A Few Questions with “A Killing In Vicksburg” Author Teresa Lynn

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After writing “A Killing in Vicksburg: When Fictionalizing True Crime Goes Wrong,” I reached out to A Killing in Vicksburg author Teresa Lynn. I shared the post I’d written after she’d contacted me about her book. But before I get into all of that, let me give you a brief recap of how all this even started.

The Recap

It all really started when, in real life, ghost hunters found the body of 69-year-old Sharen Wilson (also sometimes spelled Sharon) at the abandoned Kuhn Memorial Hospital in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Rafael McCloud was arrested for the murder. He ended up escaping from jail and was on the run for eight days before breaking into a house, where he was killed by the homeowners. Poetic justice, right?

Anyway, as real life often does, these events inspired Teresa Lynn’s muse. Thus her novel, A Killing in Vicksburg, was born.

She reached out to me about her book, so I checked into it and found it had received a plethora of negative reviews on Amazon. It upset people greatly that she had written a fiction book about the murder using the victim’s real name.

Questions

This raised a bunch of questions, some of which I wondered about in the post. The biggest one was: Did Teresa Lynn overstep a boundary?

True crime is a tricky enough business, but when you fictionalize it, it’s even trickier. People claiming to be close to the victim were not shy about speaking up against a perceived wrong. They slammed the book and set out to sink it with negative reviews and low stars. (Normally a kiss of death for most books.)

But what did the book’s author have to say about it all? I asked her.

The Emails

The following is our email exchange. I’ll let you make of it what you will. I appreciated Ms. Lynn’s time and candor and the chance to get some perspective on this issue.

Feb 27, 2019 – 5:25 PM

Hey Teresa!

I apologize for never getting back with you sooner. I let your email get buried. I ended up doing a lot of traveling last year and fell way behind. Finally making a dent catching back up this year.

But I also wasn’t quite sure how to write about your book on my site. After doing some research it all came together and I finally have a post to share with you. https://www.hauntjaunts.net/a-killing-in-vicksburg-when-fictionalizing-true-crime-goes-wrong/

Part of my research included checking out your book on Amazon. I couldn’t help but notice a lot of the negative reviews. I address that in my post. If you’d be willing to answer a few questions, I’d be happy to email them to you. Although seeing as how that was last year, maybe amends have already been made with those who were so upset about your book’s release.

Court

Feb 27, 2019 – 6:10 PM

Please send your questions. “A Killing in Vicksburg” did not get bad reviews. The reviews you read on Amazon.com were from a small group of Vicksburg residents who DID NOT READ my novel because I wrote about an elderly woman who was raped and murdered in Vicksburg. Inspired by real people and a real rape and murder. These people (women) were upset because I wrote about it. “How dare I?” was their theme. It seemed okay for the newspapers and media (Internet) to write about it for 3 years after the fact, but I guess because I was the first to publish a book? Who knows. Teresa Lynn

Feb 27, 2019 – 7:29 PM

Courtney: I read your comments. Still send questions, if you want, but I can tell you why I wrote “A Killing in Vicksburg”.

I am a writer who is inspired by a place, setting, house, scene, alley, building, etc. The first time I stepped out of my car and saw Kuhn Memorial Hospital — after Sharen Wilson’s murder — I knew I had to write about Sharen Wilson. I had to feel how she must have felt when she was taken into that horrible building to die. Ghost hunters finding her gave the story a spiritual connection. I’m not sorry I wrote “A Killing in Vicksburg”. I am proud. I am a writer. I write how I feel and what I see. Thank you for your interest, Courtney. Teresa

Feb 28, 2019 12:34 PM

Hi Teresa!
Thank you so much for writing back. I guess I should’ve clarified that on Amazon it got bad reviews. To me it appeared it was a campaign against your book, because the reviews were (a) not verified purchase reviews, and (b) they did admit that. I’m not sure why they were so offended either, but your second email answered the biggest question I had.

I guess most of my questions stem from comments made in those reviews, because as a writer myself I automatically wondered how I would respond to such comments. Although, maybe that’s a question more for myself: Why would I care to respond? lol

However, I couldn’t help but wondering, “Did Ms. Lynn try to reach out to any family members?” I know there’s always a research process pre-book. (Even sometimes during the writing.) Sometimes first hand accounts are necessary, but in some cases they’re just not. So if you did reach out to anyone, there’s no other question, but if not here’s my next one: Why not? Did you want to?

And I’m also curious if you’re a ghost hunter yourself? And did this crime ever finally get the hospital torn down or is it still standing?

I think that’s all the questions I had. Kind of like how you felt compelled to write about Sharen’s murder, I feel compelled to give you a chance to say a bit more about your book that I feel some people haven’t given a fair shake to. (Because I know Amazon reviews matter and I hate when I see people who seem out to get authors. It’s happened to too many of my friends.)

Again, thank you so much for your time.

Court

Feb 28, 2019 6:10 PM

Courtney: I am a fiction writer by nature, however because of the popular reality shows on t.v. and true crime movies, it has become harder to sell fiction crime. Upon viewing Kuhn Memorial Hospital after Sharen Wilson’s murder, I was compelled to write this story as fiction inspired by true events. I am not a ghost hunter. I believed using the ghost hunter discovery was a way to tell the story — going from an earthly plane to a spiritual one. I don’t like to know all the facts of a case because I write it as fiction and shy away from procedural. (I was a paralegal for 15 years). I used the names of the victim and alleged killer because the media had a feeding frenzy already. The family had been exposed to all the photos and details for 3 years. I really did not think I was heading into unknown territory. Tracking down family members never was an option. The family had already sold Sharen Wilson’s home and completely left the state. Their home is in Hammond, Louisiana.

I contacted amazon.com and requested for the reviews of non-readers to be removed. But amazon.com did not remove them. I guess, like you mentioned, sometimes venomous reviews can sell books.

I did my research, walked the walk, and presented a good story. In Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’, he told the horrific story of a murdered family and went into great detail. Capote even felt a close bond with one of the killers. His book came out within 3 years of the murders. He was extremely graphic in detail. I’m not Truman Capote, but I am a writer who likes to tell a story.

I have enjoyed our conversations. My next book is also a true crime story. I’ll let you know when it comes out. I can’t give details now, but soon. Teresa Lynn – www.teresalynn.net.

Feb 28, 2019 6:28 PM

P.S. Courtney: you asked did I help in getting Kuhn Memorial Hospital torn down? See the attached article. Also, I mention this on my Facebook page. Type in my name and you can see for yourself. Teresa

In Cold Blood

Besides thanking Ms. Lynn for her time and perspective, the only comment I have to make about her answers is in regards to her comparison of her book with Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Unlike her book, his was non-fiction.

Check-In

What are your thoughts and feelings about all of this?

Do people have the right to leave bad reviews on a product, in this case a book, they’ve never read or even purchased? Should Amazon do more to take those down?

Do you think it would’ve mattered if Teresa Lynn reached out to the victim’s family? Do you see anything wrong with her writing a book about the murder?