Writers Police Academy - Part 2

Saturday started early. We all knew there was some kind of surprise planned for the writer attendees. As the back door guard, I got to hear the inside scoop as the SERT commander briefed the players, including a fake "writer" who slipped into the group of attendees and got shot by a disgruntled "student," who then took a whole room full of people hostage.

The SERT team came into the building with their practice guns and... I didn't hear all the negotiations, but the good guys won! I think they negotiated with the shooter during the first scenario, and shot him during the second.

EMS came in and treated the shooting victim and whisked him out on a stretcher. All that excitement, and that was in the morning before any of the classes!

I got to attend a session with N.Y. undercover cop Marco Conelli. I'm in awe of what he has to go through, not just being in disguise, but walking into dangerous situations and having to know the right information to convince the bad guys that he's just another druggie. He must have nerves of steel!

Elizabeth Owens gets her book signed.

Some of the attendees got to do FATS - firearms training in a simulator. My fellow volunteer Elizabeth and I didn't go in, but we got to guard the door and chat with Jeffery Deaver and other folks in the hall.

Thriller author Jeffery Deaver (@JefferyDeaver) was our keynote speaker at the banquet Saturday night. He was chosen to write the next James Bond novel, and he told us he's already got the first draft completed, among his many projects. He was very nice to chat with, and we had our pictures taken with him later at the book signing.

Elizabeth Saunders and Jeffery Deaver

It was an exciting, informative and very full weekend. Thriller, mystery, cozy, true crime or anything related writers were loving it. I overheard a few networking about romance and urban fantasy and I even met another historical fiction writer. My writer buddies and I got to hang out, meet writers and have a great time. CJ Lyons (@cjlyonswriter), a medical thriller author who happened to sit at our banquet table, gave us tips about pitching.

Aspiring authors Aislynn, Elizabeth and Elizabeth

Here's more about Writers' Police Academy 2010 on Lee Lofland's blog.