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I Didn’t Want to Kill Them
The Geek is about an assassin that is trying to get out of the game. What draws you to the spy/espionage genre?
I’ve always been fascinated by conspiracies and the world of shadow/clandestine operations. I think it’s that wanting to know the unknown, or not well known that has always drawn me to this sort of world. Motivation is also a big thing for me when exploring worlds like this. What type of person would choose to do this for a living? What would they be like? What does killing for a living/for your country do to you? Those sorts of questions really intrigue me.
What was your inspiration for The Geek and how did you decide on the code name?
Well originally The Geek was developed as a T.V. series. It was optioned and developed on two separate occasions but never moved past the initial stage. The story is much longer but I don’t want the reader to get bored with a lot of “inside baseball” stuff.
When I first developed The Geek, I wanted to do a live action comic book. This was before comic book movies and series were incredibly popular (and/or done correctly). It was a very over the top 9pm friendly kind of show. When it finally turned into a book, it became far more dark and I like to think more realistic in its portrayal of the invisible world of government sanctioned assassination. I’ve changed as a writer and the times have changed as well, so I think really this is the true version the story was always meant to be.
I chose the codename The Geek because of a logic game I’ll play in my head sometimes when writing. A man, who was constantly bullied as a child for being “the other”, shy, uncomfortable, not athletic or good looking per se. He loved (and loves) video games, science fiction, fantasy, comic books and of course Dungeons and Dragons. The term that was used to taunt him his entire life, being called GEEK, he chose as his codename. He took the power back that was taken from him as a child. To turn the word Geek from something used to make him feel bad or “less than” into a word that would strike terror into those who fell into his cross hairs.
Gary (the main character) liked the idea of scaring the bullies of the world with a word/phrase that shouldn’t or wouldn’t normally terrify them.
Readers can easily find themselves lost in another world filled with spies, secrets, and lies played on a global stage. Did you do any research for this book? How did you develop such and intricate story?
As I touched on earlier I’ve been fascinated with this world for a long time and have done a lot of research in the past regarding clandestine operations. But for this book I also did quite a bit of research in regards to how a government agency like the CIA would go about using assassins. The CIA does not have a mandate to kill, so how would they use assassins if they wanted to go around killing people. So while some of it is supposition, there was also quite a bit of research into how it would (or does) work.
As far as the global stage goes, I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my life to be able to travel extensively. When I do travel, I take tons of photos and notes of my journeys. Most of the locations in the book are places I have been either multiple times or for extended periods of time. And or course I had my photos and notes to fall back on when writing.
In regards to this being an intricate story I’ve known these characters for quite some time. When it came to plotting out the novel, it was just a matter of fleshing out the individual story lines, character motivations and making sure they connect in the right way. I hope that’s not too vague of an answer.
Also, coffee helps…a lot!
Considering the NSA evidently reads every email written, I would like to take a moment and say to our friends at the NSA that I of course do not believe the CIA or any government agency would ever do anything along the lines of employing “off book” assassins. So please don’t have me killed.
What was the hardest part in The Geek for you to write?
The hardest part was definitely switching from screenplays (which I’ve been doing for 16 years) to prose. I didn’t think it would be all that different but it was and the learning curve was steep. I originally was using an old version of the feature film script (another long boring story) as an outline, but it just didn’t work. I’ve changed as a writer and times have changed and the tone and style just didn’t seem to fit. I was about 200 pages into the novel when I realized I had to scrap it and start over with just the characters that I’ve come to love.
It was the best thing that could have happened as I truly believe had I not done that, this book would not be what it is.
In terms of what was the hardest for me to write emotionally in the book, I’d have to say -without giving away spoilers- there were a couple of deaths that ended up needing to happen in order to progress the story. Originally these characters were supposed to live, but it just didn’t feel right. I had grown so attached to them that I didn’t want to kill them.
They were tough deaths to write and say goodbye, but in the end it was the best thing for the story. Considering the comments I get regarding one of these character’s deaths and how it crushed the reader when it happened, I really think I did the right thing… though I still feel kind of bad about it.
What is the next book that your fans should look out for?
Well I have started preliminary work on the next book in the series, but it’s not a sequel per se, but more of an expansion of this world and deals with one of the survivors from The Geek.
I am currently concentrating on two separate stories that I hope to launch as kindle serials in January and February 2016.
