Dynamic Duo, C.K. Laurence and Jerry Lyons Takes Deep Dive Into Life of Ricky Burns When Faced With Tragedy! My Kind of Hero!

... I’ll be calling. We’re going to have to start referring to you as Dangerman.” “I honestly don’t care what you call me, so long as you get me everything you can...

After a long night of short sleep, Collette woke up tucked into Ricky's strong arms. She always felt so safe and well cared for when he held her. She couldn’t help but think about what she’d be doing today while he was doing his detective thing. There was no doubt he wouldn’t want her tagging along. He didn’t give his own safety a second thought much less a first, but when it came to her, he tried to make sure she was untouchable, unreachable and out of harm’s way.  She tried to figure out a way to wiggle out of his arms, but they were holding her so tightly there was no way to do it. Finally, she let herself go limp and decided to rest and let him sleep. Of course, as soon as she capitulated to his hug, he started taking deep breaths and loosening his death grip. She waited a little longer and finally… “Oh, damn. What time is it? I guess the time got away from us.” “No, not so much. It’s only around 7:00. I think maybe our problem is that we spent way too little time sleeping.” “I see where you’re going with this. Stop it now. If it wasn’t for the time we weren’t sleeping, I don’t think I would have the strength to go on working. Wasn’t there an old Sinatra song about making someone feel so young? I think that’s where we get caught up. I have no desire to go back to ‘old’, so when you’re in my arms I can’t seem to stop.” “That’s ever so flattering my love. Not! But I’m guessing that’s as romantic as it’s going to get so let’s move on with our day.” “I’m glad you mentioned our day, dear lady. I took the liberty of making plans for you. Hopefully, it will give you the opportunity to rest. Isn’t being pampered what every girl wants?” “Being surrounded by luxury and leaving me alone to lavish myself in a hot, bubbly tub with expensive, exquisitely scented soaps and lotions sounds like a good start. I can order a gourmet lunch and eat it while I watch the postmortems on the 2024 elections. Heaven can wait...” “Yeah. I guess that, too, however, the plans I made can easily be canceled if that’s your preference.” “How about stop beating around the bush and tell me what your plan is.” “I made a reservation for you to spend the day in the Bourbon’s world famous spa. You can take advantage of whatever appeals to you once you get in there. They have everything, and I mean everything. If they don’t have what you want, I’m sure they’ll get it for you.” “Oh Ricky! That’s incredible. I’ve never ever been to a spa, much less a spa in a luxury hotel. You can leave now. I’ve got to get ready for my spa appointment. Uh, what time did you say it is for?” “Nine o’clock. You have plenty of time to get ready. 

Meanwhile, I have to get going as soon as possible and for once, I’m not worried about your safety in my absence. Let me grab the shower first. I’ll be quick. Then a shave and I'm gone.” “Certainly. You are welcome to shower first. I’ll just relax until you’re out of here. I feel so expensive, er, I mean cared for. This is the absolute best day ever.” Once Ricky was in his car, he was able to take his mind off Collette. After all these years with her, when they were together, she still stole all his intentions and thoughts. He did love it, though. He was definitely in Swampsville. Not a place he’d enjoy spending much time in, so he was glad he’d thought of booking them into a four-star hotel. The amenities were all they’d been billed to be, and Collette was in heaven. He hoped to be in and out of that snake store quickly. That way he could be gone and back in the hotel in time to take a nap before Collette finished spa-ing. With a little rest, he could be up when she got back to the room and ready for one last night of pampering. Maybe he could even request that Alphonse bring dinner to their room. For a nice big tip, he was sure Alphonse would do almost anything they requested. 

