When Kristi asked me to guest blog about the “backstory” for my new novel, Running Dark, I couldn’t have been happier, because researching this novel presented a lot of challenges. My first novel, Running from the Devil, is set in Colombia, and I traveled there for research. Colombia can be dangerous, a fact driven home by the men in fatigues, machine guns and German Shepard dogs guarding my hotel, but for the most part daily life functions normally there. Not so, Somalia, where my second novel, Running Dark, is set.
In Running Dark, my protagonist, Emma Caldridge, learns that the man who she first met in Colombia is on a ship in the Gulf of Aden under attack by pirates. In the hold of the ship is a chemical of unknown origin. The contract security company, Darkview, asks her to board the ship and analyze what’s contained in the hold.
Books, like movies, are written long before they are published, and I started writing Running Dark long before the Somali pirates burst into the media. The premise for the novel came from an actual event. Several years before, pirates had fired rocket-propelled grenades at a cruise liner in the Gulf. The grenades damaged two staterooms, but the ship deterred the attack by firing repeated blasts of a long range acoustic device. The idea of modern-day pirates attacking a cruise liner fascinated me, and I clipped the article. When it came time to write my second, I pulled out the article and started researching.
My first attempt at researching the protocol for a cruise ship under attack was less than successful. I contacted the cruise line company that ultimately owned the actual ship that had been attacked, and met with a wall of resistance. The spokesperson scoffed at the idea of Somali pirates taking a ship the size of a cruise liner, his take on the event was that they were crazy, but he nevertheless flatly refused to assist me. As he put it, “we can’t fully explain to you the lack of enthusiasm we have for your project.” (I remember laughing at that line, and after a moment he laughed, too). I understood his wish that I not write a scenario that might make people afraid to take a cruise, but the event had already occurred and the ship’s attempt to evade successful, so I pressed him for just the facts. Nonetheless, it was a no go.
Desperate, I started searching the internet for a retired cruise line captain that would be willing to answer some questions, and I hit pay dirt. I found Commodore Warwick, captain of the Queen Mary 2 for thirty years had just retired. I contacted his son, who put me in touch with his father. I had the impression that Commodore Warwick had seen it all in his years at sea. He answered some of my questions regarding crew size and confirmed that “Running Dark” (my term) where the Captain turns off all the lights on a liner and disables radar is illegal, but he doubted anyone would fault the captain in such a circumstance.
I still had problems to overcome. I had never been to Somalia, and the insurgents were shooting at planes that were attempting to land in Mogadishu. Even relatively peaceful Hargeisa seemed a tough place to reach. But the Chicago Tribune came to my aid. They had run an interesting series on Somalia. I contacted Paul Salopek, the author of the story, by email. Mr. Salopek answered my questions in record time, usually late at night (at least in my time zone it was late at night) and from God knows where. He told me about the oppressive heat in Berbera, that many of the pirates were fisherman that only pirated in the off season, and that khat, the amphetamine type drug that is legal and sold throughout Africa, usually arrived by noon and after that it was difficult to get any business done in Somalia.
Sixty thousand words into the manuscript–an average thriller ranges from 80,000-100,000–the pirates took their first oil tanker. I received emails and phone calls from friends across the country who knew that I had been writing about them, but now understood what the heck I was writing about. No one in the maritime industry was scoffing at pirates anymore. All who knew about my project commented on my prescience, but it was definitely coming back to bite me, as the UN began to write one resolution after another to address this new threat. I revised the manuscript just as rapidly, doing my best to keep it current. What emerged was Running Dark.
Part of the joy of writing Emma Caldridge as a protagonist is that she is a modern woman, not afraid of danger but not a damaged soul looking for retribution, part of a male/female team, nor is she a superhero. She survives by her wits and intelligence. I write the men in the story as respecting her as an individual and flirting with her as an equal, which is much more satisfying than some of the objectification that is currently in vogue in the movies. I figure that it’s fiction, and I can write the best of male/female relationships, so why not? The books are action adventure novels that get your heart racing and keep your mind engaged. I hope the readers enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
All the best,
Jamie Freveletti
I have 3 autographed copies of this book to giveaway thanks to Harper Collins (I was able to get them autographed when Jamie came to our library!)
