Guest Post: Tj O’Connor – THE HEMINGWAY DECEPTION

Good day, book people. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week and were able to squeeze some reading time into your busy Spring schedules. It never ceases to amaze me that many authors will reveal that their characters seemed to take over the story and it, therefore, went a different way than expected. I’m not quite sure I understand that concept, but then I’ve never been in that creative situation. All I know is that I’m grateful to authors for their stories and characters however the story makes it to the page. Today’s guest, Tj O’Connor, is the author of The Hemingway Deception. He’ll be discussing with us how his characters pushed him. Thank you, Mr. O’Connor, for sharing with us today. The blog is all yours.

My Characters Made Me Do It!
by Tj O’Connor

Since my first novel was published—and I dare say for all my written novels before that—I have always told the stories of leading men in mysteries and thrillers. Oh, not that I have a “guy-thing” or anything. No, it’s because, well, I’m a guy and that’s my writing perspective. My novels have always had critical female characters in lead roles. In my Oliver Tucker paranormal series, The Dead Detective Casefiles (previously, the ridiculous monikered Gumshoe Ghost novels), Tuck told his stories right alongside Angel, his brilliant and adventurous wife. In New Sins for Old Scores, Trick McCall and Richard Jax were aided by Dr. Alexandra “Alex” Vouros. Then, in The Consultant, there was the tenacious Noor Mallory and FBI Agent Victoria Bacarro. While my writing tended to center on the male leads, the strong, smart, and skilled female characters were integral to the plots and the lead characters themselves. This was not for some misogynistic purpose. It was simply my comfort zone as an adventurer, consultant, and guy.

When I began plotting out my latest thriller, The Hemingway Deception, my literary agent, the incomparable Kimberley Cameron, suggested I headline a strong female lead. She was comfortable that given my history of strong female characters in all my books, I could do it justice. I was skeptical at first. How was I going to put myself in the thoughts and actions of a swashbuckling gal fighting bad guys and besting the traditional male roles? Strange as it sounds, I wasn’t sure I could do it.

So, first, I reread all my novels and focused in on the key leading female roles. Then, I binge-watched some excellent television series where the gals ruled the screen. Shows like Fringe, The Americans, Covert Affairs, Homeland, and others. I reached two critical conclusions doing this: first, just write the damn character and quit fretting about it—who cares if it’s a guy or a gal chasing the bad guys. And two, in those scenes where a female perspective or reaction might be important, write it the best I can and get my beta readers to tell me if I missed the mark.

In most cases, writing the scenes where I felt a female perspective was important, I reversed the roles, asking myself, “What would I do here? How is that different if it’s Ana Karras?” In most cases, I found that since I didn’t write sex or deep love emotions into the characters, the differences were small and manageable as a guy. Then, after getting those scenes on paper, I turned to two of my beta readers and challenged them to find my “mis-guided-guy” faults. Surprisingly, there were almost none.

Poof, I wrote on and finished The Hemingway Deception with two strong, independent female leads—Ana Karras and Cat Reyes—who kicked butt, outfoxed, and outthought their adversaries. Ana is hiding among the millions in Manhattan, recovering from near-death at the hands of Cuban Intelligence. When she begins an ill-fated quest to find her missionary parents lost somewhere in Latin America, she’s haunted by her past and coerced into a new mission—to capture Catalina “Cat” Reyes, a rogue Cuban assassin bound for Washington. Cat’s mission could well start another Caribbean crisis. To avert a Cuban-American war, Ana must do the unthinkable—she must once again become Ana Montilla, the notorious FARC guerrilla. As Ana struggles to keep from devolving permanently into Ana Montilla, Cat must overcome past failures and reclaim her skills as Cuba’s top assassin—or die. Ana and Cat are on a collision course. Their paths are not separate, but one. Their pasts inexplicably linked. Their futures reliant on each other. Still, it’s the secrets kept from them that will be the end game. Two deadly women. One treacherous mission. But why do Washington and Havana want them both dead? The answer is simple—Hemingway.

Ana and Cat taught me valuable lessons both about writing and the portrayal of female characters. The biggest one was to simply write a good character. Although I’m not a murderer, psychopath, or assassin, I still understand what they are and can plot through how they think and act and respond. It’s no different than with my female leads. I base characters in part on real people I’ve known in my adventures as an anti-terrorism consultant. And while I don’t know or pretend to understand all the nuances from a female perspective, I do have a wife, two daughters, five granddaughters, a best friend and editor, and many gal-pals all nearby. What better research help could I ask for? When in doubt, I simply asked for help. Most of the time, I wasn’t all that far off—like in how Ana and Cat would respond to threats to their children and what would it take to make them go on a dangerous rollercoaster mission and leave those children behind. I knew I’d spent years leaving home for a day or so on a mission or assignment only to return weeks or months later. I knew the emptiness in my gut when I knew I’d be going for weeks away from home and what it would mean for my kids (especially when they were young). I transposed those feelings over Ana and Cat and added in the terror factor and, viola, I had their reactions down.

