My guest author today is Bob Doerr, who debuts with two novels, Dead Men Can Kill and Cold Winter’s Kill. In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that Bob and I have known each other for many years, long before our mutual writing careers. We served together as Special Agents with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, even overlapping once during Headquarters OSI assignments in the late 1980s. Let’s get started.
MA: Welcome, Bob. Please tell us a little bit about your professional background.
BD: As you know, Mike, I spent nearly 29 years in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), bouncing around the world running or overseeing hundreds of criminal investigations and counterintelligence operations. It was a fascinating experience that brought me into contact with many different federal as well as state and local criminal investigative organizations. I also got a chance to work closely with five different countries’ law enforcement and security agencies.
MA: Sounds like you had a rich and rewarding career, and no doubt one that prepped you for any number of great retirement jobs, possibly as a defense contractor. Why did you choose to write novels?
BD: I have been a story teller and writer all my life. I have written various short stories for my children when they were learning to read and for my grand children now. I have also written a number of “mystery” or “suspense” short stories. For years all my writings were shared with my family, but other than that - they just sat around on my desk. A year ago I decided it was time for me to get serious about my writing and to find out if there might be an audience “out there” for my stories. I had already written Dead Men Can Kill by then and by the time I landed a publisher had just finished Cold Winter’s Kill.
MA: I see…that explains why people at HQs AFOSI used to tell me you could weave a tall tale! But I digress. Did your professional career inspire your writing? Are any of your characters based upon real-life people with whom you’ve interacted?
BD: My professional experience in AFOSI certainly served to fill my mind with plots and characters. However, none of the characters in the books are based on any real people or events.
MA: So, no protagonist based upon the exciting career of Special Agent Mike Angley? Okay, just joking. So, tell me about your debut novel? What genre does it fit into?
BD: Both of my novels are in the mystery/thriller genre, and as they will be simultaneously published I guess they are both “debut” novels. Both stories contain the same main character, Jim West, a retired federal (AFOSI) agent who has moved back to New Mexico after a twenty year hectic career and a crushing divorce. He just wants to have a peaceful, controlled life but ends up getting sucked into various adventures. Other than West, and I guess his dog Chubbs, all the other characters are different in each story. In Dead Men Can Kill, West is giving a lecture to a university class on the use of forensic hypnosis when his student “guinea pig” under hypnosis remembers an 18 year old murder. When the student is himself killed three days later, West gets sucked into a murder investigation. In Cold Winter’s Kill, West gets a phone call from an old friend who asks if he can drive to Ruidoso to help find his friend’s daughter who has disappeared while on a ski trip. While not wanting to, how could he tell his friend no? In the ensuing days West takes the frantic lead to find the young girl before it’s too late, and in the process puts himself in the killer’s sights.
MA: Okay – you have my attention now. They both sound very exciting! How did you develop the character of your protagonist?
BD: My lead character was developed as I wrote my stories. I don’t think I had West figured out until I finished Dead Men Can Kill. In my mind he was kind of a “Rockford” type guy, with a little bit of the old Bogart of the Maltese Falcon story mixed in.
MA: Um, that was a bit before my time (clears throat). What are your hero’s strengths and weaknesses?
BD: Jim West has a number of weaknesses especially with his dealings with relationships with women. His divorce has significantly undermined his confidence in himself and in his desire to start a new relationship. He is not very technically proficient and doesn’t want to be tied down by cell phones, pagers, etc. His strengths include his persistence, loyalty and if he is backed into a corner, he is a lot tougher and more capable than people give him credit.
MA: Interesting mix of plusses and minuses. It must make for some great contrast in his character. What about a nemesis? Is there a particular “bad guy” in your books?
BD: There is no particular nemesis and as I said before the stories are not based on any real people of events.
MA: Beyond your debut novels, what are your future writing plans?
BD: I plan on doing five stories in the Jim West thriller series. At this moment I don’t have any spin offs planned but we’ll see how things go.
