A hearty welcome back to historical spy fiction author Bentley Turner. Today we’re chatting about The Agency.
Bio:
Bentley Turner has written short stories and poetry that have been published in literary magazines and anthologies. In addition to his collection of short stories, The Prize Winners and Other Stories, he has written The File on Thomas Marks, a police procedural, A Killing in Oklahoma, a legal thriller, and The Agency, a historical thriller about the CIA and UFOs.
Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews. Please tell us about your newest release.
The Agency features Mason Cunningham, a former operative of the CIA who becomes the head of the department that investigates UFOs. Although Cunningham enjoys directing his staff in its investigations, he learns that a former agent who had retired and who reportedly died has been seen coming out of a restaurant. Curious, Cunningham investigates and learns the agent is not only alive but works for the KGB. Cunningham must stop the agent before his department and the CIA are jeopardized.
What inspired you to write this book?
Years ago I read numerous articles and books about UFOs. Several of the articles came from the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book. At the time, I had no idea that I would write a historical thriller about the CIA and UFOs, but during the past two years the idea occurred to me. The Agency, which is set in the late 1970s and early 1980s, is the result. Of course, the Cold War with the former Soviet Union was at its zenith, which, I believe, readers must remember when reading the novel.
What’s the next writing project?
The next project is a mystery featuring two detectives who investigate the kidnapping of the First Lady from a private yacht off the coast of the southeastern United States. Even though the FBI are involved, these detectives have been requested to investigate primarily because they had investigated the attempted assassination of the president several months before. Titled The Taking of the First Lady, the mystery should be published in 2023.
What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)
My biggest challenge is coming up with characters and a plot that I think readers will like.
If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?
The Agency, primarily because it concerns the CIA, UFOs, and what was happening between the former Soviet Union and the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s, required much research. I had to learn about the CIA, the federal government’s investigations of UFOs, the KGB, and the differences between the two sides/agencies. In other words, in order to make the thriller realistic, I had to read a lot of material, which I enjoyed doing. In fact, I try to make each novel I write as realistic as I possibly can. It it means reading a lot of material, so be it.
What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.
I do most of my researching and writing in my office. Sometimes I have to visit a university library if I can’t find a particular source on line.
What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?
I read a lot of nonfiction about the Christian religion, especially its history. Occasionally, I read mysteries or collections of short stories. I have enjoyed reading the following authors over the years: John D. MacDonald, Donald Hamilton, Erskine Caldwell, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John O’Hara, Irving Wallace, Harold Robbins, Sidney Sheldon, Ernest Hemingway, John Grisham, Linwood Barclay, and numerous others.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?
I hope readers enjoy The Agency.
Links:
Amazon Author Page | Goodreads Author Page
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