A Story Well Told (Newsroom PDX, #18)

When Hearing the Story Isn't Enough
The student-run Eyewitness News in downtown Portland has a lot of balls in the air: a series on homelessness, a new look at why downtown is so empty, an investigation into the man who tried to kill some of the staff, and a whole host of other stories. Plenty to keep them all busy, the news editor thought. And now what? A war in Ukraine? How was she supposed to cover that?
Still reeling from the recent events, the staff gears up to try to do the story justice. But J.J. Jones wants to do more than provide a Portland angle — more than give context from the scholars who study the region, or the students who have lived there. He wants to go see for himself. Just like previous generations of war correspondents. And he thinks he's found a way....
This is the 18th book in Newsroom PDX — book 3 of year 3. Join the staff as they struggle to provide the news people need in downtown Portland while dealing with the issues of their personal lives. Foul language, some sex, lots of politics. It's Portland, after all.
{And Cage and Emily are getting married! And you all are invited. If Ryan can manage to find a judge, a dress for Emily, and a mother of the bride? We're good.)

L.J. Breedlove is a former journalist writing mysteries and thrillers about what she knows: complicated people, small towns, big cities, cops, reporters, politicians, assorted bad guys. "I write about religion and politics. About race and gender. I believe in the journalism axiom: Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. To which the labor organizer Mother Jones was supposed to have added: And in general raise hell. That works for me." L.J. grew up on a cattle ranch and then went to college to be an oceanographer. She decided getting seasick was not a good trait for an oceanographer to have, and discovered journalism instead — a field that liked people who asked questions! As a reporter and editor, she worked in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Texas, Washington, D. C. Then she got homesick for the Pacific Northwest and came home to work with college newspapers and teach journalism. She is an over-educated, bleeding heart liberal with a penchant for heroes such as Jack Reacher. She isn't particularly bothered by the inconsistency. You can follow her on Twitter @ljbreedlove for her political stuff, or on Facebook ljbreedlove for her writing life. Best place to find her -- besides a local coffee shop -- is at ljbreedlove.com. You can sign up for her email newsletter there. Or read her blog, snark included, and check out all her books.