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A nice haul of gently used books from a recent visit to a local store. A good book can transport the reader through space and time. Authors provide a mental retreat that evokes emotion and makes people feel as if they are really somewhere else, experiencing an alternate reality alongside the characters. We read to learn, but everyone deserves to escape sometimes. As a writer, when we can’t always visit every place we write about, how do we bring the world to life on the page?

You’ve lived life, traveled, explored, and developed a perspective on the world, and now you’re ready to write. It's time to put pen to paper, or make those digits of yours click away on the keys to generate a story. What follows is a bit about my writing process, but beware. What works for me may or may not work for you. There are endless ways to get to a finished manuscript, and while my process works for me, it might just as well drive you insane as help you. Going from an

Everyone should find their creative voice. I spent time in the art studio and experimented with photography, but I have always enjoyed the written word. Before writing or typing the first sentence of my debut manuscript, I reflected on the prospect of writing a book. I always did well in English and Literature classes, so I thought it would be time-consuming but easy. What I found was that it took a tremendous amount of time and effort, like my brain was constantly working in

Here’s a guide to some of the guns, gear, and equipment found in SHADOWS OF THE FATHERS. Winning Wheels : At home, Hunter Long drives a modified Land Rover Defender 110. When he arrives in Mexico, an armored Mercedes G63 is waiting for him. Safehouse Siege : Glock 19s with Trijicon red dot sights and Daniel Defense MK18 short-barreled rifles are the bare minimum when you are trapped by a squad of cartel enforcers. You find grenades, but what happens when you use them in a con

By Crowley Clark Looking for your next spy novel? Here is your guide to many of the top espionage thrillers over the last seventy-plus years. Espionage thrillers in some form have been written for 200 years, starting with James Fenimore Cooper 's The Spy  in 1821, then contributions from others like Kim  by Rudyard Kipling  and Joseph Conrad ’s The Secret Agent  at the turn of the century. There were others, but when it comes to the contemporary espionage thriller, it all sta

Q. What inspired Shadows of the Fathers ' main character, Hunter Long? A. Hunter came from the idea that many heroes in the genre seem to show up fully-baked. It isn't that they don’t have an arc or change, but they have the skills to succeed. Hunter is capable, but he is young and inexperienced, with a lot to learn. So, this is an origin story. I also wanted Hunter to wrestle with the idea of becoming a killer and the moral weight of that choice, rather than just running thr