According to the GPS he was just a couple of blocks from the exotic pet store. He hoped there wouldn’t be any problems. The guy he spoke to on the phone seemed nice enough and if he continued to be easy going, all he’d have to do is tell a couple of quick jokes, get the information he needed and he was out of there. The pet store was pretty much like he expected. Nowheresville. That didn’t matter the slightest bit to him. In fact, he preferred it this way. If they were hicks, it would only make his mission easier. Not that there weren’t plenty of smart hicks, but if he was going to be dealing with them, he’d just as soon deal with dumb ones. He parked in the glamorous dirt parking lot and headed to the door which was not locked. When he opened it, one of those old-fashioned bells hanging from it clanged loudly, and in less than a minute Gomer Pyle was standing behind the counter. Give me the country life started running through his head. 

“Nice day, huh? What can I do you for?” he asked. “Just hunky dory,” Ricky responded. “I don’t know if you’re the gentleman I spoke with the other day. I called from Florida about Black Mambas.” “Yessireebob, it was sure enough me. Don’t get so many calls fer the really poisonous snakes and Black Mambas are sure enough poisonous. I did tell you it would take a good piece of time to find one for ya, didn’t I?” “Yes, you did. My girl and I needed a getaway though, so we thought we’d visit your cozy little town. I have a couple of questions to ask you about the fellow who bought that Black Mamba from you. Would that be a problem?” “Hell no. We got nothing to hide. Our licenses are up to date, our taxes are paid and we’re as honest as old Abe Lincoln was. Or was that George Washington? I’m always getting those old guys confused,” he chuckled. Ricky extended his hand and honest somebody immediately reached out to shake it. “I’m Ricky Burns.” “Nice t’meet ya, Ricky. I’m Slim.” “Good to meet you, Slim. Listen, before we get started, I want to be honest with you. I believe honesty is the best policy. I’m just a city boy. I really don’t know nothing about snakes or any other creepy crawlers, except roaches. But I work for a guy who’s into all kinds of businesses. Thing is, he sent a guy to get a Black Mamba right here, from you. He sent you cash money to pay for the snake, but when he got back, he turned out to be a snake himself. At least that’s what my boss thinks. And that lyin’ snake of a man told my boss when he got here, you told him you didn’t have the snake, and you didn’t know anything about the money. So, I’ve been working for my boss for a lot of years, and he knows he can trust me to tell him the whole truth. That’s why he sent me to visit you in person after I spoke to you on the phone.” “That shit eatin’ lying cotton mouth! He sure as hell did come here and git that Mamba. He talked fast and couldn’t wait to get his sorry cheatin’ ass outta here. What do you need to know, Ricky? I’d be happy to help you.” Ricky reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a picture. He carefully laid it on the counter which looked as though it had never been cleaned.  “What I need to know is if you recognize this fellow.” “Boy, howdy! You must be psycho. That’s the guy who picked up the Mamba. Any other pictures?” “No, but look closely, Slim. I need you to be sure he’s the one.” “I’m right sure it’s him. He was so scared of that snake he made me put the bag I packed him in into a box and then he bought a cage to put it all in. I told him the bag was way more than enough to protect him, but he wouldn’t listen. If all that fool stuff isn’t enough, he made me carry it out to his old truck and put it in the pickup just in case it broke loose. I told him the Mamba would just lay quietly and rest. They aren’t the kind of snakes that go lookin’ for trouble.” “Do you happen to remember the color?” “Oh, sure enough I do. You city boys don’t know nothin’ about nothin’, do ya? Black snakes are usually black. There is a little difference with Black Mambas, though. They’re more a dark greyish color, but it’s really black inside their mouths. 

“Sorry. I should have been clearer. I meant the color of the truck.” “Oh, fer sure. It was one beat up, dirty red one. I didn’t see what make it was though. Anything else I can help you with?” “Nope. Actually, you’ve been a huge help. Just one more little thing, Slim. I need you to sign your name on the back of the picture and write just what you’ve told me. Be sure to write today’s date. This is the guy I gave the Black Mamba to. And that’s all.” “Be my pleasure. Happy to clear things up for your boss.” With that, he took a pen out of his shirt pocket protector and signed the picture. “Say, Slim, if anything comes up where my boss needs any poisonous snakes or exotic animals, I couldn’t help but notice what a great collection you have here. I'll be sure he contacts you.” “Thank ya kindly, Ricky. And tell your boss to get rid of that lyin’ cocksucker as quick as he can!” “I’ll let him know tonight and I guarantee you, that lying cheat will be gone before I get back. Thanks so much for your help.” Ricky left the pet store with a huge smile on his face. He had everything he needed and was going back to the four-star hotel to spend the rest of his visit with Collette. 

