MIDDLE MAN: AN AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED 
MIDDLE MAN

A Lieutenant Rollie Waters Novel

BY DAVID RICH

ABOUT THE BOOK:

David Rich—whose acclaimed debut, Caravan of Thieves, drew comparisons to Elmore Leonard, Robert Ludlum, and John le Carré—returns with a crime thriller featuring Lieutenant Rollie Waters.

Recruited into SHADE, the elite, covert group formed by the U.S. military, Rollie Waters must locate and retrieve the countless millions taken from Saddam’s cache during the Iraq War and shipped home in the coffins of dead soldiers. But when a sniper attacks the team, Rollie is forced to go undercover to solve the riddle of the graves and to apprehend the puppet master behind the whole plot.

Rollie’s own father, inveterate liar and charming con artist Dan Waters, was killed attempting to steal the first $25 million after stumbling across the conspiracy involving powerful military officers, would-be kings, and the very general who nearly destroyed Rollie during his last tour in Afghanistan.

Rollie’s undercover quest takes him from Houston and the self-proclaimed king of Kurdistan, to the treacherous, labyrinthine streets of Erbil, Iraq, and into the arms of a stunning, enigmatic woman whose motives he can’t discern. As a confirmed citizen of the fog, now more spy than soldier, Waters must uncover the man pulling the strings behind a backdrop of murder, deceit, and stolen fortune—before he disappears forever into the mist. 

PRAISE FOR MIDDLE MAN:

"Caravan of Thieves busts right out of the chute and never stops bucking.  It's a rocket-ride and a terrific debut that will leave the reader shaken and gasping for air.”—C.J. Box, New York Times bestselling author of Force of Nature

“David Rich's terse, hard-boiled prose keeps the story moving faster than a wanted criminal. And the ending is a stunner! Highly recommended!”—Christopher Reich, New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Betrayal

“First page through to the last, Caravan of Thieves was an incredibly entertaining escape and worth every minute.”—Taylor Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of The Informationist

“As with the best thrillers, what lifts [Caravan of Thieves] above the pack is clean prose and depth of character, a sense that the sins of the past weigh heavily on the present. David Rich is off to a fine start, and will be a writer to watch.”—Michael Koryta, Edgar-nominated author of The Ridge
 

ABOUT AUTHOR DAVID RICH:

David Rich has sold screenplays to most of the major studios, and to production companies in the U.S. and Europe.  He wrote the feature film, Renegades, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Philips, as well as episodes of MacGyver and other shows.  He wrote three plays: The Interview, The Rescue, and W.A.R. (Women's Armed Resistance). Forsaking Los Angeles for small town Connecticut, David turned his attention to fiction.  Caravan of Thieves is the result.  Raised in Chicago, David received his B.A. from Tulane, spent one rainy, Withnail-esque year in Wales, and earned his M.A. in English from University of Colorado. 

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DAVID RICH:
Please welcome Author David Rich to BOOKIN’ WITH BINGO. I appreciate him taking time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for my readers.

1.  Where did you get the inspiration or idea for this book?
"Middle Man" is the sequel to "Caravan of Thieves".  There was plenty of unfinished business for Rollie at the end of Caravan: a lot of money was still in the ground, and more important to him, the man behind it all was still unknown and carrying on his plot.  Rollie had been recruited in SHADE, working under Major Hensel and I had to see how that relationship turned out and how Rollie operated now that he was more spy than soldier.

2. How did the title of your book come about?
At the end of "Caravan of Thieves" Rollie is having one of his conversations with his father, Dan, the notorious con artist and it goes like this:
      
     "I know that, Rollie Boy.  You're too smart for that. But you're going to Iraq.  There's turmoil.  Maybe to Kurdistan.  They're hungry.  Want their own country.  They have oil.  You can offer them help. Information.  Contacts.  You're in a position to have the greatest job of all."
        I knew the answer, but I asked just to hear him say it.  "'What’s that?"
        "Middle Man."

The moment I wrote it I knew that had to be the title of the next book.

3. Do you see yourself in your characters? Which characters are easiest or more difficult to write?
The hardest task (for me) is write myself.  I have ruined a few good stories and wasted lots of my time by sticking my mug in a story.  I try to imagine each character as a separate person from me and from everyone else and then try to understand them, always remembering that everyone is the star of his own show. I was surprised at the easy time I had with Dan; I thought he was going to be very slow and difficult.  Same with Johnny Bannion.  Once he got going, I could barely stop him.  The King was difficult.  It think that is because he is not as complicated as some of the others.

4. What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out? What are you currently reading?
Chandler and Hammett, Hammett and Chandler.  Then came Graham Greene and John le Carre.  But I think my devotion to those writers set me back.  I tried to imitate them and that does not work - at least for me - and I was just dissatisfied with everything I put on paper.

Today, before I started answering these questions, I read an Irwin Shaw short story, "The Man Who Married a French Wife."  I'm going to read it again later today just to see if it's really as good as I think it is.  I'm also reading "Hitch 22."  I don't always agree with Hitchens but the way he uses the language and the ways he makes his arguments are fascinating.

5. What is the next or current book/project you are working on?
I'm working on a new spy thriller.  Less said at this stage, the better.

6. What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?
Once, in the grocery store, I met Ella Fitzgerald and shook her hand.  Now, when I go to the store, I'm always on the lookout for Bonnie Raitt. No luck so far.

7. What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?
To young people I would say get a job at a daily or weekly newspaper.  Learn to turn visits to the new exhibition at the Dried Leaf museum into stories.  Learn to do it on a deadline.  To everyone I would say accept it that everything you write stinks.  It's terrible, okay?  Now that we have gotten that out of the way, you're entire job is make it less terrible.  Then go over it again and make it less terrible again.  Eventually, it will be decent - which is a huge achievement and people will love it and tell you it's great. 
 
Karen,  Thanks for interviewing me.  I like your site very much.  Lots of good stuff there.
And thank you, David. What a wonderful interview! I enjoyed getting to know more about you and am sure my readers will as well.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO CASSIE AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE COPY OF

DAVID RICH'S THRILLER, MIDDLE MAN,

TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY FOLLOWER 

 
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