Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
First of all, I am a retired Lieutenant Colonel and aviator. Since leaving the service, I have worked at Dell, Inc. and also as a probation officer in Jefferson County, Texas. THE TERRORIST MIND is the third book that I have written and the second one that is published. I spend most of my time writing, researching and reading. I am an avid baseball fan and since Houston is my team, times have not been good for the last three years. Oh well, there’s aways next year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled THE TERRORIST MIND. My inspiration for the book began when I was a probation officer and the department considered hiring a consultant who had a program that he claimed could change the recollection of childhood in our probationers. Since I have a cynical nature, I wondered if this could be used to implant false recollections that could provide the basis for violent behavior. For me, the interesting thing about this book is that I actually wrote it almost 20 years ago and could not let go of it through all that time. With the concern of homegrown terrorism in the United States today, I reworked the book and published it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it is unusual or not, but I seem to see the last scene in the book and then write to make the plot come out to that scene. I consider this very important because the last scene is what the reader will remember about the book and any feelings that stick with them. When I lay a book down, I feel like have left the environment of the hero and I want my readers to enjoy that environment and moment.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like a number of authors for different reasons. PRINCE OF TIDES by Pat Conroy because of the ease and fluidity of the description of the South Carolina coastal marshes; HARLOT’S GHOST by Norman Mailer because Mailer has the nerve to write and describe things that I can’t bring myself to write, yet. I love John LeCarre because of the setting and language he uses that brings out the little details of life in imperfect people. I appreciate Joel C. Rosenberg because he makes God and Jesus the basis for his work. I like BLOOD MERIDIAN by Cormac McCarthy because I could not put it down. Kind of like seeing a car wreak coming but you can’t look away. I loved RED SPARROW by Jason Matthews because he displayed a layered world of intrigue that almost leaves you helpless. I love everything by Daniel Silva. I want to grow up to be Gabriel Allon.
What are you working on now?
I am writing the sequel to THE BORISOV DILEMMA and I don’t have a title yet. I have a difficult time with titles but at the present time, it is entitled SLAVCHEV’S SECRET. I am not sure it will last past the editor. When I wrote BORISOV, I brought in Vasil Slavchev, a Russian assassin, for just a quick murder or two and basically became intrigued with the character he became and just couldn’t kill him off.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Marketing is hard. Marketing is very hard. My best results have probably come from my blog which features current world situations and different items that affect Christianity. The blog has been steadily growing and my readers seem to like it. If you are interested, it’s http//:www.tedstrahanauthor.blogspot.com.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am still a new author and my advice should be taken as such, but the only thing I would suggest, and this may be the scariest thing you do, but get someone to critique your writing who is not your friend or relative. After I wrote my first book, which did not get published, I innocently sent it off to Scott Meredith in New York. Mr. Meredith has since past away, but at the time he was among the biggest agents in New York (Norman Mailer’s agent). He sent me back a two page, single-spaced letter and told me my manuscript was not salable and exactly why. But the most important thing he told me was that I wrote well enough to get published. From that point on, I had the confidence to believe I could pen a story in a professional manner.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Other than “don’t get involved in a land war in Asia”, it has to be “don’t promise anything you can’t deliver”. It requires that you know yourself and your own capabilities.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN by Daniel Silva and JERUSALEM: A BIOGRAPHY by Simon Sebag Montefiore.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am thinking about taking a break from the thriller side of the house to write a literary novel about a Texas family from the 1830’s through the present. But I’ve been thinking about this for three years. It kind of depends on the sales of my current books to be truthful about it.
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?
THE BIBLE, any book by Daniel Silva (probably THE ENGLISH GIRL), THE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL MANUAL from Outdoor Life, and a cookbook.
Author Websites and Profiles
Ted Strahan Website