Steve Rush's Blog
May 12, 2025
A Murder Victim’s Near-Death Experience
I knew a person who claimed he could examine the eyes of a murder victim and see the person who killed them. (True story.)
Imagine if the claim proved true. What did the victim see?
Here’s an example. (Not a true story.)
A near-death-experience has advantages for a murder victim like me. I saw the killer thread through a diverse crowd of three hundred before she blended in the mass of hot flesh and lavish table settings for several seconds and reappear thirty feet to my right. The next thing I knew, someone in the back corner yelled, “Bomb!”
When someone shouts, “bomb” amidst a crowd of people in a restaurant on the fiftieth floor of a luxury hotel, it is not conducive to a favorable outcome. It mattered not how much damage the explosive device might inflict with the volume of silverware lying on tables about to become flesh-penetrating projectiles. Chaos erupted in what looked like a fire drill in a sanitorium dining hall.
This murdered state certainly enlightened me.
A victim of murder goes through three phases—the approach, the process and the aftermath—neither of which appeals to the person on the wrong end of the ordeal. Like me. If anyone affronts another with the notion that consciousness ceases when a person dies, their nuts. I saw it coming. In the realm of anticipatory pain and suffering, the agony and anguish instilled in me by my killer’s approach ranked near the experience of suffering the injuries inflicted on me.
It's not as if any salvageable parts existed for procurement and transplant into another person, which might allow a semblance of life. I’m a goner. Adios. It’s travel time. I cannot describe the injuries inflicted on me and must rely on a forensic examiner. I hope whoever conducts the procedure will do it with the accuracy necessary to solve my case, otherwise justice might as well have met its demise along with me. Thank goodness nothing perforated my body and exited my hind side, or I might’ve drawn unnecessary attention when I passed gas in two-part harmony.
The encounter was much like a vehicle crash. Perception and reaction time of one and a half seconds added to 180 milliseconds passed in a flash compared to the mind’s response. When people claim their life flashed before their eyes, should they not have said, past life?
My body acted the part of a vehicle destroyed in the crash while my soul and spirit survived, exits and surveys the damage. Not looking too good.
Trapped in a near-death-experience has its advantages, don’t you think? If only I could tell someone about it. Oh, wait. There is someone who will speak for me.
Hey, you. How about investigating my murder.
Imagine if the claim proved true. What did the victim see?
Here’s an example. (Not a true story.)
A near-death-experience has advantages for a murder victim like me. I saw the killer thread through a diverse crowd of three hundred before she blended in the mass of hot flesh and lavish table settings for several seconds and reappear thirty feet to my right. The next thing I knew, someone in the back corner yelled, “Bomb!”
When someone shouts, “bomb” amidst a crowd of people in a restaurant on the fiftieth floor of a luxury hotel, it is not conducive to a favorable outcome. It mattered not how much damage the explosive device might inflict with the volume of silverware lying on tables about to become flesh-penetrating projectiles. Chaos erupted in what looked like a fire drill in a sanitorium dining hall.
This murdered state certainly enlightened me.
A victim of murder goes through three phases—the approach, the process and the aftermath—neither of which appeals to the person on the wrong end of the ordeal. Like me. If anyone affronts another with the notion that consciousness ceases when a person dies, their nuts. I saw it coming. In the realm of anticipatory pain and suffering, the agony and anguish instilled in me by my killer’s approach ranked near the experience of suffering the injuries inflicted on me.
It's not as if any salvageable parts existed for procurement and transplant into another person, which might allow a semblance of life. I’m a goner. Adios. It’s travel time. I cannot describe the injuries inflicted on me and must rely on a forensic examiner. I hope whoever conducts the procedure will do it with the accuracy necessary to solve my case, otherwise justice might as well have met its demise along with me. Thank goodness nothing perforated my body and exited my hind side, or I might’ve drawn unnecessary attention when I passed gas in two-part harmony.
