Interview With A Former Cop & Military Veteran Turned Award-Winning Author Of Military Thrillers James Bultema

 

 

1.      What inspired you to write this book? I discovered that I liked to write as a young LAPD officer. While most officers avoid writing reports because they prefer the action on the streets, I took great pride in writing each one and making it the best I could.  Years later, my production company made a six-hour documentary about the history of the LAPD, and as part of the massive project, I wrote the script. That led to a book on the department's history and eventually to Sea of Red, my first novel.

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? I write contemporary military thrillers that are very technical and well researched. I am currently working on the seventh book in the series.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? As a Vietnam War veteran, like most soldiers, you don’t like it, but you are a soldier, and you do as you are ordered. I’m no different. So, all of my books look at both sides of the battle, and the reader sees and hopefully feels what goes through the minds of those who pull the trigger at each other.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? All my titles, except one, have “Red” in the title to alert readers to my books when they see them. Covers are critical to a book’s success, and I spend a lot of time and money to make sure mine are the best.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? You don’t know unless you try. Write it, be professional throughout the process, and market it. You can then see if you are cut out for success in this business.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I don’t worry about that stuff. I write ten hours a day, seven days a week, and enjoy every minute. I worry about my own trends and where they are going.

 

7. Were there specific experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? To an extent, it helps to have been shot at in war and to understand those feelings when you are a nineteen-year-old kid, so yes, that finds its way into my books. Being a street cop and fighting that war helps as well. I would say the camaraderie you have from these experiences is important, then and now, in I use that in my books.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I write like Tom Clancy and have been compared to him many times, the ultimate compliment. I write technically but bring it to life with solid character development.

 

9.   What challenges did you overcome in writing this book? None, except self-doubt when writing my first book. When that first positive review came back, I sat at my writing desk and shed a few tears. You just don’t know if it works until you get some feedback.

10.  If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? If you like military thrillers, you can read about what it must be like in the real world. For example, my book, Red Lines, covers the war in Iran, which is not much different from what is going on right now. That comes from dedicated research. For more info, please see: www.jamesbultema.com    Do You Need Book Marketing Help? Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!    About Brian Feinblum This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 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.”  Copyright 2026.   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) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs   He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, 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.   You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum