Q. Why do you use a 22-character moniker like "James Montgomery Jackson", when a simple "Jim Jackson" would do?
A. It’s the name my parents gave me. Have you met other Jim Jacksons? Me too. Some of them were fine people, but none of them were me.
As near as I can tell there are four James Montgomery Jacksons having something to do with the United States. There are probably more, but they don’t show up on a Google search. One was a revolutionary war soldier; another fought during the Civil war. I came third and a decade after me some other parents had the same idea as mine for a name.
I’d rather try to distinguish myself in a group of four than 40,000 or so.
Q. So what names do you write under?
A. Whatever the publisher wants. My bridge book: One Trick at a Time: How to start winning at bridge is written in a casual style, so we used Jim Jackson. My Seamus McCree novels use the name James M. Jackson. I have short stories under all three versions of my name, plus Giles Elderkin (used for historicals). Who cares what name they use as long as they publish my work so people can read them.
Q. What do you write?
A. My novels are suspense/ thrillers with a twist of financial crimes. Most of my short fiction also involves crime. I've dabbled in horror and occasionally write fantasy, sci-fi and "literary."
Q. And non-fiction?
A. My book for Intermediate bridge players, One Trick at a Time: How to start winning at bridge was published by Master Point Press in March 2012 and received excellent reviews in the New York Times and Bridge World magazine. I've published essays and delivered a number of homilies for various churches.
You can read some of my work and learn more about me and my writing at my full website https://jamesmjackson.com. Hop over and check it out.
~ Jim
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