Disclaimer: By posting this interview I am in no way endorsing any of the authors work but rather simply giving a forum so that we as readers can get to know them and the authors can promote their stories.
DLC: Today I get to interview the author of Pandora's Grave. Welcome Stephen. As is the custom here, introduce yourself to everyone and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Stephen: My name’s Stephen England. I was born in Indiana, raised in rural Maryland. I’m the son of a pastor, and a committed Christian myself. I’m 21 years old, unmarried. I’ve been writing ever since I was 12-13. It’s who I am. It’s what I enjoy doing.
DLC: You heard it ladies...unmarried and a Christian! hehehe Sorry about that. (clears throat) Now Stephen, I was reading up on your book and it sounds like an adrenaline rush. Please give us the scoop on your book.
Stephen: In one sentence? Pandora’s Grave is a counter-terrorism thriller written in a format reminiscent of 24. To expand more broadly, Grave focuses on a deadly bio-terrorism threat launched by the Iranian regime against the state of Israel. By using a weaponized variant of the pneumonic plague bacteria against Muslim worshipers near the Dome of the Rock and blaming it on a Zionist splinter group, the Iranians hope to unite the Muslim world for the final destruction of the Jewish state. Grave is the story of this plot and an elite team of CIA paramilitaries sent in to neutralize the threat. It also serves as the debut novel of the Shadow Warrior series.
DLC: Like I said, sounds like an adrenaline rush! Sounds great! Which character would you most identify with?
Stephen: I would think that for any writer, it’s natural to identify most deeply with the protagonist, as they are the character the reader gets to know the best. In Grave, that’s the leader of the CIA team, Harry Nichols. Nichols is a fifteen-year veteran of CIA special-ops and really a force to be reckoned with. Yet while he is a formidable operator, he’s not invincible. Nor immune to betrayal, as the climax of Grave reveals. What makes him an particularly interesting individual is that he is a Christian trying hard to balance his faith and his job. And when you’re in the world of terrorism, that can become a very hard thing and this is a facet of his story that will be developed further as the series continues.
DLC: Intense. Going along those same lines, if I asked you to pick one of your characters as your favorite who would it be and why?
Stephen: As far as the most fun to write about? That would probably be Farshid Hossein. He’s a Revolutionary Guards major in Grave and a former leader of the insurgency in Iraq. He’s not one of the good guys by any definition, but he’s fun to write about because he is a very pragmatic character at heart. The epitome of a soldier, but utterly devoid of ideological motivation. Which makes him a unique character among the Iranian cast of Grave. And oh yes, he and Harry Nichols have a very dark history stretching back to those years in Iraq.
DLC: I find this encouraging because I always loved writing the bad guys more so than any of the other characters in my books. lol When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Stephen: A looong time ago. . .I probably knew for certain by the time I was 14 that I wanted writing to be a career. I’ve always loved working with words and writing stories, but it took several years before I knew I wanted to focus seriously on it.
DLC: My eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to pursue writing after I did a creative writing lesson. Unfortunately I never had much support or advice till many years later. If you could give advice to other authors or aspiring authors what would you say?
Stephen: Focus on character creation over plot. Great characters can pull a mediocre plot through. A good plot can’t salvage bad characters. And be very careful about taking advice. Including this. There’s a lot of great people in the writing world—there’s a lot of people you can learn from. But you have to be very careful, particularly if they don’t belong to your target audience. Know your genre inside and out—then you’ll know who your target audience is and how to give them what they want—with a twist.
DLC: That's very smart and you're right. Many times I've been given advice by people who generally write romance or historical novels. It's not that they don't know what they are talking about, it's that it just doesn't apply necessarily to your genre. What source or sources do you draw from when creating a new story?