The encounter was much like a vehicle crash. Perception and reaction time of one and a half seconds added to 180 milliseconds passed in a flash compared to the mind’s response. When people claim their life flashed before their eyes, should they not have said, past life?
My body acted the part of a vehicle destroyed in the crash while my soul and spirit survived, exits and surveys the damage. Not looking too good.
Trapped in a near-death-experience has its advantages, don’t you think? If only I could tell someone about it. Oh, wait. There is someone who will speak for me.
Hey, you. How about investigating my murder.
February 21, 2024
What's Next?
Writing for you. Writing for me. Writing for anyone who might like my upcoming novels. Or not.
These blurbs offer a taste of three novels I have in submission, or soon to be in the hands of publishers.
Lethal Impulse: Neil Caldera seeks escape from a relentless wave of guilt after a he kills a crime boss's daughter in NYC, and settles the quietness of Madison, Georgia, a town once named “The Best Place to Live in Georgia.”
Months later, his life takes a dark turn, setting off a chain reaction of chaos in the entire community after the local police respond to the murder of a teenage girl where they stumble upon a chilling scene—Neil's likeness painted in blood, an eerie symbol of his unraveling world. Digging deeper, they uncover evidence of another gruesome murder in Neil's home. His nightmare escalates to a terrifying climax when the remorseless killer kidnaps his niece.
Refusing to surrender, Neil finds an ally in the town’s police sergeant. Together, they plunge headlong into a treacherous game of seduction and violence, desperate to stop a bloodthirsty predator before more lives are claimed, including his.
Deadly Measures: Nicholas felt like David in a Goliath world when he accepted his new job. When a mission at Centennial Park goes awry, he detects a setup. The turning point comes as his target arrives in Centennial Park and Nicholas sees the crosshairs settle on ex-girlfriend and fellow DHS Agent Nailah Tengelei. After a sniper kills a police officer while shooting at Agent Tengelei, Atlanta Police name Nicholas a person of interest. The FBI and DHS deem Nicholas a threat to national security and question his loyalty to the United States.
His quest extends beyond survival after he discovers a rogue agent on his trail. Uncertain whom he can trust, Nicholas seeks support from the president’s sister and niece. He must rely on their input to outmaneuver a mole in the DHS, unravel a web of collusion and treachery, and survive the vile adversaries who intend to protect their secrets.
Twisted Light: Grief and family intrigue leads to a lapse in security at Knox Quinn’s home following his fiancée’s funeral. He finds himself captive in a setting reminiscent of ancient Jerusalem. There, Knox meets Laelia, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late fiancée.
Lines blur between captive and guest, truth and deception. An attack by Laelia’s wannabe suitor leaves Knox near death. Something he sees alerts him to the travesties in the compound. After he and Laelia escape, his sister accuses Laelia of being an impostor and mastermind of conspiracy. With falsehoods woven into truths, Knox must distinguish friend from foe and identify his fiancée’s killer before it's too late.
I welcome feedback by way of your comments, criticisms, or suggestions. Nicety is preferred even if you hate them. (I thought of saying, don’t like, but experts stress strong verbs. Perhaps loathe?)
Either way, best regards to all.
Steve
These blurbs offer a taste of three novels I have in submission, or soon to be in the hands of publishers.
Lethal Impulse: Neil Caldera seeks escape from a relentless wave of guilt after a he kills a crime boss's daughter in NYC, and settles the quietness of Madison, Georgia, a town once named “The Best Place to Live in Georgia.”
Months later, his life takes a dark turn, setting off a chain reaction of chaos in the entire community after the local police respond to the murder of a teenage girl where they stumble upon a chilling scene—Neil's likeness painted in blood, an eerie symbol of his unraveling world. Digging deeper, they uncover evidence of another gruesome murder in Neil's home. His nightmare escalates to a terrifying climax when the remorseless killer kidnaps his niece.
Refusing to surrender, Neil finds an ally in the town’s police sergeant. Together, they plunge headlong into a treacherous game of seduction and violence, desperate to stop a bloodthirsty predator before more lives are claimed, including his.
