I started this blog on February 1, 2023. Since then, I’ve been asked many questions related to Gaining Face. And, some viewers have commented and offered their points of view about this blog site. It’s been my experience that if one person mentions it, others have the same question or comment. So, here are some of those comments and most often-asked questions (unedited):

QUESTION: When will you finish this book?

RESPONSE: My target date is 2025. However, while gathering material for this book, I’ve come across some very interesting statements law enforcement made that need further research. Witnesses and law enforcement have not been very cooperative with me, although they were more than willing to share their insights with the media—and what they shared was telling.

QUESTION: Are you still in contact with Ed Shin?

RESPONSE: Yes. We met twice in 2024. Once in February, then he asked to meet me again in October. We’ve maintained communication through the prison’s monitored text system.

QUESTION: Why are you writing this story?

RESPONSE: Because of my Mom. She would have loved to read this story if she were still alive. After six-plus decades, I’m still trying to make her proud.

QUESTION: What is the hardest part about writing your book?

RESPONSE: The hardest part about writing my book is not knowing how it’s going to end.

QUESTION: What drew you toward this story?

RESPONSE: Like Ed, I was raised in an Asian family. After learning more about his childhood and family dynamics, I realized that I was not that different from Ed. We just took different paths at a very critical time in our lives. I wanted to explore those similarities and differences. I also have a very close relative that reminds me of Ed.

COMMENT: I always wanted to write. But, I don’t know how to start.

RESPONSE: Like any commitment, it takes time and planning. First, you have to decide what you want to write. When I retired in 2012, I thought I would spend my time behind a keyboard—writing mystery novels. I started with short stories—short, creepy stories. But, something was missing and I couldn’t put my finger on it until one day I realized: I can’t write fiction. Fiction was like lying. Every time I tried to make something up, it felt wrong. I had spent twenty years as a law enforcement officer, writing the truth so I felt like I’d get fired for lying (even though I’m not employed). From that point, I thought it best to write true crime. But, which true crime story? There were so many to choose from. I waited eight years for the right story: Gaining Face.

QUESTION: How will I know if I’ve found the right true crime story for me to write about? There are so many to choose from.

RESPONSE: You have to ask yourself why you want to write that story. Your answer will help you get started—it will keep you motivated to finish your project.

QUESTION: What books have you used to help you write your true crime story?

RESPONSE: Many. But most recently, Cover to Cover by Sandra Wendel, The Writer’s Legal GPS by Matt Knight, Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook, Second Edition, by Helen Sedwick. And, A Socialite Scorned, by Kerrie Droban, about a murder that took place in nearby Tucson, Arizona.

QUESTION: Why are you posting drafts if your book isn’t done yet?

RESPONSE: Sometimes true crime stories take 8-10 years to complete due to case appeals and a backlogged judicial system. I want to share my writing now because my friends ask for updates and want to know more about the story. This way, anyone interested can read it.