Showing results by author "William Bernhardt" in All Categories

Why do so many people talk about writing a book but never get the job done? Why do so many start books they never finish? And why is the final product often so much less than what editors and agents want? Because writing is a process, and no steps can be omitted without impacting the quality of the work. As best-selling author William Bernhardt explains, editing begins before you start writing and doesn't end until the book is in print (if then). This book guides writers through that process, explaining what's worth doing and when to do it.

William Bernhardt explains the essential elements of breakout books, stories that reel in readers and attract serious attention. He discusses all the essential elements: originality, high stakes, believability, inescapable conflict, emotional appeal, and others. Plus, in the final chapter, Bernhardt explains how to turn your powerful premise into a winning pitch to attract agents and editors.

When a priest with radical ideas and a parish council with traditional values lock horns over the beliefs they hold most sacred, there's bound to be controversy, and consequences. But murder crosses the line between committing a sin and committing a crime, turning a battle over faith into a battle for justice. And smack in the middle of the explosive case is Tulsa attorney Ben Kincaid.

In Tulsa, Ben Kincaid has built a national reputation as a stalwart defense attorney who will fight tirelessly for his clients. In Evanston, Illinois, Johnny Christensen has built a national reputation as a sadistic bigot who beat and stabbed a gay man and left him to die. When Johnny's mother comes to Ben and begs him to defend her son, he has one secret reason for saying no.

Psychologist Susan Pulaski, who has a near-empathic gift for understanding the thought processes of criminals, is a consultant for the Las Vegas police force. When the city is galvanized by a brutal murder case, stemming from the death of a young woman who has been buried alive, Police Chief Robert O'Bannon calls on Susan's services.

Dynamic dialogue can turn an otherwise ordinary novel into a delightful read, but dull, uninspired dialogue will cause readers to lose interest and try something else. In this book, bestselling author William Bernhardt, renowned for his handling of dialogue, explains his techniques for making characters come to life through their words. He explains the importance of matching character and dialogue, of avoiding dialogue that's “on-the-nose,” and the value of using dialogue to suggest what no one will say aloud.

William Bernhardt's best-selling novels featuring Oklahoma defense attorney Ben Kincaid capture the bare-knuckles reality of high-stakes criminal defense, as lofty ideals of justice clash with power, corruption, and wealth. In Capitol Murder, Bernhardt's hard-charging hero takes on his most shocking, headline-making case yet.

In this short story, Mike Morrelli, Ben's friend, former brother-in-law, and homicide detective, investigates a horrible murder involving twisted relationships, mistaken identities, and the tangled webs of love. When the investigation hits a dead end, Mike is forced to try a desperate gambit that might solve the mystery--and untie some knots in his personal life as well.

When attorney Ben Kincaid came to Washington, D.C., to defend a senator caught in a murder case, he never dreamed he'd end up a senator himself. After his client stepped down, Ben was appointed to complete his term. Now he must advise a Supreme Court nominee during his confirmation. The judge looks like a shoo-in, until he outs himself on national TV. Ben calls a press conference for the now controversial candidate. And then, on live TV, a brutally murdered woman is discovered in the judge's backyard.

Even the most unique characters will not engage audiences if their journey - the plot - fails. In this book, best-selling author William Bernhardt reveals the secrets that will keep readers and listeners riveted. He explains the importance of matching character to plot and the key distinction between coincidence and surprise. Bernhardt discusses how to enrich your story by layering three levels of conflict and, in the final chapter, analyzes the primary plot structures that have delighted audiences since the first story was told.

In this short story, Ben Kincaid solves a Christmas mystery with his legal assistant, Christina McCall. Relations with Clyde Burris, the owner of the pawnshop next to Ben's law office, have always been frosty, but that doesn't stop Burris from asking Ben to investigate a Christmas Eve theft that turns out to have life-or-death ramifications. Ben soon realizes that solving the mystery is the least part of what needs to be done to set things right during the season of miracles.

This is a collection of three short stories involving lawyer Ben Kincaid and his friends and colleagues. In this short story, Ben Kincaid solves a Christmas mystery with his legal assistant, Christina McCall. Relations with Clyde Burris, the owner of the pawnshop next to Ben's law office, have always been frosty, but that doesn't stop Burris from asking Ben to investigate a Christmas Eve theft that turns out to have life-or-death ramifications.

When her shocking new case hits too close to home, can Kenzi prevent a miscarriage of justice? Kenzi Rivera wants her day in the sun. Now the highest-earning name at her father’s firm, the spitfire attorney is furious her brother was chosen to manage the practice. But she steps up anyway to handle her dad’s messy divorce...only to see his wife charged with his mistress’s murder. Facing a smug prosecution team that has compiled a mountain of incriminating evidence, Kenzi once again calls on her tight-knit group of unique female friends to dig up the facts.

Dylan Taggart channels his demons through the keyboard. Knocked around by a father who believed weakness was failure, the best-selling suspense author grabs a measure of peace in his gorgeous girlfriend’s arms. But he sees fiction come horrifyingly to life when masked fanatics break in demanding he put his brilliant mind to work and help them steal a secret military super-weapon.

In this short story, Ben Kincaid handles a personal injury trial for Tess Corrigan, a fashion model whose face has been horribly disfigured in a tragic accident. All Ben wants is justice, but a wealthy doctor and his powerful legal army conspire to block Ben's every move. When the legal system seems unable to deliver justice, Ben is forced to search for more creative ways to give Tess a brighter future.

The law said America kept the black and white races separate but equal. Growing up in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Ada Sipuel learned that separate was never equal. Once she asked her father why the world was divided by race. He said it shouldn't be. "There's only one Constitution, only one Bible." He also taught her not to be afraid to challenge injustice. Years later, Ada hoped to fight for equality by becoming a lawyer. But Oklahoma's law school would not admit her because of the color of her skin.

In his best-selling legal thrillers, William Bernhardt has explored the dark side of contemporary politics, power, and the law. Now Bernhardt turns back the clock to the city of Cleveland, Ohio, in the fall of 1935. Based on true events and new discoveries about Eliot Ness, Nemesis is a brilliantly told story featuring this legendary lawman’s fateful duel with a terrifyingly new kind of criminal: America’s first serial killer.

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Lara Bernhardt, with audiobook producer Jesse Ulrich, discuss the latest news from publishing, offer writing tips, and interview major authors, agents, editors, and other book-world professionals.

Welcome to the world of Susan Pulaski, an unconventional and unusually subversive Las Vegas police behaviorist who's already been canned once and has never been needed more. In Sin City, someone is ritually murdering handpicked victims, each with dirty secrets in their pasts. The killer's gimmick: Not only does he leave behind parts of the victims' bodies, he also writes obscure mathematical formulas in their blood.

While in Vegas for the American Poker Grand Slam, BB Thomas - the Game Master - is suddenly arrested by the FBI and taken to a top-secret laboratory. A scientist has been murdered in a bizarre manner, and BB's daughter has been kidnapped. Reluctantly joining forces with his ex-wife, BB plunges into a labyrinthine mystery incorporating the world's oldest and best-known games and taking them to Paris, Dubai, Pyongyang, and Alexandria.