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NRB: I see you as a visionary-someone who can look at the landscape and predict an issue-how are you able to do that, as in Transfer of Power, the second book in the Rapp-Kennedy series?
Flynn: I think I can break it down to four major factors. The first is a solid understanding of history, geo politics and human nature. The second is the vantage point provided by not living in Washington. Any good sonar operator will tell you the trick to picking up an enemy contact is to filter out all the meaningless noise. Living in Minnesota allows me to avoid the constant yammer of Washington. The third reason is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. As a writer I spend four to eight hours a day alone in my office–no TV, no radio, no phone, no email, just me trying to connect the dots and predict where this whole mess is headed. The fourth factor is something that I can’t prove, but I suspect is a crucial component. I’m dyslexic, and I think the dyslexic brain is wired in a way that makes it more open to discerning signs and trends.
NRB: Which book do you see as the most realistic and can you give a realistic scene?
Flynn: I try to make them all realistic, so it’s tough to pick out one scene. Memorial Day was one terrifyingly plausible scene after another. So much so that I’ve been told it inspired a major JSOC operation in Afghanistan that was blocked at the last minute by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. The book was also put under Security Review by the Department of Energy and caused quite a stir. More recently, I’d have to say the terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C. in Extreme Measures. The targets in the book are extremely vulnerable and our people know it.
NRB: You are going to write a book with the bestselling novelist, Brian Haig?
Flynn: I wanted to do another series for some time, about five years. One of the most talented writers out there is Brian Haig. It turned out that Brian and I really clicked. The story will be based on an NYPD counter terrorism detective.
Thank You
