Category mystery novels
The Stuff That Binds
You need something to bind your story together. No I’m not talking about adding more fiber to your literary diet. What I’m talking about is the thing that makes your story stand out in a field of similar work. There are a finite number of story lines and when you filter down to stories within […]
Print Tales – Six Lessons Learned on E-Book to Print Conversion
Uploading two PDF files to IngramSpark didn’t sound too daunting. I took on the challenge, converting my e-book version of Little River to print, because I encountered a significant number of readers who asked for a physical book. SALT Media Productions, my publisher, and I worked out an amended contract to speed up the print […]
Little River Print Release & Cover Reveal
The e-book version of Little River has been out for a few months and I’m extremely grateful for the support and encouragement from readers and other writers. Now it’s time for the next step, gearing up for the print release. The date has not been etched in stone, but it is coming on me fast. […]
Location, Location, Location
Location, location, location – that’s what the old real estate sales slogan proclaims. The advice applies to more than selling your spinster aunt’s crumbling brownstone. Location in writing matters too. When you’re really into a book and the words paint a vibrant image of where the story is happening, the location becomes a character. The […]
Drone Wars and Social Media
Strike the unsuspecting target from miles away with the click of a mouse button. The drone warrior unleashes an attack to disorient, disable and destroy the selected victim, from the safety of a dark room, illuminated only by the flicker of a computer monitor. Don’t think like I do? Blam. Don’t believe the same ideology? […]
Sneak Peek
This week, I’ve been hip-deep in revisions and rewrites for a new novel. Like Little River, this new work also deals with trafficking, but this time, the trafficking takes a different form – the black market in human organs. I think we’ve all heard the urban legends of unsuspecting victims regaining consciousness in an ice-filled […]
Writers Helping Writers
Do you suffer through those writing moments where you need a high energy spark to get your word slinging back on track? Like most writers, I’ve increased my caffeine intake to levels that make a howler monkey twitch. I’ve tried music until my ears bleed and my legs get cramps when I even think of […]
Felony Stupid – The Booze Cruise
It’s been a while since we presented a felony stupid criminal story and when this one came my way, I knew I had to share it with you. This story features Linda, a thirty-something woman with a bit of an alcohol problem. Linda is not her real name, but I doubt that she could remember […]
A Good Time To Be A Writer
July looks like it will roll out as a good time to be a writer. There must have been a planetary alignment sending geospasmic energy into the creative portion of my grey matter. I have no other explanation for the coming together of words and word things. During the month, I managed to complete a […]
Desert Secrets
I’m in the early stages of drafting a new novel. My recently released thriller, Little River, (cheap shameless plug) confirmed the importance of research on the subject matter. The details make all the difference between a meh story, and a good story. The overarching theme in Little River is human trafficking and the new work […]
James L'Etoile 