Today I'm pleased to welcome L.D. Beyer to the blog to talk about his new book IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING!
A little about the book...
Caught in a game of chess he didn't know he was playing until it was too late, the President makes the only move he can, plunging Washington and the nation into chaos. Stunned and reeling, Vice President David Kendall takes the oath of office and tries to heal a nation in mourning.
But what the new president doesn't realize is that things in the White House aren't always what they appear to be, and sometimes what looks like the best option may turn out to be the worst. When one fatal decision triggers
consequences he never envisioned, President Kendall finds himself caught up in the same game that cost his predecessor his life.
Although there was nothing he could have done, Secret Service Agent Matthew Richter is haunted by the death of the man he had vowed to protect. When his girlfriend leaves him and his boss tells him that his job is on the line, he thinks his life cannot get any worse. He soon realizes how wrong he is when he finds himself fighting to save another president from the deadly forces that he has unwittingly unleashed.
In Sheep's Clothing is a gripping, action-packed political thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Interview with L.D. Beyer
1.
What inspired you to begin writing?
When I was
12 or 13, I remember seeing an ad that said something like, “Get Paid to Write
Children’s Books.” I was intrigued and
actually wrote a few things but I never did submit them. A few years later, I wrote a short story for
a high school English assignment. My story was well received and was published
in a school anthology. In college, I
wrote another short story, again for a literature class, and it too was well
received and published in a school anthology.
But after
graduating, I guess I did the expected thing and followed a more traditional
career path. I met my wife a few years
later and we got married. A few years
after that, we started a family. Frankly,
between career and family, I forgot all about writing for a while. But the desire to do something different—to
write—was always there, just below the surface.
It wasn't
until several years ago that I finally muscled up enough courage to make a drastic
change in my life: to give up my corporate career, to spend more time with my
family and to pursue my dream of being a writer.
There's
something cathartic about writing.
Writing allows me to be creative and to express myself in a unique
way. It’s really cool to start with a
blank page and watch as the story unfolds, sometimes taking twists and turns I
never expected. I know that sounds like I'm not in control when I write but,
after giving them a nudge, the characters and the plot tend to evolve on their
own and go in directions I never envisioned when I first began typing.
You know,
I wish I could find some of my early writings!
That would be really cool!
2.
Would you classify your writing more as plot driven or
character driven?
Although
I believe my main character is fairly compelling, I think my writing is more
plot driven.
3.
Can you tell us a little about your main character?
Matthew
Richter is 30 years old and single. He
is a competent and dedicated Secret Service Agent. He is the classic Type A personality: driven, always in
control. But when the President suddenly
dies on his watch, Richter’s world is turned upside down. Although there was nothing he could have
done, he is haunted by the death of the man he had vowed to protect. The burden of failure weighs heavily on him
and he wrestles with resigning from the only job he ever wanted.
4.
Without giving away too much, tell us a little about
the main conflict in this book.
In Sheep’s Clothing is the story of three men. One man holds the reins of power. One man vows to protect him. One man vows to destroy him.
Caught
in a game of chess he didn’t know he was playing until it was too late, the
President makes the only move he can, plunging Washington and the nation into
chaos. Stunned and reeling, Vice President David Kendall takes the oath of
office and tries to heal a nation in mourning. But what the new president
doesn’t realize is that things in the White House aren’t always what they
appear to be, and sometimes what looks like the best option may turn out to be
the worst. When one fatal decision triggers consequences he never envisioned,
President Kendall finds himself caught up in the same game that cost his
predecessor his life.
Although
there was nothing he could have done, Secret Service Agent Matthew Richter is
haunted by the death of the man he had vowed to protect. When his girlfriend
leaves him and his boss tells him that his job is on the line, he thinks his
life cannot get any worse. He soon realizes how wrong he is when he finds
himself fighting to save another president from the deadly forces that he has
unwittingly unleashed.
5.
