Tuesday, April 14, 2009

This Tuesday and Wednesday At The Tiki Hut - C. Fern Cook


Joining us at the Tiki Hut today is author C. Fern Cook. Fern started out as a freelance writer in the late 90's doing articles for how-to and inspirational markets. Followed by a few short stories and poem published in 2002. "Wild Evolution" is her second novel, "South Dakota Way", an inspirational romance, was published in 2008. Fern worked as a police officer for many years, something that has helped her a great deal in her writing, and she stopped by the Tiki Hut today to tell us a bit about it.


Anyone leaving Fern a comment or a question today (4/15/09) will be put in a drawing for an autographed copy of her first novel - SOUTH DAKOTA WAY.


A Cop Story.
C. Fern Cook

When I became a cop, I was the first in the department to have a husband and kids. Back then there was a push to hire females. So no matter how good I was, some of my fellow officers believed I was only hired because I was a female not because I deserved the job.

That didn't stop me. I received several commendations for a job well done. One arrest for a crime in progress was particularly funny. Two high school kids set out to steal x-rated movies from a movie rental place to sell at school.

The girl friend was waiting in the car a few stores down with the parking lights on eating potato chips in the driver's seat. It was past midnight and all the stores were closed. So I stopped to see what she was doing there. About then the alarm went off for the movie rental store. I handcuffed the girl to the steering wheel and told her not to leave.

The boyfriend came running around the corner from the back of the stores with an arm load of videos. He saw the cop car, dropped the videos and ran. I simply chased him with cop car until he was too tired to run anymore. When I came back to store, the girlfriend was still waiting in the car handcuffed to the steering wheel. I was amazed she didn't drive away.

The thing I liked most about being a cop was the stuff you would run into a daily basis. There is no way you could make up the stories people told you for excuses for the crimes they had done.

There are many reasons people become cops. Mine was because when I was arrested as a juvenile I felt the officer really cared about what would happen to me. You can't change the world, but you can help one person at a time. That is what I tried to do when I was a cop.

After seven years on the force I started to get burnout. I was angry because I would arrest people for burglary or breaking into cars or assault and they would get probation. But if I wrote someone a traffic ticket for speeding they would be fined and have their car insurance go up or maybe even lose their license. The people getting traffic tickets usually received more punishment than real criminals. I decided that was not justice and no longer wanted to be a part of that system. I don't regret quitting, but I do wish the system worked better.

24 comments:

  1. Thanks for the more than generous introduction.
    I will be here throughout the day to answer any questions you might have about my writing or my books.

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  2. My book Wild Evolution came from my desire to tell a story about a rancher that ran with a pack of wolves that lived near his ranch. When I was a deputy in Grand County Colorado, many ranchers simply shot anything on their propety that they didn't want there.
    As a deputy I could do little unless they endangered the public or were killing endangered species.
    There were the very few ranchers that knew how to share their land with all living creatures.
    Wild Evolution is a very passonite novel, just like I am very passonite about all animals.
    The story is written for people who have short attention spans, like me, so the plot moves very quickly.

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  3. That WOULD be frustrating
    seeing traffic violators punished more
    than the serious criminals.

    I LOVE that you wrote Wild Evolution for those with short attention spans (ohhh... shiny object).
    When you say the rancher ran with a pack of wolves, is he a shifter?

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  4. This book looks incredible. How much of your real life ends up in your work?

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  5. Thanks for being our special guest, Fern!

    It's great to get to know you a bit better and I hope you'll enjoy your day here at the Tiki Hut.

    Interesting post, I also would be beyond frustrated to see traffic violators punished more than serious criminals - the system indeed stinks!

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  6. I always like to hear people tell about the careers that they have chosen, and why. Thanks for sharing it with us!

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  7. Nice to meet you here at the Tiki Hut.

    It's so nice to meet new to me authors and learn more about them and their books.

