True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

Well, as you know, recently I posted part one of my 2021 Q&A edition so I've decided to continue with part two in this post with the questions that I didn't get around to answering. I hope you enjoy the post!

Q1: Of the different types of cases that you cover, which do you find the most challenging to do? 

I think the most challenging is the cases involving children or where dismemberment, physical torture or sexual assault has taken place. I know my readers want the facts as difficult as they may be to hear/read and I try to write the details in as much of a sensitive way as I can. I always put a little note on my post beforehand that the content that I will be sharing in that particular post will be quite disturbing. 

Q2: When doing the research for the cases that you cover, do you sometimes find difficulty finding information?

Luckily I've been able to find a lot of information about the cases I've covered so far. If there was a time that I couldn't get enough details I would either include a brief mention of the case in a compilation post or I would just leave it. I think The Acid Bath Killer is probably the most earliest case I have covered but I do plan to do some more historical ones if I can find a right amount of correct information. The older cases can be difficult to research especially if they are not high profile. I've had requests many times to cover Jack The Ripper but the case has been talked about so many times just like the Ted Bundy case, it's been overdone. 

Q3: Do you find more eras to be more difficult to research (for example, cases from the 1950s?)

I think I just went on a roll with this in the previous question lol but like I said before, the oldest cases can be hard to research if they are not high profile. The Acid Bath murders which occurred in the 1940s is well known and documented through books, movies, newspapers and documentaries plus I know the area where the killer grew up so it was easy to research. 

Q4: Do you find it difficult researching cases that have occurred in other countries outside of the USA/UK?

I have plans to include more cases from outside of the USA/UK. There has been a couple of cases from Russia, Germany, Australia etc that I have been looking at and plan to cover. I have a list so keep your eyes peeled. Luckily I have a vast number of books on true crime which include cases from all over the world so I always look to them for reference and then I start my little research journey to find out everything I can about the case. 

Q5: Has there ever been a case that you began working on that proved too gruesome and difficult to continue? 

I've written some difficult cases but the first that comes to mind is a case that I covered in November of last year (2020) The Vampire of Sacramento. I don't know how I got through it and I take my hat off to anyone who is able to get through reading it. At one point I wasn't going to continue but somehow I did, I had done too much work on it already and it was a case request so I wanted to get it done and move on. It was a very gruesome experience. 

Q6: When starting a new case, is there a set routine you go by for compiling information?

I have a list of cases that I'm interested in covering and I also have requests from my Patreon & Ko-fi subscribers too. I have a bookcase full of true crime books which include encyclopedias of different serial killers and cases. I read what I can find of the particular case and then I look for court documents, FBI files, newspaper articles and any videos of trials, police interviews etc. 

Q7: As you have a Patreon, Kofi and your YouTube channel. What are the future plans with your writing? 

It's always been my goal to have my own true crime books. I also have plans for my YouTube channel so keep your eyes peeled for that. Please check out my video which was kindly put together by the talented Shilo Pace (aka The String Theory). Check out his amazing guitar skills, visuals & where to find him here. Shilo is an independent artist and self taught so that always impresses me. His influences include Rudy Sarzo, Guns N Roses and Def Leppard. You should definitely check him out online as he's one of the most nicest and talented people you could ever meet. 

Q8: Do you ever encounter any issues with the true crime community?

I've been asked to do true crime videos and podcasts so many times and I respect the people who make them as I know it is hard work but there is a lot of negativity and fierce competition. I have always been interested in criminology from the age of 6 when I saw The Silence of The Lambs. I was interested in the FBI and Behavioural Sciences and I later went on to study Psychology and Criminology at University. There's positives and negatives with all these online communities, I just carry on with my work and promoting myself, I'm not interested in fame, I just want to be known as a great writer, to have my blogs seen as interesting, informative and hopefully one day my books will be in the true crime section of the bookstores. 

Q9: There has been numerous reports of women and men being harassed daily on social media. Have you ever had to deal with this? 

Unfortunately this is a common everyday occurrence not just for me but for lots of people online. Just like the subjects that I write about, there is a lot of unwell people online who either become fixated on someone or they spew venom at every turn, I have had the experience of both. My best advice is to not respond and just block with the venomous ones. Put it this way, if you're so miserable in your life that you have to send hate to someone you are envious of, you have major issues and a Doctors appointment is needed. I have written about trolls and their negative impact on people (The Dark Side of The Internet: The Amanda Todd Story) previously. As with the other types of harassment where you get creeps annoying you, I get this every day and the funny thing is, is when they try and use my blog to get close to me when they've never read a single thing that I have written. Or there's the guys who tell me they love my work and bombard me every day but never subscribe to my Patreon or Ko-fi. And last but not least are the ones who send me endless creepy pictures of themselves. I usually rant about these experiences on my personal blog. 

Q10): If there's one thing that you wish your readers would take away from your work, what would it be? 

I would love any new visitor to my blog or regular reader to come away from my posts feeling that they found out something about a case that they never knew before or discovered a case they hadn't heard about. I hope they find my posts interesting and hopefully when my books do come out (I'm continuing to work on this dream) they will be eager to order them. 

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed my post and thank you for taking the time to check it out. I am currently working on a new true crime case which will be published next Sunday, I hope you'll stop by and check it out. You can find me on social media here 

See you in the next post x