Many author About pages start with a yearning to write from early childhood. Not mine. I wish I had gotten serious about writing when I was much younger.
At age six, in first grade, I brought home Dick and Jane books because I wanted to read ahead and find out why Spot would run, Spot, run. My instincts were right, but Dick and Jane books never did much with character development and I never found out what drove Dick, Jane, and Spot. Who names their dog, Spot, anyway? I don’t know if anyone still uses Dick and Jane books to teach reading.
I became a reading fiend, but growing up to become a writer myself? Nope. Instead, I learned how to survive in an alcoholic household. That’s not all bad. Granted, much of my teenage years were hell on earth, but we can use adversity, or we can allow adversity to use us. It’s been a process for me, but we all come from somewhere – may as well embrace it.
I eventually figured out that writing helped me work through issues that bothered me. And in 2013. I figured it was time to write a book about how I grew up. There really are lessons buried in all that pain, and, after all, I spent five years in the 1990s writing a back-page column in an IT trade magazine. How hard could a book be?
My first hint that I wasn’t ready to write a book came when a prospective publisher asked me what genre I wrote. I didn’t know what genre was. Lilly told me I was working on a memoir. Lilly eventually told me to go away and study stories. I studied every book she told me to read, and I learned there’s a whole body of knowledge around stories and the craft of writing. And lots of genres. Who knew?
I decided I would write a cybersecurity book, and that’s where “Bullseye Breach” came from. How does somebody from the other side of the planet get inside a Fortune 500 retailer and steal millions of customer credit cards? And how could victims fight back? It’s a fascinating story.
But cybersecurity stakes are much bigger than just money and identity theft. What would happen if a nation-state groomed a few victims online and tried to harness ordinary PCs in ordinary offices across the United States to con the USA into going to war with the wrong enemy? Who would sniff it out and who would stop it? Hint: it won’t be anyone with an official US Government title. That led to “Virus Bomb.” If you like thrillers, you’ll love “Virus Bomb.”
How do attackers exploit vulnerable people over the internet? I’ve seen online manipulation first-hand. That spawned “Trafficking U.” When you read “Trafficking U,” recognize the manipulation and yell at the victims to not fall for it. If you’re that deep into the characters, you’ll help me feel good about my writing. And you’ll feel good about how the characters end up.
Other book ideas are brewing. Keep an eye on my books page. And that memoir? One day I’ll put it together. It will be a better memoir than the one I started back in 2013.
Book marketing professionals suggest offering a free reader magnet in return for an email address. I like that idea, so here’s the offer. Just fill out your email address and name in the form below and I’ll send you a copy of “A Fool for God,” about an interesting character who plays a role in “Trafficking U.” I’ll also email you updates from time time time, but I won’t spam you and I won’t share your contact info with anyone else. Hey – I’m a cybersecurity pro. I dislike spam as much as you do.
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