Then couldn’t hold back from saying, “Gollllllllleeeee! That was easier than I thought.” 

Who Is Ricky Burns?

Ricky Burns is a veteran of the NYPD Major Case Unit. He served twenty years, survived two shoot-outs and retired as a Homicide Detective First Grade. No longer with the police department, but still attached to the excitement and satisfaction of that career, he chose to move to south Florida and become a private investigator. His reputation preceded him and before he had even settled into the houseboat an old friend of his donated for merely the price of protection, Ricky was being called by high profile criminal defense attorneys to work on some of America’s most explosive murders.

Ricky Burns Mysteries highlight the career of real-life private investigator, Jerry Lyons.

~~~

It all started when a court case was taking place.. Ricky had already been upset... He didn't like defending a man just because he had the money to pay for his defense, especially when it was clear that he was indeed guilty... This time, however, when the man was found guilty, he exploded, thinking his lawyer would get him off! And before it was all over, Collette, Jay's legal assistant, and, more importantly, Ricky's fiancee had been seriously hurt and rushed to the hospital...

The doctors had immediately induced a coma so that her brain could begin to heal. Her face was twice the size of normal and Ricky could barely stand to look, knowing that she was seriously hurt and possibly would not survive. While the first interaction with doctors was taking place, Ricky controlled his emotions, but when both he and Jay were asked to go out while she was further examined, Ricky turned to Jay and started blasting! And before it was over, Jay had promised that they would no longer take cases just because the defendant could pay for it. He made it clear that this was not the kind of man he wanted to be and would quit or refuse to work on any future cases where they both knew the potential client was guilty!

But I could actually feel Ricky's rage. At one time or another I felt that he had experienced such a tragedy and knew that it had affected his life personally. And, thus, his rage affected me as I read of his staying with his vibrant beautiful lover day and night, waiting for some sign, tracking down the doctors to ask for the latest information, with one finally stating clearly that Ricky knew as much as they did! And gained a promise that he would be the first to know of any change... 

As the doctor walked away, I could feel Ricky's rage, his frustration. He was a man of action--he worked to help people, to solve problems, to relieve the mental anguish of crimes. Now he was helpless... And his rage simmered underneath, even as he acknowledge that he needed to at least leave the hospital, perhaps try to do something at work. Even then his mind was not totally sharp... they had two smaller cases where people were questioning suicides--not something they normally got involved with. Still it was something to do and he began to get out on the streets, interviewing, looking for and picking up clues, storing them in his mind, not knowing whether they would ever be relevant.... But, at least, it kept him from worrying about Collette 24/7. Well, not entirely, since his mind kept coming right back to seeing her totally unconscious...

Then one day a doctor started talking about surgery--perhaps they could open her up and see if there was something they had missed in their diagnosis... I could almost believe that Collette heard that discussion and decided that was not going to happen, and by the next day, she had opened her eyes. They were blurred, she couldn't see and merely stared, not recognizing anybody, but it was a step forward...Collette was a strong-willed woman and soon demonstrated that inner strength as she worked to move, take steps that she shouldn't really be taking, and then doing exercises many more times than was required...She was determined to rebuild her strength...

Especially when she learned about her temporary replacement... Seriously, this character created by C.K. was so ridiculous, readers just have to begin to share the horror of an office that had been efficiently run and now didn't have a clue what she was doing... And, would you believe, she asked Ricky to head home with her one day... And when he politely explained that he really wasn't single, but that it was the woman she was replacing temporarily who was in the hospital, she then revised her proposition to note that they really wouldn't need to have her know if he visited her some evening... I admired Ricky even more when he continued to be polite... Me, I was gagging! Then laughing! C.K.'s efforts to create the most offensive comparison with Collette surely succeeded. Kudos!

