Archive for the juvenile court Category

The Advocate Revisited

The Advocate, the first book in my Advocate Series, just received a facelift. I just had someone design a new cover and I must tell you it is receiving a huge number of hits on Kindle since the change. The paperback will be released soon with the new cover on Amazon as well.

 

The Advocate’s Betrayal and The Advocate’s Conviction are also receiving new covers which will be updated real soon.

Please let me know what you think of the new look.

Teresa

 

The Advocate #3

As you may well know, I’ve been working on my third novel. With all the book signings I’ve been attending, the book is not quite on the schedule I had hoped. I do most of my writing from my home in San Diego and since I haven’t been home much it has been difficult.

A brief insight into The Advocate #3 without giving too much away:

Sabre receives a sudden influx of cases dealing with victims of Satanic Ritual Abuse. Of course, her friend, Bob, is back and admits he likes the idea of having a case different from the everyday physical and sexual abuse or tox-baby cases. Only Bob could get excited about a case involving chicken feet and goat blood.

JP is also a returning character with his Stetson hat, his cowboy boots, and his Texas slang. JP’s investigation stays closer to home this time. So far he hasn’t left southern California (but there’s still quite a few chapters left so who knows). He works diligently trying to uncover the source of the satanic-like behaviors exhibited by the juvenile court clients, while he does his best to keep Sabre out of whatever mess she finds herself in.

The novel includes at least one murder, a “devil-house,” missing children, and people in power with a great deal to lose. Sabre has to protect her minor clients and try to answer the nagging question: Did the devil make them do it?

Teresa

https://www.teresaburrell.com

The “W” word is Write

To write is to be whatever you want. There’s a mouthful of Ws. That is my tagline on my bookmarks, my website, and my brochures. I get many comments on it from my readers. Most just smile and say, “I like that.” Occasionally, I get asked what it means. The short answer is, “whatever you want it to be.” But I’ll explain what it means to me.

Many people write in journals, or write poems, or just doodle words on scratch paper. Journal writing helps us relive the fun times and release the bad times. Each person who experienced that day with you would write a different story. Each brings their own past to help them interpret the day. And each of us writes into the telling what our mind will let us or what we want it to be at the moment. Some people write poems and they do the same thing. You may be writing about a tree, but it’s still about you, your feelings, your perspective. And doodling…how many young men and women have written their sweetheart’s name on their notebooks? How many young women have written, “Mrs. Blah Blah,” trying on a new name, so they can be who they want.

Me, I write novels because I can create whole characters and watch them grow. In my novel “The Advocate,” my main character, Sabre, is a juvenile court attorney, just like me. But it isn’t me. Yes, I certainly have projected many of my thoughts and behaviors onto Sabre. And, yes, sometimes what she says and does is what I would do, but it isn’t me. Sabre is younger, prettier, thinner, smarter, and richer than I am. Remember, “to write is to be whatever you want.”

If you don’t write, then read…it works there too. I remember being Nancy Drew when I was ten and Scarlett O’Hara when I was sixteen.” What have you written or read that has allowed you to be someone or somewhere else?

Teresa
https://www.teresaburrell.com

C Word–It’s All About the Children

My “C” word is children. Although, I never gave birth to any, I’ve been surrounded by them since I entered this world. I had eight brothers and sisters. I’m the baby. When you come from a clan that large you soon have oodles of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. I lost count around twenty years ago—at fifty plus.

When people would ask me why I didn’t have any children, I would jokingly reply, “I hate kids.” The truth is, I’ve spent my entire life working with those little “curtain climbers.” I’ve taught, represented, tutored, counseled, and coached them. I even helped raise one son who I inherited from a relationship. He’s wonderful, but I have to give his father the credit for doing such a fabulous job. He was consistent, caring, and conscious of what was going on in his child’s world. And as a result, Bobby grew up to be a well functioning member of society. In fact he’s now an attorney—ok, so he’s not perfect (and that’s the part he got from me.)

Our children are our most cherished commodity. They need our protection, our love, and our direction in this crazy cosmos. I’ve seen so much heartache and pain among those little ones with my stint at juvenile court. That’s part of the reason I wrote my novel, The Advocate. It deals with a fictional juvenile court case while it delves into some of the realities of child abuse.

Life is all about the children and the joy they bring into our lives. What have you done lately to make a child’s day special? Or what has a child done that made you smile?