Blog Archives
Spy in the Sudan
Modesty Jack follows a British Intelligence Agent assigned to London who ends up in Cairo helping the Egyptians escape control of Constantinople. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I was inspired by a curious incident reported in Roy MacLaren’s Canadians on the Nile. In 1885, Canada sent a contingent of riverboat men to Egypt to aid British troops going up the Nile to rescue General Charles Gordon in Khartoum. South of Wadi Halfa, in what is now Sudan, one of the Canadian boatmen left camp for a few hours of quiet.
At a nearby oasis, he heard someone singing ‘Un Canadien Errant,’ a Quebecois folk song. The boatman found what he believed was a Bedouin, singing in French. The Bedouin explained that he was from Quebec, had jumped ship in Alexandria, and had been captured by Bedouins. He had learned Arabic and
earned to love the desert.
I thought his explanation unlikely – more like the plot of Desert Song, in fact. Wadi Halfa is nearly 1000 miles south of the Mediterranean. Why was this man alone? And why was he so conveniently near the Gordon Relief Expedition? It struck me that the man might have been a spy. If that were so, one question was obvious: how could a Canadian end up a spy in the Sudan?
That’s how Jack Torrance came into being.
What were some of the trials that you felt were important to highlight Jack’s development?
When we meet Jack, he’s young and inexperienced. He’s an army officer cadet, intelligent and capable, but he’s a puppy.
Unbeknownst to Jack, he’s been recommended for a political assignment, mostly because he’s good looking, can speak French, and has a reasonably level head. Initially, he’s just sent to deliver an invitation to the Governor General, the Crown’s representative in Canada, and the country’s titular head of state.
There is an accident and Jack saves the life of the Governor General’s wife. The accident was a real event, and the woman was Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s daughter. Jack becomes part of the vice-regal household – a boy from rural Ontario adapting to a very different world.
Jack learns to deal with threats to life, social obligations, diplomacy, and the pitfalls of political problems. In just a few months in 1880, Jack finds himself immersed in actual historical events – from society balls and meeting the rich and famous to the very real danger of a plot against the lives of Princess Louise and her brother Prince Leopold.
Jack’s journey is bumpy and he makes mistakes. He realizes that he can think for himself and that he needs to continue to learn. But he does get the job done and earns praise in the right quarters – and opportunities he could never have dreamt of.
What intrigues you about this time period enough to write such a gripping novel?
A young man in 1880 could easily live to see the end of the Second World War. Imagine the changes that took place, most of them driven by expanding technologies.
Speed changed how the world was evolving – the simple telephone conversation revolutionized everything from politics to journalism. Ships could cross the Atlantic in under a week. Trains could take you anywhere in times unimaginable a generation before.
Nation states were solidifying their power, income, and prestige. The Kingdom of Italy was only twenty years old. Even Canada, just thirteen years old in 1880, was older than the new German Empire and the new French Republic. Soon, speed and growth led to jockeying for position in the world. European players sought colonial empires, secure trade routes, and political influence.
Canada, a nation of 4 million, had become the size of an empire in just 15 years. It was building a trans-
continental railway twice as long as the American railroads to the Pacific. The government had no money to spare, certainly none for Britain’s imperial adventures.
The Prime Minister chooses Jack Torrance to spy for Canada. On Britain. Jack’s successes surpass the Prime Minister’s wildest imaginings. Through his royal connections, Jack ends up seconded to the fledgling British Intelligence Service, privy to everything going on.
Funny, sexy, and surprising, The Scandalous Memoirs of General John Torrance is a series about a young hero-by-accident in extraordinary times – beginning when the boys of the Regency played with the generals of the Great War, when steamships had sails, and when one man’s adventures could still change the world.
What will the next book in that series be about, and when will it be published?
Book Three, One-Eyed Jack, is about a major episode in the Scramble for Africa. An 1884 conference in Berlin saw the leaders of European nations sit down and literally draw a new map for Africa. This part’s for France. That part’s for Germany. This is for Britain.
Not everyone agrees.
The future has been foretold. A guide – the Mahdi – will free Soudan, free Egypt, and topple the corrupt Ottoman Empire. Soudan falls to the Mahdi. The Khedive in Cairo hires Englishman General Charles Gordon to go to Khartoum and evacuate the Egyptians and Europeans trapped within the walled city. Gordon gets there but can’t get out.
