These days I’m the author of a series of thriller novels featuring Dr. Derek
Stillwater, a troubleshooter for Homeland Security. Derek’s particular area of
expertise is biological and chemical terrorism. He’s been favorably compared by
reviewers and readers to Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer and Jack Reacher. (Yes, I’m
flattered). The most recent Stillwater novel is THE FALLEN.
In March I had a book launch party at Aunt Agatha’s Mystery Bookstore in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, and I wisely stocked the store with family members. While I was
giving my spiel, apparently Robin Agnew, Aunt Agatha’s owner, leaned over to my
brother and asked him if I looked like Derek Stillwater. To which he responded,
"When he was younger."
I can’t tell you how bizarre an exchange that is to me.
In addition to the Derek Stillwaternovels I’ve had a couple standalones.
One is an e-book for Kindle, DANCING IN THE DARK, which features Joanna Dancing,
a high-level bodyguard and security expert. She ain’t me.
My first novel, DIRTY
DEEDS, features Meg Malloy, a computer troubleshooter who made a fortune
before the dot-com bubble burst and now spends her time doing short-term
computer projects. She ain’t me, either.
What brought this home in an amusing way was friends of mine recently read DIRTY DEEDS and they said
to my wife, "Meg Malloy is you." To which my wife responded, "I guess I should
read it, then."
She ain’t Meg, either.
Except ...well, Meg has a take-no-prisoners attitude that does resemble my
wife’s. (Alas, my wife is not a millionaire, dammit!)
So am I Derek Stillwater? Well, he has advanced degrees in microbiology and
biochemistry. I have a BSc in microbiology and public health. He was in Army
Special Forces. I never served in the military. He was raised in various
third-world countries by parents who were missionary physicians. I was raised in
Davison, Michigan by parents who were a bank supervisor and elementary school
secretary (although they were fairly religious). Derek’s into kayaking and
martial arts. I’m into kayaking and martial arts. Derek lives on a boat. I live
in a ranch-style house in a suburb (although the idea of living on a boat has a
lot of appeal).
I’m not Derek. Yet ... we have the same attitudes about bureaucracies and
chain-of-command; in other words, no patience for them. He’s a bit of a
hypochondriac; so am I. He has panic attacks; I don’t (really). There is an
attitude we share and a worldview that is similar.
It does remind me a bit of the final scene in the movie IRON MAN, when Robert
Downey, Jr., stands up and says, "I’m Iron Man."
But I’m not Derek Stillwater. (At least not all the time).
8 comments posted.
I love the Reacher series, so I'm going to check out your Stillwater series. Sound like great reading.
(Pat Wilson 9:57am April 29, 2010)
People seem to think that if you write a novel that it must be about you or someone close to you. Sometimes we seem to overthink rather than to sit back and enjoy. Your Derek Stillwater series sounds good!
(Rosemary Krejsa 5:29pm April 29, 2010)
Let's see, it seems to be a little difficult to change your background to match that of Dr. Derek. Could he be interviewed some time and asked what he would like to change about his background? He could then mention something like, maybe, perhaps, being raised by fairly religious parents in a small town, like Davison, Michigan by parents who were a bank supervisor and elementary school secretary???
(Karin Tillotson 5:31pm April 29, 2010)