As my followers know, I write in two genres: historical adventure fiction and adventure thrillers. In my stories, the reader will also find a third plot string: romance. In the Gritt Series the stories follow one family over eight generations. Early on, even I could figure out that to follow multiple generations of one family there would have to be a little dalliance leading to something more lasting. In the Team Walker series, the stories revolve around a young Navy engineer and his mentor, a retired spook; both men have allowed the demands of their careers to stifle a personal life. Both feel the loss and for the first time in their lives have attracted like-minded partners. Great, if they can find the balance to make it work. In all these stories, one question emerges: Who saves the day? I like stories where even the hero may need saving. Which gets me to my top 5 for July. I read and reread five authors who have influenced my writing on conflict.
Alistair MacLean, who’s books like Where Eagles Dare and The Guns of Navarone emphasize how difficult it is to perform as a team when faced with nearly impossible odds.
Ken Follett, with books like Eye of the Needle, reflect how passion in times of war can warp into obsession, twisting even adversaries into lovers and then into enemies.
Ernest Hemingway, in For Whom the Bell Tolls, describes how all danger is shared, and often even the protagonist cannot save themselves.
Tom Clancy, in The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising elevates the geeky analyst into the role of reluctant hero.
Stephen Coonts, in Flight of the Intruder, explores the pain of loss that military people feel, especially when that loss seems pointless; with a special emphasis on how timid politicians, making cautious decisions turn men and women into cannon fodder.
In each of these novels, passion in times of crisis changes the characters, and ordinary people are pushed by extraordinary circumstances, into almost impossible deeds. I’ve learned from all of them.
Don’t misunderstand me, I love the superheroes of Lee Child, David Baldacci, and Dean Koontz. It’s just that the real heroes I’ve known over the years were ordinary people who did the unimaginable against all odds. Part of what drove them was protecting those they love and a desire to return to them. Few achieved victory on their own.