Interview with debut political thriller author Marc McGuire

Debut mystery author Marc McGuire is here today chatting with me about his political thriller, Missions.                     

Bio:

Marc McGuire is an American-born international business lawyer who has lived much of his career in Europe, first in Zurich, Switzerland, and later in Paris, France. He received his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and he currently resides in California. Missions is his authorial debut.

Welcome, Marc. Please tell us about your current release.

Missions is a fast-paced, thought-provoking political thriller with an offbeat plot and unexpected outcomes. The resurgence of Islamic jihad has inspired several best-selling novels, but Missions delves more deeply into the dark recesses of the human spirit that permit a select few to murder in the name of God or politics. These new enemies emerge from the story not as cardboard background villains but rather as complex personalities fighting for causes they believe justify their crimes.

What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted my first novel to arise from historical events that transformed my generation in some powerful way. One of my top candidates was the attack on Sept. 11 and its aftermath. Nothing else during my lifetime has stirred such a variety of strong emotions among so many people: feelings of loss, anger, fear, patriotism, suspicion, disillusionment and many other emotions. Missions takes place during the first year following the 9/11 attacks, when those feelings are still raw and the transformations of our society are still underway.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I have several ideas but no decision, yet.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

As a lawyer, I have written daily throughout my career, but I soon discovered that writing a novel is entirely different. It took me several years and countless drafts working on the Missions project before I began to consider myself a writer of fiction.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Initially I worked on the book sporadically, making halting progress on research, brainstorming, outlines and rough drafts; once the full story was outlined and the main characters were sketched out, I began to work more regularly, reviewing and writing every morning for several hours. With each draft, the project seemed to gain momentum (the most exhilarating phase) until my agent Linda Langton finally decided the book was ready for submission. Now that Missions is in publication, I am taking a break, mostly playing tennis, performing magic for friends, skiing, traveling and other fun stuff. My wife and I are headed to France and Italy this month, so I plan to give the next project some more thought and get started with the writing when we return.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I love to learn from the masters. In preparing for Missions, I read (or re-read) a lot of novels by great authors, such as Hemingway and LeCarré, trying to understand the secrets of their writing. I never tried to copy them, but whatever I grasped of their marvelous techniques inspired me to try similar things with my story and my characters.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

At various times, I actually imagined becoming a writer or a lawyer; I guess that’s why I studied English literature at UCLA and went on to UCLA School of Law. I’m not sure if that is a case of “living the childhood dream” or lacking imagination to try something different.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I am also an amateur magician; even performed a few times at the Magic Castle in Hollywood while I was at UCLA.

Links:

Amazon print | Amazon e-book | Barnes and Noble

Thanks for joining me today, Marc.

Interview with mystery author Robert McCaw

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Welcome, readers. Today’s special author interview is with Robert McCaw. We’re chatting about his new mystery, Off the Grid.

Bio:

Robert McCaw grew up in a military family traveling the world. After graduating from Georgetown University, he served as a lieutenant in the US Army before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia. Thereafter he practiced as a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, DC, and New York City—and maintained a home on the Big Island of Hawai’i. McCaw brings a unique authenticity to his Koa Kāne Hawaiian mystery novels in both his law legal expertise and his ability to portray the richness of Hawai’i’s history, culture, and people. McCaw lives in New York City and La Jolla, California, with his wife, Calli.

Welcome, Robert. Please tell us about your current release.

Off The Grid is a mystery/political thriller set on the Big Island of Hawaii—the real Hawaii, beyond the palm trees, hula skirts, and tropical drinks of tourist Hawaii. In many ways, Hawaii itself, its history, multicultural diversity, and language is a character in the novel.

My protagonist, Koa Kāne, is the chief detective of the Hilo, Hawaii police. He’s a cop with a secret past, one that gives him an insight into the criminal mind, while fueling his relentless pursuit of justice for victims. In Off The Grid, Koa’s day starts when he’s called to the scene of a staged traffic accident and escalates when a body turns up in a lava field. It doesn’t take Koa long to discover that the victims are loners living under false identities off the grid in rural Hawaii. His quest to learn their identities creates conflicts with powerful government agencies and ultimately his own police chief. The trail leads to one of the most bizarre, real-life, international events of the recent past and to a surprise ending.

What inspired you to write this book?

Hawaii inspired me to write the Koa Kāne mystery series, starting with Death of a Messenger in 2015, followed by Off The Grid in 2019, and Fire and Vengeance, to be published next year. I first visited the Big Island in 1986 and fell in love with its magic. Living there part-time for 20 years, I immersed myself in its history and culture, talked story with local friends, both haole (western) and Hawaiian, and visited most of the places where my stories take place.

