FAQ

Yes. The CIA approached me during my senior year of college. That experience strengthened my interest in intelligence work and gave me a personal connection to the world I explore through Erik. The events that follow in the novel, however, are fictional.

Yes. My interest began at an early age. When I was fifteen, the film Three Days of the Condor inspired me to write to and call the CIA. That fascination with intelligence, secrecy, and hidden government operations eventually became part of the foundation for Erik’s world.

Yes. Deceptive Protocol is written as a stand-alone thriller. New readers can begin with this novel, while returning readers will discover connections to characters, secrets, and events from the series.

A considerable part of Erik’s analytical nature comes from me. He studies people, notices small details, questions official explanations, and thinks several steps ahead. He can also be socially awkward, guarded, stubborn, and reluctant to trust others. I gave him some of my strengths and flaws, then placed him in situations far more dangerous than anything I experienced.

That boundary is intentionally difficult to see. The history provides the foundation. My experiences give the story some of its emotional truth. The conspiracy, pursuit, and danger belong to the fictional world of Erik Függer. The result is a story that feels possible, even when readers know they have entered a thriller.