Ricky put together a list of conditions by which he was willing to allow Collette to come home. Feeling secure in his concern for her safety, she felt warm inside, even while she negotiated on some of the conditions... What a lovely couple they make!

And about that time, a murder case came in. A man charged with the murder of his ex-wife. Based upon the fact that he sold exotic creatures. And she had been bitten by a Black Mamba! Which her ex did sell in his shop... And based upon what a neighbor had told the police... The follow-up interview by Ricky with that neighbor was quite revealing and clearly full of questionable and possible disinformation...

But, hey, Who's Your Mamba?, does explode into a bigger mystery than ever could have been imagined...All because of Ricky Burns, who was back on his game, doing his thing, and putting pieces together that turned out to be larger than just a murdered ex-wife... Not meaning to downplay a murder, but that's just to say that the case became so big a bust that the local police units had to take over the final criminal arrests! And, it's all because that supposed Black Mamba had never been found. So what had happened to the murder weapon?

C.K.'s climax moved so quickly that I didn't realize that she was already setting up the storyline for the next book... Maybe... I was just relieved that my personal hero, Ricky Burns, AKA Jerry Lyons, was back and living large in his life, enjoying happiness with his lover which could only be expressed by "Gollllllllleeeee!"

C.K., this might have been a hard book to write, but I'm grateful that you both decided to share this very personal tragedy for your main character. Perhaps it was fictional, maybe not... What it did do, was make Ricky, a much more vulnerable, emotional, but ultimately still a hero to many of our lives! God Bless you Both!

GABixlerReviews

Brooklyn wasn’t exactly laying around playing records from the ‘60s. She was her usual cagey self and managed to do some serious work of her own...

He never even thought of asking about his employees or what was going to happen to them. Narcissism seemed to be the illness of the year. ​“I wanted to arrest his ass so badly today,”

Reality - 2025

The Dynamic Duo, C. K. Laurence and Jerry Lyons, Creators of The Ricky Burns Mystery Series, Here at Book Readers Heaven!

 

Check Out The Ricky Burns Site!
Search in right column by title for reviews on all three books

I am so excited to have C. K. Laurence and Jerry Lyons here at Book Readers Heaven! You've certainly garnered attention with your new Ricky Burns Mystery Series! 

Hi, I'm C. K. Laurence and I'm an author, crusader for democracy, Dolphin fan & cocreator of RICKY BURNS MYSTERIES. ... In case you're interested, it was my book, The Mystery of Jessica Benson which caught the attention of Jerry Lyons... And, by the way, of Glenda Bixler, book reviewer... I've asked her to add a link to that, since we have in a few ways, been together since then...

Hi, I’m Jerry Lyons—the real Ricky Burns. I thought you might like to know how Ricky Burns Mysteries was developed.

I started out as a uniformed police officer in Manhattan. From there I transferred to a City-Wide anti-crime unit, which was plain clothes—known as The Task Force. From The Task Force, the top officers were chosen as detectives in groups of ten or twelve. I was number one the year I was promoted to Third Grade Detective. Within five years I was promoted to First Grade Detective where I worked in the Major Case Unit. As a Major Case First Grade Detective I investigated homicides, rapes and other serious crimes. 

In 1994, after twenty years on the job I retired and became a private investigator—which I still am. As a private investigator I have been lucky enough to work with some of the country’s top attorneys on high profile murder cases such as the Casey Anthony case in Florida, the Aaron Hernandez double murder case in Boston and a doctor charged with seventeen murders in Ohio. All my clients have been found not guilty and the cases keep coming.

I thought it might be fun to write fictional versions about the more publicized cases and give inside information to the public that may not have come out in the news. The problem is that I can hardly spell, never mind write. I’d finished reading one of C.K.’s mysteries and I reached out to her to see if she might be interested in teaming up with me and she loved the idea.

