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Here's an example of why it's not a good idea to paint the town red with a can of spray paint. The cops might use the paint against you.

Click here to read Orange Spray-Painted Testicles, a short, true crime story on Fingerprints.

Imagine this: A man shouting nonsense is wielding a machete and walking toward you. He's mere steps away. You know when he closes that gap, he's going to turn your body into salad. You have less than a second to think.

What do you do?

Shoot the machete.

This incredible tale isn't fiction. It really happened. You can read all about it here at Fingerprints.

As editor of Fingerprints, I don't receive too many submissions. That's actually a good thing. As a journal of crime flash non-fiction (meaning these are short, short stories about true crime), it's hard to find stories that are both interesting and true. Doubly so because the author has to have some sort of relation to the story.

But when I do, hang on to your %#$%#ing hat. Stories at Fingerprints get wild and weird in a hurry. Nothing's stranger than real life.

The most recent submission is about "The Bathroom Basher." He killed several women in Idaho in the 1960s, but the final one drew the most attention. It seems he was exceptionally brutal that time. So much so that it became the stuff of legend for the family of Natasha Amadaeus.

She recalls the story she's been told in today's new Fingerprints entry, Thank You: The True Story of The Bathroom Basher.

I had to think hard about whether to publish it. The details are gruesome. That they happened to a real person adds considerable weight. But in the interest of crime history, I felt compelled to publish it.

Click here to read Thank You: The True Story of the Bathroom Basher.

Might want to say "no" to a romp in the proverbial hay if the trist is to take place in an orange grove. That's the takeaway lesson in this true crime short story over at Fingerprints.

Click here to read more.

Over at Fingerprints, Leroy Vaughn writes about the incredible dog who stayed loyal to his master to the very end during a brutal Mexican gang war. As editor of this 'zine, this short piece of crime non-fiction blew me away. It's a must-read.

Click here to read A Cop, His Dog and Some Gun Thugs.

How would you react if you turned on the TV and found out someone you knew was killed in a terrible way? That happened to retired law enforcement officer Leroy B. Vaughn. He writes about the experience in a short piece over at Fingerprints.

Click here to read The Real Bruce Lee.

* Fingerprints is the Web's first online journal of crime flash non-fiction.

1) Amazon Ranking

Maynard Soloman Proves Santa Claus is Real had a nice day on Amazon. It started around #450,000 and jumped up to #30,000. This may have been because Maynard sent gifts to the people on his "nice" list. Details are on his facebook page.

2) Great Maynard Review

Speaking of the Ol' Badger, Maynard Soloman Proves Santa Claus is Real received a nice review from Regina Hott over at Hott Books. She said, "I'm not sure when I laughed so hard." That made me happy. Click here to read the review.

3) Matthew C Funk Chooses Wine Into Water

In the world of crime flash fiction, few names cast as large a shadow as Matthew C Funk. His writing is beyond brilliant. It's scary good. He's the kind of writer who you read and say, "I give up." Good thing I didn't. He picked my flash fiction piece, Wine Into Water, for his best online read for the week. Click here to read his review.

4) New Stupid Criminal Story Up at Fingerprints

It's been a while since a new story was up at Fingerprints. That's OK. Fingerprints publishes crime flash non-fiction. You can't make this stuff up. John Hansen's The Criminal Did WHAT!? will put a smile on your face. Click here to read it.

Don't miss this audio of a law enforcement officer's experiences at a haunted crime scene. This isn't crime fiction, but it's just as chilling.

Click here to go to "Fingerprints" to listen.

When it came to researching for "Cleansing Eden," I drew upon my experiences as a newspaper crime reporter. At least, when I still was a newspaper crime reporter.

For much of the first half of the novel, I was employed as a reporter. I took notes on some of the interactions I had with law enforcement. It wasn't anything too groundbreaking, but it helped me create June's interactions with the police force (although, my relationship wasn't nearly as rocky).

When I stopped being a crime reporter, my wife started. Her experiences helped me round out some of June's scenarios. June's character is a mash-up of me, my wife, some other grizzled reporters and newsroom war stories.

But not everyone can be a crime reporter. (With how much it pays, you won't be running off with any delusions of grandeur.) To gain experience for a crime novel, some choose to ask the police for help.

Crime author and criminologist Jennifer Chase recently wrote about one option to take: the police ride-along. She says it's a great way to get a feel for a the daily work officers perform. She offers six tips if you do decide to go:

1. Be professional and reserved.

2. Wear appropriate clothing.

3. Be respectful of your host police officer and your surrounding situations.

4. Take plenty of notes.

5. Bring a bottle of water and some type of energy bar just in case.

6. Be observant, relax, and have a great time!

You can read all of Jennifer's thoughts on the matter over at "Fingerprints," the journal of crime flash non-fiction here.

Fingerprints is an e-zine I started that publishes "crime flash non-fiction" stories. Today, I posted about how that differs from the "true crime" genre. Thought I'd share it here, too.

Friday is normally the day for new stories, but seeing as there's a break between submissions (it is Easter weekend), I figured I'd throw in some food for thought.

I've received tremendous feedback after starting "Fingerprints." Readers love the stories and concept. There are plenty of great flash non-fiction 'zines out there, but none focused exclusively on crime.

Hence the term "crime flash non-fiction." But aren't they really "true crime" stories? That's something readers wanted to know.

Although all the stories here are true and about crime, they're not "true crime." They're "crime flash non-fiction." The difference is how each handles the narrative.

The true crime genre chronicles events from a journalistic perspective. The crime event happened, then someone researched and memorialized it in various media. The narrative component is there, but it's secondary to the journalistic component.

The opposite is true with crime flash non-fiction. The narrative component comes first. Because of this, it's much more personal, and written from the perspective of someone who experienced the crime event. The journalistic component is secondary.

That allows crime flash non-fiction more room for creativity and catharsis. The titles can get funky ("Trap Zombie"), serious allegations can take a light-hearted bent ("Public Enemy Number One") and the criminal events don't have to be earth-shattering ("The Heart of Saturday Afternoon").

That's the difference. The story matters. The ability to tell it in an engaging way matters. The way it affected the storyteller matters.

With true crime, facts matter. The who, what, where, when and how take the front seat.

Don't get me wrong, I love true crime. It's just not quite what "Fingerprints" is about.

Be well and have a Happy Easter!