First published in Writers and Publishers Network, May 31, 2021 Recently a reader asked me if I write #ownvoices crime fiction to instruct, to share my experiences as a woman of color in America, or to improve society. As if I might catch readers unaware and use stealth to fill their heads with useful insights while they believe they are just idling away the hours on a break. I thought about those questions for a good while, because I’m sure all of these elements are indeed i