James Hanna wondered Australia for seven years before settling on a career in criminal justice. He spent twenty years as a counselor in the Indiana Department of Corrections and has recently retired from the San Francisco Probation Department, where he was assigned to a domestic violence and Stalking Unit.
James' familiarity with the criminal element has provided fodder for much of his writing. His debut novel, The Siege, depicts a hostage standoff in a penal facility. Ron Slaven, Top 100 reviewer, writes, "This is the raw, gritty and complex reality of life in prison and the best of its genre that I have ever come across."
Call Me Pomeroy, James second novel, chronicles the madcap adventures of a street musician on parole who joins Occupy Oakland and its spinoff movements in England and France. He does not join for political reasons but to get on television, attract an agent, and land a million dollar recording contract for Ants in My Pants, his marathon ditty. The first chapter, appearing in the inaugural issue of Empty Sink Publishing, was deemed Editor's Choice for that issue.
James' third book, A Second, Less Capable Head and Other Rogue Stories, features stories written in several genres, including science fantasy. These tales were first published in literary journals that want stories written in blood. Stories that deal in unvarnished truths over political correctness. Red Savina Review, The Literary Review, and Crack the Spine have all published James' stories. James has been nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize.
