Guest Post: When Characters Take Over

Sins of the Father, the fourth installment in author James L’Etoile’s acclaimed fictional crime series featuring Detective Nathan Parker, was published recently and is as fast-paced and absorbing as the first three volumes!

All of the main characters return in the latest adventure: Nathan; Miguel, his foster son; Linda (with whom Nathan is in a relationship) and her foster son, Leon; Lynne (Nathan’s former girlfriend); his colleagues; and, of course, Billie Carson, the belovedly irascible woman who was revealed in the earlier books to have a few secrets, along with a lot of grit. She set the action in motion in the very first book, Dead Drop.

Billie is as cantankerous as ever and still trying to convince “Writer Boy,” aka James, of her importance to the series!

When Characters Take Over

by
James L’Etoile

Thanks for inviting me back to Colloquium to celebrate the fourth book in the Detective Nathan Parker series, Sins of the Father in which we have Nathan wedged between a rogue Joint Terrorism Task Force and a violent new terrorist organization when –

Billie: Nathan, Nathan, Nathan. I’m so gall dern tired of hearin’ you go on and on about Nathan Parker.

Me: He’s the main character. And as we’ve discussed before, his name is on the cover — A Detective Nathan Parker Novel.

Billie: Just on account it says somethin’ don’t make it true. False advertising, if you ask me.

Me: I’m not asking.

Billie: I’m the one who should be the main thing in this here book. Don’t I lead ‘ol Nathan to the task force in the beginning of the story? Don’t I find the way them terrorists been moving –

Me: Whoa now, Billie. Don’t give too much away.

Billie: Or what, writer boy? You gonna write me outta the story? I’ll have you know, I’m a beloved character. You hear that? Beloved.

Me: I never should have shared that review with you. It went right to your head.

Billie: You let that cat outta the bag. I think I should getmy name on the cover, too. Even if you wanna keep Nathan in this book at all. “A Billie Carson Thriller.” Don’t that have a ring to it?

Me: What do you mean. “if” I keep Nathan in this book? It’s centered around him. First, finding that body in the desert –

Billie: The one thrown from a plane on account of him –

Me: Billie! No spoilers.

Billie: You’re the spoiler.

Me: If you want to get real, doesn’t Nathan stick his neck out for you in this book after you get yourself wrapped up in something big? Something that could strip the Immigrant Coalition away from you?

Billie: I had it under control and all. I knew what I was gettin’ into. You make him sound like a hero or somethin’ and he ain’t.

Me: I think he’d be the first to say he’s no hero. But he is loyal to his friends and family.

Billie: Yeah, I’ll give him that.

Me: In fact, that loyalty works against him in this book.

Billie: How so?

Me: Didn’t you read the book? Loyalty and family are kind of at the center of the story.

Billie: Nah, I only read my parts. The rest is blah, blah, blah, Nathan this and Nathan that.

Me: Billie, I have half a mind to write you into a pickle in the next story.

Billie: Half a mind is right.

Me: What?

Billie: Nothin’ nothin’

Me: Some big changes are coming in Sins of the Father. How far would a father go to save their child? Familiar foes, secrets, and lies. They all come together in a deadly standoff.

I hope you enjoy the story.

Billie: Especially my scenes.

Me: Where’s my delete key?

Billie: Never mind. It’s a good story, I suppose.

Me: There you go. Sins of the Father is a good story, I suppose.

Meet James

James L’Etoile’s writing is influenced by his twenty-nine years “behind bars,” not as an inmate, but as the associate warden of a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and Director of the Division of Adult Parole Operations with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. His novels have been short-listed for or awarded Lefty, Anthony, Macavity, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers awards. He also pens short stories and screenplays and is a Director at Large for Mystery Writers of America and the Host of Authors on the Air.

Dead Drop, Devil Within, and Served Cold are the first three installments in his outstanding Detective Nathan Parker series.

Face of Greed launched the Detective Emily Hunter series and was followed up by River of Lies. Illusion of Truth will be published in January 2026.

Connect with James at his website, or on Goodreads, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram or BookBub.