In My Brother’s Keeper, two brothers are among the survivors of a plane crash in the Dutch Indies facing personal challenges as they fight for survival. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

My goal was to provide a significant psychological thriller that would keep the readers’ interest and emotional engagement peaked throughout. The challenge was to provide a compelling story backdrop that was both believable and focused enough to enable the narrative to develop quickly and naturally. In this case, the underlying historical aspects are correct.

Why the WW2 setting? It is fraught with violent conflict, not unlike the life and death struggle between the two protagonists in this story.

Why confine the majority of story to the island and the resulting survival challenge? It allowed me to keep the complex relation between Anders and Simon tightly focused while allowing the reader to feel what they felt, to experience the stress they experienced. I wanted to pull the reader in.

I am always interested in the origins of characters in fiction novels. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?

Each of my characters have some aspects that generate from my life experiences. It is one of the benefits having a diverse background. Recently, I had the opportunity to interface with individuals who both treated or personally experienced struggles dealing with both substance abuse and mental illness. In either case the experiences were profound and deeply troublesome.

What was your favorite scene in this story?

There are several scenes that I loved writing. I won’t go into them too much so as not to spoil them for the reader but let me share two with you. The first is early in the book where Anders is coming to grips with being stranded on the island. The tranquility provides a significant contrast to the battle against the storm responsible the previous evening and the life and death struggle to come. The second scene is extremely simple and intentionally subtle and yet provides a significant clue as to the true nature of the relation between Anders and Simon. I won’t go any further so as not to spoil it for the those of you reading the book.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

Thank you for asking. There are several in the queue. Up next is a sequel to Nails, a book you reviewed this past year. It is called The Bent Nail. It is currently in the editing process so, hopefully, it will be available in time to be a great Christmas present for those who love dark stories. It’s a thriller, based on the same troubling characters to whom you were introduced last year. It provides a plot and twist that will intrigue readers. I have no doubt those who loved Nails are going to love The Bent Nail even more.

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Award-winning author, M.D. Nuth, brings us another thrilling page turner with his My Brother’s Keeper, a story of violence, struggle, and psychological misdirection. World war provides a catalyst and backdrop for the conflict between two brothers vying for power, leadership, recognition, and a woman’s affection. On the surface the story provides us a raw look at the impulsive, self-absorbed Anders Cartwright, charged with the care of his socially withdrawn brother, Simon. His devotion to his brother is challenged when they flee Singapore prior to the Japanese Imperial Army invasion at the beginning of World War II.

Anders Cartwright makes a fateful decision to rescue his lover, Shelley Samuels (Ess), along with his brother, Simon, by escaping to Australia aboard a Douglas DC-3 fitted out more for cargo than passengers. The fateful flight ends when it crashes in the Dutch Indies. Anders, Simon, and Ess find themselves stranded along with three other survivors and a valuable, but dangerous cargo load.

Marooned on a previously uninhabited, tiny island in the Java Sea, the struggle for survival forces the brothers into a life and death struggle leading to personal challenge and discovery as it becomes less clear who might be the “keeper” and the true relation between Anders and Simon. The story engages the reader in a war of wills as Simon vies for the leadership of this group, pitting him against his brother in a moral dilemma and with a surprising and significant and dark story twist.