The Organization: Operative Nova follows a rookie operative for a covert shadow agency who must survive three escalating missions that test her loyalty, confront her father’s mysterious death, and force her to choose between vengeance and protocol. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Dan: The original idea for this book was a story of a woman and man out to dinner. As the story unfolded, it would become clear one of the two was there to kill the other. I loved this premise, but then I started thinking: what type of agency would send someone on this type of mission, and why? As I answered those questions, it led to more questions. Before I knew it, this story was coming to life.  

How did you develop the shadow agency at the heart of the novel?

Dan: I wanted this shadow agency to feel real without being cliché. In so many movies/stories, shadow agencies are corrupt and the protagonist must expose them. I wanted to do something different. What if there was a shadow organization that made tough decisions but actually cared about its people and tried to look out for their best interests? Even when that meant lying to them? Even when ‘protecting’ someone meant breaking their trust? These characters are trying to do impossible work with impossible choices. What you see in this book is my answer to those questions.

Do you see Bull as purely evil, or something more complex?

Dan: More complex. I see Bull as a man who followed orders for so long he became bored with it. So much so that he started to make a game of it—a game he desperately needed to win to feel alive. This is a tough world these operatives live in, and it affects them in different ways. In the eyes of his organization, Bull was effective and yielded great results. But Nova sees what they don’t: a man who’s become dangerous precisely because he’s too good at his job.

Can you tell us more about where the story and characters go after book one?

 Dan: This is the first book of a planned trilogy. Book 2, The Organization: Kill List, shifts perspective to a shadow operative named Raven—readers might remember her from Nova’s first mission. Book 3, Blood on the Throne, brings Nova and Raven together as Handler B faces the consequences of decisions he’s made over two decades. All this will unfold while they work together to solve a complex situation which puts the nation’s security at risk. After that, this world will be available for me to explore wherever the story demands. There are operatives, missions, and mysteries I’ve seeded throughout Book 1 that I can’t wait to develop. I’m thrilled to have readers along for the ride.

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