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Mike Angley joins me today to talk about his suspense series, Child Finder Trilogy. Mike retired as a Colonel having spent 25 years as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, or OSI for short. The OSI is the Air Force version of NCIS, and provided plenty of rich experiences to inspire his writing, from running felony-level criminal investigations, as well as counterintelligence and counterterrorism operations around the world. Writing has become his second career and his debut novel, Child Finder has received wonderful accolades.  

MC: Mike, please tell us what the Child Finder Trilogy is about.

MA: “It’s a mystery/suspense series with paranormal and religious edges.  It features a protagonist, Air Force Special Agent Patrick S. O’Donnell, who is as tough as 24’s Jack Bauer, but with the endearing, family-values heart of 7^th Heaven’s Eric Camden.  He’s an early-thirties Air Force Major assigned to the Pentagon when the 9/11 terrorist attacks take place.

In the debut novel, Child Finder, Agent O’Donnell’s haunting dreams about missing children reveal a hidden psychic gift which the government eagerly exploits, drawing him into a Top Secret program to find missing kids.” 

MC: And the second book?

          
MA: “Child Finder: Resurrection will launch in January 2010. It has been a year and a half since Agent O’Donnell left the secret child rescue program after it went horribly off-track, resulting in murder and endangering his own family.  And just when he thinks he’s comfortably put this painful past behind him, he receives a call from his mentor. The government needs his psychic skills more than ever.  A sick, twisted, menacing child killer is on the loose, and no one but Agent Pat O’Donnell can stop him. Once again, Pat must call upon his faith and strong spiritual connection with God to sustain and guide him, especially during his darkest hours as he battles…pure evil.”

MC: When will the third and final story publish, and what happens in it?

        
MA: “In Child Finder: Revelation (to publish circa December 2010), Patrick O’Donnell is dispatched to Korea on a sensitive mission to crack the disturbing abduction of a high ranking U.S. official’s children.  What he discovers about their sudden disappearance — especially where they have been taken — shocks the foundation of international relations. But more intriguing is what makes these particular children so special.  What O’Donnell learns about them, and himself, involves sensitive government secrets he regrets ever knowing.  These new revelations will rock his faith, his concept of life, and his understanding of his place in the universe.”

MC: How did you develop the character of your protagonist?

MA: “I took a chance. I realized that most protagonists in this genre are rough and tough, and rarely show a soft side.  I wanted both!  Pat is a family man (has two small children), a deeply-faithful Christian, happily-married, and has an incredibly strong moral/ethical compass. At the same time, he is a ‘kick-ass’ investigator and counterterrorism operator. He wants to save kids, but at what price? I also used his faith for contrast as well. He is a man who grew up with an unfulfilled sense of calling – is it the psychic gift and rescue of children? He’s not sure, so he grapples with what it all means.”

MC: How do you conduct your research and do you use experts? 

MA: “I do limited research for my stories since they are all grounded loosely in historical settings.  I try to fact-check certain key things to make sure I’m not too far off the mark!  My career in government, law enforcement, and the intelligence community also help me shape my stories simply because I’ve lived many things that I end up writing about.  I also have many contacts in these communities, so I’m not shy about reaching out and posing an odd question here or there. “

MC: Do you use outlines or keep crib notes about plot points that need to be addressed/concealed?

MA: “For my first novel, Child Finder, I used a series of notes containing plot points I didn’t want to lose or miss.  But for the second and third novels, I found outlining them to be the most effective process, and within the outline I embed notes/bullets I want to remind myself to use.”

MC: My books have kind of a rollercoaster feel to them...slow build, a few dips and turns and then a crashing finish. How would you describe the flow of your books?

MA: “Both the first and second novels were very much like that rollercoaster you described.  But the third story, Child Finder: Revelation, is a thrill ride.  The action is constant and the suspense build is much faster.  I’m having a lot of fun with this one!”

MC: What makes your books memorable? 

MA: “My protagonist is what makes the books so memorable.  He is a rough and tumble government agent, yet a loving dad and husband at the same time.  His deep faith is the glue that helps him hold both of these aspects of his nature together…but sometimes things seem to want to come apart at the seams for him!”

  
MC: Child Finder received a glowing review from the Library Journal, and earned placement on its Summer Reads List.  Were you nervous about the review process?

MA: "VERY nervous!  As a debut author, I had zero experience with reviews until then.  While everyone involved in my writing projects has been supportive and positive, getting my first impartial review flooded my gut with butterflies.”

MC: What about the award your debut novel received?

MA: “I am thrilled that Child Finder won the Silver Medal for fiction in the 2009 Military Writers Society of America’s Annual Awards program.  This was such a huge honor for me, and from what I have been told by the MWSA community, competition was tough this year with the largest number of fiction submissions in the society’s history.”

MC: What do you want your readers to walk away with?

MA: “Inspiration.  Plain and simple, I want them to be inspired by my protagonist and his exceptional moral grounding.  I want them inspired by his love of wife and children, his love of God, his dedication and devotion to his country.  I want readers to believe again in the goodness of people.”

Mike, thanks so much for sharing your newest passion with us today. BTW, thank you also for serving our country. To learn more about Mike and to keep up with his trilogy, visit his Web site: Child Finder