Author Archives: James L'Etoile
Crime Under The Big Top
Wherever there are seedy gatherings, crime will inevitably find its way in. Wander down the garish circus alleyways filled with overstuffed clowns, who bark and beg at those with pockets filled with cash, and you’ll find greed and corruption. Sideshows offering a peek at the naked lady or the promise of a fortune told are […]
Writing Sacramento Crime
Sacramento Crime Sacramento as a setting for crime fiction? The sleepy state capitol town doesn’t get a great deal of attention from the hardcore crime community. Crime fiction relies on–well, crime. Naturally, the first places you think of are New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Newark, Detoit, Baltimore–You get the idea, places where crime is […]
I’m Watching You
They are everywhere Watching, waiting, anticipating. Spending most of my adult life dealing with the darker edges of society–prison, probation and jails–I’ve seen how low humanity can sink. If there is a weakness, or vulnerability present, I can count on a predator to hide in the shadows, ready to pounce. These soulless opportunists strike when […]
F Street Boarding House Murders
In the late 1980’s, the discovery of a bizarre serial murder caught the Sacramento area by storm. Nine deaths were attributed to the killer. It wasn’t the kind of murder that made people lock their doors at night fearing the return of the Night Stalker, or the East Area Rapist. This one was different and […]
Is Sacramento A Serial Killer Friendly Place?
Location, location, location… I’m often asked why I chose to set my crime fiction in Sacramento, California, instead of one of the more well known west coast crime magnets of Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Fresno. Michael Connelly and Robert Crais have L.A. locked down with their Harry Bosch and Joe Pike series. But, Sacramento is an […]
Social Media For Old Guys – #3
The universe of social media is a vast, strange veneer of tweets, likes, pins and hearts over a current of swift weirdness. Likes I like you and you may or may not like me. Simple as that. It doesn’t have to get strange. If you’ve spent more than five minutes scrolling through your feed, you’ve probably […]
Prison and Literature
Lord of the Flies The social aspects of what goes on behind prison walls are really kind of fascinating. For those who worked there, we recognize the yard dynamics are something out of William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies. In the 1954 novel, a group of boys are stranded on an island and quickly devolve into savage […]
The Five Signs of Hipster Influenza
Originally posted on James L'Etoile:
There is a pox upon us. Actually, this cultural mutation is a global epidemic. The hipster influenza is upon us and it shows no sign of weakening. How do I know this? I was exposed recently, let me explain. So, I’m sitting at a Mexican food joint, eating my little grilled chicken…
Goodreads Giveaway
Want to enter a GoodReads giveaway for an autographed paperback copy of AT WHAT COST? (US entries only this time, please) Check out these details to enter: Goodreads Book Giveaway At What Cost by James L’Etoile Giveaway ends March 04, 2017. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/224921
Rise of the Machines – The Call Center
Our world revolves around the customer. The customer is our greatest asset. The customer is always right. We go the extra mile for our customer. We provide legendary customer service. Seeing a theme here yet? Based on this week’s experience, these customer service promises were nothing but cave paintings scribbled on a rock wall by a […]
James L'Etoile 