There are a few ways to enter:
1. Sign up to be a follower of this blog - just let me know how you follow. (1 entry)
2. Follow me on twitter (@kherbrand) and tweet or use tweet button below. (1 entry)
3. Comment on any non-giveaway post and let me know. (1 entry)
All entries can be left in one comment. Giveaway open to US only. Giveaway will end on Sept 29. Winners will have 48 hours to respond. Any unclaimed books will be given away on twitter at that time.
Running Dark
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Collins, July 2010
ISBN: 978-0061684241
336 pages
35 comments:
Please enter me for this one. It looks awesome.
I am an old follower on gfc
mlawson17 at hotmail dot com
I am a GFC follower
Count me in, please.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I' m a GFC follower. I'd love to win this book. Thanks for the giveaway.
Twitter follower. Tweeted http://twitter.com/ForWhlz/status/23986576135
forwhlz at gmail dot com
I'm a GFC Follower. Thanks for the chance.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
I would love to have this book.
I am a gfc follower.
debbie
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I follow you on Facebook Networked Blogs.
I am a big Jamie Freveletti fan.
meg.mozi@verizon.net
I am a GFC follower.
cparkins14 AT teancum.net
I am a new Twitter follower and tweeted about this giveaway.
http://twitter.com/zoja214/status/24016024578
Fact and fiction. Very neat. I really enjoyed this post and would love to read the book. I follow.
sdeeth at msn dot com
No need to enter me, I just posted this on win a book.
http://winabook.westofmars.com/2010/09/09/running-dark-by-jamie-freveletti/
Following Books and Needlepoint with NetworkedBlogs on Facebook -- I enjoyed the guest post and would love to read Running Dark :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!
theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com
I am a follower Thanks so much for the chance to win
tanyainjville at yahoo dot com
GFC follower!
epblack at zoominternet dot net
Following and tweeted:
http://twitter.com/97hockeymom/status/24102352094
epblack at zoominternet dot net
I am a follower, please count me in! Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
+1 GFC Follower
+1 Twitter follower (@bookistafreeze) and tweet http://twitter.com/bookistafreeze/status/24161376934
angelmistress[at]hotmail[dot]com
Looks like a great book, thanks for all the giveaways!
GFC following :]
blissfulrains@yahoo.com
This sounds like a great read!
GFC follower (pams00)
twtter follower (pams00)
tweeted - http://twitter.com/pams00/status/24221083277
Pam S
pams00 @ aol.com
I am an old GFC follower.
headlessfowl at jteers dot net
I follow this blog on GFC. Thanks for the giveaway.
hmhenderson@yahoo.com
I'd love to win this special autographed book! Thanks!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
I've been a follower of your blog for some time.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
I am old (literally and faithfully) follower of your Blog on GFC. I would very much like the opportunity to win this book.
steven(dot)capell(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds like a great book!
I tweeted about this giveaway
http://twitter.com/Shaiha_/status/24510553134
blogbaby(at)comcast(dot)net
I follow your blog
blogbaby(at)comcast(dot)net
+1 GFC
+1 Tweet http://twitter.com/eljho88/status/24538997356
elizabethjhoskins@gmail.com
I am a new follower on GFC.
I am a Facebook Network Blog follower.
I follow you on Twitter and have retweeted about this giveaway.
Jamie Freveletti is a new writer to me as well as her works. This is my first visit to Kristi's blog and I'm glad to have found you. Jamie's interview shows colossal strength and energy in the research and bravery for accomplishing this book. It appeals to my reading tastes. Thank you for the giveaway and the opportunity to win it....I hope I do.
Sharing Christ's Love,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com
I follow via email and Google Reader.
Thank you,
Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net
I follow you on Twitter and tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/25004366522
Thank you,
Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net
I follow with GFC.
I also follow on Twitter.
http://twitter.com/librarygrinch/status/25567912016
This sounds like a great book. :0)
Thanks!
librarygrinch at gmail dot com
Sounds like a very good and interesting read. Please enter me. Thanks!
I am a follower on GFC!
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
Thanks for the chance!
I am a GFC follower.
Twitter follower and tweet - http://twitter.com/DonnaS1/statuses/25753848266
bacchus76 at myself dot com
GFC follower
Thanks for the giveaway!
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
I hope I'm not too late! I'd love to read Jamie's latest book, it sounds very interesting. Please add me to your giveaway list. Thank you!
I'm an email subscriber! Enjoy your blog and all the great books and authors you review. Thanks!
Blessings,
Sandee61
Muzzley56[at]aol[dot]com
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