What do you hope readers take away from your book?
My books
are pure escapism. If I’ve done my job
right, you will escape, for a short while anyway, into the lives of my
characters, vicariously sharing their thoughts, their challenges, their
struggles, their dark moments, as well as their triumphs. Hopefully you’ll root
for the good guys and loathe the bad guys. Ideally, I’ll keep you up well past
bed time because you want to find out what happens next! At the end, I want you to close the book with
a satisfied smile.
6.
Now for a few fun questions! What song best describes
your writing style?
Boy! That’s a tough one! Can I plead the 5th?
If I
have to answer, I guess it would have to be a song that describes a
journey. But I’m not sure I can think of
the one that fits perfectly. How about
Sheryl Crow’s Every day is a winding
road.
7.
Night Owl or Early Bird?
I’m
definitely an early bird. My kid’s laugh
at me because I often go to bed before 10.
8.
Skittle or M&Ms?
M&M’s,
of course! Preferably Peanut M&Ms!
9.
Who are your favorite authors?
I tend
to cycle through authors and my favorite is usually the one I’m reading at the
moment. I’ll get hooked on a particular
author and I’ll spend several months or more reading every book they’ve
written. David Baldacci, Steve Berry,
Michael Connolly, Mike Lawson, Vince Flynn, Brad Meltzer, Brad Thor—they’ve
each been my favorite at one point in time.
Patricia Cornwell is another great writer; I really like her Kay
Scarpetta character.
Although
I usually read thrillers, every now and then, I’ll pick up something different
for a change of pace. JK Rowling’s Harry
Potter series was fun. So was The Hunger Games, by Suzanne
Collins. Right now, I’m in the middle of
George R.R. Martin’s Game of Throne
series. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll
probably give you a different answer!
10.
Can you tell us about your future projects?
Sure. My next book is An Eye for An Eye. This is
the sequel to In Sheep’s Clothing and
is set to release later this year or early next year. A powerful drug lord threatens to bring
America to its knees. Only one man can
stop him. This is the second book in my
Matthew Richter Thriller series.
I also
have a historical thriller titled The
Devil’s Due, which is based loosely on my grandfather. He served in the IRA at the time Ireland was
fighting for independence from Britain, in 1919-1921. I spent some time in Dublin and Limerick
researching military archives and the War for Independence, meeting with
historians, tracing my roots, and, of course, enjoying a pint or two because,
after all, I was in Ireland! The cool
thing is that the Irish Army was able to locate my grandfather’s military
records and I was able to confirm that he did indeed serve in the IRA during
the war. It’s there that the history
gets a little murky. He does appear to
have left Ireland in a hurry, but as to why, I can only speculate. Still my research paints a picture of a very
tenuous time where the temporary alliance cobbled together to defeat the
British crumbled easily under the weight of ancient divisions; where suspicion
of disloyalty often resulted in death; and where past sins were rarely
forgiven. It’s in this context that the
story of my protagonist, Frank Kelleher, comes to life…and almost to his death!
Meet the Author
I spent over twenty-five years in the corporate world,
climbing the proverbial corporate ladder, so to speak. This meant a lot of time
away from my family, extensive travel, a half-dozen relocations, and the
opportunity to live and work in Mexico for several years. I’ve had the desire
to write for a long time but my job left little room for much else. In 2011, I decided it was time for a change—I
was tired of moving every few years, I wanted to spend more time with my family
and I wanted to chase my dream of being a writer.
I am an avid reader and although I primarily read Thrillers,
my reading list is somewhat eclectic.
For me, I would much rather spend a few hours with a good book than a
few hours in front of the TV.
I live in Michigan with my wife, three children and a dog
named Tope (pronounced Toe-Pay), which we adopted in Mexico. I enjoy cooking,
hiking, biking, working out and fixing just about anything that breaks in the
house. With 3 kids and a dog, a lot of
things seem to break!
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