Welcome, Colonel, please tell us about your very impressive background in the military. ...................I don’t know how impressive it was, but I sure know how much fun I had. I served for almost 26 years as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It’s called OSI for short, and its mission is identical to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS. I consider myself blessed to have enjoyed the experiences I had..... From running criminal investigations, to conducting counterintelligence operations – especially during the Cold War against Soviet agents, to counterterrorism operations throughout the Middle East and north Africa…it was all a bunch of fun............. One nice thing about the US Air Force is its heavy use of technology, all of which required protection and unique approaches to security. I was privy to some of the most advanced technologies and secrets our government maintains. At times, it was very strange and esoteric. In my last assignment, I commanded the OSI operation in support of Air Force Space Command, and one of my major responsibilities was to conduct counterintelligence operations. Basically, if it entered or exited our atmosphere, it was mine. You can use your imagination on that one. I ain’t talkin’! ...............................................Have you always been a writer at heart? What put you on the path you’re on?.......................... I’ve always LOVED to write, ever since I learned to read. I wrote poetry early on, followed by short stories in high school and college. My high school poetry was more about impressing girls than it was about trying to be a good poet, I must confess! I had always wanted to write novel-length fiction, but that pesky Air Force career stood in front of me and kept me busy. It was not until I retired in 2007 that I pursued that passion. In a way, having had the career I did gave me a rich set of experiences from which to draw to craft my thrillers. Command, and one of my major responsibilities was to conduct counterintelligence operations. Basically, if it entered or exited our atmosphere, it was mine........................... Please tell us about the three book series you have written. How much truth? How much fiction?.............................. A dabble of truth, and a whole lot of fiction … I think sums it up best. The truth lies in how I structured elements of the law enforcement and intelligence communities in my stories. I use real agencies (from the alphabet soup of the Washington, DC Beltway: OSI, FBI, CIA, etc). I worked with them all during my career, so I use that interaction to build genuine types of relationships in my books. There’s a classified program that I crafted for my Child Finder Trilogy (CRYSTAL ROUNDUP) that doesn’t exist for real, but if it did, it would operate the way I lay it out in the books. But I don’t reveal any state secrets in my plots...... My third book, Child Finder: Revelation, has stirred some “consternation” to put it mildly, among some senior Department of Defense people. I run the plot along a sharp edge of reality that has made some folks uncomfortable…I kind of like that! It doesn’t push beyond the boundaries of fiction. I may be the mouse being chased by the cat, and not the other way around............... The final book in the trilogy, Child Finder: Revelation, pulls O’Donnell to North Korea to rescue an Ambassador’s twin daughters. Throughout the preparation for his dangerous journey, he is surrounded by a mystery. There is something very special about these girls that a handful of important people seem to know, and they aren’t sharing it with him. His mentor, the President of the United States, and the Pope are all involved…directly and personally. Rescuing the preteens at any cost is his mandate. Will he come home alive? Will he learn their secrets? If he does, will he regret knowing what he comes to know? This book is set for a release date (tentatively) circa Sep/Oct 2011.. Mike Angley Special Agent (USAF, ret) Colonel (USAF, ret) Award-winning Author of the Child Finder Trilogy www.mikeangley.com..............
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Friday, April 1, 2011
A Fascinating Interview with Author Mike Angley
Welcome, Colonel, please tell us about your very impressive background in the military. ...................I don’t know how impressive it was, but I sure know how much fun I had. I served for almost 26 years as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It’s called OSI for short, and its mission is identical to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS. I consider myself blessed to have enjoyed the experiences I had..... From running criminal investigations, to conducting counterintelligence operations – especially during the Cold War against Soviet agents, to counterterrorism operations throughout the Middle East and north Africa…it was all a bunch of fun............. One nice thing about the US Air Force is its heavy use of technology, all of which required protection and unique approaches to security. I was privy to some of the most advanced technologies and secrets our government maintains. At times, it was very strange and esoteric. In my last assignment, I commanded the OSI operation in support of Air Force Space Command, and one of my major responsibilities was to conduct counterintelligence operations. Basically, if it entered or exited our atmosphere, it was mine. You can use your imagination on that one. I ain’t talkin’! ...............................................Have you always been a writer at heart? What put you on the path you’re on?.......................... I’ve always LOVED to write, ever since I learned to read. I wrote poetry early on, followed by short stories in high school and college. My high school poetry was more about impressing girls than it was about trying to be a good poet, I must confess! I had always wanted to write novel-length fiction, but that pesky Air Force career stood in front of me and kept me busy. It was not until I retired in 2007 that I pursued that passion. In a way, having had the career I did