The Military Thriller Book Group had Questions…

Recently, I was fortunate enough to sit down for an interview with Steve Lepper, the creator and head honcho of The Military Thriller Book Group, over on Facebook. Steve interviewed me as part of an initiative to get to know the authors of the group. Below is the interview. Special thanks to Steve Lepper for interviewing me and allowing us to share this!

1. Who is Xavier Greene?

Xavier Greene is an assassin working for a multinational shadow organization called The Citadel. I have yet to give his entire backstory, but he used to work for an Eastern European Government before being recruited by The Citadel. He worked his way up the ranks and became one of the best assassins in the world, earning the nickname “The Silencer.” On a job, he gets caught in an avalanche, and the Citadel assumes he is dead. However, some monks find him and nurse him back to health. Against their wishes, he resumes working for the Citadel but with a reduced schedule. He only takes jobs that he has an interest in. While at the monastery, he has perfected his fighting style and learned a meditation technique that can significantly enhance his formidable skills. In “Tears of the Dragon,” he gets pulled from his semi-retirement to stop a deadly plot that involves a contagion of world-ending proportions. Because of that, he finds himself drawn into an ever-evolving conspiracy.

When I wrote this character initially, I wanted to show a more realistic look at the spy-type character. I wanted Xavier to struggle with the mission’s immensity and the pressures that come with it. I also wanted him to wrestle with his job versus the philosophy that the monks had taught him. How do you balance peace with all the violence you are capable of?

2. Why a Katana?

Several reasons. When creating Xavier Greene and what would become “Tears of the Dragon,” I wanted him to be different from your run-of-the-mill spy or assassin. I wanted him to be quirky. I had read quite a bit of the “Agent Pendergast” series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, and I liked the eccentric nature of the character. So I wanted to imbue my protagonist with unique character quirks as well.

When I was growing up in the seventies and eighties, martial arts and ninjas, in particular, were trendy. Fast forward to the nineties, and I was obsessed with Japanese culture. I read “The Art of War,” “IAI – The Art of Drawing the Sword,” and other such books. I’ve come to own a few katanas of my own, so it was natural that I would develop a character with his own sword. The trick was inventing the collapsing tang, or hilt so that he could fit the blade under his jacket.

The first novel took me seven to eight years to complete because it started as a hobby. I didn’t become serious about it until much, much later. So “Tears of the Dragon” was an assortment of various things I had been interested in over the years.

3. Your New Thriller “The Delicate Art of Death” Was Just Released, Give Us A Glimpse 

“The Delicate Art of Death” is a departure for me. The first novel focused entirely on Xavier Greene, but the characters of Bill Logan and Stacy Martinez appeared as supporting characters. By the end of the book, they had become integral to the plot. So the next novel, “The Osiris Initiative,” was more of an ensemble piece, with each character having a storyline that merges by the end. I got a lot of positive feedback about Stacy Martinez, so I decided we would have the third novel focus on her.

So, in “The Delicate Art of Death,” we focus on Stacy Martinez, who is recovering from injuries she suffered in “The Osiris Initiative.” She is on the run, both from the FBI, who she walked out on, and from killers James Devos sent to get revenge for wrecking his plans in the last book. In any case, Stacy goes to small-town Kansas to visit family but discovers what she thinks could be a serial killer. The problem is no one believes her because, thanks to media coverage of her situation, everyone thinks Stacy is a bit of a conspiracy nut. Needless to say, she doesn’t get much downtime in Kansas as she chases a killer while trained killers close in on her.

Unlike the first two novels, I’ve made the stakes a lot lower and more personal in this novella. It also leans more into the American Crime genre, even though it retains some espionage elements from the first two books. It was a fun detour before we ratchet up the intensity in the next book.

4. So, You Have a Punk Rock Background. Greatest Punk Band Ever (hint – Ramones)?

That’s a tough one. There are so many great bands, depending on your mood. I went through a Ramones phase and unfortunately missed out on seeing them live. I’m okay with them being the greatest punk band. I preferred them more than their contemporaries, The Sex Pistols. Not that I disliked them. I just dug the heavier, more driven sound of the Ramones better. They also had some great pop sensibility. They could write a hook.

When I was in a band, my influences were Black Flag and Bad Religion and metal bands like Anthrax and Nuclear Assault. Anything fast and heavy.

5. How Do You Insert a ‘Punk Rock Sensibility’ Into A Thriller?

Good question. By continually working on elements that are relevant to followers of that genre. Sometimes it can be hard to pick up amongst all the fighting and explosions. Still, in the books, I do touch on themes such as ‘individual good vs. community good,’ having to forgo one’s ideals for survival’s sake, regular people vs. the elite, and rampant capitalism’s dangers. At least, I see it in there. But I’ve read these books repeatedly during the writing and editing process, so I may be hallucinating.

6. The Best Part of Being An Indie Author?

Hmmm. I’m relatively early in the journey, but I would say the control you have. No one tells you what to put on the cover or what to write about. You also are free to work on your story and put it out on your schedule. I couldn’t imagine finishing my story and having to query for the next two years before someone might consider putting it out.

It is challenging, though. Someone said it best: “To be an indie author, you must act like a publishing house.” That is true. You are the writer, but you are also the CEO. You have to deal with the creative side, the business side, and the marketing side. It gives you a lot of control but can also be a significant strain to change hats constantly. In my experience, the marketing and promotions side tends to overshadow everything. Once a book is out, I have to fight the urge to promote the book all the time instead of writing the next story. I also think that authors, in general, but especially indie authors tend to fight imposter syndrome more than most. Add procrastination, anxiety, and depression in there too, and you wonder what kind of lunatic would choose this life? Then you finish a novel, launch it, and it all makes sense.

7. Plot or Characters, What Comes First?

I think you have to ride the fine line. If you have strong enough characters, they can overcome a thin plot. Conversely, if you have an insane story, it can overcome a lack of characterization. I’ve found both to be true.

A strange thing I’ve discovered is that characters take on a life of their own and will draw you into changing your existing plot. What I mean by that is as the story progressed and I continued to write certain characters and get inside their head, I found that the logical progression of that character dictated that I would have to make changes to the plot for it to make sense. If you had told me that before I became a writer, I would have told you that you were crazy. Probably as crazy as I seem right now.

8. When You’re Not Writing Where Can You Be Found?

Outside. Where I live, it’s either Spring or Summer all year round, so I take advantage of it as much as possible. I would say the beach (which is twenty minutes away!), but I haven’t been as much lately as I’ve wanted. Life gets in the way. Otherwise, if I’m not wandering about nature, I like to bowl, try new restaurants, catch a movie, or hang out at a jazz club. In between all of that, assume I’m constantly reading.

9. What’s Up Next In 2023?

At least one more novel, but probably two. Next up will be another full-scale, worldwide thriller with Xavier Greene. After that, it’s likely to be a project I’ve been writing off and on for a while. I typed the first ten chapters of this project on my phone as an experiment. I may be being ambitious with that timeline, but right now, it makes sense. Also, I plan to start releasing my books under my own publishing company because it makes more sense business-wise.

10. What Did I Forget To Ask?

Nothing. I thought you did really well. I could drone on about the similarities and differences of being an indie author vs. an indie musician, but that’s a tale for another day. A strong DIY or Do It Yourself spirit will get you far in both.