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From Badge to Book: RL Carpentier on Truth, Trauma, and Small-Town Crime
Manage episode 521456530 series 3673933
A cop who writes it how it really feels. RL Carpentier spent nearly two decades in law enforcement before channeling the ghosts, grit, and quiet truths into the Overlook crime-fiction trilogy. We talk wellness that actually works, telling the truth safely through fiction, and why the stories we carry need a way out.
Podbean — Description / Show Notes⚠️ PODCAST DISCLAIMER
The following content is graphic, emotional, and includes dark humor that may not be suitable for all listeners. Discretion is advised.
These stories are based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Calls are real. Providers are real. Names and details are changed to protect privacy.
Any medical discussion is personal experience — not protocol. Use your damn brain. Follow your local guidelines. And when in doubt — call med control.
If you’re struggling, don’t do it alone. Talk to someone. Or reach out to me — I’ll answer.
Need help right now? Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
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Today’s Guest: RL Carpentier (pronounced “car-pen-tee-AIR”)Lieutenant, nearly 20 years in law enforcement
Author of the small-town crime trilogy that begins with Our Lady of the Overlook
Writes to humanize the badge — no trauma porn, just the real weight and the aftermath
“Fiction lets you tell the truth safely” — using story to process real events without exploiting them
Wellness that works: peer support, CISM done right, and why creative outlets (writing, music, drums) beat numbing out
The rookie’s reality vs. TV myths (jurisdictions! it’s county sheriffs)
Carrying ghosts: how leadership, family, and honest debriefs keep the job from hollowing you out
What cops, medics, and writers share: big stories, bigger humility — and knowing when not to over-embellish
Website: rlcarpentierwriter.com
Facebook: RL Carpentier – Small Town Mystery / Crime Procedural Writer
Newsletter: biweekly via his website
Books: Our Lady of the Overlook (Book 1) + Book 2 out now; Book 3 in progress
“Expression beats repression.”
“You’re not Robocop. You bring your family, bills, and bad days to work — and you still have to be human in uniform.”
“Healthy outlets create distance without denial.”
🧠 Need support right now? Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.
Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dispatched-dysfunctional/id1823016738
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5Qg5QirllVlFHLzRrnpucy
Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c28a5312-d5de-47c3-b692-ed3932106989
iHeartRadio → https://iheart.com/podcast/282880332
Player FM → https://player.fm/series/3673933
Podchaser → https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/dispatched-dysfunctional-6139714
Or stream on Podbean: https://Dispatchedanddysfunctional.podbean.com/
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🧠 SUPPORT OUTRO
Need support right now? Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
Want to share your story or connect? Visit critical-run.com or message the Facebook page Dispatched and Dysfunctional.
We’re building this — for you, for them, for all of us.
📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional
🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent
🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).
⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.
Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.
This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.
Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.
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