teachers again this year. Here is the line up:

Register before midnight on April 30^th to take advantage of the advance pricing for CraftFest, AgentFest, ThrillerFest, and the banquet. http://www.thrillerfest.com

Don’t miss THRILLERFEST and CRAFTFEST this year. They will be fun.

DP Lyle

ITW VP for Education/CraftFest Director

The Definition

Before we can properly explain how you might use a mind map to better your writing skills, it’s important that you understand what this type of tool actually is. Basically, you will take a starting word or concept and place it in the middle of the paper. From that, you will stem off into different directions. For example, let’s say that the word in the middle of the paper is “archaeology.” One branch leading from it may say “dig,” and another might say “ancient civilizations.” “Dig” could lead to lines with places where famous digs have been done for example.

Using Some Colors

At first read-through, the description of a mind map might sound rather confusing. After all, you are going to be connected all of these different words and ideas. However, it is possible to accomplish, and it’s wise to look up pictures of one before you get started. You could choose to use a particular color for each main branch you are making, so you can easily follow along with your thought process. You could also use different colored labels to create this type of organizer.

Why It Works

One of the major problems that a lot of people have with writing is getting started. They have no idea what they are going to talk about when it comes to the main topic, so they need to spend a lot of time brainstorming. This type of mind map helps because it lets the writer get his or her ideas down on paper. Instead of wondering what should be said next when typing or writing, the words are neatly laid out in this type of organizer. Of course, not every word has to be used, but it helps the writer to gather his or her thoughts.

Creating an Outline

Making an outline on a piece of paper can also come from this type of mind mapping. If you are familiar with the traditional outline made of Roman numerals and letters, this might help. Consider the word in the middle as the main idea of the entire paper, and you can place this word on the type of your blank sheet. Then, the first offshoots from that word are the Roman numerals. The second offshoots that come from each of those words then act as the capital letters. Once you get the hang of it, you can have a beautiful and helpful outline created in just a few minutes.

Knowing what to write about is one of the hardest parts of crafting a paper or document. People know the main topic that they want to include, but it’s often difficult to fully express those ideas. Using a mind map is one of the most useful tools out there.

Author Pam Johnson is an author of sociology who spends a lot of time evaluating her own writing skills. She obtained her degree from one of the Best Top 10 Online Bachelor’s in Sociology Programs in the country.

“Some is where!”

This gibberish was texted by a 25-year-old, 11-week-pregnant woman to her husband. I know, you’re thinking it’s another case of autocorrect, that often annoying function on all these “not so smart” phones. But, that’s not the case.

She was taken to the Emergency Department where signs of a stroke–right-sided weakness, disorientation, and the inability to speak–were noted. An MRI confirmed the diagnosis. Fortunately, with anticoagulant treatment this young lady is doing fine.

Of the many signs of a stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident or CVA) and a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) difficulties with speech are the most variable and interesting. The medical term is aphasia. It can be receptive–the victim is unable to recognize spoken or written language–or expressive–the victim can’t say what he/she wants to say or it comes out as gibberish. Aphasia comes in many flavors and is a very odd symptom complex.

In this case, the aphasia was expressed as difficulty in “writing” a coherent text message. Dystextia seems like the correct moniker for this sign.

Read Out Loud

When you are reading your own paper and your eyes are scanning the words, it can be really difficult to find mistakes. You know what the paper is supposed to say, so you do not wind up noticing where you have made errors. However, reading the paper out loud is going to force you to slow down. You are going to start to see more of your own mistakes, and you are going to hear if sentences sound awkward. Furthermore, you will likely begin to see when you use the incorrect word.

Buy Grammar Books

A major part of writing is how the paragraphs are organized and if the sentences seem to flow together. However, if you have incorrect grammar, then you have incorrect writing. In order to ensure that your writing is really up to par, it is time to purchase some grammar books. When you have a question as you are writing, you can look up the answer in the book. As are you inputting the correct comma or semicolon, make sure you completely understand why you are doing it.

Visit Writing Centers

If you are a college student, your campus likely has a writing center. At writing centers, you have the ability to work with a professional tutor. This person is going to help you work on your mistakes and to work through issues with various problems involved with writing. For example, you might focus on the organization of the paper or you might talk about a specific grammatical issue with which you are struggling. Having another person go over the paper with you can be a majorly important tool.

Enroll in Courses

Another excellent way to really evaluate your writing and to see how you are doing is to sign up for a class. You might take a class at the college level. If so, look for some workshops. Doing workshops, you will usually read the papers of other students and they will read yours so that you all have the ability to critique one another’s work. Of course, you could also look for some writing clubs in your area too. Through these clubs, you will not have to worry about paying high fees for classes or working toward obtaining a certain grade. You can work with other writers to learn how to craft better pieces.

Evaluating your own writing skills can be a bit of a challenge, but having the tools to do so makes it much easier. One way to really complete this task is to ask other people to evaluate your writing and to look some samples over with people who are professionals in the field.

Author Pam Johnson is an author of sociology who spends a lot of time evaluating her own writing skills. She obtained her degree from one of the Best Top 10 Online Bachelor’s in Sociology Programs in the country.

FANFEST:

FanFest is a new program for ITW and ThrillerFest. A group of ITW author’s, including me, will host a cocktail party on Friday evening of ThrillerFest. Each author will invite special fans but the party is open to all attendees.

So if you are coming to ThrillerFest/CraftFest/AgentFest, don’t miss FanFest. It should be fun.

TWEETING CONTEST:

Win a $50 gift certificate for B&N! It’s so easy you can do it right from your computer or mobile device!

If you’re attending ThrillerFest, CraftFest, AgentFest or FanFest, just use the hashtag #Thriller13. Tweet about your prep for the event, the event, the workshops, your experiences, who you met, whatever you like! On Saturday July 13 at noon, we will search for the hashtag and count the number of tweets! The person with the most tweets, using the hashtag #Thriller13 wins the $50 gift certificate! Come on! You were going to tweet anyway, right?

If you are NOT attending, but want to participate and keep up-to-date on all the excitement during the event, just follow the hashtag #Thriller13 and re-tweet the ones you love the most! The person with the most re-tweets will also win a $50 gift certificate for B&N!

Don’t know how to search for the hashtag? Go to www.twitter.com and sign into your account. Look at the top right, and you will see the “Search” bar. Type in #Thriller13, and you can find the posts and become part of the fun!

Kimberley Howe

Executive Director, ThrillerFest

International Thriller Writers