Stephen: Well, you don’t need to look any farther than the nightly news to see the daily threat of terrorism in the world. It’s a huge threat—a threat that is far from diminished with the death of Usama bin Laden. From there it’s just a matter of researching into the nitty-gritty of that world and learning to think creatively. To use an example—one of the things that makes Grave so frighteningly plausible is that the Iranians have already used this tactic: twice. They bombed a Shiite shrine in Mashhad, Iran, in 1994 and blamed it on their political opponents, the Mujahedin-e Khalq. In more recent memory, Iranian-backed insurgents bombed the Golden Mosque of Samarra, Iraq, in 2006 and nearly caused a civil war between Shia and Sunni. So Grave just takes their tactics to the next level and targets one of the holiest mosques in the entire Muslim world.
DLC: You're right, it's a terrifying world out there and if tension is your gig then turn on CNN. Why did you choose to write counter-terrorism thrillers?
Stephen: In short, September 11th. As with so many Americans, that day changed my life forever. I was just a kid then, but I will never forget what it felt like to watch those towers fall. The rage I felt that day at those who attacked us. And we fast-forward ten years, and if anything, our situation has only gotten more dangerous and confusing, with the uprisings all across the Muslim world this spring. In my opinion, the genre is probably one of the most relevant in today’s unsettled world.
DLC: Good point. What was your greatest challenge personally when writing your current story?
Stephen: Personally, the greatest challenge was the reality that I had started writing this series many years earlier, but as my writing developed and matured, I realized that I needed to completely redo my earlier work, which involved throwing out five manuscripts and going back to find a good place to start the story of Harry Nichols. That was very difficult—there was so much that I didn’t know about my own characters. To this day, looking back, I’m amazed at how many elements that I now consider essential to the series didn’t even exist in my earlier writing. And, on the plus side, I know where the series is going to be in four books, so I can write people and circumstances into Grave that I know I’m going to need down the road.
DLC: Don't feel bad. I had to rewrite my first novel 4 times. I understand. What factors do you use that tell you the manuscript is done?
Stephen: Well, one of the benefits of writing counterterrorism thrillers is that the climax of the book is generally the terrorist attack itself, and the book ends soon after. I always know where the book is going to end before I start—it’s the road getting there that is an uncertain adventure.
DLC: Do you have any favorite authors?
Stephen: Oh, yes. Too many to list, really. I’ve read literally thousands of books. I would say the 19th-century British author G.A. Henty was very influential on my early career and my sideline into historical fiction. I’ve been a big fan of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler for many years, and more recently have delved into Vince Flynn , Brad Thor, and Daniel Silva. There’s some great writers in this genre.
DLC: I knew you'd mention Clancy. lol Are you working on a book now and if so tell us a little bit about it?
Stephen: Yes, I am. Day of Reckoning is the sequel to Pandora’s Grave and the second novel in the Shadow Warrior series. I’m limited in what I can say at the moment, but Reckoning focuses on the threat posed by released Guantanamo Bay detainees. It’s widely known that many of those we have released from the prisons there have returned to the fight. The plot of Reckoning simply takes that to the next level. Toss in corrupt politicians, the Russian Mafia, and a homegrown terror cell and it promises to be an exciting book.
DLC: Sounds like you got everything in there but the kitchen sink. LOL A fun question...If you were stranded on a deserted island and could pick only 2 books to have with you, what would they be and why?
Stephen: Well, the first one is relatively simple: I’d take my Bible. I’ve been reading through the Bible on a daily basis for many years now, and I don’t see why a desert island should stop that. The second. . .wow, I don’t know—there’s so many good books I’ve enjoyed over the years. Probably say I’d take the Federalist Papers, which made the case for the U.S. Constitution. I’ve just recently started working through them, but they’re an incredible read. Keep me occupied for a while.
DLC: A true patriot! =) Love it! Where can people go to get more information about you and your book?
Stephen: Well, I’d be honored if they’d visit my website. It’s www.stephenwrites.com and they can find more information about the Shadow Warrior series, my earlier historical novel Sword of Neamha, and read some of the short stories I’ve written.
www.stephenwrites.com/swordofneamha
DLC: Stephen I am so grateful for you taking the time to be here today. I pray that one day Clancy is your biggest fan! =)
Stephen: Thanks for the interview, Daniel. It’s been great talking with you.