The first is a straight up sci-fi action/adventure called Blood Rebellious. It’s about a family of pirates, smugglers and thieves who have to save the Earth and all of humanity from an enemy that no one knows exists. It’s a bit more light hearted than The Geek and I’m having a blast writing it.
The second is a modern day fantasy/sword and sorcery mystery/thriller entitled Night Mage. It’s about a young woman who finds herself in over her head and unlocking powers she never knew she had. Which will be great for her, if she can figure everything out before she gets killed. It’s a little edgier, but is something I’ve been developing for about five years and I like to think it is a bit of a different take on the usual magic wielding fantasy story.
I’m also still doing screenplays and am working on one called Ur Perfect that was recently optioned, so fixing that as well.
I refer you to my earlier note about coffee!
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Gary Geiecki (pronounced Gee-ecki) is a skilled assassin. He’s been an unofficial CIA killer for the past twenty years and has decided to retire. There is no such thing as a truly perfect assassin and Gary was no exception. He was, however, very good. Gary left a wide trail of bodies behind him, over his long and productive career. Riddled with childhood insecurities and social awkwardness Gary desperately tries to move forward with his life after retirement. He quickly finds it is far easier to kill someone else than it is to kill the ghosts of the past. Gary soon learns that what is in the past doesn’t always stay there. His greatest enemy… a man thought long dead… is back and seeking vengeance. Gary must now fight for not only his life, but everyone he holds dear and finally put this last ghost to rest. Gary will learn that the old saying You can’t go home again isn’t exactly true. You can go home again, but you shouldn’t.
The Geek
The Geek is the tale of an American assassin who is ready to get out. After serving American “unclassified” side of things for the CIA for 20 years, Gary is ready to move on to the next chapter in his life, whatever that is. All he has to do is finish just one more assignment, involving a British mole selling information with international implications. Along the way, Gary meets another operative, (Olia K) a Russian operative, who knows a lot more about The Geek than even the assassin would assume. That encounter was only a preclude to what would happen next. The final assignment did not end as Gary and his handler Juan had hoped. Instead it reveals a dangerous duo from the past, but Gary wants no part of it. When Gary receives news that another respected assassin (although of a slightly differently category) felt that his last job went too far, he really wants out. He plans to live off his savings, in quiet obscurity, no longer indebted to the murky world of patriotic espionage. The first thing Gary does, after a brief relaxation, is return home. The problem is, he’s changed in ways that his family can’t even imagine. When he finds himself unable to stay in the place he thought would be home, he ends up getting trapped back into the world he left.
This book grabbed my attention because it was never what I expected. From the beginning, the character’s codename “The Geek” to the plot twists that happened throughout the book. It was also a little darker than I expected in the beginning. It featured great description, though with just the right amount of detail and insight I needed to understand the characters. The switch to action jolted my attention. The more you read, the more layers are exposed. I especially liked the cat and mouse games that is mirrored between the characters as well between the reader. A good example of this is the Geek’s interaction with Joana. It starts innocent enough, then descends into a cat and mouse game between Gary and the operative. A chapter or two later, that scene shows up as only one layer of a deeper drama that neither Gary nor Joana expected.
The author only provides a few lines of detail to provide the back story, but it’s more than enough to keep readers intrigued. Nowhere was this more pronounced than in the lead character, Gary. The book found an interesting twist to the ‘Army dude who was hired by CIA’ cliche that has been repeated ad nauseam in spy films and books. That twist is especially pronounced midway in the book, when the character makes a key decision that starts a whole new chain of events. The Geek seems to go in one direction, but once a reader thinks they have figured it out the book goes in another. These changes aren’t dramatic, over-the-top plot twists (in most cases), but tiny details (like a death or even a simple gesture) that alters the story’s direction in a way that a reader never saw coming.
The story is a highly engrossing read. Readers can easily find themselves lost in another world filled with spies, secrets, and lies played on a global stage. Despite the exotic locations, the book doesn’t suffer from being too out of the realm of reality. Every character has a history based in a reality that is plausible. The way the author treats each character’s origin as hero or villain (most often both) is what draws readers further into the book. Overall, It’s not just another espionage novel. It’s an incredible story about an assassin and the choices he has to make in a world where evil and good isn’t clear cut. All of the characters add or peel back a layer of depth on the journey. As a result, The Geek is a ride you will never forget. The ending chapters tie everything together in slightly predictable fashion (at first), then ends on a cliffhanger similar to a really good TV series.
Pages: 340 | ASIN: B01540DRAU
LITERARY TITAN 