MORGAN ST. JAMES

 Morgan’s short stories have won awards, garnered recognition from Writers’ Digest and appear in Chicken Soup for the Soul books, as well as many other anthologies.

She has written 20 books (fiction and non-fiction) and over 600 published articles related to the craft and business of writing. They were the inspiration for her debut book with Marina Publishing Group, Writers’ Tricks of the Trade. It presents a compendium of information written in casual prose style, using her free‐flowing teaching style.

A self‐described workaholic, St. James is an entertaining speaker, and frequently appears on or moderates author’s panels and presents writing workshops at conferences and meetings.www.m can be contacted at stjameswriter@gmail.com   WEBSITE: www.morganstjames-author.com 

Phyllice is an award-winning graphic designer, published writer, and former antique shop owner. After living in Alaska for many years,she moved to a quaint 100 year old house in McMinnville, Oregon.  She has been a political print consultant for campaigns including four gubernatorial races and five candidates for U.S. Senate.

Over the years she won four Alaska Press Club awards and two National awards for newsletter publications. Bradner is the co-author of Juneau Centennial Cookbook and Touring Juneau and now works out of her own art studio as well as being a co-owner of Currents Art Gallery in McMinnville OR.    

Bradner is the co-author of the Silver Sisters Mysteries series.  Her quirky sense of humor and astute eye as an editor gives the Silver Sister twins and their 80 year old mother and uncle, former vaudeville magicians, the magic flair that has enchanted readers since the series debuted. Watch for the upcoming Murder on the Menu audio book. WEBSITE:  www.bradnerartstudio.com

Dennis N. Griffin, whose work in the true-crime genre included several highly regarded books chronicling organized crime in Las Vegas, as well as co-authoring books with Morgan St. James for Marina Publishing Group, sadly passed away of cancer in 2021.

His debut in nonfiction, Policing Las Vegas-A History of Law Enforcement in Southern Nevada, was released in April 2005 and covers the evolution of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Clark County beginning when the city was established in 1905.  Griffin's other true crime books include The Battle for Las Vegas-The Law versus the Mob, CULLOTTA, the biography of former Chicago and Las Vegas mobster Frank Cullotta, and Surviving the Mob, the biography of former Gambino crime family associate AndreW DiDonato.  

No More Crying Angels, the gripping memoir of Bella Capo co-authored by Griffin and Morgan St. James was released in 2013. Bumping Off Fat Vinny, also co-authored with St. James, is humorous crime fiction. 

Morgan St. James and the late Dennis N. Griffin worked very closely with Bella Capo to tell her amazing story.

HER TRUE STORY WILL SHOCK AND INSPIRE YOU. Bella Capo is not her given name, but who she became. The abused child of a well-to-do powerbroker with organized crime ties and a drug-addicted mother plus a physically and sexually abusive older brother, she had to shut off all emotions. Eventually, the time came for her as a small child when she could no longer cry. When she was old enough, she had a crying angel tattooed on her back to cry for her. 

Bella spent much of her youth in foster homes, rehab facilities and for short periods of time on the street. None of this broke her spirit.  At age 20 she became a very powerful woman in the club culture on Hollywood's famed Sunset Strip--a culture that included drugs, guns and crime. During this period, she says she "got in touch with her gangsta girl." It was a life she loved, but she made the mistake of marrying the wrong man. A perfect husband who turned into a perfect monster with ties to organized crime. 

DESPITE SEVERE PTSD and some health challenges, as CEO of La Bella Mafia and a strong advocate for abuse awareness and prevention as well as improving mental health care, Bella Capo-- the woman who could have died many times-- is a shining light to those in need. She is the person who encourages them to be Victors, not Victims.

1906 - 2006. Rosetta believed laughter could carry you through most situations. One of her fondest memories from childhood was neighbors knocking at her parents' apartment door with one request: "Can we come in and laugh with you, too?"  

She was the youngest of 10 children born to Latvian immigrants. With 9 zany sisters and brothers, life was like a circus in their household. She grew up back in the days when cars were taking the place of horses, there were no telephones or TV and the thought of a man walking on the moon was science fiction.  

Laughter carried Rosetta through some rough times and in Part I you will find the stories she wrote when she was 80 years old. Family members have added Part II with memories of this very wise woman who said she had nothing special to write about. Be prepared to fall in love with her. Rosetta died in 2006, three months shy of her 97th birthday. She was 94 on this photo.   BLOG: http://laughwithrosetta.blogspot.com

Rowe graduated from college armed with a degree in Interior Design. She designed spaces ranging from healthcare and educational facilities to hospitality. Her diverse back-ground, design education and passion for solving problems easily qualified Caroline for the position of sales executive, marketing products manufactured by real prison system.

 She appreciated time spent growing her region's Federal customer base and interacting with contracting agents and clients. Rowe resides in Bellevue, Washington with her husband and son.  RIPOFF is her debut novel, inspired by her experiences as sales executive.   

St. James and Rowe met while they were both part of the marketing team for prison-manufactured furniture and conceived the idea for this fictional comical crime caper. Former undercover FBI agent Jack Garcia said it was a good thing the authors weren't crooks because their scheme might have worked. http://funnycrimecapers.blogspot.com