MA: I think that’s a great approach. You almost hate to move beyond a protagonist you’ve spent so much time and energy developing. In some way, you almost want to mentor his career! Well, we’re just about out of time, is there anything else you want to add?
BD: I’m really excited about the books being published. They should be available through Amazon and all the major book stores on line departments. If there is enough interest in the books I imagine they may start appearing in the stores. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks.
MA: Thanks, Bob. For more information about Bob Doerr and his two, count ‘em, TWO debut novels, please visit his website: www.bobdoerr.com
I recently received the link to the mini-interview I conducted when I attended the Oct 9 – 10 2009 Military Writers Society of America’s (MWSA) annual convention in Orlando, Florida. I was interviewed by Bob Calvert, host of the Talking With Heroes talk show program, a nice benefit the MWSA arranged for all award winners.
Here it is — please note there are a couple of minutes of lead/intro time at the beginning of the video, and my actual interview starts at about the 2:14 point, and goes for about six minutes. You may want to skip right to the beginning of the actual interview to save some time. I hope you enjoy it!
I’m honored that my recent opinion-editorial piece was carried by Military.com’s online newspaper. This is a particularly significant publication because it reaches an audience of 10 million! Military.com did a great job formatting my op-ed that features my perspective on transitioning from the military to a civilian career, particularly careers in the security industry.
We started Military.com in 1999 to revolutionize the way the 30 million Americans with military affinity stay connected and informed. Today, we’re the largest military and veteran membership organization — 10 million members strong.
Military.com’s free membership connects servicemembers, military families and veterans to all the benefits of service — government benefits, scholarships, discounts, lifelong friends, mentors, great stories of military life or missions, and much more.
We believe that the benefits earned in the service should be easier to access and written in plain English. We’re passionate about helping members make the most of military experience throughout life.
Military.com’s members are sharing stories, insider tips, news from the front lines, and unique slices of military life including the tough stuff of war.
Military.com provides headline news and technology updates since our community answers the call and makes news. We also cover the rest of the military experience — from great content like our user-generated videos in our popular “Shock and Awe” feature to our military equipment guide we present what makes the military unique (and fun).
Beginning November 2009, I will hold a monthly FREE book giveaway. To be eligible, you must be:
1) A subscriber of my newsletter (it’s free, as well)…note, the newsletter is not the same as the RSS feed subscription. You are welcome to subscribe to both, but you must subscribe to the newsletter to qualify for the book giveaway.
AND
2) You must leave comments on my “Bloggy” News posts
The newsletter subscriber who leaves the most comments during the month will win a FREE, signed hardcover copy of Child Finder (currently published and available), orChild Finder: Resurrection (will release officially in January 2010).
The “drawing” will take place within the first week of each month (December for the November contest)…and the contest will continue until the end of 2010. Winners will be notified via email.
Shipping is FREE too, so this is a great contest…doesn’t cost you anything but an investment of time.
Today I am pleased to kick off my fellow-author series where I interview writers about their lives, their writing, their passions…and I’m honored to have as my first guest-blogger, John Wills. John and I met via PoliceLink, a website for people in the law enforcement community. He introduced me to my current publisher – our shared publisher – TotalRecall Publications (TRP).
John, I consider us to be original plank holders in the TRP fiction family, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to my blog. Please tell my readers a little bit about your professional background…the prequel if you would to your writing career.
JW: Sure, Mike. I’ve been in the law enforcement business all my life. I started out serving a couple of years in the Army back in the late ‘60s. Afterward I came home and joined the Chicago Police Department. I had various assignments, including patrol, special operations, mayoral bodyguard, and some undercover work. I earned two of the highest awards given by the Department—The Award of Valor, and the Blue Star Award.
After twelve years, I left the CPD to join the FBI and worked all around the country. I was assigned to investigate violent crime, drugs, and again, more undercover work. I was an undercover agent in the FBI’s first steroid investigation, entitled, Operation Equine. For two and a half years, I traveled around the country buying steroids in gyms and on the street.
I eventually found my way to the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, where I supervised new agent training, taught street survival to new agents and in-service personnel. I also travelled internationally; teaching officer survival to countries that formerly comprised the Soviet Union.