Fuelled by jingoism in the press, the English mount an expedition to save Gordon. In advance goes Jack – a wild card, a one-eyed jack – to reason with two madmen, Gordon and the Mahdi, and get everyone out alive.
Publication is set for December 2024.
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Jack is seconded to the tiny British Intelligence Department, little more than a map room in 1880. He’s assigned to the Balkans, Turkey, and Africa Desk – a hodgepodge of low priority. Jack’s got nearly nothing to do, but he wants to learn. He works on his Arabic and he seeks out experts on Islam and the complicated politics of the Ottoman Empire. When trouble erupts in Egypt, his friends offer to pay his way to Cairo. Perhaps Jack can help free the Egyptians from the control of Constantinople.
Delighted somebody else is footing the bill, Intelligence Branch sends Jack.
Into a revolution.
Modern Naval Warfare Novel
Against All Enemies follows a Naval Commander whose crew is cut off from leadership after a devastating attack on the US. What inspired the setup of your story?
I wrote the first draft between Feb. and Nov. of 2016. Tensions were fairly high with China, again. I worked at the Navy lab where the Prologue is set and often lunched at the cafeteria that features. One day in late 2015, I wondered what it would look like if a cruise missile attack streamed in from the sea. That gave me the opening. A few months later, I listened to the various debates and positions taken by presidential candidates across the spectrum. I took what I felt were the least well-considered positions vis a vis our relationships with China, Russia, and NATO, and combined them all into my president. He was not patterned after any one candidate. I’d always wanted to write a modern naval warfare novel, and the rest of the characters were born as amalgamations of officers and enlisted I served with through my 32-year career. Though I must admit, my Seventh Fleet commander, Vice Admiral Simpson, was influenced by David Weber’s Honor Harrington character! The Russia-NATO war came as a natural consequence of a break with NATO. I am not prescient by any stretch of the imagination, but I did have to make some changes and edits over the next five years. It also required a full year and a half to get the manuscript through the Navy Operational Security review process.
Newly appointed Commander Bill Wilkins is a fascinating character who is thrown into a complex situation. What scene was the most interesting to write for that character?
There were several, but the scene that sprung fully developed without any conscious thought was when he is reporting in with Rear Admiral Gupta at the end, just before Bill and Nicholas are ordered home. The possibility that Bill would reject an augment to his crew after suffering such losses definitely didn’t come from me! Bill had his own ideas by this point, and he made it clear he didn’t need any help. The real-life USS Franklin analogy is much more nuanced than portrayed here, but Bill was clear about why he wanted his crew to take Nicholas home themselves. The second most interesting, and difficult, scene to write with him was the one (SPOILER!) in which his Navigator dies. I didn’t want her to die, but the story needed it, and it led to the theme, which hadn’t yet revealed itself to me: risk and the need to embrace it.
I felt that the action scenes were expertly crafted. I find that this is an area that can be overdone in novels. How did you approach this subject to make sure it flowed evenly?
I have a wonderful editor, Laura Taylor, who runs a Read and Critique workshop at the Southern California Writers Conference. She’d seen several of the action sequences and encouraged me to keep writing them short and to the point. She doesn’t believe in overdone action scenes, either! I avoided them because I’ve experienced combat at sea myself and want to be true to the way it plays out. Especially today with supersonic missiles, but even as far back as World War II (particularly during the Guadalcanal campaign), sea combat moves quickly. If I were to have characters over-reacting, or inject unnecessary drama, I’m no longer being authentic. Authenticity is very important to me. I want Navy veterans to read this and say, “Yep, that’s how it was.” People do their jobs amidst chaos. There’s no time to let anything else in, even if the ship is taking hits. That was true 249 years ago and has proven true again as recently as last month in the Red Sea.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
I’ve been asked that quite a bit. When I finished this book, I didn’t have any plans for these characters, and I will definitely never try writing a story too close related to real-world events again! That said, I’ve played with some possible future scenarios, perhaps where Bill is now a Destroyer Squadron commander. Iran and Korea are obvious possibilities for adversaries, but again, I am leery of writing anything that might be overcome by events by the time it comes to print. I think China is done for this generation, based on where I’ve left it, and I don’t want to stretch the bounds of reasonable to create another conflict with them just to get the characters back into another book. I’m working on a trilogy set during the American Revolution right now, and a World War II novel loosely based on my father’s and two of my uncles’ service. But I’m not ruling out Bill’s eventual return. I wish Barrister were alive, as I think she’d be an interesting character for a future story, but alas, it’s not to be.
