About J. Frank James:
J. Frank James is the author of crime thriller novels. His crime fiction books are gripping and suspenseful with readers being unable to put them down once they get into them. Jim has a passion for writing, and he certainly has the knowledge and experience to write realistic crime thriller novels, thanks to his extensive background in law. Jim attended law school, where he was a member of the law review. He even went on to pass the state bar and started his own law practice that specialized in complex litigation.
Jim’s experience in law helps lend credibility to his crime fiction books. Not only that, Jim has traveled extensively and gains inspiration for his crime thriller novels from his travels. Some of the countries that Jim has visited include Peru, Brazil, Italy, Greece and countless others. From observing other cultures and gaining new experiences, Jim is able to infuse new life into his books and develop believable characters that readers can identify with.
At present, Jim has published four crime thriller novels in the Lou Malloy Crime Series: The Run Begins, Dead Money Run, Only Two Cats, and Blue Cat In Paradise. They offer the readers just enough information to keep them guessing and trying to solve the crimes until the end of the books when they are actually revealed. Jim’s books are also fresh and unique takes on crime as well, though. They are not the same whodunit type books that have been done over and over again. By infusing his personal travels into his books, Jim creates characters and atmospheres based on just enough truth to be relatable.
Jim’s books have everything in them from robbery to prison to family. They have hard and soft elements simultaneously to really capture the life of a hardened criminal who is still very human and struggles with the same emotions as the rest of society. At the same time, Jim gives the reader perspectives from private investigators to balance out the story.
Jim’s books even have a hit of romance when his characters come to care for each other as more than just friends. Then, crime and love mixes to create a dynamic atmosphere that is even more complicated than ever before since characters care not only for each other but for their other family members as well. Jim has an amazing way of incorporating various elements into his latest crime novels to create thrillers that readers cannot get enough of, which is perhaps why all four of his books so far carry on one from the other to continue the same story concerning the hardened criminal who did 15 years in prison, Lou Malloy and who comes to be his partner, private investigator, Hilary Kelly. The two of them go it together to create gripping stories that keep readers coming back for more.
What inspires you to write?
This is going to sound like a bit of a cliché, but I like to take the reader where they have never been before in my Lou Malloy series. I think part of a reader’s experience should be centered around entertaining the readers imagination. Lou Mally is a bit of a modern pirate. He can go and do things that most people just think about. In my life I have traveled the world and seen just about every continent. When I write I get a sense of excitement. I’m Lou Malloy. It gives me a bit of a rush. I suppose the biggest inspiration is the ability to step into the story.
Tell us about your writing process.
I first conceive the plot and then I begin to simply build the story around that with my characters. I do not do an outline and I would say that I write by the ‘seat of my pants’ as you might suggest. To tell a good story you have to have experienced some of the events. It is every hard to talk about landing a big fish if you have never done that. The pull on the line as it sings through the reel. The bend of the pole as the fish dances on the surface of the water and finally the landing in the boat. For me to be a writer, I suggest that you simply write. Project yourself into the story. Your characters will do the rest.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes, all the time. Quite often they may want to take the plot in a different direction. Hilary Kelly especially.
What advice would you give other writers?
Sit down and start writing. Don’t worry about the grammar, or your spelling or for that matter, what someone else is going to think. You are the writer. This is your book, so write it. Then get yourself a good proof reader and editor.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Self-publish. I am a journalist by education and I have worked as a reporter for two years in my early life. I also wanted to control the treatment of my books. It is not an easy route, but one that will bring you a lot of satisfaction in the end. Amazon is the largest publisher in the world. It is larger than all the others combined. You have to get comfortable in that environment otherwise I think you will experience a lot of heartache down the road.
My advice to a new writer is to do it yourself, but steel yourself to the obstacles as you labor in the trenches. Another thing you should consider is the length of your book. Try and keep it under 300 pages, cover to cover. If you can keep your first book to 250 pages all the better. The reason is that often readers of first time authors don’t like to read a story that takes forever to get there. Next, when you finish the first book, write another. Don’t wait. Finally, be prepared to make mistakes. It comes with the territory. If you are afraid of making a mistake you will never be a writer. Last, but not least, never give up. Don’t let someone talk you out of your story. If you get a bad review from someone, remember it just means you are just that closer to getting good one.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The publishing business is going to be driven by technology. Whoever thought that we would be reading books off of tablets, but we are and soon that will be in the past. Amazon is the 500 pound gorilla of publishing. You might as well get used to it. In the not too distant future, hard copies of books will be gone. They will only be for textbooks and research manuscripts. For me, electronic publishing is the future as well as video takes on books using such things as YouTube, etc.
What genres do you write?: mystery, suspense, thriller
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
J. Frank James Home Page Link
Link To J. Frank James Page On Amazon
