New interview with writing duo Breakfield and Burkey

Welcome back to Breakfield and Burkey (Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey)! Today we’re chatting about their new women’s contemporary, modern romance short story collection Trusted Friends and Lovers.

Bios:
Breakfield has 25 years of security, networking, voice, and anything digital expertise. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He also enjoys wine tastings, wine-making, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.

Burkeyhas 25 yearsof experience as an applied technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments for customers worldwide, with a focus on optimized customer experiences. She writes white papers and documents with a marked preference for fiction.

Together, they create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, young and experienced adults, and bring a fresh new perspective on technology possibilities today. https://www.EnigmaSeries.com.

What do you enjoy most about writing short stories/children’s books/novellas?
We often write a novel with a character people want to know more about. If their story doesn’t fit in the novel yet we want to shine the light on them, we will write a short story. We recently identified a recurring theme in them—Trust. We enjoyed telling their specific story, plus it allowed us to explore the character’s thinking around a pivotal event in their lives. It was a fun exercise to bring seven of those stories into Trusted Friends & Lovers. No one promised relationships were easy, but trust helps people rise to the challenge.

Can you give us a little insight into a few of your short stories – perhaps some of your favorites?
In The Jewel, disappointment causes a rift between two people who survived the war. Both were determined to find a way past the problem to solidify their marriage. Trusting anyone when your heart feels like it will rip into pieces is nearly impossible. Readers will learn how they each approached their options to learn what would and would not work.

The seven stories expose unique circumstances that test friendship, love, support, and honesty. The benefits of proving or earning trust far outweigh the challenges during the journey to win that special someone. We look forward to the readers’ perspective of which story strikes a chord for them. We would love to see that within their review

What genre are you inspired to write in the most? Why?
We are storytellers who have enjoyed stretching our words in other genres. Our initial favorite genre is TechnoThriller, primarily from our work experiences as technologists. There are twelve books in the Enigma Series, two in the next generation trilogy Enigma Heirs, and we can still do more as the threat vectors of technology keep growing. We jump at the chance when invited to work with the Underground Authors on Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles where our third season book will release in August 2024.

What exciting story are you working on next?
The Ransom Enigma, book 27, in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series coming in August 2024. Jo and JJ Rodreguiz want to give back to the community for all the help getting their vacation dream home finished. The whole town is challenged to show up thirsty and hungry because they want to say thank you with a Texas-size housewarming party.

Someone left a letter Jo assumed was a welcome to the neighborhood gift, but it turned out to be a blackmail threat. A demand of $100,000 in cryptocurrency is required for her secret identity to stay hidden. She’s crushed at the thought of leaving her friends in this quaint town. She cries, and her husband, JJ, threatens to kill the wretched blackmailer in front of the police.

When JJ is found unconscious next to the blackmailer, Jo rises to the occasion to clear his name. Finding a solution rests on her shoulders as her husband lies in a coma.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Breakfield had some business cards printed stating he was an author. He proudly distributed them. Each time someone accepted his author’s business card, they said the same thing. “Oh, you’re a writer, huh? He can’t until he finishes those cards and can make the change on the next print run to the writer.

Burkey wrote poetry in high school and entered a couple of contests. One of her poems was purchased by a family who lost their son after he hiked a difficult trail. She didn’t consider herself a writer until she started selling white papers on technology subjects while in college.

How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for writers?
Our thrillers require extensive research even though we work in the technology field. We like embedding the real technology threat into the fictional story. From an advice perspective, we recommend continuing reading. Everything from quantum physics to food preservation can be read and studied through newsletters, social media posts, and technical publications. Reading encourages your mind to stretch and allows you to question the status quo. That’s often where the ideas begin for our stories.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Breakfield loves doing research, often stumbling over a fascinating detail. Details can result in him jumping down the proverbial rabbit hole with Alice right behind him. Sometimes, for him, the return to reality can take hours, and then he types like a madman.

Burkey is the consummate multitasker. During her long day, she works on two different computers, handles one or more conference calls, and texts with her children. There isn’t enough expresso for Breakfield to match her pace.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Breakfield wanted to lead a desperate space mission against incredible odds to save his home world. Instead, he became a techno-geek who loved to make up stuff and write about it.

Burkey wanted to take a balloon ride and land in a mythical location to hobnob and kibitz with her fellow techno wizards. Her lesser ambitions included being happy, launching a publishing empire, and traveling. (One of those three may be an exaggeration).

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Trusted Friends & Lovers is available from our website, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble stores for eBook, paperback, and hardcover for a lasting gift for that special someone in your life. Website: https://www.EnigmaSeries.com/

Links:
Website: https://www.EnigmaSeries.com/
Blog: https://EnigmaBookSeries.com/the-enigma-chronicles/category/blog-statement/ and https://roxburkey.com/
Medium https://medium.com/@enigmaseries

Connect and follow on Social Media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbreakfield/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanneburkey/
XTwitter: https://twitter.com/EnigmaSeries and https://twitter.com/1rburkey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEnigmaSeries and https://www.facebook.com/roxanne.burkey.50
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEnigmaSeries
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/enigmseries/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enigmabookseries/
Bublish: https://bublish.com/author/breakfieldandburkey
Amazon: Rox https://bit.ly/3pE0D8e and Charles https://amzn.to/3rjHjO7