July 17 was Erle Stanley Gardner's birthday (1889). He studied law on his own and passed the bar at age 21. Working as a lawyer wasn't enough to keep him busy so he began writing detective fiction for pulp magazines. In 1933 he published The Case of the Velvet Claws, his first Perry Mason novel, and went on to write 80 more -- writing 4,000 words a day, even while practicing as a lawyer --…

Want to learn the craft of writing crime fiction this fall?

Want to polish your manuscript?

Want to spend the day with a pro?

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"Anatomy of a Crime Novel: The Craft of Crime Fiction"

Conducted by Libby Fischer Hellmann…

My friendship with Declan Burke predates this blog. I met him via an interview after I had reviewed his novelThe Big O, the appeal of which has not diminished with the passage of three years. He is a splendid person, a good friend and confederate, and has bucked me up more times than I care to remember as having needed to be bucked up.

His new book, Absolute Zero Cool, was officially released on July 7, though the big party will…

Writing a blog and putting a little humor in it (or attempting to).  At the same time discussing what ingredients you need to make a standard police-procedural really work.  An experiment on my part in my blog today.  Go take a look and tell me what you think.  Find it here:

http://noirtaketurner-frank.blogspot.com/

http://exm.nr/writersadvice-LA

This is one of the things that I always emphasize. Your materials represent you and your book.

MORGAN ST. JAMES

www.morganstjames-author.com

Writers Tricks of the Trade - LA

Cool article running in the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times and The Montclarion

http://www.contracostatimes.com/montclarion/ci_18477316

Through my research and academic studies, I have found many interesting aspects about serial killers that may or may not be generally known.  I’ve incorporated a few aspects about serial killers from my list below to help keep my crime fiction heroine…

My next book signing is Saturday at the Borders Express in Fair Oaks Mall. This store, in an upscale mall, has been very good to me in the past, and I expect it to be again. Stop by and see what I mean between noon and 4pm. You can map to the mall at 11713 Lee Jackson Hwy, Fairfax VA.

Here is the first novel.  Introductory price 2.99.  Straight historical set in twelfth century Japan on the cusp of the Heike wars.

(My cover)

Nonfiction book "How to Write a Dick: A Guide to Writing Fictional Sleuths from a Couple of Real-Life Sleuths" by Colleen Collins and Shaun Kaufman

Available on Kindle and Nook

We're visiting various mystery writers' and crime professionals' blogs throughout July and August, posting new articles about investigations at each blog stop (with the occasional interview). Besides reading about private investigations and meeting up with mystery writers/readers, you might…

If you love mysteries and like to surf the web, you probably noticed that there are a gajillion web sites

featuring mystery writers, books, movies and more. How can you possibly keep track of them all?

Luckily, you don't have to because the Sisters in Crime have done it for you. Their list of mystery websites

is exhaustive and laid out alphabetically so you can find the author, book or concept you're looking for. So the next time you're on the hunt for a new source of…