Interview with aviation thriller author Ron Standerfer

Today's guest is Colonel Ron Standerfer, United States Air Force (Retired). He's written an aviation techno-thriller titled, The Eagle’s Last Flight, and is currently on tour with the novel.

During his tour, Ron will be giving away a battery-operated helicopter to a luck (US/Canada only) commenter. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase you chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Ron Standerfer is a novelist, freelance writer, book reviewer, and photographer whose articles have appeared in numerous news publications including online editions of the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and the Honolulu Star Advertiser. He is a member of the International Travel Writers & Photographers Alliance (ITWPA) and American Writers & Artists Inc (AWAI). He is a retired Air Force fighter pilot who flew 237 combat tours in Vietnam War. His novel, The Eagle’s Last Flight chronicles the life of an Air Force fighter pilot during The Cold War and Vietnam years. He also publishes an online magazine, The Pelican Journal.

Welcome, Ron. Please tell us about The Eagle’s Last Flight.

Skip O’Neill’s first assignment as a young lieutenant places him among hard drinking World War II and Korean War era fighter pilots who quickly teach him their ways. During the Cold War and Vietnam War, he proves to be a skillful and courageous pilot who faces dangers of all kinds with equanimity. But the greatest—and most deadly danger—materializes years after he volunteers to be an observer at an atomic test site.

The Eagle’s Last Flight is a journey through a nearly forgotten era when Cold War veterans were placed in harm’s way by our government and routinely lost their lives due to the carelessness and mismanagement of their leaders. Given the current controversies over adequate protection for our troops deployed in the Middle East, it is likely that readers who take that journey will learn a lot about how it used to be, but conclude that nothing much has changed. And that is a lesson well worth noting.

What inspired you to write this book?

In 1998, my wife and I moved to Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It was a strange thing to do for a guy raised in the Midwest, but it suited my wife just fine. She was a big city girl from Warsaw, Poland and a lover of the arts as well. As soon as we unpacked, she went back to work, leaving me to cope with the Big Apple alone. Big mistake! I had way too much time on my hands. One of my favorite pastimes those days was hanging out at a local bar and restaurant on Columbus Avenue frequented by musicians from the philharmonic, opera singers, TV camera men, and stage hands at the Met—and I became the resident war story teller. Everyone seemed to like my stories and suggested I should write a book someday.

One afternoon after a particularly long lunch, I weaved my way home, struggled to unlock the apartment door with unfocused eyes, opened the door, and found my wife waiting for me. She had left work early. “You have to get a life,” she said, “or you’re going to become an alcoholic.” She was right. The next day, I decided to be a writer and write a book. It was cheaper than being an alcoholic and a whole lot healthier.

Excerpt from The Eagle’s Last Flight:

Prologue

Republic of Vietnam 1969

Four F-100 Super Saber jet fighters, looking sleek and mean, circled the target like birds of prey impatient for the kill. Below them, the Mekong River lay steaming in the hot, humid air, surrounded by lush, green jungle, and red mud from the monsoon rains. Water-filled bomb craters gleamed dully in the late afternoon sun. Meanwhile, the forward air controller, or FAC, was scooting across the treetops in a small, propeller-driven aircraft, coordinating the final details of the strike.

The fighters had been airborne for over an hour, and Skip’s flying suit was drenched in sweat. He was hot, uncomfortable, and impatient. Come on, come on, he thought, let’s get on with it. Rain showers are moving in, and we won’t be able to see the ground much longer.

“Icon Flight, Banjo Two-One is rolling in for the marking pass,” the FAC said.
Skip saw an orange flash as the marking rocket left the FAC’s aircraft, followed by a burst of white smoke on the ground that rose in a tall, straight column.
“Icon Lead, that’s a good mark. Hit my smoke.”

“Roger, Icon Lead’s in. Got the smoke in sight,” he responded.

“Cleared to drop, Lead.”

Skip rolled the aircraft onto its back, and then pulled the nose through the horizon before rolling upright and into a steep dive. Things were happening fast, as the airspeed increased, and the altimeter unwound rapidly. When the target appeared in the windscreen, he began tracking it with his gun sight. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see bright muzzle flashes from a nearby tree line; then red tracers began streaming across the nose of his aircraft. Don’t look at them, he thought. Keep your eyes on the target. Steady now. It’ll be over in a second.

“Icon Lead, you’re taking ground fire,” the FAC said. “Over to the left.”

“Roger. I see it. No sweat.” His voice sounded cool and confident.

An instant later, two 750-pound bombs were sent hurtling toward the ground. Trying to avoid the ground fire, he rolled sharply to the left as he pulled out, and then back to the right. In the rear view mirror, he could see the two bombs explode in a boiling column of mud and debris.

“Good bombs, Icon Lead. Put yours in the same place, Icon Two.”

