I'm happy to welcome thriller author, Harry Wegley to the blog today!
There are several stories behind Hide and Seek. This was my first novel, and I wanted to know my characters and portray them well. Therefore, I gave the hero, Lee Brandt, my middle name, my resume, some of my work experience, and many of my childhood experiences. The plot is a composite of incidents I investigated, or had special knowledge of, combined with a few things I made up to glue it all together. Considering the nature of some of my work, it would not be prudent to clearly identify what was real and what was fictional.
Who's been your favorite character you ever created?
So far, Jennifer Akihara, the heroine of my first novel in the Pure Genius Series, has been by far the most fun character. Jennifer is a 5’2″ 110-pound, stunning, Japanese-Hawaiian beauty. With an IQ and a temper both hovering near 212, she can slice you with her words or her laser look. She has been stalked several times, so she carries a .38, a gun with one notch on it. She’s a 24-year-old PhD candidate in computing security and a rising star in the field of Internet forensics. NSA and several other government agencies want her to sign a job contract, some cyber spies and terrorists want her dead, and a guy named Lee Brandt just wants her in his life.
Do you have a character who resembles you?
When I began my very first novel, the fear that, in my ignorance, I would not portray realistic characters drove me to clone myself. As a result, Lee Brandt, the hero of my first 3 novels, got a shortened version of my resume, many of my childhood and adult experiences, and a little of my personality. My wife, a tall, slender, red-haired, freckled-faced, blue-eyed, Irish woman, immediately recognized me in Lee. When Lee fell head over heels for a beautiful, petite, brown-eyed, Japanese-Hawaiian woman with black hair, she subjected me to a bevy of unpleasant, probing questions. The first-kiss scene sent laser looks my way. I anticipated her reaction because … well, I gave the petite, brown-eyed beauty my wife’s personality. I also dedicated the book to my wife and made sure she read the dedication before plunging into the story. I survived. But now she wants me to be more like Lee. I forgot to give Lee some of my shortcomings.
Is it difficult to find the time to write?
I tell my wife that I’m going to write today. Then she says either yes or no. If she says yes, I’ve found time to write. Seriously, she’s actually very tolerant of my writing. But, as I mentioned earlier, she’s also a red-haired Irish girl that I don’t want to—I’ve probably said enough about this subject.
What are some of the reactions you get when people find out you write?
At first they’re curious. They start asking questions. The questions I’ve heard reveal that most people have the same set of misconceptions about writers. Even if you’re a newbie, once you’re published they assume your famous and making a lot more money than most of us make.
When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?
The next book in the 4-book Pure Genius Series is On the Pineapple Express. It is currently available for the Kindle, but the full release, all e-book formats and printed copy, is scheduled for February 28, 2014. The story picks up a few months after Hide and Seek ends.On the Pineapple Express is a human-trafficking thriller, with a little romance, where the hero and heroine must decide if they will play it safe before their impending wedding, or risk their wonderful future together to save a group of girls from an international human-trafficking ring.
Thank you, Harry!
Amazon:
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Deeper Shopping:
Christianbook.com
About Harry:
Connect with Harry:
Web site: http://hlwegley.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley
Blog: weatherscribe.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hlw154th
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4460203.H_L_Wegley
Hide and Seek sounds fascinating. And you're a wise man, Harry Wegley, to follow your wife's advice.
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