Of course, I wouldn’t want to try and write any love scenes or deep romance among the characters. I have absolutely no doubt that I’d screw that up. So, I keep the relationships at a place where I cannot foul up the characters or have Ana bungle her feelings from my guy-perspective. You know, the safe zone. Luckily, it worked for me. Oh, and with a lot of research from my beta team and gal-pals.

In the end, the challenge given me by Kimberley Cameron wasn’t as daunting as I’d feared. I actually think I easily pulled off the lady-lead well. But, then, you be the judge. Join Ana and Cat as they careen toward each other in The Hemingway Deception. Let me know if these two kindred spirits got the job done despite my “guy-brain.”

I look forward to hearing from you either way! ♦

Synopsis:

Ana Karras is running from her past.
Catalina Reyes is running toward hers.
Two deadly women—one treacherous mission.
A Cuba-America war is at stake.
Why does everyone want them both dead?
The answer is simple . . . Hemingway.

Ana Karras is hiding among the millions in Manhattan, recovering from near-death at the hands of Cuban Intelligence. When she begins an ill-fated quest to find her missionary parents lost somewhere in Latin America, she’s haunted by her past and coerced into a new mission—to capture Catalina “Cat” Reyes, a rogue Cuban assassin bound for Washington. Cat’s mission could well start another Caribbean crisis. To avert a Cuban-American war, Ana must do the unthinkable—she must once again become Ana Montilla, the notorious FARC guerrilla. As Ana struggles to keep from devolving permanently into Ana Montilla, Cat must overcome past failures and reclaim her skills as Cuba’s top assassin—or die. Ana and Cat are on a collision course. Their paths are not separate, but one. Their pasts inexplicably linked. Their futures reliant on each other. Still, it’s the secrets kept from them that will be the end game. Two deadly women. One treacherous mission. What is Operation Perro? Why does everyone want Ana Karras and Cat Reyes dead?

The answer is Hemingway.

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Suspense Books
Publication Date: March 2023
Number of Pages: 370
ISBN: 9798218103323 (Paperback)
ASIN: B0BLP84N1Q (Kindle edition)
Purchase Links #CommissionEarned: Bookshop.org | | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Praise for The Hemingway Deception:

“A riveting ‘ripped from the headlines’ international thriller: Two women fighting for what they believe; a horrifying assassination plot; deadly enemies, including some in our own government; and a mysterious operative named Hemingway who must be found. O’Connor, a real life anti-terrorism expert, takes us on a roller coaster ride of action, intrigue, betrayal and stunning twists. Read it!”
~ R.G. Belsky, Award-Winning Author of the Clare Carlson Series

 

“Great characters, non-stop action, a twisted plot, and exotic locations-The Hemingway Deception is exactly what an international thriller should be. Couldn’t put it down.”
~ DP Lyle, Award-Winning Author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper Thriller Series

 

“A rollercoaster ride of international intrigue, governmental deception and the meaning of family. Tj O’Connor’s real-life knowledge of geopolitical affairs shines through on every quick-turning page. Bravo!”
~ Matt Coyle, Author of the Bestselling Rick Cahill Crime Series

 

“There are no wimps in this fast-paced thriller, male or female. The relentless action will have you flying through the pages, eager to know what happens next.”
~ Terry Shames, Author of the Award-Winning Samuel Craddock Series

 

“Tj O’Connor does it again in The Hemingway Deception. His action-packed writing is founded in real-world experience with anti-terrorism and threat analysis consulting. This time, he adds kick-ass women to the mix, building in multiple layers of complexity often overlooked in thrillers.”
~ Dawn Brotherton, Author of the Jackie Austin Mysteries and Eastover Treasures

Author Bio:

Tj O’Connor is the author of The Hemingway Deception, Dying with a Secret, (pending publication), The Consultant, and four paranormal murder mysteries.

Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. Tj is a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs, and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). He was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia where they raised five children who are supplying a growing tribe of grands!

Catch Up With TJ O’Connor:
www.TjOConnor.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @tj37
Twitter – @Tjoconnorauthor
Instagram – @tjoconnorauthor
Facebook – @TjOConnor.Author
YouTube – @tjoconnorauthor3905

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