Interview With Author Mike Belasko
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of the Ghost Protocols series, a gritty, high-stakes thriller saga that explores the dark undercurrents of cartel violence, drug trafficking, and human exploitation. The first two installments—Ghosts of War and Ghosts of Trade—introduce Jack, a relentless protagonist who navigates the blurred lines between justice and survival. I’m currently working on the third book, Ghosts of Retribution (working title), where Jack returns to confront the cartel after a brutal attack on his family forces him back into the shadows. Each book dives deeper into the global machinery of organized crime—and the personal cost of fighting it.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel, Ghosts of Trade, confronts one of the most harrowing realities of our time: the global machinery of modern slavery and human trafficking. I was compelled to write it after learning that, as of 2021, an estimated 50 million people were living in modern slavery worldwide—a staggering figure reported by the Global Slavery Index and the United Nations. This book is my attempt to shine a light on the hidden networks that profit from human suffering, and to explore the moral cost of confronting them through the eyes of a protagonist who refuses to look away.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Maybe not unusual, but I don’t do marathon writing sessions—not because I lack discipline, but because my office chair is a medieval torture device disguised as furniture. I write in short bursts, mostly to avoid permanent spinal damage. It’s less “flow state” and more “survival sprint.”
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a fan of Lee Child, but the biggest influence on me has been Don Pendleton. His books are short, action-packed sprints, much like what I write.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Ghost Protocols #3: Ghosts of Retribution (working title). Here’s the description:
When cartel enforcers open fire on former Navy SEAL Jack Raines and his eleven-year-old niece Emma during a peaceful kayaking trip, Jack makes a brutal calculation: the only way to guarantee her safety is to destroy the entire organization that sent them. Over three devastating weeks, he wages a one-man war across Texas and into Mexico, systematically dismantling Los Serpientes—one of North America’s most powerful cartels—leaving forty bodies in his wake. But each kill extracts a terrible price, transforming Jack from protector into weapon, from man into something colder and harder. When the war finally ends with cartel boss Vicente Morales dead and Emma safe, Jack must confront an even harder battle: learning to live with the ghosts of forty people he killed and reclaiming the humanity he sacrificed for love. A visceral exploration of how far we’ll go to protect those we love, and what we become when we cross every line to keep them safe.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really struggle here. I’m currently trying to promote myself and my books. I have my website: mikebelasko.com. I’m using GoFundMe, KickStarter, and BuyMeACoffee to try and raise funds so I can pay for promotion of my books, professional editing, and cover art. I use Twitter and am also searching for other free or low-cost options to get myself out there.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Keep at it, build your fan base, and grind daily.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Start before you’re ready.”
You’ll never be ready. Just start. It doesn’t really matter what it is. You can’t succeed or fail if you never start.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently in the middle of a 400+ book series. My goal is to finish it before I die. Thankfully, most of the books are less than 200 pages, so I can get through more than one a week.
What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next … promote my first two books, finalize my third, and start on my 4th.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is hard. I don’t like to re-read books, so I guess I’d take books 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Jack Reacher series. They have decent length, so they’d keep me reading for a while.
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