Deadly Measures: Nicholas felt like David in a Goliath world when he accepted his new job. When a mission at Centennial Park goes awry, he detects a setup. The turning point comes as his target arrives in Centennial Park and Nicholas sees the crosshairs settle on ex-girlfriend and fellow DHS Agent Nailah Tengelei. After a sniper kills a police officer while shooting at Agent Tengelei, Atlanta Police name Nicholas a person of interest. The FBI and DHS deem Nicholas a threat to national security and question his loyalty to the United States.
His quest extends beyond survival after he discovers a rogue agent on his trail. Uncertain whom he can trust, Nicholas seeks support from the president’s sister and niece. He must rely on their input to outmaneuver a mole in the DHS, unravel a web of collusion and treachery, and survive the vile adversaries who intend to protect their secrets.
Twisted Light: Grief and family intrigue leads to a lapse in security at Knox Quinn’s home following his fiancée’s funeral. He finds himself captive in a setting reminiscent of ancient Jerusalem. There, Knox meets Laelia, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late fiancée.
Lines blur between captive and guest, truth and deception. An attack by Laelia’s wannabe suitor leaves Knox near death. Something he sees alerts him to the travesties in the compound. After he and Laelia escape, his sister accuses Laelia of being an impostor and mastermind of conspiracy. With falsehoods woven into truths, Knox must distinguish friend from foe and identify his fiancée’s killer before it's too late.
I welcome feedback by way of your comments, criticisms, or suggestions. Nicety is preferred even if you hate them. (I thought of saying, don’t like, but experts stress strong verbs. Perhaps loathe?)
Either way, best regards to all.
Steve
November 8, 2023
Interview for new release Blood Red Deceit by Author Donnell Ann Bell
Welcome to Interview Alley. My guest today is Award-winning author Steve Rush. I keep Steve’s Kill Your Characters, Crime Scene Tips for Writers within easy reach on my bookshelf. But now Steve’s written a novel called Blood Red Deceit. How does his fiction stack up to his nonfiction? Perhaps my quote and our Q&A will give you a clue. ~ Donnell
“Move over Mission Impossible. Protagonist Ridge Warner promises to give Ethan Hunt a run for his money. Award-winning author Steve Rush delivers a superb thriller that only a former detective and forensic investigator possesses the chops to write. A solid mystery from the opening pages to the nail-biting conclusion. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”
~ Donnell Ann Bell, Author of Black Pearl, A Cold Case Suspense, 2020 Colorado Book Award finalist and Until Dead, A Cold Case Suspense, Best Thriller Novel, Imaginarium Convention 2023, Louisville, KY.
(On to our interview:)
Author Steve Rush
Donnell: Hi Steve: I just read Blood Red Deceit, and after checking the notes on my Kindle, I came up with a whopping 96 possible questions to ask you! For the purposes of our interview, I’ll narrow it down. In Kill Your Characters, the nonfiction book I referenced above, you have a quote by Alfred Hitchcock, which reads: “By and large, I feel that the more interesting work in the field of murder is done by amateurs. They are people who perform their work with dignity and good taste, leavened with a sense of the grotesque. There is police and wholesome mayhem, practiced by civilized people, and I personally enjoy it.”
How do I say this gently? You sir are no amateur! The fabulous Toni Morrison is often quoted, “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Does this quote come close to why you gravitated toward fiction? When you pick up a book for pleasure, is it fiction or nonfiction?
STEVE RUSH: Thank you for the opportunity and honor to share my story with your fans. Yes, Toni Morrison’s quote describes the fuel in me to offer fiction filled with suspense and realism to hook readers, and hopefully, keep them turning pages. I write books equivalent to the novels I enjoy reading.