Blessings,
Daniel L Carter
Author of The Unwanted Trilogy
"Daniel L. Carter is a literary force to be
reckoned with—a modern-day C. S. Lewis..."
by Betty Dravisco-author of
DREAM REACHERS
Stephen: My name’s Stephen England. I was born in Indiana, raised in rural Maryland. I’m the son of a pastor, and a committed Christian myself. I’m 21 years old, unmarried. I’ve been writing ever since I was 12-13. It’s who I am. It’s what I enjoy doing.
DLC: You heard it ladies...unmarried and a Christian! hehehe Sorry about that. (clears throat) Now Stephen, I was reading up on your book and it sounds like an adrenaline rush. Please give us the scoop on your book.
Stephen: In one sentence? Pandora’s Grave is a counter-terrorism thriller written in a format reminiscent of 24. To expand more broadly, Grave focuses on a deadly bio-terrorism threat launched by the Iranian regime against the state of Israel. By using a weaponized variant of the pneumonic plague bacteria against Muslim worshipers near the Dome of the Rock and blaming it on a Zionist splinter group, the Iranians hope to unite the Muslim world for the final destruction of the Jewish state. Grave is the story of this plot and an elite team of CIA paramilitaries sent in to neutralize the threat. It also serves as the debut novel of the Shadow Warrior series.
DLC: Like I said, sounds like an adrenaline rush! Sounds great! Which character would you most identify with?
Stephen: I would think that for any writer, it’s natural to identify most deeply with the protagonist, as they are the character the reader gets to know the best. In Grave, that’s the leader of the CIA team, Harry Nichols. Nichols is a fifteen-year veteran of CIA special-ops and really a force to be reckoned with. Yet while he is a formidable operator, he’s not invincible. Nor immune to betrayal, as the climax of Grave reveals. What makes him an particularly interesting individual is that he is a Christian trying hard to balance his faith and his job. And when you’re in the world of terrorism, that can become a very hard thing and this is a facet of his story that will be developed further as the series continues.
DLC: Intense. Going along those same lines, if I asked you to pick one of your characters as your favorite who would it be and why?
Stephen: As far as the most fun to write about? That would probably be Farshid Hossein. He’s a Revolutionary Guards major in Grave and a former leader of the insurgency in Iraq. He’s not one of the good guys by any definition, but he’s fun to write about because he is a very pragmatic character at heart. The epitome of a soldier, but utterly devoid of ideological motivation. Which makes him a unique character among the Iranian cast of Grave. And oh yes, he and Harry Nichols have a very dark history stretching back to those years in Iraq.
DLC: I find this encouraging because I always loved writing the bad guys more so than any of the other characters in my books. lol When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Stephen: A looong time ago. . .I probably knew for certain by the time I was 14 that I wanted writing to be a career. I’ve always loved working with words and writing stories, but it took several years before I knew I wanted to focus seriously on it.
DLC: My eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to pursue writing after I did a creative writing lesson. Unfortunately I never had much support or advice till many years later. If you could give advice to other authors or aspiring authors what would you say?
Stephen: Focus on character creation over plot. Great characters can pull a mediocre plot through. A good plot can’t salvage bad characters. And be very careful about taking advice. Including this. There’s a lot of great people in the writing world—there’s a lot of people you can learn from. But you have to be very careful, particularly if they don’t belong to your target audience. Know your genre inside and out—then you’ll know who your target audience is and how to give them what they want—with a twist.
DLC: That's very smart and you're right. Many times I've been given advice by people who generally write romance or historical novels. It's not that they don't know what they are talking about, it's that it just doesn't apply necessarily to your genre. What source or sources do you draw from when creating a new story?
Stephen: Well, you don’t need to look any farther than the nightly news to see the daily threat of terrorism in the world. It’s a huge threat—a threat that is far from diminished with the death of Usama bin Laden. From there it’s just a matter of researching into the nitty-gritty of that world and learning to think creatively. To use an example—one of the things that makes Grave so frighteningly plausible is that the Iranians have already used this tactic: twice. They bombed a Shiite shrine in Mashhad, Iran, in 1994 and blamed it on their political opponents, the Mujahedin-e Khalq. In more recent memory, Iranian-backed insurgents bombed the Golden Mosque of Samarra, Iraq, in 2006 and nearly caused a civil war between Shia and Sunni. So Grave just takes their tactics to the next level and targets one of the holiest mosques in the entire Muslim world.