Suddenly, Skip’s aircraft began to vibrate and shake, and a series of warning lights came on in the cockpit, one after another.

“Lead, you’re trailing smoke,” Icon Two called out.

“Not to worry. I’ve…uh…got a problem.”

The aircraft was becoming harder to control as the vibrations increased. Now the flashing, red fire-warning light was on. Okay. Be cool. You gotta punch out. No big deal. Get more altitude…that’s the first thing. “Lead, you’re on fire. The whole ass-end of the aircraft is on fire. Bail out!” Icon Two’s voice was tense and demanding. “Roger that. I have to climb first and head toward the water.”

The cockpit was unbearingly hot and filled with smoke. He could hardly keep the wings level. It’s time to go, pal. You’ve done this before. Raise the ejection seat handles, and the canopy goes. Squeeze the trigger, and you go. It’s a piece of cake. Holding the control stick steady with one hand, he reached down and raised the ejection seat handle, bracing for the explosion and rush of air as the canopy left the aircraft.

Nothing happened.

No problem. Eject through the canopy. It’s been done before.

Carefully, he squeezed the exposed trigger in the handle, once again bracing himself for the shock.

Again, nothing happened. Starting to panic, he squeezed it again…and again…and again.

“Lead, I repeat. You are on fire. Get out of the fucking bird, now!” Icon Two shouted.

“Roger. I…uh…can’t. The ejection seat…it won’t…oh shit!”

The control stick went slack. The flight controls were gone. Slowly, the aircraft rolled inverted like a wounded beast. Suspended upside down, looking at the jungle below, he knew it was over. “Bail out! Bail out!” Icon Two shouted one last time. Seconds later, the twilight sky was lit by a bright, orange explosion that disintegrated into flaming shards of silver aluminum drifting to the ground.

“Too late…” Icon Two said, in a flat voice, filled with resignation.

What exciting story are you working on next?

In the mid-1980s I travelled regularly to Lima, Peru on business. It was a dangerous place to be for a foreigner in those days. The economy was in bad shape, street crimes like armed robbery were common, and business men like me were considered prime targets for kidnapping by gangs like the “Shining Path”. My book chronicles a series of visits in Lima that culminated in a situation during which I was absolutely certain that I was about to die. It was a scary experience to say the least! The working title for the book is “Shining Path to Nowhere.”

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have always considered myself a storyteller rather than a writer. When anyone tells me that they enjoy listening or reading my stories, that’s good enough for me. I’ll leave the folks that teach English Lit 101 or write book reviews for the New York Times to decided who is a good writer and who isn’t.

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 have been retired from the United States Air Force and the aerospace industry for quite some time; hence, I am blessed with the time and resources to devote to my two main passions, writing and publishing the works of unknown or undiscovered writers. I try to allot four hours to each five days a week. The rest of the time I devote to my family and to my hobby which is photography.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I wouldn’t call this interesting, much less a quirk, but I do all of my writing in my head. When a paragraph or even a chapter looks just right to me in my mind, then---and only then---do I sit down at the word processor.

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

A military pilot. No big surprise there.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Yes. The Eagle’s Last Flight is not a typical techno-thriller about military aviation and war—far from it. Inside its covers are at least three story lines of interest to men and women, young and old alike—the story of one man’s struggle against a system whose peers deemed him not capable of succeeding; an enduring love story between a man and woman who faced all hardships together; and the story of a government betrayal that ultimately lead to the demise of a man who had given his all to his country. Whichever story line interests you, I promise you’ll find the book to be a great read!

Links:

Website | Online Journal | Facebook | LinkedIn

     

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Live chat/interview with thriller author Daniel Palmer

The Writer's Chatroom presents techno-thriller author Daniel Palmer.

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Interview with techno-thriller author Ray Gorham

Today's guest is techno-thriller author Ray Gorham. He's stopping by as he tours his novel 77 Days in September.

Bio:
Ray Gorham was born in Calgary, Canada in 1966.  Prior to graduating college and settling in the United States in 1991, Ray had the good fortune to live in a variety of locations around the world.  Years in Australia, England, Lebanon, Japan, Canada, and the United States all helped to shape his background, worldview, and appreciation for other people and cultures.

Graduating with a degree in Accounting, he decided he couldn’t spend a future studying tax law and sitting in front of a computer all day, so he took a management position with Wal-Mart and spent the next 10 years in retail management where he had the opportunity to interact with hundreds of employees and thousands of customers on a weekly basis.  Growing tired of large corporations, Ray next tried opening and running a restaurant, but decided after a year that wasn’t for him either.  From there, he found a small log home business for sale in Montana in 2006 and settled in for what he hoped would be a long-term career.

When the construction industry slowed down in 2008, Ray knew he was going to have a lot of time on his hands, so he determined to cross off one of the items on his bucket list—writing a novel.  After thousands of hours of writing and editing he had the final draft of his first novel, a 108,000 word effort telling the story of a husband struggling to return to his family after a major terrorist attack. While agents and publishers have passed on his efforts to this point, he has found significant success so far in digital format, selling over 10,000 copies of his work.

