Make Note of James M. Jackson

Greetings, Noters!

Even though the first day of fall was officially yesterday, it’s definitely felt fall-ish for much of the month. Perhaps it’s because I’m thoroughly entrenched in Too Much to Candle release prep, and Hazel’s second book takes place at Halloween. Or maybe it’s been because I’ve been in London, England for much of the month, and the weather has been significantly cooler than my home state of New York.

Yes, an adventure to London! This trip came about rather last minute, but my fiancé and I seized the opportunity to go, as the last time we’d visited had been in November 2019 — right before the world changed forever. And the world changed forever once again during this trip; we were actually touring Buckingham Palace when news of the Queen’s failing health was announced. We found out later that afternoon that she had passed away. Such a strange and incredible moment in history to witness from an American perspective. The impact Queen Elizabeth II had on her people was truly striking and very humbling. I attended the processional from Buckingham Palace to Westminster, and to hear a crowd of thousands go silent, only then to burst into applause for their new king was an experience I won’t soon forget.

London also made for a lovely backdrop for me as I continue to work away on my ongoing projects. I was very inspired by all the places and names I came across, so much so, I began tinkering with a new book idea. What will come of it, who knows, but I do love the world-building of a new series.

My guest this week knows a thing or two about building a series. He’s celebrating the release of his seventh novel. Without further ado…

A Bit About the Author: James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree series. Full of mystery and suspense, these domestic thrillers explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. August 2022 saw the publication of the 7th novel in the series, Granite Oath.

Jim splits his time between the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the city life in Madison, WI. You can find more information about Jim and his books at https://jamesmjackson.com or contact him via email.

Jim, thank you so much for joining me today on Noteworthy. You and I first connected through the Writers Who Kill blog, which I was fortunate enough to join this year. It’s a great group of mystery writers and book lovers. Tell us, what book made you first fall in love with reading?

My parents read to me before I could read myself. My mother insisted that my favorite chapter book was Paddle to the Sea, written and illustrated by Holling C. Holling. Perhaps it piqued my interest in seeing new places. The story follows a carved boy in a canoe that starts the journey at Lake Nipigon in Ontario. The canoe travels by river to Lake Superior, makes its way through the Great Lakes, and reaches the Atlantic Ocean, where it is picked up and taken to France.

My parents read a lot to me as a kid, too, and I think that really built a solid foundation for my love of both reading and creating stories. How did you begin your writing journey? How did you and Seamus McCree first meet?

When I early-retired, I promised to take six months to consider what I next wanted to do in life. I took lots of quizzes and writing kept coming up. Since I love reading mysteries, that seemed a natural. I have always been curious about financial crimes and how people try to circumvent rules and laws and thought that might lead to interesting puzzles to solve. It took time to learn to write fiction well, and while I was working on that, I wrote a nonfiction book for intermediate contract bridge players (One Trick at a Time: How to Win at Bridge).

Choosing my protagonist’s name was easy. Seamus is the Gaelic equivalent of my name and a homonym of shamus (Yiddish for private detective). I wanted him to have an Irish surname and chose McCree because it is uncommon, meaning I had a good opportunity for Seamus McCree to show well in search results. To solve the crimes I hoped to write about, I gave him a career in finance. With those kernels, I started writing Ant Farm (Seamus McCree #1), and Seamus gradually introduced himself and his family to me.

I love hearing about how Seamus’s name came about. There are so many ways a character can come to us, and it’s so interesting how you crafted his character—especially the Yiddish connection!

Where did the idea for the conflict in Granite Oath come from? Was this an idea you’d toyed with for a while and were waiting for the right moment in the series, or did it just come to you?

Seamus has a special relationship with his granddaughter, Megan. I knew for the “G” novel in the series, I wanted to get them together at Seamus’s home in the deep woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. After noodling various ideas of a suitable crime for Seamus to investigate, I decided Megan could convince Seamus to help find a friend’s missing mother. But why wouldn’t he go to the police? That’s when Megan tells her Grampa Seamus that he can’t go to the police because her friend’s grandmother is an illegal alien, and her friend is afraid the police will deport her grandmother, leaving her with no family.

Granite Oath is Book Seven in your Seamus McCree series. Do you revisit the older books in the series while writing or do you have a system for keeping track of all your characters, settings, events, etc.?

I maintain an Excel spreadsheet that lists all characters and organizations (fictional or real) and in which novels/novellas/stories they appear. For continuing major characters, I use Aeon Timeline to make sure I age them correctly since I write the series in real-time. I collect in one file the detailed descriptions and peculiarities for those characters. Lesser characters get one or two lines to remind me who they are.

When necessary, I use Microsoft Word’s search function to refresh my memory of a person, place, or organization.

I usually have to open up a few manuscripts and use that handy search feature to ensure continuity. I also have a document listing all the characters I’ve used, along with descriptions and relevant tidbits, like strong character traits, for easy reference. Which of Seamus’s traits do you most admire?

Seamus tries very hard to live up to his promises and suffers greatly when he fails.

Now, let’s switch gears to the act of writing. Where’s your ideal space to write?

I prefer quiet, natural light, and a view of nature. Give me those three elements and a place to plug in my computer, and I am a happy camper.

How do you celebrate a big professional accomplishment?

I’ve learned to celebrate each day for whatever it provides. Each night before I sleep, I remind myself of six things for which I am grateful. I don’t treat the big accomplishments any differently from seeing water sparkle on the lake as the sun slips toward the western horizon.

Wow, I really like this; it can be hard to focus on the things we’re grateful for when we have so much weighing on our minds. What a lovely sentiment.

Tell us three things that are always on your writing desk/writing space.

A computer monitor, a pencil holder filled with pens, pencils, and sharpies, and detritus from whatever I last ate while working.

You are brave for keeping food on your desk! I’m always worried about getting crumbs on my keyboard. Now, for our final question today: You stumble across a crime scene. What book character are you alerting first? Why?

I’m calling Cork O’Connor (William Kent Krueger’s protagonist). Cork solves crimes in rugged country similar to where I live (the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for me and Minnesota’s Northwoods for Cork). And if I am like Seamus, stumbling across a crime scene means the bad guys will soon be gunning for me. Cork knows how to handle himself and protect others. Plus, I think we’d have a good time sharing stories.

It’s important to have a good time, for sure! Jim, thank you so much for sharing insight about your writing and Seamus with us here today. Noters, you can pick up Granite Oath now, wherever books are sold!

Granite Oath: On a Thursday afternoon, Kat Serrano leaves work early, briefly returns to her remote trailer deep in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula woods, and drives off with no explanation to her family. Two days later someone ransacks the trailer.

Kat is a Dreamer, and her mother won’t talk to the police for fear she’ll be deported and lose her 8-year-old granddaughter, Valeria.

Valeria is devastated by the events. She and her best friend from summer camp, Megan McCree, employ a “Pinky-swear” to get Megan’s grandfather Seamus McCree to learn what happened.

Seamus uncovers a tangled web of drugs, prostitution, and dummy corporations, and soon find himself the target of killers. Anyone sane would wash his hands of the mess or turn it over to the police.

But Seamus has given his word, his granite oath, to learn the truth . . . even if it kills him.

Purchase Links:

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The paperback is available at your favorite online store, or you can order from your local bookstore, or order a signed copy from me.

Audio is available on Google Play

Noters, what’s a trait you most admire in a main character? Let us know in the comments below!

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