Two unrelated experiences inspired significant parts of Off The Grid. My wife and I went to the home of a Big Island artist we had commissioned for a Hawaiian themed painting. After a number of twists and turns in a remote part of the island, we arrived at an isolated dwelling deep in the rain forest. Largely off the grid, it was filled with mismatched objects, artist’s supplies, and half-finished paintings. As I entered and scanned the great room, I knew I’d discovered a ready-made template for a scene in a novel. The fact that the artist’s retired husband seemed to have some clandestine military history only added intriguing mystery possibilities.

Not too much later, my wife and I drove up the somewhat more developed Kohala Coast to the picturesque town of Hāwī to dine at one of our favorite casual restaurants, only to find the place closed. We learned that the proprietor had been arrested as a fugitive from justice. A little research revealed that he was far from the only wanted man hiding out on the Big Island.

And so pieces of Off The Grid came together.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Fire and Vengeance, another unique and exciting Koa Kāne mystery, is coming next year. It begins when a volcano erupts under an elementary school, and Koa learns that the builders knew of, and concealed, the risk. The ensuing investigation leads Koa into one of the most challenging investigations of his career as he fights entrenched politicians to discover a shocking and long-buried truth.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Given my former career as an attorney, it seems as though I have been writing most of my life. I first turned to serious fiction when I started Death of a Messenger in the late 1980s while I was still pursuing a full-time legal career. I worked on that novel off and on until I retired and finally finished it. So if “writer” means producing books for publication, you could say I’ve been “becoming” a writer for a long time.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I write regularly, but my days encompass many other activities, including time with family and friends, travel, exercise, reading, cooking, and even a video game or two, but little or no TV. That said, I try to spend some time every day working on my latest writing project. That might entail sitting down at the computer, researching, or just thinking and planning the next chapter or scene. I agree with authors who say that successful writers are voracious readers and believe that life is in many ways the best research for writing fiction. Thus, I am always on the prowl for locations, situations, or characters that might fit with my current project or inspire parts of the next one.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I avoid the word “very,” and think of my father every time that word crosses my mind. He told me that whenever I use the word “very,” I should change it to “damned,” – as in damned pretty -- and then delete it!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

The list is endless. My grandfather worked on a railroad, and I grew up with model trains. So I wanted to be an engineer. My father was a military lawyer, so I wanted to be a soldier, but not a lawyer. That only came later. We always had tools and a workshop, and I tried my hand at cabinetry. I loved numbers and wanted to be a mathematician until I figured out that math would likely be a pretty solitary profession. Always fascinated by the stars, I seriously considered being an astronomer. At one point, I even wanted to be a professional ping-pong player.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

The luckiest people are not, as commonly believed, the wealthiest. They are instead those blessed with the power to make a life doing what they love. So go for it.

Links: Website | Facebook | Amazon

Interview with thriller author Michelle Peach

Author Michelle Peach joins me today. We’re chatting about her new political thriller, Gazelle in the Shadows.

Welcome, Michelle. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I graduated from Durham University in 1995 with a B.A. in Arabic with Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. In 1992, I spent my second year of college studying abroad at the Arabic Teaching Institute for Foreigners in Damascus, Syria and as a freelance journalist and researcher in Lebanon. I have worked for many years overseas in the British Foreign Office and as an executive PA for a Dubai company. I met my future husband while working in Dubai and soon after moved to America. I’m a stay-at-home mom, married with three children and love volunteering for school activities and animal rescue. In between time, I love to write.

Please tell us about your current release.

In the mid 90s, Elizabeth Booth is a young British college student studying Arabic at Durham University. With some travel and work already under her belt, she excels at her studies and is sent to Damascus to immerse herself in the language. Taken aback by the generosity and kindness of the people there, she easily slips into a life in the ancient city. She has friends, her studies, and even a handsome boyfriend. But things aren't always what they seem. Soon, in a world where mistrust and disloyalty are commonplace, Elizabeth finds herself navigating a web of lies, betrayals, and even murder involving MI6, deadly terrorist factions, and the shadowy Syrian secret police. 

What inspired you to write this book?

I had procrastinated about writing the book for many years but the catalyst came when my children started to ask me what I had done before marrying their father and I felt a need to tell my story for them in addition to the urging of many friends.

Excerpt from Gazelle in the Shadows:

We pulled up to the police prison. In the car park was a large sign, Al-Sijn Sayyeb. Sayyeb Prison. Underneath the name, we read the visiting hours:

Saturday 8a.m. to noon for relatives

Monday 8a.m. to noon for official visitors

Male visitors daily 10a.m. to 1p.m.

Female visitors daily 2p.m.to 4p.m.

“It’s too late for me to go in,” Hussein said, looking pointedly at me.

“It’s 2 o’clock already,” I said, looking at my watch.

“Yes. Exactly. I can’t go in. You will need to go in by yourself.”

“I can’t do that,” I said as I clasped my hands together almost in prayer. “Why don’t you just come back tomorrow, when men can visit?”

“It’s safer for you to go in, anyway,” Hussein said, eyeing the prison.

“What do you mean?”

“If I went, they may question me and determine that I’m a collaborator with his crime and detain me, but if you go, you could pose as an aid worker or even a member of the embassy.”

“I have no idea how to do that.”

“Trust me. They won’t question you. Do it for me and for Naguib. You do want to find him, don’t you?”

“Yes. Of course, I do.” Something inside me was telling me not to agree to it, but I wanted to make sure Naguib was safe.

My brow furrowed. Hussein saw the doubt in me.

“Trust me. It’ll work. Don’t mention his name, just say you are checking prisons for your embassy. And take off your scarf so you will be more Western.”

I took my scarf off. I had become accustomed to it, and it was surprising how vulnerable I felt, once I took it off. The gravity of the situation unnerved me.

In the building, I joined some other women who were waiting for the visit to begin. They were complaining to the guard that they were late opening the gate. We were instructed to hand over contraband: food, drink, cigarettes and cameras. Then we were ushered through a gate past armed guards.

To my surprise, the guards did not ask any of the women, including myself, who they were visiting. I had my story ready, that I was an embassy consular assistant evaluating the prison conditions. I thought at the very least I would have to sign in or show my passport, but I moved through the security gate along with the small crowd.

I could see the prison yard when we stepped outside. We were told to stand in a designated area, behind a high fence. It looked out across a concrete yard, surrounded by an additional, high-wire fence probably about 12 feet high and topped with razor wire. Between the two fences there was a buffer area 6 feet wide for guards to patrol the circumference of the yard, and on each corner, towers were manned by more security. I broke out in a sweat.

The inmates began to emerge from the building into the yard. Within a couple of minutes, the yard was brimming with men. They wore different-coloured jumpsuits: purple, blue and red. I wondered what the significance was.

“Why do all the colours mean?” I asked one of the women in Arabic.

“Blue is for the convicted,” she said. “Purple is for those not convicted yet.”

“What about red?” I asked.

“Death penalty,” she replied.

I looked around the prisoners, the majority of which were young men, and sadly saw quite a number in red. Tears pricked my eyes. I felt as if I was staring at animals in a zoo. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Some were barefoot—their feet black with dirt, while others had plastic shoes or sandals. Their uniforms were ill-fitting and dishevelled. The hardest thing to acclimatise to was their shaven heads.

Some prisoners gathered close to their fence and wrapped their fingers around the wire. Others were aimlessly sauntering around the periphery of the yard, alone or in groups. All the conversations between the women and the inmates were shouted across the patrol path. The men were shouting, non-stop, jeering and begging for contraband.

“Give us cigarettes,” they shouted.

“Money,” shouted others.

I scanned the faces of the hundred or so men.

“Who are you looking for?” asked a toothless woman in a black abaya.

“Naguib.” I only knew his first name.

“Any of you donkeys know Naguib?” the woman yelled.

There was a chorus of voices as the question rippled through the men, but no one recognised his name.

“Do you have money?”

“No.”

I wasn’t about to give her anything as I was afraid of being caught.

After twenty minutes, the guards came and opened the exit gate for us to leave. I walked out to meet Hussein by the car.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I will be starting my sequel to Gazelle in the Shadows soon. The story will be set in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Briefly, Elizabeth, a newly recruited MI6 agent, will be working as an executive PA for a British CEO of a Dubai shipping company which MI6 are tracking because of its dealings with Iran. Familiar adversaries from “Gazelle in the Shadows” stand in her way to finding the truth, threatening her life and the lives of many others.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I never thought about it when I was young although I enjoyed writing short stories and kept a diary for many years. My mother was the first to recognize that I was a good writer even before I believed it myself. She still cherishes the long letters I wrote during my many trips overseas. Gazelle in the Shadows is my first novel and one of my biggest challenges. It’s not easy to become a writer but probably now that I have written it, I feel comfortable calling myself one.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I don’t write full time as I am a stay-at-home mom with three children, one on the Autistic Spectrum. They keep me busy. I am an animal lover and as such I enjoy volunteering for animal rescue and worked until recently as a dog walker and pet sitter.

I like to write mostly in the evening and even into the night as I have always been a night owl and enjoy the stillness of the house.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I think it’s quirky and perhaps old fashioned but I preferred to edit my manuscript in pencil. I found it hard to edit on the computer even though I wrote it on the keyboard.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

That’s simple. I wanted to be a vet because I have loved animals from my earliest memories. Failing that, I wanted to work for a large charitable organization like Oxfam or CAFOD preferably stationed abroad in a third world country.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I hope the reader will enjoy learning about some of the culture, history and beauty of Syria in my story which, in many ways, has irrevocably changed due to the ongoing war. I find myself often thinking about the places I visited, saddened by the fact that much has been destroyed and about the kind people I met and whether they and their families are still alive. My deepest wish is that somehow Syria will one day miraculously return to be a country travelers can visit and be enthralled by the centuries of history and ancient cultures within its boundaries.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Thanks for joining me today!