MA: Well that’s an impressive career – and thanks for your service while in the Army and as a federal agent. So, why did you choose to write novels?
JW: Well, after I retired in 2004, I began writing professionally for various law enforcement publications, both online and in print. I’ve published over sixty articles, all related to training and street survival. Although I enjoy it tremendously, I must stay within certain templates, in terms of subject matter and word count.
I’ve always had the notion that I could write police thriller novels, but never actually sat down to do it. One day my wife said to me, “When are you going to start that book you’re always talking about?” I thought to myself, when, indeed. Within a few days, I was writing my first book: Chicago Warriors Midnight Battles in the Windy City.
MA: She sounds like my wife – really pushed me when I retired to do what I wanted to do, to write, instead of following the pack. Did your professional career inspire your writing? Are any of your characters based upon real-life people with whom you’ve interacted?
JW: My career definitely has influenced my writing. Without those experiences to draw upon, my books would be pure fiction, no pun intended. Many of the incidents that I write about are spawned from things that either I’ve done, or my colleagues have. Almost all of the characters in my book are loosely based upon people I’ve worked with or had interaction with. I think it makes them much more believable for the reader.
MA: I’ve read your debut novel, Chicago Warriors, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was hard to keep a dry eye! Please tell my readers about it as well as your second novel.
Chicago Warriors
JW: Chicago Warriors, is a police/mystery/thriller/Christian fiction novel. It involves two protagonists, Chicago Police Officers Pete Shannon and Marilyn Benson. The book follows the two beat cops as they work the midnight shift on the mean streets of the Windy City. There’s plenty of police action in the book, but there’s also a message of hope and redemption as their faith is put to the test in several different crises that arise.
Gripped by Fear
When I started to write the second book, Gripped By Fear, I realized that my characters were leading me down the path to a book series. Thus, the Chicago Warriors Thriller Series was born. The second novel finds the partners promoted to detectives. They find themselves tracking down a serial rapist, who is targeting women who work late at night as cleaning ladies in office buildings in downtown Chicago. In the midst of it all, Detective Benson encounters a situation that tests her faith and loyalty to her job.
MA: I found your use of two protagonists to be an interesting approach, and it works very well. How did you develop their characters?
JW: Pete, my male protagonist is loosely based on a combination of several officers I’ve known. Marilyn, is based on an FBI Agent who I helped train and mentor.
MA: What are your heroes’ strengths and weaknesses?
JW: There’s no mistaking my heroes’ strength—it’s their faith. Throughout my novels, faith is a central theme. However, alongside that dominant trait is loyalty and integrity. I think the strengths overshadow any weakness, but you’ll find that there are a couple, especially in Marilyn’s past.
MA: What about a nemesis? Is there a particular “bad guy” in your book(s)?
JW: In each book, the reader will find several bad guys who do their best to throw our heroes off. A constant nemesis is Satan himself.
MA: Well, I can’t think of a worse enemy to fight, and you do a wonderful job of pulling the reader into the plot to experience this wickedness along with your protagonists. Did any of your professional experiences factor in to the plot at all? Is the main plot, or any sub-plots, similar to real-life experiences?
JW: Yes, Mike, but isn’t that what a writer does…writes about things he knows?
MA: So true! Beyond your first two books, what are your future writing plans?
JW: I’m presently writing the third novel, Targeted, which will be released in 2010.
MA: So will you continue to feature the same protagonists in future stories? Will any other characters migrate over to the other two books?
JW: Yes; I’ll continue with Pete and Marilyn throughout the series, as well as bring several others along in each book.
MA: That’s great to hear. They are endearing characters, so I am happy to hear you will continue to bring them along on future adventures. Your multiple genre approach is interesting. Has anyone ever questioned either the overlapping genres or the strong Christian theme you use?