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When the People’s Republic of China unleashes a devastating attack on the United States, newly appointed Navy Commander Bill Wilkins and his crew are suddenly alone, deep in the enemy’s backyard, and unable to communicate with naval or national leadership.
At home in Washington, the president is detached from reality. Survivors of his cabinet contend with military leadership for control, some to save the nation they serve, others in pursuit of personal power.As America becomes alienated from her allies, Russia begins a campaign that creates heightened fears of nuclear annihilation.
Bill must navigate a political minefield to find friends among China’s neighbors while undertaking a role that demands he take unimaginable risks and wrestle with the question, What losses are acceptable in order to win?
What Not To Forgive
Loring Walawander’s What Not to Forgive is a dramatic exploration of trauma, redemption, and the complexities of human relationships set against a backdrop of poignant and often harrowing experiences. The novel weaves together the lives of several characters, primarily Chase and Tekla, whose journeys of personal growth and forgiveness intersect in unexpected and moving ways. Chase’s struggle with the loss of his wife, JoAnn, and his attempt to scatter her ashes in a symbolic final goodbye provides a raw and emotional pulse to the story.
Walawander’s prose is both robust and nuanced, capturing the internal conflicts and transformative moments of the characters with a keen psychological insight. The portrayal of Tekla, a veteran grappling with PTSD, is particularly compelling. Her story is not just about the scars of war but also about her struggle for normalcy and love amidst mental and physical trauma. This story is crafted with a delicate balance of toughness and vulnerability, making Tekla a character that deeply resonated with me.
The themes of forgiveness and reconciliation are central to the book, challenging the characters and, by extension, the readers to consider the limits and possibilities of forgiveness. The dialogues, often philosophical in nature, are a testament to the author’s skill in balancing intellectual depth with narrative tension. For instance, the conversations between characters about the nature of guilt and the path to forgiveness are not just emotionally charged but also thought-provoking, inviting the reader to delve deeper into the complexities of these themes.
What Not to Forgive is a powerful and evocative novel that tackles heavy themes with grace and thoughtful consideration. Its rich character development and poignant narrative make it a fantastic read. Those who appreciate stories that explore the depths of human resilience and the painful yet transformative process of healing will find this a meaningful read. Readers who enjoy complex characters and narratives that skillfully intertwine personal and emotional journeys will find this book both engaging and rewarding.
Pages: 308 | ASIN : B0CX4Y1KSX
Patience, Imagination and Research
Magnanotron follows an elite military team who are tasked with testing a new defensive weapon and protecting it from those who are trying to steal the technology. What inspired the setup of your story?
In my Bond of Brothers stories, I like to use current events, things that happened or could happen in the world we live in today. I have my base in my characters and the idea comes to me. Patience, imagination and research, and the game is on.
The characters in your series are well-developed and interesting. What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
It’s Tex Larson, I can see him clearly, the way he moves, his imposing presence before me. This time it was Jason Patrick, his change to Commanding Officer in charge, took some time to see him clearly.
How did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?
This comes two ways for me. One way just seems natural to me as the storyline brings itself and builds into the action scenes. The other way is carefully placing the action scenes after the bulk of the story is written. This is done as I go through the story and flesh things out to give the writing the feel it needs.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
Our special forces are on call, they stand ready to protect us and so will my Delta team and the Bond of Brothers.
I’m sure something will hit the radar, start the wheels rolling. Bring the fight back to protect our freedom and the need for boots on the ground. Delta will be back.
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Two years after the Black Water threat, Colonel Jason Patrick now lives a quieter life as commander of Fort Bragg Army base – but he longs to be back in the field with his Delta Team brothers, now under the steady and capable leadership of Tex Larson.
