Category Archives: About James J. Murray

The Medicine Cabinet and Kids – A Deadly Combo

Posted on October 24, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Poison Control Centers across the nation introduced a new initiative this year called “Safe Kids”.  In conjunction with that, Safe Kids Worldwide unveiled a new initiative called “Safe Storage, Safe Dosing, Safe Kids”. Poison Control Centers are focusing on this initiative because … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Drug Misadventures, Drug Overdoses in Children, Drug Poisoning, Drug Poisoning in Children, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Killers from the Sea – Part 2

Posted on October 17, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In last week’s blog we talked about the pufferfish and it’s lethal tetrodotoxin as a murder weapon.  Today I’d like to discuss a couple of other interesting sea toxins that could be used as instruments of murder to kill off characters in your … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, Saxitoxin, Saxitoxin Poisoning, Weapons From the Sea | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Killers from the Sea – Part 1

Posted on October 10, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In last week’s blog, I discussed Water Poisons, specifically Cyanobacteria and Red Tide.  Today I want to dive deeper (pun intended) into the subject of sea toxins and discuss one of my favorites: Fugu. Specifically, Fugu is the Japanese pufferfish and … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Fugu Poisoning, Pufferfish Poisoning, Tetrodotoxin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Water Poisons

Posted on October 3, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

“Water, water every where, and nor any drop to drink.”  This quote from The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge came to mind the other day while watching news feeds regarding a spectacular increase in TOXIC … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Neurological Poisons, Toxic Bloom Poisoning, Water Poisons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Hyphens and Dashes

Posted on September 26, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Hyphens and dashes are two distinctly different punctuation marks and a proper understanding of each will avoid embarrassing mistakes in your writing.  Will anyone get MURDERED as a result of using the wrong one in the wrong place?  No, but their proper … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Hyphens, Hyphens and Dashes, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Punctuation Marks, Use of Dashes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Character Development Techniques

Posted on September 5, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Last month, I wrote a blog about the making of a hero in a murder mystery.  That brief exercise on character development generated considerable interest.  So today I’d like to expand those thoughts and discuss character development from a broader viewpoint. Often … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, All About Writing, Character development, Character Development Techniques, Protagonist Development, The Art of Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

DANCING – A Prescription for Health

Posted on August 21, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

This post may be surprising to those of you who follow my blogs on the topic of murder.  Today I’m going to deviate from those darker, homicidal issues and talk about another of my passions – ballroom dancing. Why include … Continue reading →

Posted in About Dancing, About James J. Murray, Ballroom Dancing, Dancing and the Brain, Dancing for Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Pharmacists as Protagonists: Is That Weird or What?

Posted on May 21, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In pitching my debut novel to agents at writing conferences, I’ve gotten a few comments like, “A pharmacist as the main character?  Why?” or “Pharmacist turned vigilante?  Really?” I never thought of my main character as being weird.  I’ll admit, though, he … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, Pharmacists as Protagonists | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Fiction — A Believable Lie

Posted on April 4, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Hi, I’m JAMES J. MURRAY I’m that NEW WRITER, the one with fresh adventures of murder and international intrigue.  My novels often include the deadly trio of MURDER, MAYHEM and MEDICINE. I’m from Louisiana originally but now live in South … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, Introductory Post | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments