Tag Archives: Jamaica
Rerelease of Little River: The Other Side of Paradise
In 2013, my first novel, Little River was released by SALTMedia. It was a story about human trafficking in the Caribbean and the dark pervasive web of crime and corruption that follows human misery. There are 30 million people, primarily women and children, trapped in human trafficking rings–many of which come through our cities. I […]
The Coffee Apocalypse
For something a little lighter this week–because damn. There is a balance to all things. Light and dark. Good and evil. When one force outweighs the other, the universe shifts to readjust the equilibrium and puts a thumb on the scale like a small town butcher. The forces of karma must be running out of […]
Resolution – Smesholution
Less than a week into the new year and I’m already lagging on the resolutions that were supposed to make me a lean, mean writing machine. Not lean, not mean (maybe a bit pissy) and the writing machinery is missing a few cogs and gears. But I have excuses, honest I do. My writing room […]
Pipe Fitting Bookends
My daughter gave me a set of really cool bookends for Christmas. They’re made from iron pipe fittings and make a great addition to the new writing space. We’ve finished the install on the new wood floors and found the salvaged wood for the “new” desks in the room. The wood comes from a barn […]
Readers Know Best
You release your hand-fed, carefully crafted book out into the wilds and you’re bound to get feedback. Reviews, critiques and comments from readers come in different flavors – Loved it, Hated it, or the worst feedback of all, the sound of crickets. By the time your book hits the streets, at least a dozen sets […]
Guerrilla Marketing
Guerrilla Marketing is the new anti-spam If you choose to release your book through a traditional publisher, or you are the author-publisher, you are the one who will bear the responsibility for marketing your work. Traditional publishers may provide an initial push of the fledgling novel from the nest, but unless you learn to fly […]
Human Trafficking – Progress or Pitfall
Human Trafficking Rampant in the Caribbean The small geographic region in the tropics boasts some of the most beautiful beaches, sunsets and resilient people on Earth. It’s also home to six nations on the U.S. State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List of nations failing to make significant efforts to curb human trafficking (Barbados, Guyana, Haiti, […]
Will New Human Trafficking Laws Make A Difference?
When I wrote Little River, my human trafficking thriller, I was struck by how the Jamaican government responded to the issue of human trafficking on their island nation. Silence. With the disappearance of Natalee Holloway from Aruba, in May 2005, media accounts of the search, reports of the girl’s last known location and focus on […]
Human Trafficking – It’s Not Only About Sex
The topic of human trafficking brings a certain set of preconceived ideas and images to mind. Popular media expresses trafficking as something they can market – and sex sells. Here in California, a recent voter initiative on the ballot passed after a frenzied campaign of television commercials promising tough anti-trafficking laws. All the new statutes […]
It Ain’t What it Looks Like
During a recent drive from Northern California to Phoenix, I witnessed thirteen hours of desert, farmland and urban sprawl, most of which you’d never find as a feature in any self-respecting travel guide. When people think of California, fanciful visions of surfers, bikini-clad beaches, palm trees and Disneyland fill the imagination. Living in the Northern […]
James L'Etoile
James L'Etoile 