Investing in a Character by James M. Jackson

I recently read a highly rated thriller. It was a page-turner, with action, and cliff-hangers, and more action. Good guys versus bad guys. The bad guys got badder and badder; the hero overcame his biggest fears and vanquished them. Great story, no plot holes, all story questions resolved. Well done, really.

And yet, I remember virtually nothing about it. I don’t recall the title, the author, the main character, the outfit for whom the character worked. Zip.

Attention spans are short, we’re told. For thrillers, people just want the action.

If so, I’m spitting into the wind: I prefer to read and write stories in which character development shares the stage with plot. I remember little of that story, not because of a failing brain, but because I did not become invested in the main character. Nothing significantly differentiated this hero from any other hero in a way that made me want to know what he did before or what he will do next.

One of the surest ways to engage my interest is through a main character’s family and friends. One of my goals is to give readers that same experience. When the Seamus McCree series started (Ant Farm), Seamus’s family comprised his mother, Trudy, (a darts-playing widow who had not spoken in decades); his son, Paddy, a college age white-hat hacker about to graduate; and an estranged sister of whom we knew nothing. In that novel, Seamus meets an assassin who calls himself the Happy Reaper.

My stories take place in real time, so years have passed between Ant Farm and Hijacked Legacy, the eighth book in the series. Seamus’s mother is about to celebrate her 85th birthday. She’s still playing darts and is now very verbal. Paddy is married, a stay-at-home father, and when necessary is still a white-hat hacker. The estranged sister has appeared and disappeared, but Seamus has discovered he also has a stepsister, who is following in his footsteps as a forensic accountant. Paddy’s daughter, Megan, is a force of nature with a strong bond to her Grandpa Seamus.

Throughout the series, readers get to know Seamus through his actions and his family relationships. I claim to write stories that explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. If that’s the kind of story you like, check out Hijacked Legacy.

I’m curious whether you share my preference to invest in characters. I’d love to learn what you think in the comments.

Hijacked Legacy Blurb

What you don’t know can kill you.

The Happy Reaper, notorious for his chilling efficiency and “Results Guaranteed” calling card, escapes prison. Instead of killing Seamus McCree on sight, he offers a diabolical bargain with a heart-stopping proviso. To live, Seamus must help the Happy Reaper find and eliminate the upstart impostor who’s trashing the assassin’s reputation.

And Seamus must act quickly. Should the Happy Reaper’s bad heart give out or any harm come to him, the criminal underworld will wreak carnage on Seamus . . . and his loved ones.

Can Seamus outsmart the impostor and appease the Happy Reaper without staining his soul with blood? The only thing Seamus knows for sure is that time is running out for him and his family.

Purchase Links:

You can purchase Hijacked Legacy at your favorite online retailer or Indie Bookstore. This link will take you to Jim’s website, where you can find links to many online retailers:

https://jamesmjackson.com/novels/hijacked-legacy.html

 James M. (Jim) Jackson authors the Seamus McCree series, which includes 8 novels, 2 novellas, and several short stories. The first novel in the series, Ant Farm, was the 25th novel to win a Kindle Scout contract.

Jim is a life member of Sisters in Crime and a past president of the Guppy Chapter. He enjoys teaching and helping other authors as much as he does writing.

He calls home the deep woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. These days he is a snowbird with clipped wings, retreating south only as far as Madison, Wisconsin, when weather and road conditions make access to his U.P. home problematic.

You can find out more about Jim or sign up for his newsletter at his website https://jamesmjackson.com.

The post Investing in a Character by James M. Jackson first appeared on Debra H. Goldstein.

The post Investing in a Character by James M. Jackson appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.