Book Promotion: Blog Tour: Character Interview & Author Interview - Jess Money 'Public Enemies'

 

We are so excited to be part of Jess Money's Public Enemies blog tour!  Today we have a very special guest post by one of his characters, FBI Senior Supervisory Agent Darren Medlin AND an interview with the author talking about his character.  Two treats in one!

Raised in a politically active family, Jess Money majored in Political Science with a minor in Economics. He sold his first magazine article at the age of 16 and has since written everything from ad copy and political mailers to a screenplay for DreamWorks, which earned him membership in the Writers Guild of America. Along the way he had a career in professional motorsports, worked with the U.S. Women’s Olympic Volleyball program, managed two of the entertainment industry’s most acclaimed screenwriting programs, and worked as a bar bouncer when that’s what it took to keep the wolf from the door.
Her latest book is the political thriller, Public Enemies.
You can visit Jess at www.publicenemiesbook.com.

Man's Eternal Quest

by FBI Senior Supervisory Agent Darren Medlin

Boys always want to get their driver's licenses for one reason: girls. Never in the history of the automobile has a teenage boy ever said, "I can't wait to get my license so I can drive to work." I was no different, and once I got my license I met, dated, and hooked-up with as many girls as I could. It's all part of a man's eternal quest to find the right woman. Even as early as late high school an image of my "perfect girl" -- the

one I could marry and stay faithful to -- had already begun to form. It didn't have a face but it did have general qualities such as intelligence, style, charm, and good looks combined with a down-to-earth authenticity. By the time I hit my mid-thirties I wasn't sure such a person existed.

Then I met radio talk show host Crystal Dickerson. Everything I was looking for, and just my luck, she's a crucial element in the biggest case in FBI history. Talk about out-of-bounds! Not to mention, out of my league. Let's face it: supervisory level FBI agents aren't well compensated compared to the private sector. And while she was in a low-paying entry-level job when the case started, it was clear that she was going to be a millionaire media personality before it was over.

And so there I was, forced to interact with her on a regular basis. Since her security detail reported directly to me I knew every facet of her professional and personal life. Every time the suspect called her show it was another trace I had to coordinate, another lead that my team had to pursue. I couldn't catch the suspect, who called himself Tom Paine, and I couldn't find a way to avoid being around her.

The obvious solution to both my problems was to solve the case. Unfortunately, while most criminals are stupid, Paine was exceedingly smart and extremely well prepared. He turned some of the technology we used against us. He constantly changed locations and methods. The only pattern he ever established was a pattern of success. And when I did catch him, that just proved to be the beginning of a much larger case with vast implications for the country.

And for my relationship with Crystal Dickerson.

 

Interview with Jess Money

How much fun was it creating Special Agent Darren "Doc" Medlin?

Lots! In fact I had fun creating almost all of the primary and second-level characters. It was getting the plot to come together and trimming all the fat out of the story that was hard work.

Did you find out things about Doc as you went along or did you pretty well know everything about this character?

I think you always find out things about a character during the writing process. Even in cases where I've adapted a screenplay based on a true story, there is always an evolution in how you translate the elements of a character into events and dialogue and thoughts.

What would you say is your character's biggest flaw?

His flaw is the same at that of the antagonist, Tom Paine. Both are idealists in a decidedly un-ideal world. In both cases, the dissolution of their idealism is what drives the story.

Is this the hardest character you ever had to write about or did things go pretty          smooth?

No, Crystal Dickerson was harder to write. I knew what I wanted her to be like but I    had to try to make her think and act like a woman, a young but also very special woman. So far I haven't heard any criticism of her from female readers or reviewers, so it would seem -- knock on wood -- that I did a pretty good job.

Is there anything about the character of Doc Medlin you'd like to go back and change?

Not that I can think of at the moment. Doc took a long time to evolve and coalesce and get "polished up" but I'm happy with how he came out. If the book is ever made into a movie I'll be interested to see who gets to play him and how he translates on the screen.

Finally, where did you get the inspiration to come up with this character and do you see yourself in this character?

Doc is an amalgamation; his gene pool is part me, part various real people I've met or observed, and part other fictional characters. I'm 6'5 and used to work out a lot so I made Doc even a little taller (and athletically built) because I've seen the effect that has on people, especially when you meet someone for the first time and you're not what they expected. Doc certainly has some of my belief system, but then again, so do the characters of Tom Paine and Crystal Dickerson.

 

About the Book:

The only thing the elite fear, an uprising of the people, is about to be realized.
After bankruptcy took away his dying wife’s medical care, Thomas Paine is on a crusade for a Second Bill of Rights using violence against politicians, banksters, and CEO’s.

How far will FBI Agent Darren Medlin go to stop the public from joining Paine’s insurgency? Forced to publicize Paine’s demands, what decisions will talk show host Crystal Dickerson have to make? And which way will the country turn?

Purchase your copy at AMAZON.