During the launch for Bastard Verdict, I was able to “guest” on some great blogs – Murder is Everywhere, The Book Diva’ Reads and The Mystery of Writing. I was excited to contribute, and I looked forward to adding to the discussion. In this case, about collaboration, seeking help with a book and about verisimilitude. I’m grateful for the opportunity. Because most of them deal with the theme of taking help where it’s needed and/or given, I thought I might link to them again.

You might check out these and other posts, and follow these blogs.

In “The Voices in My Head”, for Murder is Everywhere, I talked about how I’d lived in Scotland as a boy, and had longed to write a story set in Scotland. Doing so created a set of unique writing problems… MORE

For Elena Hartwell’s Mystery of Writing, I explored collaborative writing: “I think that if I’m honest with myself, I wouldn’t be a very good collaborator. I worry that sharing the vision would diminish the work…” Or would it? MORE

In “It Takes a Village,” on the Book Diva’s Reads blog, I began, “The writer needs a combination of arrogance and humility—arrogance to carry you over the bad spells of imposter syndrome and worse, and humility about the work itself, and your own limitations….” MORE

The crime writing community is very engaged and supportive.

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James McCrone is the author of the Imogen Trager political suspense-thrillers Faithless Elector, Dark Network , and Emergency Powers–noir tales about a stolen presidency, a conspiracy, and a nation on edge. All books are available on BookShop.org, IndyBound.org, Barnes & Noble, your local bookshop, and Amazon. eBooks are available in multiple formats including Apple, Kobo, Nook and Kindle.

His current book, Bastard Verdict, debuted on May 18th. A noir political thriller set in Scotland, it’s available through the link above, or wherever you buy your books. His current, work-in-progress is a mystery-thriller set in Oregon’s wine country…A (pinot) Noir, called Witness Tree.

A Seattle native (mostly), James now lives in South Philadelphia with his wife and three children. He’s a member of the The Mystery Writers of America, Int’l Assoc. of Crime Writers, Int’l Thriller Writers, Philadelphia Dramatists Center and is the president of the Delaware Valley chapter of the Sisters in Crime network. James has an MFA from the University of Washington in Seattle.

For a full list of appearances and readings, make sure to check out his Events/About page. And follow this blog!

His most recent short fiction is below. The first is available for online reading.

“Eight O’Clock Sharp” in Retreats from Oblivion: the Journal of NoirCon. (free online)
Set in Philadelphia’s 9th Street Market, Thomas is a man outside of time, forgotten, but trying to do the right thing while contending with avaricious forces.

“Ultimatum Games” in Rock and Hard Place magazine issue #7
A rare book heist, bad decisions. The narrator and his partner-in-crime clash over evolving bourgeois norms.

“Nostalgia” in Low Down Dirty Vote, vol. 3
An armed group tries to resurrect a past that never was as they struggle with change.