Will you write others in this same genre? There’s a sequel to “Sleeper’s Run” somewhere in the future. I’d love to make it into a series. As far as thrillers not involving Eric Caine, I have no immediate plans, but I don’t see why not since I love the genre. However, I have stories in other genres that I want to focus on.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? There are many. “Sleeper’s Run” is a very layered work. On the surface, it reads like an edge-of-your-seat thriller full of action, intrigue and exotic locales, but each person takes away something different from it. It depends on the reader’s background, education, interest, awareness, etc. This wasn’t a book designed to spoon-feed concepts, but stimulate thoughts. Each reader takes out what they bring to it. If I have to pick a main message it would be to question everything and think for yourself.
How much of the book is realistic? Everything. The novel was researched using non-fiction sources. From the history, the policies, the fight scenes, the technologies, etc. Aside from my martial arts training, travel experience and military knowledge, I went as far as taking flying lessons, learned to use guns, fight with knives and took a course on urban escape and evasion. What you see in the book is entirely plausible. Now, things like the frequency of the action, the concept of one man vs. the world (so to speak) and some speculative science applications are purely in the realm of fiction. Also, I don’t have an inside track to things like special operations or the intelligence community, so I have to rely on published sources. I’m sure there are gaps and errors in the innermost workings of how they go about their business, but only someone from those worlds could tell. Like a friend of mine who works for the federal government said, “For an outsider, you definitely did your homework.”
Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? There are definitely things from my life in the novel, events, conversations and even people. Or at least a blend of people. There are also things that happened to people I know. I like to pepper my stories with real life elements, because some of them you just can’t make up.
How important do you think villains are in a story? I don’t subscribe to heroes and villains concept. That denotes a sense of good vs. evil. I see characters in terms of protagonists and antagonists. An antagonist is essential, because it represents the counter point to what the protagonist symbolizes, his worldviews and ideals. To me it’s more an issue of point and counterpoint. I like to let the readers decide who or what is right or wrong.
What are your goals as a writer? In a good day, to entertain my readers. In a great day, to stimulate thinking. I want to create the kinds of stories were people can’t put the book down. And I also want to develop my own voice.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? Not directly. However, I used some of my travels as research for “Sleeper’s Run.”
What books have most influenced your life? James Clavell’s “Shogun,” it was the first time I undertook a journey with a character in a book, and I found it fascinating. “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, because it showed me that a Latino author could actually make it in the international arena. Al though technically not a book, Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” changed my whole perception of what could be done in terms of storytelling. Nothing is out of bounds.
Who is your favorite author and why? Arturo Pérez-Reverte. He’s the only author who has made me laugh, cringe, hate, love, fear, hope and basically every other feeling there is with his work.
Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Most certainly.
Have you started another book yet? I’m right smack in the middle of writing my next novel.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Alive and happy.
What are your current writing projects now? I’m currently writing a general fiction story I hope to publish by the end of the year. I’m also researching a sci-fi story and a sequel to “Sleeper’s Run.”
Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? I am. They are non-fiction and directly related to the research of my future novels, so I don’t want to give anything away.
Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest and why? Not so far.
What are some of the best tools available today for writers, especially those just starting out? The Internet. There’s a wealth of information just waiting to be mined. Research has never been this easy. I’m so grateful to have such a wonderful tool.
- Winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards for best mystery/thriller
- Winner of the 2011 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards for Best South American Novel
- 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award finalist
- Honorable mention at the Paris Book Festival
- Honorable mention at the San Francisco Book Festival
- Honorable Mention at the 2013 Hollywood Book Festival
- Nominee in the Reader’s Favorite International Book Award in the Thriller category
War on Terror veteran, Eric Caine, is found wandering the streets of Miami with no memory of the car accident that left him there. Alone and suffering from PTSD, Eric is on a one-way road to self-destruction. Then a chance meeting at a bar begins a series of events that helps Eric start anew. When his new job relocates him to Venezuela-the land of his childhood-things, however, take an ominous turn as a catastrophic event threatens the stability of the country. Now Eric must escape an elite team of CIA assassins as he tries to uncover an international conspiracy in which nothing is what it seems.
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Genre – Political Thriller
Rating – R
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