    I just checked out your website. Such cute dogs - how wonderful that you saved Cocoa just hours before they put her down!! Yeah for you!

    Question for you...what's an eco-thriller?

    Jenny T.

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  8. I love paranormal, especially werewolves.

    What's different about your werewolf story?

    Jerry B

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  9. Welcome to the Tiki Hut Mrs. Cook. I had many, many cops in my family. When I was younger a friend and I decided we wanted to be FBI Agents and wrote to the Bureau. Things were very different then. We got a letter stating that we were welcome to try for the job of Secretary/office clerk. We ripped up the letters!
    We are all happy to have you writing for us.
    Gram

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  10. Nice to see you on the Tiki Hut! And Warm Welcomes!

    Yeah, I noticed too how heavily traffic offenders get punished while people who do the worst things make out light. Seems kinda twisted to me

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  11. The system= epic fail.

    Thanks for sharing your story!

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  12. I just read the excerpt for your werewolf story. How sad....was it hard to write being such a dog lover? I'll bet!

    And it was very cool how you gave your character quite the scare!

    Didn't see an excerpt for your other book - did I miss it?

    Kimmy

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  13. We all wish the system worked better!
    Congrats and much success in your second occupation!
    Cindy
    cholub1968@aol.com

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  14. You're a new author for me!

    I love Author Island for bringing us so many new authors and great new stories.

    Just wish I had the money to buy them all...my wish list is HUGE!

    Good to meet you and best of luck with your two books.

    Amy

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  15. Thanks for sharing a part of your life story with us. I love the teen story - she probably didn't drive away because, no matter where she drove,she
    couldn't get out anyway! I'll be looking for your
    books on my next bookstore visit.

    Pat Cochran

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  16. Hey! Thanks for visiting the Tiki Hut! DeNita is GREAT, isn't she?!?!?!? Your life sounds exciting & so do your books!

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  17. In answer to Kimber Chin's answer, that is the reason I quit being a cop, the system was not fair.
    Dan Tucker in Wild Evolution is a shapeshifter.
    If you are interested I just lowered the price of the book to $9.95

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  18. to answer lastnerve's question, If you are asking about South Dakota Way, the model for lead character was a nieghbor I had when I lived in a small town in Nebraska. A lot of main character's likes and dislikes are mine. So the story about a preacher in a small town was taken from my neighbor's experience as a small town preacher, but the character is more me than anyone else. A lot of the back stories are my personal experiences.
    It is a sweet romance.

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  19. Neither of my books will be found in the book store. If you want my books you have to go to my website.
    In case you are interested I lowered the price of Wild Evolution to $9.95

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  20. You know if the justice system worked better I would still be a cop.
    I loved the fact that everyday was something different.
    You never knew what was going to come your way or what kind of stupid excuse people would give for the kind of stuff they did.
    My problem was I went to college for the criminal justice program, but I found out their is no justice in the program.
    But one good thing I walked away from in being a cop, I learned there are more good people than bad.
    A lot of people go out their way to do the right thing, but you never hear about them.

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  21. Hello C. Fern. Nice to learn a bit about you. Interesting backgroup as a police officer! It is hard to be part of the skewed justice system. Your books sound interesting too! Inspirational is always a PLUS!
    Thanks for sharing here at the Tiki Hut!

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  22. I enjoy reading about new authors.
    Your bookk looks great.

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  23. Hi, C. Fern! Great to meet you--I enjoyed reading about your background too--it must give you so many stories to pull from as you write. I agree, it's heartbreaking that the system doesn't work as well as we all wish it would.

    What are you working on next?

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  24. Sorry I'm so late posting the winner - on vacation all last week and just now marking items off the old "to- do List".

    This week's winner is MarthaE!!!

    Congrats and please email me at AuthorIsland at yahoo.com with your name and mailing address so we can get your FREE copy of SOUTH DAKOTA WAY out to you!

    Thanks to everyone who posted and kept Fern company! My readers ROCK!

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