And, welcome, C.K. and Jerry! I truly appreciate your willingness to allow me to ask questions about you and your books! You're the first Writing Duo visiting here so obviously my curiosity was aroused. Of course, most readers are like me and wonder just how the two of you got together to collaborate on books! Tell us Everything!

C.K.    With regard to how we met and how we work, it’s really quite a story. 

Jerry sent me a direct message on Facebook. He introduced himself and told me about his professional career as a New York City major case, homicide detective, and his work now as a private investigator. He had read one of my books, liked my style and he’d been thinking of putting some of his many high profile cases into books. He suggested that I would be the right person to write his stories. 

My automatic response to people writing to me through direct message (who I don’t know, especially males) was to delete them. Jerry sent his résumé, and just before I hit the delete button I looked it over. I noticed that he had worked in the  Stewart area. As it happens, my brother who is a criminal defense attorney lives and works in that area so I figured what the hell—I’ll give my brother a call and see if he’s ever heard of this yo-yo. Not only did my brother know him, but he had used his services, and was so impressed that Jerry wanted me to write with him that he said in no uncertain terms “do it!”

Jerry:    I've lived a pretty exciting life, first as a cop/detective and then as a private investigator. I was blessed to be able to be a cop/detective in the 1970s, 80s and 90s in New York City when crime was at its highest. When I retired and became a private investigator, I was again blessed to be able to hook up with some of the best and brightest criminal defense attorneys in America. Because of these experiences my children and other people told me for years that I should write a book. I kept putting it off but when I moved from Florida to Maryland in 2021, I decided it was time to try it. I joke around telling people that I can't spell never mind write a book, but I really didn't have the confidence in myself that I would be able to write one without help. I had the cases and the stories, but I didn't know how to put them on paper or how to build a story behind them. On Facebook we can see friends of our friends and I noticed that C.K. was a friend of a friend and also an author. I also saw on her page that she lived in "lower, slower Delaware." This area of Delaware is only 6 miles from my house in Maryland and C.K. is only a 45-minute car ride from me. I sent her a message with my ideas and asked her if she would be willing to meet with me. Lucky for me, her brother is a lawyer in Florida who I worked a couple of cases for. She asked him about me, and he gave her the green light to meet with me. A couple of weeks later we began working on Two in the Head, the first book in the Ricky Burns Mysteries. 

I've watched James Patterson constantly sharing author's names in practically all of his books. For you and Jerry, how do you work together? How do you decide what kind of mystery topic will be covered?

Jerry:    Right now, CK and I get together at her house three days a week to write. I get there around 10 and leave between 3 and 4. Each day CK's husband joins us for lunch at noon (he really makes our lunch each day and is a real good guy). While writing, we sit on the couch in the living room, and I'll go through a case and what really happened in that case. We take it in steps and do a little bit of the case at a time. After a little discussion, C.K. will then type, and I'll play with the dog. After she types a few paragraphs, she will read it back to me and then the two of us will fine tune it. We continue on through the case and through the book like this until it's finished. In the end, we do everything together and nothing goes on paper unless the two of us agree on it. 

C.K.     I made arrangements with Jerry to meet with me. He drove from Maryland where he lives to my home in Delaware. He showed up with a stack of police files  on the Aaron Hernandez case. We had an instant connection and started writing immediately. We’ve continued to write without stopping since then. We’ve completed three books and are now working on our fourth Jerry drives from Maryland to Delaware at least three times a week and we work in my home , we laugh as much as we write and have become very dear friends. My husband and Jerry have also bonded and he’s been appointed to make our lunch on Jerry’s days here. The three of us eat together and that’s our only break on working days. 

I've read all three of your books, and another by you, C.K., but I'd like to hone in on your last book for this interview, OK? Did you know that Killer Camp has been used by other writers? In fact, I had to work to find the right one when I purchased it. Do you think that using a name that others have used is good or bad? When I saw the name, I immediately thought of it being a horror book--you know, teens going to a campsite, saws and hammers hanging for the next slasher kill... Is that what you intended?

