Are Serial Killers Sexy?

The end of Dexter  is near, and I must say, I will miss those cargo pants. There is something about when his mask comes down and you see the real him...yes, my name is Tina and I find fictional serial killers sexy.

Well, let me put this all in context. During my last meeting with Virginia Romance Writers, I presented ideas about my series, the /eks/ series, and my thoughts on morphing the series. My initial idea was to change the serial killer in book one to be the hero in book two. When I presented this idea, I was met with blatant honesty. What you are writing isn’t romance, I was told.

This made me think and try to re-access.

Yes, I am a fan of the serial killer fiction, when done right, when the character is filled with dimension, character and pizzazz- that certain something that makes them come to life on the page. Of course, when I speak of serial killers, I think of Dexter, as created by Jeff Lindsay, and Hannibal, as created by Thomas Harris. But, there are more of them that we as readers are drawn to, it doesn’t matter if we dress them up in black leather and put fangs in their mouths, a killer is just that, a cutting edge ready to take out the necessary threat, or what they see as prey, for the fulfillment of their own psychosis.

If I lived in Bon Temp, I'm sure I'd be at Fangtasia, and offering myself up for Eric to devour.

Just like Eric from the Sookie Stackhouse series, created by Charlaine Harris, leaves me longing for more, and is surely tops my list, the wit and personality of the depraved and deranged killers make me wonder, what’s next. It’s a cycle that leaves me wanting more and more and more until I can either solve the crime, gripped in literary suspense and thinking somehow that the killer on the other side has a sexy side.

There’s always been something about me and darkness. I like to play with it; dancing in and out of the light in hopes of touching, caressing and bathing in its depths. The inkier the better, and maybe that is the appeal for the serial killer character, who is only going about his day’s work, packing up the body parts in a plastic bag because he doesn’t need them anymore.

Sure, there is a lot more to that theory and how people are regarded. Maybe it all has to do with the desire to feel through someone else’s demise, or maybe it is just a plot point, where the all-together bad guy is found to not only have a morsel of good, but also be f*cking hot!

I’m addicted to sexy fictional serial killers, and you?

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Tina Glasneck is the author of THOU SHALL NOT, a gritty suspense. Her second book NUMBERS, a continuation of the /eks/ series is scheduled for an August release.

Connect with Tina on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tinaglasneck 

Am I a sleuth?

Not too long ago, there was a murder in the area, where a woman was abducted from a public event and later found in an outlying county in a shallow grave. Reading the updates on the case, I couldn't help but notice the comment section and how one comment in particular referred to her being in a shallow grave prior to the discovery of her remains.

The lonesome road

I panicked. Fear slammed into me like an iron fist. I lost all sense of how to breathe, let alone think.

Could it be that the killer was trying to leave a message for the police? Playing a zodiac like game in hopes of media attention and ... What else? Should I call the FBI and let them know what I found? Did it even make sense? Was it a serial killer passing through or one looking to stay?

A serial killer is an individual that has killed two or more individuals with a cooling off period in-between murders, and should not be confused with a mass murderer. The key difference between the two is of course the cooling down period.

Some serial killers, as those of any of serial crime, like to play mind games with officers. It is not only about the completion of the crime but the exhilaration they experience by their perceived mental triumph - I call it the naa naa naa naaaa moment (stick out your tongue and then you know what I am referring to); it is the moment where the perpetrator is sticking up his middle finger and saying catch me if you can. The game has thus begun.

A seat for two.

We know that there are neither perfect crimes nor perfect people committing them. The evidence is often in the details and can be as minuscule as a piece of hair, partial finger print or as large as eye witness testimony placing someone at the scene. Usually by figuring out what transpired, the circle can be tightened and if there is a connection between the crime and the perpetrator this is when it can be found. In fact, the key to solving a crime is finding the thread of truth in the details. For any lie to work, there must be a measure of truth in it. 

Back to my story: I mulled over calling the police and FBI all day; I even spoke with the attorneys in the office and showed them my googled evidence. It amounted to nothing they said and told me to leave it alone. I didn't call but I often wonder if the clues to the killer's true identity was in those comments, but I pray I never find out. 

Should you believe that you have information that may help in the solving of a crime, don't be like me and over think it; instead please contact your local law enforcement or the FBI.

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About Tina: I am the author of THOU SHALL NOT. I love creating three dimensional characters and am always looking for new people to kill…in my stories.

Check out my author's  blog at TinaGlasneck.com and my book is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also connect with me on Facebook and on Twitter.

National Night Out

National Night Out 2012

Wednesday was National Night Out.It is the annual event, when neighborhoods across the country stand against crime. A time when communities get together and commune - be neighborly and get to know each other. Neighbors set up tables and covered their tables with edible treats. Even policemen and firemen showed up to show their support for the event.That was great, but during it all I planned a murder.

The sweltering and oppressive humidity made each step feel like twenty. Sweat dripped down my brow. Gray clouds marred the evening sky. At first, I mingled; I spoke about the neighborhood's lack of vermin, trapping squirrels and large snakes; I discussed the sounds of sirens. With a lull in conversation, I said my goodbyes and headed to the next spot in the community. It was there that I discovered someone I could question about what I'd been dealing with all day: how do I kill someone without it being suspicious.

