Tag Archives: crime fiction authors
5 Things I Learned in Prison
Time in prison is supposed to “teach” you things, right? That’s why it was originally called the penitentiary — as in penance. A place to reflect on one’s life and the path not taken. Some lessons are learned the hard way. The weak, meek and mild won’t survive in prison. Inmates quickly develop survival mechanisms […]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Respect, and I’m not talking about the Aretha Franklin classic, but something just as deadly. Outside of drug deals, there are more stabbings in prison over respect, or more precisely the lack of respect, than nearly any other motivation. This very unscientific finding is based upon years of “picking up the pieces” after a stabbing […]
Book Theft and Beignets
My inbox and timeline are flooded with posts following conclusion of the 2016 Bouchercon, the Granddaddy of mystery writing conferences. With over 1,500 attendees gathered in New Orleans, you’d expect a fair share of tales outlining the debauchery and hedonism in the French Quarter. While there was a conspicuous consumption of beignets and perhaps a few […]
Forgive Me Father For I Have Sinned
“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been ages since my last confession.” From behind a thin curtain, I swore I heard snoring. The dim light in my confessional made it impossible to see if the Great Confessor was dead asleep, or if there was a rumbling of a small earthquake. “Father, are […]
The Real Light At The End Of The Tunnel
There’s a point in my writing process when I get to that “happy place” near the end of the manuscript. I know how the story is going to end, who dies–who survives and what rubble is left behind. It should be a “happy place” with 90,000 words all tucked in and put to rest in […]
Getting Twisty With It
I’m writing along, laying down the manuscript for the sequel to AT WHAT COST and the urge to pull off the path gets stronger as I go. I don’t seem to be in control of the wheel anymore and I can feel It jerk out of my hands when I try to steer it back on […]
At What Cost Sneak Peek
Pssst… Come here, come closer. Look what came in the mail today! The Advance Reader’s Edition of AT WHAT COST, published by Crooked Lane Books. I felt like Steve Martin in “The Jerk.” The new phone books are here! I am somebody! Matt Martz, Sarah Pope, Heather Boak, and all the folks at Crooked Lane […]
The Prison You Don’t See
I’m writing a new story and part of the new piece involves prison — specifically mental health treatment in prison. It’s a strange thing to witness a prison mental health crisis first hand and after working around correctional mental health units and activating one in a maximum security prison, it occurred to me that most readers don’t […]
Deadpool’s Rules For Writing
What Does Deadpool have in common with writers? Yes, there are spoilers lurking here… I was never a huge follower of the graphic novel craze that spawned Deadpool, or the X-Men character universe. Oh, sure I saw the first movie and other than the creepy old guy in a wheelchair and Rebecca Romain-Stamos in blue body […]
Doing Time: My Path to Publishing
This week, Author Holly West, offered a guest blogging spot over at Do Some Damage, a crime fiction blog hosted by a really talented bunch of authors. If crime fiction is your thing, or if you’d like a look at the insides of the crime fiction game, this is a site you should check out. Thanks for […]
James L'Etoile 