Actually, once I started reading, I thought of the KKK. There were members in my area in my early life, and now that they are again out in the open, I was curious whether the woman killed was black... On the other hand, you called them rednecks, so my second guess was white supremacists... Who did you want the characters to be?

Jerry:    The cases for the first two books were pretty easy to decide upon. CK has a wealth of knowledge about football from when she worked for the University of Miami's football team. I worked the Aaron Hernandez double murder case in Boston, so we decided to start with that case. Two in the Head is fiction based on this case. 

The Casey Anthony case was the biggest case in America and Casey is still considered the most hated person in America. I also worked this case so it was a no brainer that we should write about it. Oh Baby is fiction based on the Casey Anthony case. 

I recently worked an appeals case where a woman was accused of killing a friend of hers by shooting her in the back of her head. Dateline covered this case. The accused woman was sentenced to life in prison. I went to visit her, and she told me that she didn't do it, that she was set up. This is probably the most dangerous case I worked on since becoming a private investigator and working for the defense. If she's telling me the truth, then the person who really did commit this murder is still out there and isn't going to be happy that I'm walking around asking questions. If she did do it, I know through my investigation that she could not have done it alone and if she didn't do it alone, that other person is not going to be happy with me. Normally I do everything by myself but because of the possible danger I had another investigator with me. In real life I think we put together a good case and hopefully my client will be granted a new trial. I wonder if Dateline will show up again if this happens. Killer Camp is fiction based on this case. 

I did not know that Killer Camp was a title used by other writers. We had a hard time coming up with a title for this book. The case happened in an area of Florida commonly referred to as the Redneck Riviera. One of the suspects would go to a hunting camp and spent a lot of time there, not always hunting. He was friends with local cops who would also go to this camp. We discussed numerous titles and believed that Killer Camp was the best fit for the book. I don't think it's a bad thing that other books have the same title. I believe it's a good title for our book. I never even thought that anyone would think it was a horror book where teens would go to a campsite and be butchered. Today we do have these adult camps where right-wing militias get together. And today we do hear talk about when the revolution comes. I thought all of that fit pretty well with our title. 

C. K.    Killer Camp was not only our most controversial and difficult book to write, but it was also the most difficult to think of a name for. Our working title was just  Rednecks. when it came time to give it a name for sale, we must’ve gone through 100 titles. We finally came up with Carter Goes to Camp: A Study in Terror, or something like that. 

Unfortunately, our publisher said it sounded like a kid's book. We thought we’d never come up with a title that we could all agree on, but we finally settled on KILLER CAMP. After we’ve chosen our titles, we found that there were already books with the same title. All three of them had duplicates. You can’t copyright a name so we decided just to go with our thoughts and hoped people would recognize our names. It seems to have worked because people are buying our books. 

Wow! I was wondering how you would use cases upon which to write your books. As a reader, I was even more fascinated reading them since they were related to actual cases!   

We all know that during the four years of the past administration, there seemed to be a lot more violence come about--the KKK, White Supremacists, even Hitler's cult and specific militias such as Proud Boys. First in Virginia, which was bad enough when one woman was run over. Was it your intent to spotlight what was happening then--you know, the January 6th Insurrection?

And, if there was a connection, how do you see what is happening right now, with Trump continuing to run for the presidency, making even more violent threats against anybody and everybody that goes against him. In your book, you talk about the practice and planning being done at the Camp, for a revolution... Is that possible, Jerry?

At first I thought that Trump was trying to use his role with the Christian Nationalists with blood on his hands... However, he keeps talking about a bloodbath of one kind or another. If there was a connection to January 6th of your book, is there also a connection to the future?

