Just the 216 love scenes.
Seriously, the majority of what you read in my stories it is not a one-for-one lifting out of my life. Instead it’s an extension or adjustment of my experiences with people I’ve met or places I’ve seen, molding them into the plot, scenes, emotions, and characters that I bring on stage for readers to enjoy.
One rule of writing I’ve heard is “write what you know.” I express that rule a bit differently. Leverage what you know. What I leverage into my stories includes living in a foster family, serving 25 years in the Army, traveling in Asia, the South Pacific, Latin America, and Europe; as well as observing, like you have, current political, economic, and terrorist events. Additional spice comes from marrying, divorcing, being in car crashes, burying pets, having mentally ill family members, and losing loved ones to cancer and heart problems. Other insights came from working as a community activist against corrupt or biased government officials.
I believe my thrillers are realistic and believable because I make it easy for the reader to connect with events in the story similar to those in their life. Often, I’ve been told: “You’re stories are scary because they could happen.”
