Yes, I write in the action-adventure/thriller genre. I've always loved that genre, ever since I was a kid. James Bond films,World War II movies, old Sergio Leone westerns, Dirty Harry, all of them. Dad introduced me to that genre at an early age, and it just stuck with me.
Somewhere along the way, in 1980, when I was ten, I found a book called The Executioner #39: A New War. The premise: Mack Bolan, who had waged a one man war on the mafia, earning the nickname "The Executioner", was now under the employment of the U.S. Government to wage war on terrorism. His new name? "Colonel John Phoenix." Yes, a blatant metaphor.
I got into the series, and then, in 1982, several things happened, besides me turning 12. I started writing stories then, little short ones, but, the bug had hit. I found myself writing almost any chance I had, even in class. But, in 1982, The Executioner gained some allies on his "new war." Able Team & Phoenix Force. I fell in love with the team concept. Yes, the solo adventurer was great, but the teams really appealed to me.
A group of guys, some, in the case of Phoenix Force, complete strangers, coming together for the greater good. These guys would willingly die for each other and for the people of the world they had sworn to protect. I still enjoy these series today.
And, in 1982, a small action/political thriller movie came out starring Ken Wahl, called, simply The Soldier. I saw the trailers, begged dad to take me since it was rated R. So, we went. And, it was not just about one guy. "The Soldier" had a team that he relied on to assist him. There was no way he would have accomplished his mission without them.
This has actually become one of my favorite movies. Yes, it's dated in some respects, but in others, it's still shockingly accurate and still possible today. The world's reliance on Middle Eastern Oil to flow, the threat of a nuclear "suitcase" bomb in the hands of terrorists, a plot to destroy/discredit Israel... sound familiar? 30 years later, all this is still around. Plus, there is a ski chase scene that rivals any of the Bond movies. Why this movie isn't on DVD or Blu-ray is beyond me.
Anyways, I kept the team concept in my head not only for writing, but also for real life. I have several friends I made back when I was 7, and, we're still friends today. As great as you are alone, you're that much better with a team of friends to support you, and for you to support in turn.
I'm thankful for all of my old and new friends. These are friends that I know, no matter what, I'll have their backs and they'll have mine. You guys know who you are. And I'm glad you all are around.
My first book, The Sleep of the Just introduced the FACET team to readers. The next one, Sins of the Father is in progress and should be finished by late spring/early summer, with the third in the series, as yet untitled, coming out in late fall. The FACET team is just that. A team. These guys live, fight, and would be willing to die for each other if they had to. All the lessons that an Executioner, a Phoenix, and a Soldier taught me as a kid.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Mouse Is Roaring
The more I see of the situation with North Korea, the more I'm reminded of "The Mouse That Roared." You know, the story by Leonard Wibberly of the tiny country of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick that decided to go to war with the United States. The reason? So the U.S. would defeat them, and then the Marshall Plan would go into effect, and the U.S. would have to rebuild their country, much as the U.S. did to Germany after World War II.
Kim Jong-il liked to saber rattle. He'd constantly keep trying to goad the South and the U.S. into doing something, but, thankfully, we never bit. He'd rattle, we'd throw some sanctions, and leave him alone, because, it seemed, he was nothing but a lot of noise. Hell, he'd said in 1994 that North Korea would dismantle their nuclear program for U.S. Aid.
But, in 2002, OOPS! North Korea admitted it had been producing nuclear weapons since that Agreed Framework, for "security reasons." In, 2006, North Korea said it had completed an underground nuclear test. But, still, he wasn't taken too seriously. Oh, we kept an eye on him, but compared to the threat that al Qaeda presented, the ongoing wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, and keeping tabs on Iran, North Korea kind of sat on the back burner.
Now, Kim Jong-il is, of course, deceased, and his third son, Kim Jong-un is now in power. And this is what's disturbing. This is a 28 year old kid who doesn't seem to grasp that his dad's saber rattling was just that. This is a kid who has shiny new toys to play with, the security and prosperity of his people be damned.
He's said in the past month that they now have ICBMs capable of reaching the U.S. West Coast. He's said that the 1953 Armistice Treaty is null and void, essentially restarting, at least verbally, the Korean War. Even China and Russia aren't touching this kid like they help back up Iran in the U.N.
And still, we throw sanctions on him. We say we're ready at a moment's notice. And, truthfully, we are. Maybe this kid isn't as dumb as we think. Maybe he's trying to push dad's idea to have the U.S. invade and then activate the Marshall Plan even further than dad could get it to go. There's just one problem that I don't think this kid understands. You launch a nuke, and shit will get real, and fast.
For the sake of the people of North Korea, I hope someone in his cabinet tells him to chill. Dad was easy to predict. He'd yell, threaten, and then go sing about how lonely he was. Jong-un? He's a wild card. And one that, for the safety of the world, needs to be put back into the deck.
Kim Jong-il liked to saber rattle. He'd constantly keep trying to goad the South and the U.S. into doing something, but, thankfully, we never bit. He'd rattle, we'd throw some sanctions, and leave him alone, because, it seemed, he was nothing but a lot of noise. Hell, he'd said in 1994 that North Korea would dismantle their nuclear program for U.S. Aid.
But, in 2002, OOPS! North Korea admitted it had been producing nuclear weapons since that Agreed Framework, for "security reasons." In, 2006, North Korea said it had completed an underground nuclear test. But, still, he wasn't taken too seriously. Oh, we kept an eye on him, but compared to the threat that al Qaeda presented, the ongoing wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, and keeping tabs on Iran, North Korea kind of sat on the back burner.
Now, Kim Jong-il is, of course, deceased, and his third son, Kim Jong-un is now in power. And this is what's disturbing. This is a 28 year old kid who doesn't seem to grasp that his dad's saber rattling was just that. This is a kid who has shiny new toys to play with, the security and prosperity of his people be damned.
He's said in the past month that they now have ICBMs capable of reaching the U.S. West Coast. He's said that the 1953 Armistice Treaty is null and void, essentially restarting, at least verbally, the Korean War. Even China and Russia aren't touching this kid like they help back up Iran in the U.N.
And still, we throw sanctions on him. We say we're ready at a moment's notice. And, truthfully, we are. Maybe this kid isn't as dumb as we think. Maybe he's trying to push dad's idea to have the U.S. invade and then activate the Marshall Plan even further than dad could get it to go. There's just one problem that I don't think this kid understands. You launch a nuke, and shit will get real, and fast.
For the sake of the people of North Korea, I hope someone in his cabinet tells him to chill. Dad was easy to predict. He'd yell, threaten, and then go sing about how lonely he was. Jong-un? He's a wild card. And one that, for the safety of the world, needs to be put back into the deck.
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