gave me a rich set of experiences from which to draw to craft my thrillers. Command, and one of my major responsibilities was to conduct counterintelligence operations. Basically, if it entered or exited our atmosphere, it was mine........................... Please tell us about the three book series you have written. How much truth? How much fiction?.............................. A dabble of truth, and a whole lot of fiction … I think sums it up best. The truth lies in how I structured elements of the law enforcement and intelligence communities in my stories. I use real agencies (from the alphabet soup of the Washington, DC Beltway: OSI, FBI, CIA, etc). I worked with them all during my career, so I use that interaction to build genuine types of relationships in my books. There’s a classified program that I crafted for my Child Finder Trilogy (CRYSTAL ROUNDUP) that doesn’t exist for real, but if it did, it would operate the way I lay it out in the books. But I don’t reveal any state secrets in my plots...... My third book, Child Finder: Revelation, has stirred some “consternation” to put it mildly, among some senior Department of Defense people. I run the plot along a sharp edge of reality that has made some folks uncomfortable…I kind of like that! It doesn’t push beyond the boundaries of fiction. I may be the mouse being chased by the cat, and not the other way around............... The final book in the trilogy, Child Finder: Revelation, pulls O’Donnell to North Korea to rescue an Ambassador’s twin daughters. Throughout the preparation for his dangerous journey, he is surrounded by a mystery. There is something very special about these girls that a handful of important people seem to know, and they aren’t sharing it with him. His mentor, the President of the United States, and the Pope are all involved…directly and personally. Rescuing the preteens at any cost is his mandate. Will he come home alive? Will he learn their secrets? If he does, will he regret knowing what he comes to know? This book is set for a release date (tentatively) circa Sep/Oct 2011.. Mike Angley Special Agent (USAF, ret) Colonel (USAF, ret) Award-winning Author of the Child Finder Trilogy www.mikeangley.com..............
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Author Joyce Oroz Interview
Jennifer Chase: Welcome Joyce. Please tell us a little bit about your background.
Joyce Oroz: At the tender age of twelve, I was painting in oils and writing poems while normal children socialized with each other. I was a female nerd full of pre-teen feelings of inferiority. A bazillion years later, after raising a family, working at my commercial art/mural business and taking creative writing classes on the side, I finally wrote and illustrated my first children’s book. And then I wrote twenty-six more stories, but my dream was to write a novel. After watching my husband write a book, I decided to give it my best shot. Now that I’m practically ready for the rocking chair, I am busier than ever, writing “mystery novels”, but also enjoying country life in Aromas with my husband and golden lab.
Jennifer Chase: What inspired you to write a mystery?
Joyce Oroz: Going back to twelve years old, I loved reading Nancy Drew Mysteries and read every one the library had. The Nancy Drew seed was planted, but the seed didn’t sprout until I read my first Janet Evanovich mystery five years ago. I tried to write like Janet, but only she can pull it off. Only she can blow up Stephanie’s vehicles every other day and make it seem normal. But she had set me to writing, and because I love to read mysteries, I decided to write one of my own.
Jennifer Chase: What was the hardest thing about writing this book?
Joyce Oroz: For me, the middle of the book is always the most difficult to write. I generally know how the story begins and how it ends, but there are a couple hundred pages in the middle I know nothing about. I try to let the story pull me along and take me to surprising places. If I relax and shake-off my writer’s block, the story will usually go where it needs to go.
Jennifer Chase: How long did it take you to write and what’s your writing schedule?
Joyce Oroz: One day I had an epiphany. If I could write one page a day, in one year I would have a complete novel. "Secure the Ranch" was born nine months after that idea was conceived. But the rewrites lasted two years! I average two hours of writing, six days a week, forever and ever. I look forward to it, even though it’s sometimes frustrating. But when a workable idea makes it way into my brain, it’s all worth it.
Jennifer Chase: Who are some of your favorite writers and why?
Joyce Oroz: Colleen McCullough was a favorite author (The Thorn Birds). I loved “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Nowadays, I read a mix of material by J.A. Jance, Jennifer Chase, Janet Evonavich, John Grisham and many others. The hard part is finding time to read, write and live a busy lifestyle, which is why my red pickup truck (still wearing an American flag on the rear window) speeds down the road for twenty minutes to Jasmine’s yoga class where I am able to relax and then speed home.
Jennifer Chase: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Joyce Oroz: I hope you enjoy my first effort. The effort was to make you laugh and maybe raise some hairs on the back of your neck. It was to entertain you and take you away from ordinary life. If those things didn’t happen, try my next book coming out at the end of 2010, and enjoy the ride.
Jennifer Chase: Last but not least, I love asking this question. If you were stranded on a deserted island, and were allowed to bring only 3 things, what would they be?
Joyce Oroz: Since I don’t have time to be stranded on a deserted island, I would take a map, a bicycle pump and an inflatable yacht.
Jennifer Chase: Thank you so much Joyce. I look forward to your next book.
To view orginal author interview, go to: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/2010/06/interview-with-new-mystery-author.html
Available in Paperback and Kindle
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