Donnell: Blood Red Deceit introduces the reader to protagonist Ridge Warner, who at first glance has a career much like the author. However, it’s soon revealed that Ridge has the initials, M.D. behind his name. Ridge is a first-rate forensic investigator, but the fact that he’s Doctor Ridge Warner, in my opinion, opened several doors for him. Did you know from the beginning Ridge would be a medical doctor? Tell us about his evolution. Did you know Ridge immediately or did it take many drafts to bring him to life?
STEVE RUSH: I visualized Ridge as a consultant more so than performing autopsies in a medical examiner’s office. Losing his mother on his eighteenth birthday influenced his decision to go to medical school and focus on forensic pathology. Ridge accepted his current assignment after he met Olympic Gold Medalist Angel Meade. The above is backstory before Blood Red Deceit’s opening paragraph: “Life had thrown changes my way, but nothing like this. This latest event altered my future with my fiancée, Angel Meade. The blood I donated saved her life. Minutes later, an analysis of my blood exposed an inconceivable truth.”
As a pantser, I write, review, and continue onward. By the time I get to the end, I have the equivalent of a third or fourth draft. My characters develop themselves in the initial process and prove who they want to be when they control the story.
Donnell: You have an extraordinary sense of setting and place. The story opens in Beijing takes us to Colorado, eventually Atlanta, and back to Colorado. Readers who know Colorado will recognize the Woodland Park/Colorado Springs area at once. You mentioned one of my favorite restaurants, The Swiss Chalet! I’ve been to Atlanta as well. Whether overseas or in the States, you appear well-versed. Are you a seasoned globetrotter? Did your work take you to these locales or is Blood Red Deceit a result of in-depth research?
STEVE RUSH: I love Colorado and traveled there many times for work and pleasure. The opening scene shown in China came about through research. Thorough research brought a deeper sense of place for me in Woodland Park and Colorado Springs.
Donnell: I imagine in your career you’ve been exposed to innumerable crime scenes. Ridge is called to one particularly horrific scene and his investigation leads him to some fairly kinky goings-on leading up to it. Was the scene Ridge discovers recorded on the tablet a complete product of the author’s imagination?
STEVE RUSH: A police officer at the murder scene asked Ridge, “What kind of person would do such a thing in a church?” Ridge offered this answer. “I once heard someone refer to the human heart as being full of hidden deceit. Based on my experience, it’s in us all.”
When writing scenes, imagination takes me to the brink and reality, based on witnessing tragedies and deaths, build the bridges to the other side. I like to ask myself “What if?” and follow leads likely to yield the best outcome. The video inclusion offers readers a plethora of information about the murder victim and people closest to him. It becomes a focal point in the story and leaves readers guessing if any or all of it is real, or a red herring.
Donnell: Expertise is one thing and a huge benefit for authors such as yourself when writing. I, too, come from a nonfiction background and when I transitioned to fiction, I thought it would be so easy. Point in fact, I bombed numerous times before I had any success. For me, criticism smarts but in the end it’s often the catalyst that helps me improve. Can you talk about something you’ve learned while writing fiction. Do you have critique partners, beta readers? Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
STEVE RUSH: Wow. The most dreaded word for writers—Rejection. I wrote my first novel, believed in it, and queried an agent. The agent asked for the full manuscript. Then came the letter. Rejected. I refused to let it discourage me. I sent it to an editor, received and followed her advice, increased the word count from 54,000 to 82,000, and sent it to a publisher. Accepted. The flatline turned upward and became a steep climb. Then I made a pay-to-publish mistake. Never again. Broken promises and other issues led to company closure and multiple frustrated authors.
Rejections sting but refuse to let them stop you. I write, edit, get critiques, enter contests, and submit. I read thirty or more novels a year. My advice to aspiring authors is read a lot within and outside your genre, write through rejections, be patient and submit only when your work is in its best possible shape.
Donnell: I agree with your advice to aspiring authors 1000 percent. In closing, the fun part for me was counting the multiple suspects, following Ridge as he analyzed the crime scenes, interviewed witnesses, processed the scenes, protected the chain of custody, and, of course, explored a new love interest. I also enjoyed the many twists and turns and breathed easier when the antagonist was revealed. Finally, whenever I read anything written by you, I learn so much. Thank you for being my guest today. Best wishes with Blood Red Deceit.
About the Book:
Ridge Warner wishes he knew who wants to kill him.
He wishes he knew why.
He wishes he never learned the answer.
Dr. Ridge Warner meets the unexpected in Woodland Park, Colorado, three days before his marriage to Olympic Gold Medalist Angel Meade. He learns more than he cares to know about his fiancée after he agrees to investigate a murder where an IED explodes at the scene. With the support of his ex-girlfriend, and a woman who possesses an audiographic memory, he struggles to overcome his fiancée’s relentless grip of deceit and her reason for it.
Purchase Links:
Blood Red Deceit – Wings ePress, Inc.
Amazon.com: Amazon.com: Blood Red Deceit eBook: Rush, Steve: Books
Blood Red Deceit (smashwords.com)
Blood Red Deceit (books2read.com)
For more information about Steve go to: www.steverush.org
“Move over Mission Impossible. Protagonist Ridge Warner promises to give Ethan Hunt a run for his money. Award-winning author Steve Rush delivers a superb thriller that only a former detective and forensic investigator possesses the chops to write. A solid mystery from the opening pages to the nail-biting conclusion. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”
~ Donnell Ann Bell, Author of Black Pearl, A Cold Case Suspense, 2020 Colorado Book Award finalist and Until Dead, A Cold Case Suspense, Best Thriller Novel, Imaginarium Convention 2023, Louisville, KY.
(On to our interview:)
Author Steve Rush
Donnell: Hi Steve: I just read Blood Red Deceit, and after checking the notes on my Kindle, I came up with a whopping 96 possible questions to ask you! For the purposes of our interview, I’ll narrow it down. In Kill Your Characters, the nonfiction book I referenced above, you have a quote by Alfred Hitchcock, which reads: “By and large, I feel that the more interesting work in the field of murder is done by amateurs. They are people who perform their work with dignity and good taste, leavened with a sense of the grotesque. There is police and wholesome mayhem, practiced by civilized people, and I personally enjoy it.”
How do I say this gently? You sir are no amateur! The fabulous Toni Morrison is often quoted, “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Does this quote come close to why you gravitated toward fiction? When you pick up a book for pleasure, is it fiction or nonfiction?
STEVE RUSH: Thank you for the opportunity and honor to share my story with your fans. Yes, Toni Morrison’s quote describes the fuel in me to offer fiction filled with suspense and realism to hook readers, and hopefully, keep them turning pages. I write books equivalent to the novels I enjoy reading.
Donnell: Blood Red Deceit introduces the reader to protagonist Ridge Warner, who at first glance has a career much like the author. However, it’s soon revealed that Ridge has the initials, M.D. behind his name. Ridge is a first-rate forensic investigator, but the fact that he’s Doctor Ridge Warner, in my opinion, opened several doors for him. Did you know from the beginning Ridge would be a medical doctor? Tell us about his evolution. Did you know Ridge immediately or did it take many drafts to bring him to life?
STEVE RUSH: I visualized Ridge as a consultant more so than performing autopsies in a medical examiner’s office. Losing his mother on his eighteenth birthday influenced his decision to go to medical school and focus on forensic pathology. Ridge accepted his current assignment after he met Olympic Gold Medalist Angel Meade. The above is backstory before Blood Red Deceit’s opening paragraph: “Life had thrown changes my way, but nothing like this. This latest event altered my future with my fiancée, Angel Meade. The blood I donated saved her life. Minutes later, an analysis of my blood exposed an inconceivable truth.”
As a pantser, I write, review, and continue onward. By the time I get to the end, I have the equivalent of a third or fourth draft. My characters develop themselves in the initial process and prove who they want to be when they control the story.