JW: I’ve had a couple of people ask me…why Christian fiction, John? Why target only a certain reader? My answer is that I really didn’t make that decision unilaterally. I honestly feel that He directed my hand as I wrote that first book. Once I got started, it flowed, so I figure that’s what He wants me to write. Moreover, I enjoy it. I’ve had some wonderful feedback from readers who’ve told me that I’ve touched their hearts, or helped them through a rough patch in their lives. That’s the reward; that’s what’s priceless to me.
MA: Well, there’s no doubt your writing is inspirational. Chicago Warriors certainly touched me, so I can relate to the other readers who’ve given you similar feedback. I want to thank you for taking time out to guest on my blog today. It’s been a real honor for me, and a real treat for my readers. If anyone would like more information about John Wills’ books, please visit his website:
I was privileged to appear as a guest-blogger on Lyn Cote’s blog, Strong Women, Brave Stories this past Monday, October 12, 2009. I told the story of my mother, Jean Angley, whom I consider one of the bravest women I know, and who has remained a true heroine in my life. Please visit Lyn’s blog and read the post — you will love the ending (the prequel as I called it) where I talk about a very special mutt named Howdy…and how he brought my parents together.
Lyn Cote is an award-winning inspirational author who says this about herself, “I love stories–to read them as well as write them. Most of all I love stories of strong women. I and other authors will share stories of strength & victory in life and books here. And I would love you–the readers–to share your own and your family’s stories of strong women.”
I had my veni vidi vici moment in the sun this past weekend — well, the vici is a stretch, but I did walk away with my Silver Medal for Fiction in my hands. The Military Writers Society of America’s (MWSA) Annual Conference took place at the Westin Imagine hotel, Orlando, Florida from October 9 – 10, 2009. I had a great time, met some wonderful people, and enjoyed fun activities. I wanted to capture the weekend with some of the pictures I took. Please enjoy them and feel free to comment.
I’m honored that my recent opinion-editorial piece was carried by the Security Director News online and print newspaper. I’ve been amazed at how many fine publications have been carrying my perspective on transitioning from the military to a civilian career, particularly careers in the security industry.
I recently had a professional photographer do a photo shoot and come up with some portrait options for me to use on my next book. I need some help deciding which one I should use. Please vote by commenting to this post or sending me an email: author@childfinder.us.
I’m on a roll these days as far as publishing opinion-editorials and engaging in Q&A sessions with online magazines! I recently wrote an editorial on military transitions for CareerPoliceOfficer.com, nearly identical to the one I did for MilitaryDegree.com (see previous post). In this latest one titled, Transition from Active Military Service to the Private Sector, I discussed my own transition challenges, as well as what I typically saw others go through before I let the service. I hope you take some time to check out the article!
BD: Both of my novels are in the mystery/thriller genre, and as they will be simultaneously published I guess they are both “debut” novels. Both stories contain the same main character, Jim West, a retired federal (AFOSI) agent who has moved back to New Mexico after a twenty year hectic career and a crushing divorce. He just wants to have a peaceful, controlled life but ends up getting sucked into various adventures. Other than West, and I guess his dog Chubbs, all the other characters are different in each story. In Dead Men Can Kill, West is giving a lecture to a university class on the use of forensic hypnosis when his student “guinea pig” under hypnosis remembers an 18 year old murder. When the student is himself killed three days later, West gets sucked into a murder investigation. In Cold Winter’s Kill, West gets a phone call from an old friend who asks if he can drive to Ruidoso to help find his friend’s daughter who has disappeared while on a ski trip. While not wanting to, how could he tell his friend no? In the ensuing days West takes the frantic lead to find the young girl before it’s too late, and in the process puts himself in the killer’s sights. 
BD: My lead character was developed as I wrote my stories. I don’t think I had West figured out until I finished Dead Men Can Kill. In my mind he was kind of a “Rockford” type guy, with a little bit of the old Bogart of the Maltese Falcon story mixed in. 
Beginning November 2009, I will hold a monthly FREE book giveaway. To be eligible, you must be:
John, I consider us to be original plank holders in the TRP fiction family, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to my blog. Please tell my readers a little bit about your professional background…the prequel if you would to your writing career.
