Everyday Heroes.
The Spring Thriller 2013
Welcome to the SPRING THRILLER Blog Tour, 2013 –
a collection of blogs, books and authors who specialize in writing novels about
murders, mysteries, espionage and terrorism which contain those crucial
elements of character, tension, suspense, adventure, pace, action, realism and
plot.
You’re invited to take part in ‘the thriller
writers’ adventure by visiting and supporting the websites of authors involved
in the tour and who are dedicated to turning out some of the best thrillers
available today.
Each author named at the bottom of the page has been
asked the same questions but the answers will obviously all be different. You
merely click on the author’s name at the bottom of the page to see how they
have answered the same question.
So, without further ado, here are the questions
from THE THRILLER WRITER:
To JOSEPH BADAL:
Q. How long have you been writing and what life
skills do you bring to your work?
A. I’ve been writing most of my life, but I
turned to thrillers in 2000. This switch to writing fiction – and especially
thrillers – was influenced by the works of Robert Ludlum, and by life
experiences while serving in highly classified positions in the U.S. Army,
including tours of duty in Greece and Vietnam. My novels are based on real life
experiences, whether from military service, or from my extensive career in finance
and banking. My Bob Danforth Saga (Evil Deeds, Terror Cell, The Nostradamus
Secret, and the soon-to-be-released The Lone Wolf Agenda), for example,
includes extensive references to actual experiences in the Army. My last novel,
Shell Game, is a financial thriller based on current events in the banking and
capital markets communities.
Q. Do you research content for your work and if
so where from?
A. My books are based on personal experience as
well as on on-location research and a significant amount of work in libraries
and on the Internet. For example, before writing The Pythagorean Solution, I
visited the Island of Samos to familiarize myself with the location of its many
architectural and archeological wonders, as well as with local customs. In the
case of Evil Deeds, much of that book is based on actual, real-life
experiences. But the source of much of the information about Bulgaria in that
book came from research on the Internet and from libraries.
Q. Tell us about one of your previous
publications?
A. My latest release, Shell Game (http://www.amazon.com/Shell-Game-ebook/dp/B008APK9SU/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359996611&sr=1-2&keywords=shell+game),
is based on the actual takeover during the past few years of hundreds of U.S.
banks by Federal regulators, and the inequity and unintended consequences
associated with those appropriations. The story is a roller coaster ride of
action and suspense, replete with murder, mayhem, a love story, government
corruption, and the actions of a sociopath. Not only is it an action-packed thriller,
but it also explains in layman’s language what has happened to U.S. banks since
2007 and why the U.S. economy is still lagging.
Q. What are you currently writing?
A. I’ve just finished The Lone Wolf Agenda, the
4th in the Bob Danforth Saga, which will be released this spring. This
thriller involves CIA Special Ops, Delta Force, and the interdiction of
terrorists who enter the United States through Mexico, with the assistance of
one of the drug cartels. I am working on another novel, Ultimate Betrayal,
which is a standalone thriller about a corrupt CIA official who hires assassins
to murder the men he worked with while serving in Iraq with the U.S. Army
during the first Gulf War. This novel marries characters from Special Ops,
organized crime, and law enforcement as they work together at times and are in
conflict at times, as the protagonist attempts to identify the perpetrator of
the murders and the motive behind them.
Q. What is so special to you about the
‘thriller’ genre?
A. The first mass market fiction I read as a
youngster was in the thriller genre. It was only natural for me to want to
write what I enjoy reading. I also enjoy writing in a genre where the reader
knows early on who the “bad guy” is, but has to wait until the end to see the
antagonist pay the price for his/her evil behavior.
Q. How do you spend your leisure time?
A. What leisure time? Even when I travel, I am
thinking about how the location I am visiting will fit into a story. Though
writing is hard work, it is also my principal “fun” activity. So, I guess
writing is both work and leisure. I know, I need to get a life. But I enjoy
writing so much that I find it difficult to replace it with other “leisure”
activities. I know, I know, I need to get a life.
Q. What is the most thrilling thing that has
ever happened to you?
A. After meeting my wife, and the births of our
two sons, and of our three grandchildren, I would have to say the most
thrilling thing I’ve ever experienced was seeing my first novel on book store
shelves. I still get the same thrill every time one of my novels is released
and goes into distribution.
Q. Can you provide links to your work?
A. Of course, here they are:
Joseph Badal’s blogsite: http://www.josephbadal.wordpress.com
Joseph Badal’s Website: http://www.josephbadalbooks.com
Joseph Badal’s Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=joseph+badal
Joseph Badal’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/joseph.badal.5