Terminal received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author John Leifer.
What is the name of the book?
What’s the book’s first line?
“Dr. Elizabeth Wilkins finished her presentation with a sober warning: A molecularly engineered bio-weapon could create an unstoppable pandemic — analogous to the 1918 flu epidemic that had infected more than a quarter of the U.S. population and had claimed between 20 and 50 million lives around the globe.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Four members of the United Islamic State launch coordinated attacks on America’s four busiest airports before Thanksgiving. They rely, not on guns or suicide vests, but a genetically modified form of Smallpox dispersed as an invisible mist. With a ninety percent mortality rate, the virus has the potential to spread like wildfire across the globe..creating an unimaginable pandemic. Only those individuals loyal to the jihadists’ cause will be immunized against the virus’s devastating effects.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I’ve spent a great deal of time reading about advances in molecular biology and genetic engineering, as well as interviewing top scientists in the field. The scenario portrayed in Terminal is an outgrowth of that research — research that convinced me that the threat of a catastrophic biological attack is quite real.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
People should read this book, first and foremost, because they enjoy a fast-paced thriller; and secondarily to realize how thin the veil is between fiction and fact.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Commander John Hart’s extraordinary combination of intellect and brawn. He is reminiscent of the protagonist, Jack Bauer, in the TV series 24.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
John Hart would be portrayed by Daniel Craig, Mark Wahlberg or Russel Crowe.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I decided to become an author as a young child…but it took me more than fifty years to work up the courage to pursue my dream.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
My first two books were non-fiction, health care related books published by Rowman & Littlefield.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I work as a senior consultant to the health care industry to pay the bills.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
My goal is to write a minimum of four hours per day, and I do a pretty good job of it. I find it necessary to take a break between drafts…usually putting down my pen for a few weeks.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
Unless you are an astute marketer with a great title, Indie is a tough road to hoe.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
To borrow a quote from Churchill: “Never, Never, Never Quit!”
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
If a publisher comes calling, one is obligated to assess the value they profess to deliver. I would always listen
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Is there something in particular that motivates you?
I’m motivated to become a better writer. If my efforts prove sufficiently successful to garner a measure of notoriety, it will be welcomed and enjoyed.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Oh, that’a tough one. One only need look at my vast library to know that I love books! Favorite fiction authors range from Nelson DeMille to the late Vince Flynn. But I also read a vast amount of non-fiction.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
I wish I could have written The Lion by Nelson DeMille.