DLC: You're right, it's a terrifying world out there and if tension is your gig then turn on CNN. Why did you choose to write counter-terrorism thrillers?
Stephen: In short, September 11th. As with so many Americans, that day changed my life forever. I was just a kid then, but I will never forget what it felt like to watch those towers fall. The rage I felt that day at those who attacked us. And we fast-forward ten years, and if anything, our situation has only gotten more dangerous and confusing, with the uprisings all across the Muslim world this spring. In my opinion, the genre is probably one of the most relevant in today’s unsettled world.
DLC: Good point. What was your greatest challenge personally when writing your current story?
Stephen: Personally, the greatest challenge was the reality that I had started writing this series many years earlier, but as my writing developed and matured, I realized that I needed to completely redo my earlier work, which involved throwing out five manuscripts and going back to find a good place to start the story of Harry Nichols. That was very difficult—there was so much that I didn’t know about my own characters. To this day, looking back, I’m amazed at how many elements that I now consider essential to the series didn’t even exist in my earlier writing. And, on the plus side, I know where the series is going to be in four books, so I can write people and circumstances into Grave that I know I’m going to need down the road.
DLC: Don't feel bad. I had to rewrite my first novel 4 times. I understand. What factors do you use that tell you the manuscript is done?
Stephen: Well, one of the benefits of writing counterterrorism thrillers is that the climax of the book is generally the terrorist attack itself, and the book ends soon after. I always know where the book is going to end before I start—it’s the road getting there that is an uncertain adventure.
DLC: Do you have any favorite authors?
Stephen: Oh, yes. Too many to list, really. I’ve read literally thousands of books. I would say the 19th-century British author G.A. Henty was very influential on my early career and my sideline into historical fiction. I’ve been a big fan of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler for many years, and more recently have delved into Vince Flynn , Brad Thor, and Daniel Silva. There’s some great writers in this genre.
DLC: I knew you'd mention Clancy. lol Are you working on a book now and if so tell us a little bit about it?
Stephen: Yes, I am. Day of Reckoning is the sequel to Pandora’s Grave and the second novel in the Shadow Warrior series. I’m limited in what I can say at the moment, but Reckoning focuses on the threat posed by released Guantanamo Bay detainees. It’s widely known that many of those we have released from the prisons there have returned to the fight. The plot of Reckoning simply takes that to the next level. Toss in corrupt politicians, the Russian Mafia, and a homegrown terror cell and it promises to be an exciting book.
DLC: Sounds like you got everything in there but the kitchen sink. LOL A fun question...If you were stranded on a deserted island and could pick only 2 books to have with you, what would they be and why?
Stephen: Well, the first one is relatively simple: I’d take my Bible. I’ve been reading through the Bible on a daily basis for many years now, and I don’t see why a desert island should stop that. The second. . .wow, I don’t know—there’s so many good books I’ve enjoyed over the years. Probably say I’d take the Federalist Papers, which made the case for the U.S. Constitution. I’ve just recently started working through them, but they’re an incredible read. Keep me occupied for a while.
DLC: A true patriot! =) Love it! Where can people go to get more information about you and your book?
Stephen: Well, I’d be honored if they’d visit my website. It’s www.stephenwrites.com and they can find more information about the Shadow Warrior series, my earlier historical novel Sword of Neamha, and read some of the short stories I’ve written.
Further links are:
www.stephenwrites.com/pandorasgravewww.stephenwrites.com/swordofneamha
DLC: Stephen I am so grateful for you taking the time to be here today. I pray that one day Clancy is your biggest fan! =)
Stephen: Thanks for the interview, Daniel. It’s been great talking with you.
Blessings,
Daniel L Carter
Author of The Unwanted Trilogy
"Daniel L. Carter is a literary force to be
reckoned with—a modern-day C. S. Lewis..."
by Betty Dravisco-author of
DREAM REACHERS