Interview With Military Thriller Author J. L. Graham

  

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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For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, 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. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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