Tag Archives: James L’Etoile
Conspiracy Theory
Pssst… Come here… There is a conspiracy out there, I tell ya. A cabal of ruthless, black-minded villains put in overtime this week to keep me from writing. They’re cagey, these evil-doers. At every turn, they construct a barrier, obstacle, or canyon, so deep and wide that I have no choice, but to retreat and […]
Don’t Let the Y.A. Label Fool You
I had the chance to read a Y.A. paranormal novel, The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos. I’ve known Brenda for years and much to my embarrassment, I hadn’t read her work. We write two different types of fiction. I write crime and thriller novels like Little River and she creates paranormal beings living in with […]
You Are What You Read
When did choosing a literary genre become so difficult? In the “olden days” of books, there were vast collections of works contained within a single place. The Library. In this mystical building, there existed a structure, a set of expectations to guide those who sought out new tales and adventures. All books were created along […]
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 […]
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 […]
Little River Giveaway Coming Soon!
I’m planning a giveaway to celebrate the release of the print edition of Little River, a human trafficking thriller set in Jamaica. Little River is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Ingram connected bookstores everywhere. I want to thank everyone for their encouragement and support during the e-book’s release and to celebrate this milestone […]
What Writing Your Novel and Dog Training Have in Common
When I’m not writing, a good chunk of time is spent training our dogs, two Pembroke Welsh Corgis. They are (most of the time) good little pups, who compete in American Kennel Club sanctioned Obedience and Rally trials. Writing and dog training are more connected than I first thought and there are five principles that […]
Snakes On A Plane – Or In Your House
I had a paranormal experience this week. I channeled Samuel L. Jackson from his infamous role in Snakes On A Plane. There shouldn’t be snakes on a plane and there shouldn’t be snakes in my house. First off, no this wasn’t a venomous rattlesnake, the variety that slither about in the foothills where we live. […]
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 […]
To Print or Not to Print – No Question
Converting an e-book to a conventional printed version is a no-brainer. Well, that’s what I thought when I decided to take Little River from the e-book only world to print. With an old-fashioned book in your hand, I find that you can reach more readers and potential readers than with the electronic version alone. I’ve […]