And it isn’t long before Delta Team is thrust back into the heart-pounding action, as they prepare to test the revolutionary Magnanotron, a defensive weapon that promises to change warfare forever; a literal forcefield around the soldier wearing it. The nano-magnetic technology is stirring amazement and excitement at the very highest levels of U.S. military and government.
But, as excitement mounts, enemies both foreign and domestic plot to seize Magnanotron for themselves. Russian President Baranov and his SRV operatives will stop at nothing to obtain this game-changing technology – even if it means kidnapping a brilliant American scientist and igniting an international crisis.
With tensions escalating and lives on the line, Delta Team springs into action, determined to rescue their comrade and safeguard the Magnanotron from falling into the wrong hands. In a race against time, Tex and his elite team must navigate deadly waters, and face off against cunning and ruthless adversaries.
Gripping and adrenaline-fueled, Magnanotron is a heart-stopping thriller that will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.
Novelizing a Screenplay
In Deep Cover – The Unknowing Agent, an Army Intelligence officer finds himself amid an espionage plot when he defies orders and follows a cryptic message. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The story of how this came about is different from how my most recent book release, Watching Volume 1: The Garden Museum Heist, came about. With that one, there was a definite event that triggered the story. With Deep Cover, I did something I’d never attempted before. The story started out as a screenplay I’d written about 15 years ago. I wasn’t ready to start Volume 2 of Watching, so I was thinking about different possibilities for my next project. With that in mind, I decided to review some of those earlier screenplays and, when I came across Deep Cover, found that it resonated with me and was even more relevant today than when I originally conceived it.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
Because I had written the story so long ago, I had a general idea about where it was going. That being said, novelizing a screenplay has taught me that changes to the story are inevitable. With a novel, you are much more free to expand on themes, concepts, and background. One of my favorite things about writing is that the characters and events lead you in directions that you had not originally intended. Deep Cover was no different. So yes, many of the twists were new and came to me as I was writing.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I think I enjoyed writing for Stephen Beck the most. That character speaks in the first voice and so I was able to insert myself into his head, which leads to me trying to think like him. In doing so, I find that it leads to places I may not have otherwise gone, which is just so much fun!
I think the greatest challenge for me was writing for Pushkin. He is so different from anybody I’ve actually had contact with. In addition, I had specific goals for how I wanted the reader to react to him. While it was more challenging, it was also fun to come up with the various scenarios and backstories. He was one of my favorites.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m currently writing Volume 2 of the Watching series. Hopefully, it will be available during the early part of 2025.
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The Cold War, a period of history during which spycraft rules the world by substituting subterfuge and lies for actual war and mass death. The Soviet Union and the United States of America, the two major players, spend untold sums of money and put their best minds to work at attempting to gain the “upper hand,” whatever that means. Two distinct ideologies. One takes the long view, while the other prefers instant gratification. They find common ground only in their willingness to utilize experimental methods and the lengths to which they are willing to go to “win,” including using their own citizens in unimaginable ways.
During the Cold War, the Soviets plan to infiltrate the U.S. by placing deep cover agents into the country as everyday citizens. Was the plan successful? If so, with détente and the collapse of the Soviet Union, where are they today?
Lisa Jones and Jennifer Turner are two brilliant scientists working at United Genetics Research Lab, a state-of-the-art facility located outside of Washington, D.C., doing state-of-the-art genetics research. Lisa’s boyfriend, Sgt. Stephan Beck, works at the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) as an interpreter of intercepted Russian language messages. One such message, intercepted by Homeland Security, piques his interest due to what he, and no one else, perceives to be a hidden message. Unable to resist the challenge, he breaks protocol in an effort to unravel the mystery, unprepared for what he actually learns: a possible connection to the people he loves and an attempt to manipulate the next presidential election, only months away, altering the fate of the U.S., and the world.
Deep Cover, the second published novel by acclaimed author Jeffrey Jay Levin, author of Watching, Volume 1: The Garden Museum Heist, asks the question: Are the two countries, and the behind-the-scenes players, really all that different? Who can one really trust?
If The Manchurian Candidate and The Americans had a baby, it would have been the adult action thriller Deep Cover.
