Engage at Dawn: Seize and Destroy received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Edward Hochsmann.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Engage at Dawn: Seize and Destroy. The book launched on 29 May 2021.
What’s the book’s first line?
The first line of the prologue is: “It was not just a routine solar flare.” For those readers who skip the prologue (not recommended, but just in case), the first line would be: “This would be a textbook annihilation operation—swift and complete.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch.”
An alien industrialist is taking advantage of the Earth’s sentry ship’s absence for repairs to launch an incursion to obtain opium and cocaine, which are valuable commodities in the Confederation. Unfortunately, his agents and their technology onboard an oil drilling support ship are caught up and seized in a drug war between their human patrons, the 252 Syndicate, and the insanely vicious Salinas Cartel. The 252s intend to use this setback as an opportunity to break their contract with the aliens and grab their transport technology, a plan that, if realized, poses a serious threat to human civilization.
Alerted to the plan by a defecting 252 operative, the US government must act quickly and covertly to eliminate the threat and preserve the secret of the alien presence on Earth. A quick hit by a scratch group composed of Air Force surveillance assets, a US Navy SEAL team, and the newly upgraded Coast Guard Cutter Kauai is the best of the bad options available to seize the 252’s ship and sail it from the Salinas stronghold. Once safely in the deep water of the Western Caribbean, the technology will be destroyed and the vessel sunk to eliminate any possibility of recovery. Easier said than done—the Salinas stronghold is heavily fortified and over 800 miles from any US base.
The book traces the buildup to the operation and the camaraderie and humor of the Coast Guard crew as they prepare for and execute a perilous mission. It also explores the sweet courtship between the protagonist, young Coast Guard officer Ben Wyporek, second in command of Kauai, and the beautiful young DIA analyst Victoria Carpenter after their meeting in the first book of the series.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
There was no particular inspiration for the first book. I just thought it might make an interesting story to take a very sharp and close-knit Coast Guard crew and “nudge” them into a new world of alien incursion, spies, and international crime. The success of that book led to this second act, which carries the story arc to new levels of excitement and emotional development among the characters.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Suppose you enjoy an action/adventure with escalating tension, very engaging characters and relationships, and a sweet military romance overcoming the challenges of distance, danger, and special needs (Victoria, in addition to being a mathematical genius, is mildly neuro-atypical). In that case, this is the story for you.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Ben’s fundamental character is one of integrity and devotion to his crew and the woman he has grown to love. He is the essence of the modest hero who is largely unaware of the esteem he is held by the dedicated professionals around him. I think the closest analog in terms of a fictional character would be a young, less-spy-esque version of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan character.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Ben Wyporek – Max Theriot, if he can still pull off a 25-year-old; Sam Powell – Either Chris Pine or Patrick J. Adams would work; Emilia Hopkins – Blake Lively; Peter Simmons – Joseph Gordon-Levitt; James Drake – John Krasinsky; Shelley Lee – Toni Trucks; Admiral Pennington – Neal McDonough; Joana Powell – Bianca Alexa Santos
Victoria Carpenter – this is a tough one. The closest in “look” and voice tenor that I’ve seen would be Lucy Rose Leonard, but carrying off a neuro-atypical character with a midwestern American accent might be too much to ask of an Australian. Close second would be Kristen Stewart, again, if she could swing a new adult character.
When did you first decide to become an author?
Mid-2019.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No this is the second novel in the Engage at Dawn series. I also have a novelette companion for the first book published on Amazon.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am an Operations Research Analyst working for the US Department of Defense.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Maybe an hour a day on weekdays and four per day on weekends and holidays
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
It’s hard to say without experience as a non-indie. However, I like the fact that I can launch without going cap-in-hand to a bunch of New Yorkers. That said, it is very difficult to get exposure for your work without being associated with those New Yorkers and one of the big houses.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Plan your series and have at least two works ready to go before your first launch.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I would if I thought they would follow through, for the same reason I cited as the hardest part of being an indie. The publishers dominate the bookshelves and there is a certain momentum you acquire in going with “the bigs.” It’s kind of analogous to seeking employment—it’s far easier to get hired when you already have a job.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I enjoy writing. Don’t get me wrong, I would take the fortune if it came my way, but it is not what keeps me at it. As for fame, you can keep it—our traditional media is so fouled up now that any notoriety just makes you a target.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
I really like historical fiction. The one who is best at that, in my opinion, is Jeff Shaara. When he publishes something, I read it.