Is this book for you?

If any of these sounds like you, yes.

“There’ve been break-ins nearby. I want to feel safe at night.”
“Someone knocked at the door claiming to be from the council, and I wasn’t sure what to do.”
“Video doorbells, smart locks, alarms… I don’t know what’s useful and what’s a gimmick.”

An older man in a blue jacket stands at a house entrance and knocks on the door.

Why we’re writing this book

Home security is sold with fear and jargon. Neither helps you decide what to do on a Tuesday afternoon with a screwdriver in your hand.

So this book starts where you are: your own front door. It shows you how to look at your home the way a burglar would, then work through the fixes in order, from the deadbolt to the porch light to the hedge that hides the side window. It covers today’s tools, cameras, video doorbells, and alarm systems, in plain language, and gives the low-tech options a fair hearing too, from motion lights to a small dog. The aim isn’t a fortress. It’s a home that looks cared for and closed up, so you can lock the door at night and think about something else.

The aim isn’t a fortress. It’s a home that feels like yours.

What’s inside

The book is being written now. These are the planned chapters.

Walk your own property the way a burglar would, and see the weak points first
Doors, locks, and windows: deadbolt grades, door reinforcement, and what’s marketing
Lighting inside and out, including timers, sensors, and the blind spots a stranger could use
Landscaping choices that either hide an intruder or expose one
Video doorbells, cameras, and alarm systems compared in plain language, no salesperson required
What a monitored alarm actually costs, contract terms included
Smart lock, real dog, or barking-dog alarm: what fits your home and your life
Handling unexpected callers at the door, and what to do about parcel theft
Preparing your home, and any medical equipment, for a power outage or a storm

What you’ll walk away with

A simple walk-through checklist

For your own home, in the order that makes sense to fix things.

A clear answer to “is this worth the money”

For every product category, from deadbolts to monitored alarms.

A plan for who to call and what to do

If something at home isn’t right.

Notify me when Book 6 is ready

Sources we’re working from

This book is being written now, so its numbered Fact References chapter isn’t final yet. These are among the sources we’re building from, checked the same way as every figure in the series: against a credible, named source you can look up yourself.

Selected sources

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology (2012–2013). Understanding Decisions to Burglarize from the Offender’s Perspective. A survey of 422 incarcerated burglars in three states. UNC Charlotte reports that most respondents said they would try to find out whether an alarm was present before attempting a burglary, and that many would move on to another target if one was. inside.charlotte.edu/news-features/2013-05-15/through-eyes-burglar-study-provides-insights-habits-and-motivations
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Crime in the Nation, 2024 (reported offenses). fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2024-reported-crimes-in-the-nation-statistics

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Coming in three formats

Every Stay Safe book comes in three formats, and each one is planned to include a companion checklist. Prices below are planned launch prices. Nothing is on sale for this book yet.

Coming soon

eBook

$9.99

EPUB, PDF, and Kindle. Make the text as large as you like.
Coming soon

Audiobook

$14.99

MP3 and M4B. Listen on a walk or while you cook.
Coming soon

Paperback

$19.99

Printed and delivered. Easy to mark up and pass along.

Taxes and any shipping are shown at checkout before you pay. Prices may change before launch.

Cover of Stay Safe Stay Secure, Book 6 of the Stay Safe Series.

Coming soon

Be the first to know when Book 6 is ready

Stay Safe Stay Secure is being written now. Leave your email and we’ll send one message the day it’s released, in every format.

What you get

One email the day Stay Safe Stay Secure is ready
Occasional Stay Safe Series news, and nothing else
No cost, and nothing to buy

Notify Me When Book 6 Is Ready

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While you wait

Books 1 and 2 are available today, and the free checklist takes one sitting.

Book 2 Available now

Stay Safe at Home

Stay Safe at Home walks you room by room through the hazards that are easy to fix. It’s the natural partner to this book.
Go to Book 2
Book 1 Available now

Stay Safe in Any Emergency

Stay Safe in Any Emergency shows you how to make sure help can reach you fast, wherever you are.
Start with Book 1

See the full series guide

Questions people ask

When will Stay Safe Stay Secure launch?

It’s being written now. Join the list above and you’ll get one email the day it’s ready.

Do I need a monitored alarm system to be safe?

Not necessarily. The book treats a monitored alarm as one option among several and sets out what it costs, contract and all, next to the alternatives. Many of the most useful changes are cheap and mechanical: a better lock, a brighter porch, a trimmed hedge. You decide what fits your home and your budget.

I rent my home. Is this book useful for me?

Yes. Many of the changes need no drilling and no landlord permission, such as lighting, door and window habits, and how you handle callers. The book flags which fixes to raise with your landlord and how to ask.

Does it cover smart locks and video doorbells?

Yes, in plain language. What they do, what they don’t do, what they cost to run, and how to set them up without a technician.

Does it cover emergencies like power outages?

Yes. One chapter covers getting your home ready for an outage or a storm, including keeping any medical equipment running.

This book shares general safety information. It isn’t medical, legal, or financial advice. For advice about your own situation, talk with a qualified professional.