A friend of mine said that in a good book, the author is actually using the novel’s pages to answer a question for himself. This was definitely true for me as I researched and wrote my debut novel, Without Sanction. While deployed to Afghanistan as an Army Air Cavalry Troop Commander, I was part of an operation that went tragically wrong. For years afterward, I wrestled with many questions about that day, but two in particular haunted me: Could I have done something differently? and Would I ever have the chance to atone for that awful day? In Without Sanction, my protagonist, Defense Intelligence Agency case officer Matt Drake, must answer both of these questions after an operation gone wrong leaves his best friend crippled and his asset dead.

After my time in the Army, I was privileged to serve as an FBI Special Agent. As an agent, one of my jobs was to recruit and run what we called sources and what members of the intelligence community call assets. The relationship between handler and source, or asset, is a fascinating one, rife with opportunities for conflict. I knew that I wanted to incorporate this experience into my novels, so Matt is a case officer charged with running and recruiting assets for the DIA.

For the last eight years, I’ve worked developing and marketing technology to SOCOM, or Special Operations Command. As such, most of my coworkers hail from this very insular community. This has been invaluable to my writing. I have access to subject matter experts on diverse topics ranging from High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) parachute jumps to long distance stress shooting. As I say in my acknowledgements section, anything that rings true in my novel is a testament to them. Anything I got wrong is absolutely my fault!

Beyond just technical knowledge, my colleagues have helped me to understand what it means to be a part of their community. For instance, three of my close friends are veterans of the Army’s storied 75th Ranger Regiment. Rangers are famous for many things, including their strict adherence to the Ranger Creed. Non-Rangers might mistake the six stanzas comprising the Ranger Creed for just another organizational mission statement or HR-generated set of values. Nothing could be further from the truth. To a Ranger, these simple, yet powerful words mean many things. Depending on the circumstances, the Ranger Creed can be a rallying cry, a moral code, or even a prayer. After seeing first-hand how these words still govern my friends’ live years after they’ve left the military, I knew Matt Drake had to be a Ranger.