Left Coast Crime mystery fan and writer conference begins on March 29

With Left Coast Crime right around the corner (March 29-April 1) many Los Angeles mystery writers and fans are gearing up to head to Sacramento.
Held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel this year, the annual event is sponsored by mystery fans and is a wonderful opportunity for fans and industry professionals to hobnob, meet and chat with writers, librarians and other mystery and thriller enthusiasts.  The conference is held in a different city every year.
Some of the shining stars in the mystery/thriller genre this year are
Continue reading on Examiner.com

On the radio with Vito Collucci, P.I.

Vito and Morgan kept the laughter going

I had a great time as the guest author on the radio show Crime Time with Vito Collucci, P.I. on Sunday night, March 18. 

After his Stupid Criminals introductory feature the laughter continued. The two incidents he talked about were the kind where you say, “That just can’t be real.” They were so funny, they set the tone for the show.

I'll give you a hint about one of them: Just imagine a robber pulling out a plastic garbage bag to put over his head as a disguise. Now, if you can't imagine what would make this stupid, listen to the broadcast. You'll laugh through that and much more.Click the Crime Time link above to listen to the show. It will open with a commercial, a bit of news and then Crime Time. It takes a short time for the recording to buffer and load, so be patient. It’s worth it. You can find Vito's Show on http://www.businesstalkradio.net/schedules/pacific.shtml and there is also a listing of archived podcasts on that page.

MARCH ISSUE OF WRITERS' TRICKS OF THE TRADE-39 Information Packed Pages

The Writers' Tricks of the Trade eZine continues to grow. So many talented authors have contributed wonderfully informative articles that it boggles my mind. You'll also find listings for writers' conferences, resources, and even some industry news.

This month we have noir mystery author/musician  Mike Dennis writing about the importance of book covers, comedienne/author Linda Lou with advice about how to use humor in memoirs, author Don Helin's article about creating believable bad guys, author/speaker/promotor Carolyn Howard-Johnson's advice about launching a book on Amazon, a Life Story by author/artist Phyllice Bradner entitled "The Missing Lamb Chop" and author Maryann Miller's reminiscence about it how old towels related to writing. And, that's just the beginning. Click the cover of the flip book and your full March issue will open. Enjoy.

Be sure not to miss a single issue by entering your email in the yellow box on the right of this site.

If you are a writer and have an article or brag that you think will be of interest to our readers, submission information is in the beginning of the eZine. Submissions are now open for LIFE STORY articles as well. Do you have something special to share? It can be funny, uplifting, nostalgic, life changing. Just no porn please. I would love it if you would share this with your friends, tweet it, Facebook it and any other "it" you can think of. Remember, Writers' Tricks of the Trade publishes on the 15th of the month. You will find that all of the book links go to their Amazon page for convenience. However, most of the books can be found at your favorite online bookseller or ordered from your favorite local bookstore.

A huge thank you to all of the people all over the country who have helped grow this publication, guest authors and readers alike, and here's looking forward to many more fine articles, brags and information.

MORGAN ST. JAMES

Does that noun have the nerve to masquerade as a verb?

Writers' tricks of the trade: Is that noun masquerading as a verb?

March 9, 2012 Morgan St. James, LA Writing Examiner

English language quirksThere are many quirks in our English language, and while Los Angeles has a large writer’s community, you don't have to be an author to appreciate or recognize some of … Read more ►

Book signing etiquette gone wrong

This photo is NOT from the incident related below. As you can see, I was happy in this photo.

Examiner.com - Las Vegas edition
Writers tricks of the trade | March 8, 2012

Writers' tricks of the trade: Etiquette at book signing events

Authors in communities all over the U.S. find this can sometimes be a sticky point. Every author is enthusiastic about their own books and unfortunately sometimes they don't realize they have allowed etiquette to fly out the window. Particularly at presentations at a conference or for a writer’s group, one of the biggest etiquette violations could be the scene that follows. The audience is filled with writers, many with books of their own. If you are an author who has had (or created) this type of problem, voice your opinion in the comments section.
This column was inspired by something that observed at a Las Vegas book signing.
The setting
The featured author or authors are sitting at the signing table. Copies of the books are being sold and the author takes the time to chat with people who are interested in their books. All of a sudden, someone carrying two or three books of their own approaches the table.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Writers' tricks of the trade: Etiquette at book signing events - Las Vegas Writing | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/writing-in-las-vegas/writers-tricks-of-the-trade-etiquette-at-book-signing-events#ixzz1obON2tjB

My series of 4 weekly webinars for Savvy Authors begins March 13, 2012

The first webinar in the Writers Tricks of the Trade series for SavvyAuthors.com begins March 13, 2012. They have scheduled me for a series of four weekly sessions, and it isn't too late to register. All the information, including cost, is right at your fingertips. Just CLICK to go right to the page on their site.  

Other sessions in the series will include

• Dialogue, 
• Pacing, and 
• Not Writing Xeric. Xeric is dry writing, the type that makes a reader put a book down for later...or never. 

 SAVVY AUTHORS records all of their workshops and webinars so they can make them available to people who can't attend on the particular dates.

CHECK IT OUT. Click the play arrow for a little sample of what will be contained in these online workshops.

Guest blogging with Bob Sanchez today

Bob Sanchez asked me to blog about creative non-fiction today. That was perfect timing since I'm hoping for a late 2012 release of Confessions of a Cougar. The title pretty well gives you an idea of the topic. It is a true story--coming of age at 42 with a European adventure and it's about 90% true with a little creative pizzazz thrown in. A perfect example of creative non-fiction and a truly fun read, so watch for it to come out. In the meantime, visit Bob's blog to get a good look at writing creative fiction. http://bobsanchez1.blogspot.com/

Guest blogging at Writers of Southern Nevada Today

Avoid the four pitfalls in the Writers of Southern Nevada article

The Writers of Southern Nevada is a relatively new entity and I'm honored that they have asked me to contribute an article every month. What could be more appropriate for the first one than discussing four things that can really trip writers up, whether aspiring or published. One of my rules of thumb is never think you're beyond making mistakes and as the motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says, "You can't hit a target if you can't see it." I loved the example he gave one time when I saw him live.

Ziglar said, "I've never shot a bow and arrow, but I can do just as well as the top archer in competition." Of course there were lots of groans from the audience. Then Ziglar qualified it. "The thing is, he or she has to be blindfolded with one hands tied behind their back!" Ahh. Therein lies the adage above. Knowing some of the pitfalls to watch out for prepares you to avoid them. READ THE ARTICLE. It would be great if you could leave some comments, too.

Remember, I am starting to give my series of webinars for savvyauthors.com on March 6 and there is still time to register. The first one will be a real world look at effectively working with Point of View.