1--What is the title of your latest release?
FRIENDLY FIRE
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Newshound reporter Nik Byron races to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of Geoffrey Tate, one of the world’s richest individuals and the CEO of Yukon, the country’s preeminent AI company, at the hands of his young trophy wife.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
When writing about intrigue, double-dealing, espionage, smarmy politicians and investigative reporting, the go-to setting is Washington, DC, where I once lived and worked.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely - and I feel like I do most days.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Charming, flawed, determined.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Listen to your characters.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I constantly edit and revise.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Anything salty - Cape Cod potato chips, popcorn and salty caramel ice cream.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
It’s a converted sleeping porch in a 100-year-old house with three walls of windows and limestone mined from a local quarry. The other wall is bookcases.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Richard Russo. He’s a master at eloquently distilling human emotions and motivations and does so expertly in Nobody’s Fool.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Possibly Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in that it exposed me early on to the world of storytelling and reading.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
The “original call” happened when I landed my first-choice agent.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Historical fiction. I particularly like David Liss, A Conspiracy of Paper and the Coffee Trader, and Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey and Maturin British naval series.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Casablanca. It’s a terrific tale of intrigue wrapped around a truly great love story.
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall. It reminds me of northern Michigan and home.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Quietly.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Hack (my first novel).
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Read, tennis, and play bridge.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
Black Bird, the 3rd book in the Nik Byron investigates series.
A Nik Byron Investigation #2
In the tradition of the best legal and political thrillers, Friendly Fire is an explosive tale of greed, revenge, treason, and murder.
When Geoffrey Tate, one of the world’s richest individuals and the CEO of Yukon, the country’s preeminent artificial intelligence company, is shot and killed by his young trophy wife, it’s going to grab headlines. And seasoned Newshound reporter Nik Byron intends to be the one generating them. But Nik’s investigation quickly leads him down a treacherous path he didn’t foresee.
The sensational trial that follows Tate’s death threatens to derail Bullwhip—the military’s next generation of AI-inspired war machines—and scramble the fortunes of political heavyweights and Pentagon brass alike. His journalistic instincts aroused, Nik embarks on an uncertain hunt for the truth that takes him deep into the murky worlds of Washington lobbyists, the military-industrial complex, and the Saudi intelligence apparatus.
Undermined by a vindictive boss and a jealous rival reporter, Nik turns to trusted Newshound colleagues, Mia Landry and Patrick “Mo” Morgan—as well as a Pentagon whistleblower—to land his story and unravel the mystery surrounding Tate’s death. But in doing so Nik risks alienating Samantha Whyte, the chief investigator for the Northern Virginia County Sheriff’s Department and his lover. Worse still, the story puts him in the sights of a contract killer.
Thriller Political [Girl Friday Books, On Sale: March 7, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781954854628 / ]
Mark Pawlosky is an award-winning reporter, editor, and media executive. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, editorial director for American City Business Journals (ACBJ), andeditor in chiefofCNBC.com/msn, he oversaw financial news channels in the US, London, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. He successfully helped launch several media operations nationwide, including MSNBC, American City Business Journals, and Biz Magazine. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, Pawlosky and his family spent the past twenty years living on an island in Washington state before relocating to the Midwest.
No comments posted.
© 2003-2026