Interview With Spy Thriller Author Mark Roddy

  

1. What inspired you to write this book? I lived in southern Rhode Island, on the mainland west of Newport, during my college years.  My Dad, who had lived in RI most of his life, would frequently comment about how there had been “millions of pounds” of explosives buried under Newport Harbor during World War II.  In the early 2000’s I got a DVD from my sister who also lives in Rhode Island:  “Historic Lighthouses of Rhode Island”, which included information about a Revolutionary War-era fort,  Fort Hamilton, used by the Navy during WWII to store munitions.  That got me thinking:  what if a lone saboteur tried to reach the island and detonate the explosives?   

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? RAVEN is a novel which takes place in the summer of 1943, at a time when the US Navy was having serious performance issues with its torpedoes.  As US submarines are a threat to Japanese shipping, the Japanese ask their German allies, the Nazis, to send a saboteur to the US to try and damage US Navy torpedo production.  The German spy agency, the Abwehr, picks its best undercover agent, Johann Schmidt, for the task.  However, Johann Schmidt is NOT who he appears to be.  Thus, as his mission proceeds, a layer of complexity enfolds everything which occurs to Schmidt and his German colleagues, as well as the US government personnel who are trying to determine who he is, where he is going, and what he intends to do. The novel is written for adults who like suspense, mystery, and action.  

 3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? The enjoyment of a “ripping yarn” as the British would say, and to be left with a question:  “Is there more to this story?” 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The title is a play on Johann Schmidt’s true identity and the legend of the ravens never leaving the Tower of London.  The book cover, which I designed, is a copy of a 1940’s-era nautical map of Aquidneck Island, the island where the city of Newport is located, with an aiming target over Rose Island, the location of Fort Hamilton.   

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Follow your gut instincts on your topic and style.  Try not to spend too much time “editing” your manuscript while you are writing it.  “Ask the question;” do not hesitate to ask questions of support from potential sources.  The worst they can say is “No, thank you.”  They can’t take away your birthdays or force you to eat your favorite food!  

 6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Obviously, the move towards e-books and audiobooks can add a new “wrinkle” in an author’s planning; i.e., how will this book sound in a narrative format?  I also see a lot of fiction focusing on the occult, time travel, and the like. My big concern is that the partisanship which is so dominant in today’s culture might make authors hesitant to write on topics which could be interpreted by some as “controversial.”  

 7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes; living in Rhode Island gave me a good feel for the geography, which is important to that part of the story which takes place in Rhode Island, to include Block Island, which I have visited on several occasions.  Also, living a total of five years in Germany while I was on active duty with the US Air Force, gave me a better feel for German culture.  I speak some German, which I used in the book as part of the dialogue between a German and American sailor.  Finally, my in-depth familiarity with the military added a level of authenticity, in particular the dialogue among the military personnel in the book.  

 8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I do NOT like to work from an outline. I come up with an idea, and write down thoughts and ideas which I might want to incorporate into my writing.  I then do my research, and as I start to write, I literally start on page one, paragraph one and write from there. I rarely “jump” around among the paragraphs I’m writing. 

 9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Some of the sources I hoped to use to add to the story’s authenticity did not “pan out.”  In one case, a local historical society sent me a note saying “person X” was the one I should talk to, but they didn’t care for that person, so they wouldn’t put me in touch with him!  

 10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Because it is NOT your “typical” spy novel; there is a MAJOR plot twist at the end of Chapter One which totally impacts the tenor and plot movement of the rest of the story.  I truly feel the story is “believable” even though it is a work of fiction.  For example, my research indicated that the Navy focused on defending Rose Island against a naval or aerial bombardment, as opposed to a lone saboteur.  Could the same shortsightedness be a security issue today? 

About The Author: Mark Roddy is a retired U. S. Air Force officer whose 24-year active-duty career included assignments around the world, including two tours in Germany.  Mark earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree, with honors, in English Literature from Saint Michael’s College, and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Troy University.  He has previously published the novels “The Third Day” and “Angela’s Letter.” Mark lives in Northern Virginia with his wife of 52 years, Dawn, whom he met when both were on active duty in the Air Force. For more information, please see: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mark-Roddy/author/B0077B6Q1C?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

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Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.