Welcome, Ray. Please tell us about your book.

77 Days in September, is a story about a man separated from his family by a terrorist attack.  He's been away working for a couple of weeks when an EMP detonation shuts down the country and makes it next to impossible for him to return home.  The story then follows both his and his family's struggles to survive and re-unite. 

What inspired this book?

I wanted to write a story that would present a husband/father/man in a positive light.  Too many stories have guys that kill without remorse, sleep around, forget their families, or act without considering the consequences.  I wanted to have a character that would overcome amazing obstacles in order to do the right thing.  That was the "inspiration" for the book.  From there it was finding a device that would put the character in such a situation, and that is where the EMP came into play. 

Once I started writing, though, I found the EMP aspect, and the threat it presents, became just as important as the other part of the story.

Your book posits an EMP detonation and knocking out the bulk of technology in the country and thrusting the country into chaos. There's a lot that can be done with that scenario, but what themes did you choose to focus on?

I wanted to present normal people who suddenly have life and death decisions to make, and their struggle to maintain their decency in a radically altered reality.  I've had some criticism in reviews that my characters are too nice, but I think most people will find it very, very difficult to shoot their neighbors if such an event were to occur.  Most Americans are good, decent people, and the live and let live mentality will be the outlook that will guide them.  That is not to say that there won't be the shoot first people around, I just chose not to have them as my protagonists.

So, any post-apocalyptic book, by necessity, explores the limits of civilization and the nature of man. Do you see yourself as more a pessimist or optimist about human nature?

I think as you read my answers and my book, you'll see that I am more of an optimist than a pessimist.  I do expect that terrible, ugly things will happen if such an event were to occur, so tried to portray a variety of things--the good, the evil, and the in between. 

Why do you think people are so drawn to the stories about the collapse of civilization?

I think much of it has to do with the fact that every great empire that has existed has to come to an end, with the exception of ours.  And the only reason we are still around is that we are young, and likely just haven't met our end, yet.  The Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, British, Syrians, Ottomans, Mayans, and so forth, have all failed, most in violent, terrifying ways.  Maybe sub-consciously we understand that there is a finite time we have to be in the position we are in, and the expectation of our eventual doom motivates us to read/view those types of works.

Okay, scenario time. The EMP goes off tomorrow. Would you rather be near a city or a remote rural area and why?

While there would be advantages to both locations, I'd much rather be in a rural environment, provided it was someplace I was established in with a home or "getaway."  If the EMP does go off tomorrow, I think things in the big cities are going to go south pretty quick as people begin to starve.   I live in a rural setting, close to a city (15 miles), on 50 acres.  It provides us a good buffer, with the city conveniences, so kind of the best of both worlds.

Can you give us any insight into any future works?

I have a few things in the works, but nothing imminent.  I don't view myself as a post-apocalyptic or dystopian author, so my closest-to-being done novel concerns a guy who can really see the future, and how his ability affects the people of his community.  I also have a sequel to 77 Days planned, as well as a few other stories.  At some point I hope to be able to write full time, but that time is not yet.  Hopefully I can get a book out before the end of the year.

Here's an excerpt:

High above the sun-baked prairies of Lawrence, Kansas, the missile reached its target.  No one on the ground even noticed the blast.  Perhaps had someone been looking at precisely the right location, at precisely the right time, they might have noticed a tiny, momentary spark in the bright afternoon sky.  Had they seen the flash, it likely would have been attributed to the glint of sunlight reflecting off a passing airplane.  From every vantage point below the detonation, there was no sense of the destructive capacity contained in that tiny speck of light.  More than 300 miles above the earth, a nuclear explosion impacts nothing with the force of its blast.  It is merely a large bomb going off in a vacuum, creating no shockwaves, no fireballs, no radiation, not even any sound. 

Despite the lack of explosive destruction, this was now the most lethal weapon to be unleashed in the history of the world, but it was a weapon that would have had absolutely no discernable affect on mankind 200 years ago, other than creating a more colorful aurora.  Upon detonation, the bomb expelled an intense wave of gamma radiation in every direction.  The gamma rays traveling earthward interacted with the upper levels of the atmosphere and created a chain reaction of displaced electrons that rushed towards the surface of the earth at the speed of light.  Most of the these displaced electrons passed rapidly through the atmosphere and grounded themselves harmlessly in the earth.

A small percentage, however, encountered conductive materials:  metal, antennas, copper wiring, and silicon chips.  As these conductors absorbed untold billions of free electrons, they experienced sudden surges in both voltage and current.  In simple items, like a garden rake, this surge was manifested as a harmless static electricity-like spark.  But in larger networks and sensitive objects, the consequences of the electron overload were devastating.