1. What inspired you to write this book?
As
a 26-year Marine Corps officer turned college professor teaching intelligence analysis,
I had the opportunity to apply much of my military experience to course development,
teaching and research. Nearing my second retirement, I decided to translate
my military and teaching experience into creative writing. The threat spectrum
is diverse and ever-expanding. My writing is inspired by actual
events—the
names, places and timing of are contrived to fit an expanding narrative
and character list.
2. What exactly is the series about — and who is
it written for?
In
2020, a U.S. missile strike eliminated Iranian Quds Force Commander Qassem
Soleimani. In retaliation, the Iranian regime developed Thirteen Revenge
Scenarios. Scimitar Strike represents the first of them. The Iranian public—and
leadership believe Soleimani's death lay solely at the feet of the American
government—but the general's death has ties back to the Iranian
Revolutionary
Guard Corps—the IRGC. The rise of Soleimani;s successor—Abdul
Reza Sasani to senior Quds Force general was, by all accounts,
natural and expected except Sasani also played a role in the beloved general’s
death.
The
narrative continues in book 2 along with the new Quds Force commander’s ambitions.
The dust had yet to settle from an assassination attempt against the Saudi
Ambassador when Washington, DC is again rocked by terrorism. An attack on
the D.C. Metro has shut down the D.C. transportation system and shattered the
confidence of the intelligence community. Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent
Sean
Roberts and members of the National Joint Terrorism Task Force—the NJTTF
are in a race against the clock to head off the most devastating of the 13 revenge
scenarios—The Assassin's Mace, which has its roots in the Chinese 100 Year
Plan.
Book
3: The Cruise Book: World Cruise 24-25 extends the threat narrative. 25 October
2023 marked the fortieth anniversary of Operation Urgent Fury—the liberation
of the island of Grenada. This book commemorates the heroics of those
who participated. The current-day narrative follows the Marines and sailors of
the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) who deploy on the inaugural voyage
of the USS John P. Giguere (a fictional navy ship), named after Major Pat Giguere
who perished on Grenada. The book combines some of the characters from
earlier releases with a new cast of warfighters. Much of the background is draw
from first-hand accounts by Urgent Fury participants and family, which are brought
together and give testimony during the christening ceremony of our
fictious
ship. The accompanying story reflects current geopolitical conditions, up-to-date
military tactics, equipment and force structure with many parallels to the events
of October 1983.
The
series is written for readers who enjoy crime and techno-thrillers. The technical
aspects are thoroughly researched, however come just short of describing
real operational practices.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your
book?
I
believe readers will gain an appreciation for the complexity of cross-agency cooperation
and operations. The stories closely resemble the tradecraft (operational and
analytic) of the agencies whose job it is to protect our citizens from
terrorism and
foreign adversaries. On analytic tradecraft—the books reflect the rigor and challenges
facing the communities that make their living chasing bad guys (intelligence,
law enforcement and military).
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
I
personally guided the design for the book covers. Each was inspired by the material
it encloses.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow
writers – other than run!?
As
was told to me: ‘We all have at least one book in us.’ My advise is, write what
you are
passionate about. Keep a journal of ideas, tuck them away but review them from time
to time. Your story need not start at the beginning. Start writing and let your inspiration
guide you. The key is to just write. Once you have an idea—story-board it.
Construct timelines and character lists (as you progress, you’ll need both to
keep track
of key dates and character backgrounds. I use people I know as inspiration for character
development. That way I simply construct my narrative as if delivered by
that
person. Do your research—especially if your story is inspired by real events, places,
and/or people. Get technical details correct. Unless you are writing a book featuring
a zombie apocalypse, keep people and their actions within the laws of physics.
6. Were there experiences in your personal life or career
that came in handy when
writing this book?
Absolutely.
My military experience has had the biggest impact on my writing. Because
my academic time involved teaching intelligence studies it required my keeping
up on the threat spectrum, including the methods, tactics and techniques employed
by myriad threat actors.
7. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or
books is your writing
similar to?
My
style of writing favors “the descriptive narrative.” I tend to wrap my stories
around real
events, places and socio-political context. I attempt to bring to the surface
the good
and bad of my threat actor protagonists. I believe even our adversaries possess
some element of good. I also try to expose the flaws and weaknesses of friendlies.
We are, after all, just human. I haven’t attempted to mimic a particular writer,
but those who have provided feedback liken my work to a cross between Tom Clancy
and James Webb. Clancy—for technology and nomenclature and Webb for character
development.
8. How do you feel your book compares to others in your genre?
I
would like to say my story-telling is comparable to a lot of the popular
novelists that appear
on best seller lists. Ernest Hemmingway, I am not. My writing craft continues to
evolve with each iteration, and I have much to learn and to improve on.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this series?
My
early struggles were about “voice.” I started book one as a first-person
narrative. I
wrote five chapters before switching to third person limited, whereby I exist
outside the
story and give a distinct voice to each of my characters. I find this form
easiest to work
with, especially when speaking in the vernacular—as many of my characters are
wont to do. As a former military pilot, I tend to be very critical when reading about
tactics, radio-talk, weapons systems and operational conditions.
10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why
should it be yours?
If
you have never operated at the pointy end of the spear—in intelligence, law enforcement
or the military—I promise you will learn something. If you have, I promise
you will relate. In either case, I think you’ll come back for the next in the series.
Short Bio: J. L. Graham is a
professor of practice at the Pennsylvania State University
and the director of the Red Cell Analytics Lab. Colonel Graham joined the PSU
faculty in October 2007 after twenty-six years of active service in the United
States Marine
Corps. He teaches intelligence analysis and modeling as part of the security
and risk
analysis degree program at Penn State. His passion is writing and facilitating intelligence
exercises, teaching analytic methods, and mentoring students. The Assassin’s
Mace is the author’s second in the series, with book-3 three to be released in summer
of 2025. The Operation Lost Talent Trilogy, a Cold War inspired series is next
in line. Please see https://redcellanalyticslab.com/.
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