This was no typical lady-gossip, as one woman, overhearing my question, blared her eyes and cut her gaze to mine. I was in the murdering business and needed my facts to be plausible and straight. Finding such a source, I couldn't risk not asking for the sake of curious ears.

But the thought of cold handcuffs being slapped on my wrists made we flap my arms like a riled up chicken until I got  the eavesdropping  woman's attention. "Oh no," I said. "I'm an author. I'm not really trying to kill someone."

She visibly relaxed. I could almost imagine elation oozing from her shoulders for her civic duty was negated and the threat of someone calling the police on me was now over. 

It only took sixty seconds for my potential conversation to land me in more than hot water. On Wednesday,  I learned two valuable lessons. If you're going to talk about murder, have a business card; and, make sure your crowd of listeners know that your crime is only in the name of fiction.

 What did you do on National Night Out?

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Tina Glasneck is the writer of the suspense novel, THOU SHALL NOT. She loves creating unique three-dimensional characters and story with grit. She blogs on W3 on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. You can also follow her on Twitter: @TinaGlasneck and connect with her at her Facebook fanpage. 

Mental Illness and the Serial Killer

"Brain In Head" by smokedsalmon
Photo Courtesy of  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“Are you a serial killer?”

I laughed hearing that question, but after a moment, it gave me pause. What made me different from someone who killed others? What made me realize that killing was wrong? Is it the alleged moral conscience we all have that guides me and leads me in the correction direction? Sure, in my fiction, my characters are involved in more than enough bloodshed, but that is fiction. Fiction is not reality, and I am able to separate the two, but what about those that can’t? What about those that can’t determine which world they actually live in?

Hallucinations

With a temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit and rising, I figured it out. While staring at the ceiling, I heard the sound of classical music, which I was able to conduct with my mind. It was almost as if my brain was an antenna receiving a superb frequency for classical music – Bach, Mozart and Beethoven; Pacabel and Albinoni. In that mental haze, I was unable to function. With glazed over eyes and an inability to even comb my hair, I’d succumb to fever, and began to hallucinate.

            I’d never experienced something so real before. It was almost as if speaking to God and hearing his crystal clear responses, a voice so vivid, so electrifying and alive. If I’d continued in that state, and not received urgent medical care, the results could have been deadly. But I learned a valuable lesson. Hallucinations are something that we all have the potential to experience, but for some of us, they live in a world where their hallucinations have become their reality. They are the mentally ill that live among us in the global community.

Penis soup?

The news has given rise to an increased number of cases, where individuals, who seem to be suffering from some form of psychosis or another, are engaging in abnormal behavior, and have even caused many to believe that the zombie apocalypse is a true possibility. Most recently, news of cannibalism was reported in Papua New Guinea in an article called, Cannibal Cult Arrested for Making Penis Soup. According to the story, members of a cult were attacking sorcerers, killing them and eating their raw brains and making penis soup. This is of course in addition to the recent bath salts and cocaine/LSD psychotic meltdowns. With such chaos among us, I can’t help but wonder what is happening? Are we all on our way to mental meltdowns?

Mental Illness Defined

            Mental illness can be the result of environment and/or genetics and under the “right” circumstances anyone can go insane. Insanity is defined as, “mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. Insanity is distinguished from low intelligence or mental deficiency due to age or injury.” Freedictionary.com.

            Mental illness is sometimes the result of heavy drug use, genetics or even an overabundance of stress, whereby one is unable to cope with the magnitude of life’s ups and downs. It is a state that we could all find ourselves in should our pleasant and manageable lives suddenly take a nose dive.

Although mental illness is not understood in our society – ranging from depression to other more severe forms of psychosis, the fact is, it is something we need to come to accept and learn the warning signs of. Yet, let’s face the truth of the matter. Not every mentally ill person will murder someone; anyone could be a killer. We all are capable of brutality - both sane and insane. We kill to survive everyday – be it for food or to be rid of the vermin in our homes. Life is still life. Is there really any difference? Not for that ant or spider you just squished. Their existence ceased.

When we refuse to acknowledge the value that any life has, not just human life, we begin to wander the path of psychosis, rationalizing what it means to kill.

Just as we all have potential to do great good, we can also do great evil. In each of us is the potential to be a serial killer; could it be that we’re all just one mental break down away? What are your thoughts? All I can say is if violence is the end all to violence, then it matters not if we are sane or insane, for the outcome brings only death. Yet, if we learn to care for those around us, cherishing our fellow man, helping him to rise above the perceived evils, then we save not only one man, we potentially save thousands. Fray - How T__________________

Tina Glasneck is the writer of the suspense novel, THOU SHALL NOT. She loves creating unique three-dimensional characters and story with grit. She blogs on W3 on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. You can also follow her on Twitter: @TinaGlasneck and connect with her on Facebook on her fanpage.