Jerry:    The woman that was killed was a white woman with a child and going through a divorce. Like you said the KKK is making a return; and now right out in the open we have white supremacists. The suspects and people I spoke with were rednecks. We wanted the characters to represent these redneck white supremacists who are supporters of Trump (red hats) and his call for a revolution if he loses the upcoming election. We wanted to bring attention to the cult followers of Trump and his constant talk of violence and a bloodbath, just as he encouraged his followers on January 6th. I believe there is a connection to the future if Trump loses the election. I personally hope he loses big and if his cult members are stupid enough to revolt, I hope the Army crushes them and we will be finished with them. I then hope Trump goes to jail for all the crimes he has committed, and we will also be finished with him. 

C.K.    We absolutely knew what was happening and our intent was one hundred percent to spotlight Trump, the MAGA movement and everything we know about it. 

As you know, all our books are based on actual cases Jerry has or is working on. KILLER is based on one that took place in redneck country. His life was threatened more than once and they actually did bring on another (junior) investigator so he’d have someone to back him up. We do fictionalize portions of his work and blend other cases in occasionally. 

None of the characters in KILLER were Black, but there are plenty of Lesbians. There is a Lesbian trailer camp that is terrorized by white supremacists—I would guess there are others as well. We’ve seen Roe destroyed. We have watched Trump say and do outrageous things, while making it very clear he wants to be a dictator, destroy his enemies, turn women into handmaidens and wipe any people out of America who are not White Anglos. We’ve witnessed how he treats women—I cringe regularly at his disgusting treatment and actions toward taking away all of their rights (along with anyone else that doesn’t fall into line with his beliefs). He proudly says outrageous things that anyone else would already have been tried and jailed for. Yet, while his followers are getting punished for obeying his commands, he’s still free and promising to escalate his horrendous agenda. I believe he’s got to be stopped NOW. Should he somehow get elected, we will see democracy destroyed immediately. I believe people when they tell me who they are. 

I was raised by very liberal parents. They were activists and because of that I was exposed to an amazing world. At three I was handing out bumper stickers for Adlai Stevenson. I marched with them with Martin Luther King. I worked on JFK’s presidential campaign, as well as RFK, McGovern and others. I ran the Miami Office in Clinton’s campaign and, of course, Obama (where I had the good fortune to share a couple of small dinner parties with now President Biden). We’d need a huge amount of time to talk about all the campaigns and candidates I have worked for and with. Suffice it to say I treasure democracy and it is one of my greatest pleasures to have worked with so many who also feel as I do. 

Writing with Jerry gives me a chance to speak out during this extraordinary time and I so appreciate the fact that I didn’t ‘delete’ him before I knew what a special relationship we would forge. 

I don’t think anyone we’ve been interviewed by knows what I’m about to tell you, but you’ve been so supportive of us, I am going to share a little insider info with you. I think everyone knows that Jerry is the real-life Ricky Burns, but no one knows I call him Ricky or Mr. Burns. Regardless (here’s your little ‘scoop’)… Our days begin with a text that begins with “Good morning, Mr. Burns”—followed by “Good morning, Mrs. Burns.” We are the ultimate book husband and wife writing team!

I Love It! It reminds me of an article I was asked to write about working daily with men. I titled it "The Warning!" Think I'll have to pull it out and blog it on Book Readers Heaven... There is indeed the capability of working closely with men... It's wonderful to have friends of the opposite sex. If democracy is to survive, we need to know how to interact with anybody and everybody! 

So, what's the next book that is coming?! Can you share anything about it?

Jerry:    The next book is again based loosely on one of my cases. A married guy with a girlfriend (imagine that) who gets upset when she wants to include other men in their relationship. She somehow goes missing and then a bunch of women are being killed. We just started this book but it's coming along well, and I think it will be a good one.

I'm glad I asked each of you to provide answers. It is clear reading this discussion that you two indeed make up a Dynamic Duo, one which will continue to create many future novels spotlighting Ricky Burns! I'm so happy to have had a chance to learn more about the two of you in this small way... May God be with you as you share how just one man who works to do good and one woman who writes and also crusades for democracy, together, can create a fantastic series of good over evil! 

Can't wait for your next book! Thanks again for visiting Book Readers Heaven!