Authors Give Back: Judge Bill Hopkins and American Red Cross
Today’s Authors Give Back guest is Judge Bill Hopkins. And although he’s a really nice guy and very witty, he’s no relation. However, I like to think of him and his wife, Sharon Woods Hopkins, as part of my adopted family of friends.
Bill is retired after beginning his legal career in 1971 and serving as a private attorney, prosecuting attorney, an administrative law judge, and a trial court judge, all in Missouri. His poems, short stories, and non-fiction have appeared in many different publications. He’s had several short plays produced. A book of collected poetry, Moving Into Forever, is available on Amazon. Bill is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dramatists Guild, Horror Writers Association, Missouri Writers Guild, and Sisters In Crime. Bill is also a photographer who has sold work in the United States, Canada, and Europe. He and his wife, Sharon (a mortgage banker who is also a published writer), live in Marble Hill, Missouri, with their dogs and cat. Besides writing, Bill and Sharon are involved in collecting and restoring Camaros. Courting Murder is his first mystery novel.
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My favorite charitable group is the American Red Cross. Regardless of the disaster, the Red Cross is there with help. It all started with Clara Barton and friends who started the organization in 1881. (The history of the group is on their website linked below. It’s quite fascinating.)
When I was a kid in grade school, if we supported the Red Cross, we were awarded a tiny metal pin that was a white circle with a big red cross in the middle of it. Those pins fascinated me and I’ve got one stuck in a box somewhere.
Now that I’m all grown up, I continue helping. There are three ways I support the Red Cross: Money, time (I’ve volunteered when our community has been hit by disasters), and blood (I’m an O negative, which is the universal donor and much in demand).
Whenever there is a hurricane, tornado, flood, or other natural disaster, you can expect to find the Red Cross on the ground, ready to help, almost immediately.
Their mission statement is quite simple:
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
Visit them at http://www.redcross.org/ to find out more.
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Thanks for the post and information about the AMERICAN RED CROSS, Bill! I agree – it’s a wonderful organization.
You can connect with Bill at:
Website Facebook Twitter Amazon Author Page
COURTING MURDER is Judge Hopkins’s first mystery novel.
When Judge Rosswell Carew makes the gruesome discovery of two corpses on a riverbank in the Missouri Ozarks, he’s plunged into a storm of deadly secrets that threaten both him and his fiancée, Tina Parkmore. Unsatisfied with the way the authorities are conducting the investigation, Rosswell, who’s always nurtured a secret desire to be a detective, teams up with an ex-con, Ollie Groton, to solve the case before the killer can murder again. Rosswell uncovers a maze of crimes so tangled that he must fight his way to a solution or die trying.
After two decades on the bench, Bill Hopkins captures readers with his Judge Rosswell Carew murder mysteries. How does a judge manage to wrangle his way into investigating so many crimes? And can he do it without crossing into the dark side himself? Find out by reading the first book in the series, Courting Murder.
You can find it at:
What are your thoughts about Red Cross? Have you volunteered or donated in some way? I’ve given money, blood, and volunteered as well. After the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, a friend and I (who had been to San Fran just a month to the day before the earthquake, so it hit us pretty hard) put together an event to raise money for Red Cross in the San Francisco disaster. We didn’t raise a lot, but it was a learning experience for both of us. And it’s something I’m proud of accomplishing.
I love to hear from you. And as always – thanks for reading!
*For legal reasons I feel I have to add this disclaimer: I have no connection with any charity mentioned in the Authors Give Back segment of the blog unless noted. I have not personally researched any charity mentioned unless otherwise noted. If you plan to donate to ANY charity (mentioned here or elsewhere) you should research it thoroughly and decide for yourself if it is a legitimate and worthy cause.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I really appreciate it.
Thank you for being such a great guest and for sharing The American Red Cross with us. Loved your book and can’t wait for the next!
Love the blurb for the book. And thank you for reminding me about donating to the Red Cross. They are always there on the scene of any disaster and we should support them in their endeavors.
Thanks again.
Thank you, Patricia!
Thanks for stopping by Patti!
The book sounds great, Bill! I’m also a big supporter of ARC. They are amazingly well organized during disasters, always ready to help, and that big red cross is such a sight for sore eyes when folks are on the other end of catastrophe. Thanks for showcasing them today!
Thanks, PJ!
That they are, PJ! The Red Cross is fantastic. They’re always there in any disaster. Thanks for stopping by.
Great post Rhonda and Bill,
The Red Cross are always at the sharp end, as can be seen in news bulletins during natural and man made disasters. Thank you for highlighting them today.
And your novel sounds interesting, Bill.
Thanks for stopping by CC!
Thanks, CC. I appreciate it.
I agree with Patricia-love the blurb. I would imagine being a prosecuting attorney as well as a judge gave you some very interesting days at work.
He’s an interesting guy, Sonya. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. Cheers!
Thanks, Sonya. Oh…the stories I could tell. Wait! That’s what I’m doing!
Nice interview about the RC, Bill. Wish I could still donate blood, as I’m O negative too, but they don’t want my blood anymore. Picky, picky, picky…..
Because of meds I’m taking right now, they won’t take mine either. Hopefully I’ll be able to again soon. Thanks for stopping by Marilyn!
Marilyn, thanks for your interest!
The REd Cross is an international symbol of relief and help. thanks for highlighting their work, Bill. Rhonda, as always thanks for hosting another great charity and writer.
Thanks, Louise!
Hi Louise! Thank you for all your support.
The murder mystery sounds fascinating. A judge … getting thrown into a murder case as a witness (and since he found the body … perhaps a potential suspect even?)
I, too, volunteer indirectly for the American Red Cross as an ARRL ARES Level II ham radio responder. I spend most hurricanes and nor’easters manning the communications room of our local Red Cross shelter. When people ask me why I donate my time there instead of to legal services or something, I tell them that when the flood waters rise and me, an axe murderer, and a politician are all standing on the roof of the house and there’s only room left in the lifeboat for one person, I need something to tell them quick besides ‘I’m a lawyer.’
Kudos to Judge Hopkins for donating his time!
Ha! That’s funny, Anna. Thanks for volunteering your time. Volunteers are what make The Red Cross great.
I donate to the Red Cross as well; it’s a great organization.
And not that I know a lot about cars, but the Camaro in the movie Better Off Dead is my FAVORITE car!
Best of luck with your writing, and thank you for your charitable support efforts.
Thank you, Anna, Louise, and Stacey!
Hi Stacey! Thanks for visiting and commenting. I appreciate your support.
Thank you Rhonda and Bill. I like mysteries and yours, Bill, sound real enticing.
It’s a fun read, Donna. Thanks for stopping by!
Donna, thanks!