Donnell: You have an extraordinary sense of setting and place. The story opens in Beijing takes us to Colorado, eventually Atlanta, and back to Colorado. Readers who know Colorado will recognize the Woodland Park/Colorado Springs area at once. You mentioned one of my favorite restaurants, The Swiss Chalet! I’ve been to Atlanta as well. Whether overseas or in the States, you appear well-versed. Are you a seasoned globetrotter? Did your work take you to these locales or is Blood Red Deceit a result of in-depth research?
STEVE RUSH: I love Colorado and traveled there many times for work and pleasure. The opening scene shown in China came about through research. Thorough research brought a deeper sense of place for me in Woodland Park and Colorado Springs.
Donnell: I imagine in your career you’ve been exposed to innumerable crime scenes. Ridge is called to one particularly horrific scene and his investigation leads him to some fairly kinky goings-on leading up to it. Was the scene Ridge discovers recorded on the tablet a complete product of the author’s imagination?
STEVE RUSH: A police officer at the murder scene asked Ridge, “What kind of person would do such a thing in a church?” Ridge offered this answer. “I once heard someone refer to the human heart as being full of hidden deceit. Based on my experience, it’s in us all.”
When writing scenes, imagination takes me to the brink and reality, based on witnessing tragedies and deaths, build the bridges to the other side. I like to ask myself “What if?” and follow leads likely to yield the best outcome. The video inclusion offers readers a plethora of information about the murder victim and people closest to him. It becomes a focal point in the story and leaves readers guessing if any or all of it is real, or a red herring.
Donnell: Expertise is one thing and a huge benefit for authors such as yourself when writing. I, too, come from a nonfiction background and when I transitioned to fiction, I thought it would be so easy. Point in fact, I bombed numerous times before I had any success. For me, criticism smarts but in the end it’s often the catalyst that helps me improve. Can you talk about something you’ve learned while writing fiction. Do you have critique partners, beta readers? Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
STEVE RUSH: Wow. The most dreaded word for writers—Rejection. I wrote my first novel, believed in it, and queried an agent. The agent asked for the full manuscript. Then came the letter. Rejected. I refused to let it discourage me. I sent it to an editor, received and followed her advice, increased the word count from 54,000 to 82,000, and sent it to a publisher. Accepted. The flatline turned upward and became a steep climb. Then I made a pay-to-publish mistake. Never again. Broken promises and other issues led to company closure and multiple frustrated authors.
Rejections sting but refuse to let them stop you. I write, edit, get critiques, enter contests, and submit. I read thirty or more novels a year. My advice to aspiring authors is read a lot within and outside your genre, write through rejections, be patient and submit only when your work is in its best possible shape.
Donnell: I agree with your advice to aspiring authors 1000 percent. In closing, the fun part for me was counting the multiple suspects, following Ridge as he analyzed the crime scenes, interviewed witnesses, processed the scenes, protected the chain of custody, and, of course, explored a new love interest. I also enjoyed the many twists and turns and breathed easier when the antagonist was revealed. Finally, whenever I read anything written by you, I learn so much. Thank you for being my guest today. Best wishes with Blood Red Deceit.
About the Book:
Ridge Warner wishes he knew who wants to kill him.
He wishes he knew why.
He wishes he never learned the answer.
Dr. Ridge Warner meets the unexpected in Woodland Park, Colorado, three days before his marriage to Olympic Gold Medalist Angel Meade. He learns more than he cares to know about his fiancée after he agrees to investigate a murder where an IED explodes at the scene. With the support of his ex-girlfriend, and a woman who possesses an audiographic memory, he struggles to overcome his fiancée’s relentless grip of deceit and her reason for it.
Purchase Links:
Blood Red Deceit – Wings ePress, Inc.
Amazon.com: Amazon.com: Blood Red Deceit eBook: Rush, Steve: Books
Blood Red Deceit (smashwords.com)
Blood Red Deceit (books2read.com)
For more information about Steve go to: www.steverush.org
