MORGAN ’ S CORNER
MORGAN ST . JAMES , EDITOR
This is the page where I always comment on any new features and articles that are particularly timely or informative . I also use the space to update readers on what might be going on in my professional or personal life .
A s always , a lot has happened in the three months since the last issue . Carolyn Howard-Johnson , the “ doing it frugally ” book guru , has contributed many very helpful articles over the years . I am happy to say that beginning with this issue she will be a regular columnist .
Check out her article Ampersands : Pretty Is as Pretty Does beginning on Page . Most of us know what this little gadget is , but Carolyn discusses it in great detail . When should you use it , what purpose does it serve , and when might it be perceived as just a gimmick ?
In the last issue I mentioned Ripped from the Headlines , presented twice this year in different venues — the Las Writers Group in May with co-presenter highprofile private eye Vito Collucci Jr . and at the Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference at the end of June . It is now confirmed that it will be presented again with Vito Collucci Jr . at the Clark County Library , 1440 E . Flamingo Rd . in Las Vegas on October 27 at 11:00am in the Jewel Box Theater .
If you are in Las Vegas or Henderson , and haven ’ t seen it before check it out . Headlines are great resources as inspiration for both fiction and non-fiction books . Vito speaks about his own headlines being the basis for his books and I have coauthored a few true crime books as well as using headlines and news stories in fiction plots . The latest one was Payback where a case in the LA Times provided me with the plot twist I needed . More news about Dylan the Dog , our Associate Editor . No sooner did he recover from his surgeries than we had a very scary time . It turns out my beloved pooch has diabetes and I almost lost him . It was undetected and one morning he went into ketoacidosis which happens when the ketos in the system of a diabetic become uncontrollable . That triggers all sorts of awful things , but I won ’ t go into details . In extreme cases ketoacidosis can be fatal .
So , our brave little Associate Editor was in the hospital for 5 days receiving intensive treatment .
Happy to say he is once again fully recovered . With insulin shots twice a day , he should be just fine . It was very hard for me
WRITERS ’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE PAGE 1 FALL 2018