The review I was afraid to write~ Nonofficial Asset by William Sewell @1BillSewell

I find myself looking over my shoulder as I write this.  This whirlwind experience has left me a bit shaken. I have taken a trip with Mr. Sewell to some of the most dangerous, war torn parts of the world and have been privy to some incredibly frightening government secrets.  

You see, Mr. Sewell has lived much of this story. A veteran clandestine contractor, he has applied his intelligence experience behind-enemy-lines. Many of these scenarios are real, along with all the government agencies, military staff and mind blowing technology

His tautly written, thrill-a-minute book takes you on the roller coaster journey of a lifetime. You’ll infiltrate and exfiltrate in and out of Islamabad, Iran, Shanghai, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Langley.  The story is quick moving and danger lurks around every corner.  The incredible detail and vivid descriptions of these locations and circumstances make everything seem a little too real.

Peyton Stone is spy, one of the best.  He works for the CIA, but under the radar. They call him a nonofficial asset.  He handles operations that may become so ugly that the government needs complete deniability.

He finds that there is a high price to pay when his past comes back to haunt him. He is barely over the shock of the murder of his best friend, when he finds his own life in danger.

Without any choice in the matter, Peyton is in the middle of a deadly covert operation. It’s the kind of scenario that nightmares are made of…a stolen nuclear weapon, a fanatical, rogue Iranian admiral and a plan to rule the world.

Will Peyton be able to stop this ungodly chain of events? He’s good, but…

Interview with William Sewell

K: Thank you so much for joining us, Bill. I absolutely loved ‘Nonofficial Asset’.  As I had mentioned to you, Nonofficial Asset was such a thriller, I could feel the tension in my neck!

The book was very intriguing and scary.  I wonder if I am going to be tagged on some government watch list(s) for even writing about this!  

Were you concerned about writing this book, especially with the backlash recently for that YouTube video? And, may I ask if there any personal inspiration for this story?

B: You probably won’t be on a watch list.  I’ve read your dossier from the headquarters files…just kidding!!  Over my many years in this environment, I’ve learned what can be revealed and what can’t.  I’m always, above everything, careful to protect people and technology from compromise.  I also want to make it as real as possible and maybe push the edge just a little bit so there’s a balance.  At the same time, this is a work of fiction and I always want to make it clear that the characters may do bad things but it’s no reflection on real people’s culture, faith, or anything like that. 

My inspiration came from my wife who was also in intelligence for a time and when we swapped stories of our work she said, “You know, most people don’t do those kinds of things.  You should write them down.”  So I began figuring out how to tell a story based on my adventures.

K: Okay, first of all, about my dossier: I joined that IRA website by accident.  I just wanted to connect to my heritage…just kidding! (Laughing nervously)

I think your own life story would probably make an exciting book as well.   Husband and wife spies...that's really cool. It reminds me of the movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Your book is incredibly well written. I can’t believe it’s your debut novel.  Do you have anything exciting coming up in the near future?

B: This is the first of a series.  I hope it’s a long series.  The next book, due out in the spring, is called Critical Asset and has to do with cyber security and what can happen when the right people and technology come together to attack our country’s critical assets.  It will of course be the same Peyton Stone characters and they’ll move quickly to try and stop the bad guys.  I just hope they get there in time.  LOL

K: That’s great news; I want to see more of Peyton Stone.  I have faith in him.

What’s a typical day like in your world?  Do you write daily?

B: I try to write every day.  I get up at 5am and write until 8 when I have to start my day job.  Then I spend evenings sometimes editing, sometimes marketing my current book.  I try to sleep at least once a day.  J

K: You keep a busy schedule; it makes me wonder about the amount of caffeine involved. ☻ (feeling guilty about my own caffeine intake)

If ‘Nonofficial Asset’ was made into a movie, who would you like to see cast in the roles? 

B: I’ve always thought the cast should be Dennis Quaid as Peyton and Claire Danes as Rachel.  Harry is a little harder to cast but John Goodman might be a starting point.  Of course, I’d have to take a “Hitchcock Walk” through some random scene.

K: LOL- I would probably do the “Hitchcock Walk”, too!

I like your casting choices, but I could really see Pierce Brosnan as Peyton.  Maybe it’s that “James Bond” thing. J

I like to engage my guests in a little game I the “writing exercise” I give you a scene and you rewrite it in your own fabulous style.  Are up for it?

B: Wow, I’ve never run into that before but sure, why not?

K: Okay, here is your scene:

Anil sat quietly in the dark room, staring down into the amber liquid in the glass he held in his hand. He quickly swallowed the whiskey, in one gulp. Then he screamed out filthy obscenities, while he hurled the glass to the floor. He grimaced as a large glass shard bounced up and lodged in his bare ankle. He reached down and grabbed the glass shard, and pushed it deeply in to his skin, and then pulled the shard through his leg, all the way up to his knee. 

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

He screamed out in pain and then grabbed the glass shard and threw it back on the floor. He didn't notice the blood gushing down his leg and pooling on the floor. He felt a little better now. He had discovered that cutting himself seemed to calm him down. Sometimes he became so irate and agitated it took more than just a few cuts. It was starting to escalate. Like a drug, he needed more and more. The month before he was not able to soothe himself until he had sliced off his pinky finger

(Note: Just a, FYI: Anil is a bad guy. He was a jilted groom who vowed & took revenge in my book, ‘Hiren’s Magical Adventure’. )

B: Anil stared at the floor.  The slow burn of the whiskey warmed his stomach and spread to his chest.  At least there was warmth in the drink.  Warmth against the cold that blew in from his beloved’s betrayal. Alone, alone!! Always alone. The voice in his head screamed and the scream slowly made its way from the bottom of his gut to his lungs, to his throat, and into the room, “Arrrrrgh!”  How could she be so cold?

He felt the glass in his hand, felt his hand tighten around it, felt his arm move and suddenly the glass was in pieces on the floor.  One shard lodged in his ankle.  The physical pain replaced some of the mental pain.  It started again.  That same thirst for pain that took his pinkie finger a month ago.  It was a drug.  He needed more.  He pushed the shard through his ankle and sat back, breaths coming in short gasps. He knew what he had to do.  She had to feel his pain and he knew he was the only one who could gauge that for her.

B: Now that’s one twisted bad guy.  I think I need a drink.

K: Whew!  Me too…darn, it’s only noon! That was deliciously sick.  You’re an incredibly talented writer.

Once again, thank you so much, Bill, it was great having you here.  I hope that you’ll come back when you release Critical Asset.   Where can your fans find you on the web?

B: Thank you for your wonderful review and this fun chat.  Here's my website, , Amazon ,  Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and Facebook.  Just search for Nonofficial Asset.

Thanks again!!