Category author
Best Books With Kickass Women Characters
I recently had a chance to work with the good folks over at Shepherd.com and put together a list of some of the best characters I’ve run across in recent months. And–they all happen to be women characters. I’ve known most of these authors for a while and I have to admit they are not […]
Where the Story Ideas Come From…
Authors are always asked where they get their story ideas and the answer isn’t always what you’d expect. When people hear my background–working in some of the most brutal prisons in California, they expect me to write dark, noir prison stories. Tales of the worst humanity has to offer. Stories where redemption is rare as […]
Sacramento Serial Killer–What it Took to Bring Down the Golden State Killer
The Visalia Ransacker, The Original Nightstalker, The East Area Rapist–these were all names for the man later known as the infamous Golden State Killer. Now in 2023, we’ve discovered Joseph DeAngelo, Jr., was the man responsible for thirteen murders and more than fifty rapes during his decades long crime spree. What took so long to […]
Prison–The New Social Safety Net
Here’s a blog post from Murderbooks talking about what prisons and their staff are expected to manage…
LEFT COAST CRIME — A RECAP
What a action packed weekend in Tucson for Left Coast Crime. Here’s a post I submitted to the Murder Books Blog with some of the highlights of the conference. This past weekend I was fortunate to attend the annual west coast crime fiction conference called Left Cast Crime. The venue changes every year and the […]
Big News on the Book Front
I’ve been a little bit frazzled as of late, which explains the infrequent posts here. I’m sure your inbox took short sigh of relief. But it’s all for a good reason–I swear. Recent weeks have been consumed with four special projects that I can’t talk about (seriously–with non-disclosure agreements and threats of boiling oil) and […]
Arrest in the Stockton Serial Killer Case
Stockton Police made a dramatic arrest in the case that plagued the city in recent weeks. On October 15th, Wesley Brownlee was taken into custody while authorities believe he was out hunting for another victim in the central California city. The city of Stockton is not unfamiliar with gun crime and homicide. The city of […]
A New California Serial Killer on the Prowl
We know California has been a serial killer’s paradise since the 1970’s. More serial killers hunted in the state than all the others combined. While others may have racked up higher body counts, (think Ridgway and Dahmer) we seem to have lived with more than our share. The Sacramento region attracts the most with 15% […]
A Conversation with Author James L’Etoile – I Read What You Write!
IR– What inspired the idea for your book?
James– The inspiration for Dead Drop didn’t come from a single source. I worked in the California prison system for nearly thirty years. I met up with a few colorful characters—characters who have inspired some of my crime fiction work. There were thousands of men in prison with what we called “Immigration Holds,” which meant when they were done with the prison sentence for their state crimes, they would face deportation back to their home country.
Before they committed their crimes, most of them crossed the border in search of a new life, free from the crime, drugs, and corruption they faced back home. Many of the men I encountered turned to crime out of desperation, or were extorted by criminal organizations like the Mexican Mafia or the Cartels.
I took this background and put together a story where the influences behind the border violence and corruption don’t come from the usual sources.
James L'Etoile 