You Can Overcome the Obstacles

Jan 6

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L.W. Kwakou Casselle Author Interview

In Dark Agent, you share with readers your extensive military experience ranging from your time in military school to your 22-year career in the Diplomatic Security Service. Why was this an important book for you to write? 

I have always felt a calling to share my personal experience with those, especially who have come from challenging upbringings to show that with hard work, diligence and perseverance that you can overcome the obstacles that have been placed in your path. 

I appreciated the candid nature with which you tell your story. What was the most difficult thing for you to write about? 

Writing about the abuse that my mother suffered was particularly painful. It was such a dark time in my life and in my family’s life, and I had largely suppressed those uncomfortable memories. But in writing Dark Agent, those memories returned vividly and the emotions of those events are still very real.

Is there anything you now wish you had included in Dark Agent?

My grandparents, on both my mother and father’s sides, led lives that were so incredibly fascinating and successful and I believe I could have fleshed out there stories a little bit more as their influence on me has been evident in my journey.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from your experiences?

The importance of service and country over self and personal gain, and the understanding of the tremendous unknown contributions that peoples of color make to the security of our nation everyday.

Author Links: Instagram | Website

DARK AGENT, The Memoirs of L.W. Kwakou Casselle is the improbable, yet intensely unique story of a young Black kid’s struggle, which turned to service and immense sacrifice; the son of an artist and schoolteacher who traveled with his parents to the civil war engulfed West African country of Liberia as a young child and nearly witnessed his father’s execution. Upon his return to Las Vegas, Casselle got lost in the violent, gang-infested neighborhoods of North Las Vegas where he struggled at Rancho High School. His newly widowed mother and aunt sent him off to Missouri Military Academy to learn discipline and finish high school. While at MMA, he became a leader and then attended Hampton University, the famous Historically Black College/University, in Virginia where he was commissioned upon graduation as an infantry officer in the United States Army.

Casselle was a young Army captain on 9/11 and then became a special agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). His service spans over twenty-five years and over eighty countries around the world. From saving lives under fire in Baghdad, to defending his compound in Afghanistan and hunting down international fugitives in Belize, his compelling story leads all the way to his selection to the National Security Council at The White House.

DARK AGENT, The Memoirs of L.W. Kwakou Casselle is a hard hitting, action-packed, and intensely personal part of a Black American family’s legacy of service that first began in The Civil War and will continue with the next generation of Casselles.
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About Literary Titan

The Literary Titan is an organization of professional editors, writers, and professors that have a passion for the written word. We review fiction and non-fiction books in many different genres, as well as conduct author interviews, and recognize talented authors with our Literary Book Award. We are privileged to work with so many creative authors around the globe.

Posted on January 6, 2026, in Interviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.

  1. softlybf93881812's avatar softlybf93881812 | January 6, 2026 at 2:36 pm

    How do I get my book published with the award sticker on it

    Reply

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