Another Week of YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SIX WORDS!

Here we are again! It's week SIXTEEN. Does it feel like it's been sixteen weeks to you? Gosh these just seem to be flying by. When we get to today's, we'll have shared 64 author memoirs and there are still quite a few more to go! But instead of looking forward or back, let's look at this week's wonderful line-up of author memoirists.

Starting off today's line-up I have another familiar face. James LePore stopped at Jen's Book Thoughts on his virtual book tour for his debut novel A WORLD I NEVER MADE. After practicing civil trial law in New Jersey for over 20 years, James left the courtroom to write and pursue his love of photography. His love of reading began around the age of 13 when he would read paperbacks his mother had around the house. Then he discovered he could purchase he own at the corner candy store. His first two purchases on the road to a literary career: Johnny Got his Gun and Hawaii. In A WORLD I NEVER MADE, James depicts an act of terrorism on the Iberian Peninsula. James is now working on his second book which will again look at terrorism, but this time on American soil, specifically in New York City. And James adequately sums up his journey to author with

Boy reads; man takes pictures, writes.

Nadia Gordan is author of four Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley mystery books, including the most recent that was released this past spring, LETHAL VINTAGE. The Chicago Tribune called Nadia's series "jolly high-calorie pleasure." When not writing the Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley series, she might be found writing under her real name, Julianne Balmain, where she's published books on a variety of different topics. A national board member for Sister's In Crime, Nadia has also served as a judge for the Edgar Award Best Mystery Novel category. So how does Nadia capture her career to date?

Founder of the slow writing movement.

I think I joined that movement the day I learned how to write. Probably a good thing I don't do it for a living now!

Third up this week we have another debut author from 2009. Meredith Cole is the author of POSED FOR MURDER, the winner of St. Martins/Malice Domestic's Best Traditional First Mystery contest. Her debut as a novelist comes after an extensive career in screenwriting. She earned her Master's degree from American University in Film and Video Production and went on to be named a Playwriting/Screenwriting fellow by the New York Foundation for the arts in 2004. We're thrilled that Meredith took the leap from screenwriting to novel writing and even more excited that she is working on book number two that is due out in 2010 and tentatively titled DEAD IN THE WATER. So for Meredith this has all been

Not what I expected. Mostly better.

Since we had two debut novelists in this week's list of memoirist, I thought it fitting that we wrap up with one of crime fiction's legends. David Morrell was inspired to become a writer at the age of seventeen as he watched the classic television series ROUTE 66. The scripts for that show would be the catalyst for Morrell's writing career. Further fueling his desire to write was Hemingway scholar Philip Young who motivated David to leave his home in Canada and come study under Young in the United States. After completing his Master's and Ph.D. in American Literature at Penn State, David worked as a professor in the English department at the University of Iowa. It was here that David published FIRST BLOOD, the book that would go on to forever change the face of the modern American action novel. And David hasn't stopped writing since. This year he published THE SHIMMER. In addition to his 27 novels, short stories and non-fiction works, David wrote a comic book series: CAPTAIN AMERICAN: THE CHOSEN. His works have been translated into 26 different languages, and David is one of the co-founders of International Thriller Writers, Inc.

His years of research have enabled David some prestigious accomplishments, such as being a graduate of both the National Outdoor Leadership School for wilderness survival and the G. Gordon Liddy Academy of Corporate Security. He is an honorary lifetime member of the Special Operations Association and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. And he's been trained in firearms, hostage negotiation, assuming identities, executive protection, and anti-terrorist driving, among numerous other action skills that he describes in his novels. With all of this life experience, is it any wonder that David says

It's the journey, not the destination.

And he's still on that journey, tweeting about it even! You can follow his journey on Twitter at @DavidMorrell.

This week truly epitomizes what Jen's Book Thoughts, and this six-word memoir project, is all about. From the debut writers to the seasoned veterans and everyone in between. They are all what make crime fiction such a rich, dynamic, down-right amazing genre of fiction. I am tickled pink that all the authors have let me share a small part of it and in turn share it with you. James, Nadia/Julianne, Meredith, David, thank you so much for being such great sports and participating. Your generosity humbles me. Best of luck to all of you.

Some other quick notes before I wrap things up here. Next week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I'll still be posting a six-word memoir post but it'll be a tad bit different in honor of the BBAW. Also don't forget to get over and vote for your favorite blogs. You have until midnight Eastern time on Saturday to get your votes in.

You also have until midnight Eastern time Saturday to get your entries in for my THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE drawing. Details for that are here.

And I neglected to mention that I added a feature over in the side bar that will allow you sign up for email updates. That just sends you an email of my posts when they go up on the blog. So if you want the posts to just go directly to your email box, you can sign up for that. I won't be sending you anything personally.

Tomorrow I'm headed out in the evening to meet Lisa Black. I'll be recapping her event for you, but it may be quiet around these here parts for the next couple days while I regroup and try to catch up on reviews and planned posts and whatnot. So if you don't hear anything for a couple days, don't panic. I haven't vanished!

Bouchercon countdown: 36 days! I can't wait! Happy Reading!!