Deep Cover – The Unknowing Agent
Deep Cover: The Unknowing Agent, by Jeffrey Jay Levin, is a thoughtfully crafted spy thriller that delves into the lingering tensions of the Cold War era. The narrative is set against the backdrop of a dormant Russian spy program, which is suddenly reawakened to potentially disrupt a forthcoming U.S. presidential election. At the heart of this intrigue is Sergeant Stephen Beck, a character from U.S. Army Intelligence, who stumbles upon a cryptic message. His decision to pursue its meaning against orders leads him into a labyrinth of espionage.
Levin’s storytelling echoes the intricate spy narratives of John le Carré, infused with elements that might remind readers of The Manchurian Candidate, particularly the original version directed by John Frankenheimer. The novel primarily revolves around three protagonists: the policy-savvy Stephen Beck, his girlfriend Lisa Jones, and her colleague Jennifer Turner. These characters are portrayed with intelligence, dedication, and a nuanced sense of patriotism, adding depth to their roles in a world rife with subterfuge and ambiguity.
As the story unfolds, Levin masterfully introduces unexpected developments, maintaining a gripping pace. The enduring animosity between the U.S. and Russia is a central theme, portrayed as an unextinguished flame from the Cold War era, lending a sense of realism to the narrative, especially in light of recent global events. The novel’s strength lies in its meticulous plotting and subtle narrative progressions. Levin’s writing exhibits patience and precision, gradually revealing the intricacies of the plot. The story’s direction is confidently handled, ensuring that readers remain engaged through a slowly unraveling mystery. By the novel’s conclusion, Levin skillfully shifts the reader’s allegiances in tandem with those of the characters, showcasing his prowess as a writer.
Deep Cover: The Unknowing Agent stands as a testament to Levin’s ability to weave a complex and realistic spy narrative that resonates with contemporary geopolitical themes. The novel’s careful construction and compelling character dynamics make it a notable addition to the genre.
Pages: 198 | ASIN : B0CVMWR8XP
A Collision Course of Ideologies
Eruption 2085 follows a man in the middle of a brutal war where allegiances are questioned, brothers are lost, and one brother is in the seat of power they set out to destroy. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The setup for Eruption 2085 is the result of combining the events of the real world with the journey of the characters. We were shown a lot of the worst in 2020, between massive outbreaks, police brutality, questionable politics and a seemed regression in race relations, and we see all of this addressed in Ignition 2084. Eruption takes all of the struggle and social turmoil of its predecessor and amplifies it through the characters’ experiences. John and Brian are set on a collision course as their personal ideologies are tested through the nature of war. It really strives to ask the question of what happens to the ally when the battle gets hard? Will they stand and fight by the side of the oppressed, like Bill and Kincaid, or will they fight for themselves and subject their “friends” to yet more longstanding oppression?
Your character development is one of the highlights of your novels. What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
All of my characters are very fun to write for, and they all have a different perspective on what happens throughout the story. If I had to pick one, though, I think that John is always going to be my favorite to write for just because I think we see the most from him. We’ve seen him as the military leader, the husband, the father, a friend, an enemy, and so much more, and we’ve seen how frantically and urgently he protects the ones he loves. At the same time, Brian is a lot of fun, too, since he grows more unhinged as the story goes on. I think that both of them and their relationship in particular poses a unique challenge just because they create a unique dichotomy of perspectives.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?
It’s always fun to look at a map and decide where to go at a moment’s notice, and what I found out during the telling of this story is that the same is true when you want to plan an epic battle scene. There are scenes in this book that take place in Tennessee, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arizona, etc., and all of them are broken compared to what they look like today. Each scene shows a few actual landmarks that would resonate with people who actually live there, but it is still a very fictionalized version of those cities and states. The interesting thing is that this hasn’t changed too much since the battle scene in the ruins of the White House from Ignition.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
After working on a dystopian science-fiction duology for the last two years, I thought to shift gears and work on something a little less research-heavy. To that end, I actually just finished writing a Pan-African Fantasy novel entitled The Word of Y’Neshu: Heart of the Ijeya, and I am extremely excited about the series and the languages that will spring up from it. As for a release date, though, I have no idea yet. For any fans waiting to see what happens next, all I can say is just keep an eye out on my platforms for when the announcement drops!
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LITERARY TITAN 