Here it is, my EXCLUSIVE Interview with Quentin Brent
The Reason: It's About More Than Just Money:
Illicit profits were all part of Zane Donaldson’s work as at a financial firm, but suddenly the stakes change when his family is violently abducted. Following a trail that was never meant to be uncovered, Zane realizes that with Quantitative Easing, the Federal Reserve is doing something no criminal has ever accomplished—and the catastrophic economic implications are worth killing over.
Together with a computer hacker and a seemingly helpful special ops warrior, Zane must decide between exposing the truth and preserving the financial strength of the world. However, only Zane knows the real truth and why it can’t be revealed. The Federal Reserve isn’t just about money. While it also involves domination and control, it all comes back to one thing: The Reason.
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press, Inc. (October 26, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1592988717
ISBN-13: 978-1592988716
Learn more about Quentin Brent at www.quentinbrent.com and connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
The Reason: It’s About More Than Just Money is available on www.quentinbrent.com, Amazon and NetGalley.
And let the interview begin:
Questions for Quentin Brent by Jay Whales.
The obvious question to start with. Since a banker has never, to my knowledge been mistaken for a bare knuckle brawler, how did that happen?
I have always loved fighting. To me it is a violent chess match with blood. As my kids got older and moved out I had the time to devote to it. And I wanted to experience and learn the real thing with as little rules and constraints as possible. Fighting has a stereotype as a blue collar activity, populated by thugs and barroom brawlers. That is far from the truth. In some of the most violent venues that I fought, there would be attorneys, doctors, and even bankers fighting. In fact one of my close friends, who was particularly savage in the cage was a concert violinist.
As a fledgling writer myself, I immediately noticed your style of short chapters, did you find this writing style difficult to remember the storyline(s)?
Yes it is a bit challenging and requires the use of a story board to make sure the plot and subplots stay consistent and don’t contradict each other. I have always liked short chapters in novels as it keeps the story moving, doesn’t dwell on one particular scene too long, and ratchets up the suspense.
Your characters jump from the jungles of Colombia to the halls of Wall Street and the “Fed,” did you know subject matter experts in fields you are not accustomed to or is your imagination that good?
Very good question. I had a close friend I fought with, that the special ops character, Tec is loosely based upon. He provided me with a lot of stories about his clandestine past, that he probably should not have. The Colombia story is a version of an experience of his. Putting our bodies on the line in dangerous fights, revealed ourselves phsyically in a way that also allowed us to share other more revealing parts of our past that we probably would not tell anybody else. It was the brotherhood of fighting that that I sorely miss. As a president of a bank, I also had dealings with the Federal Reserve and other bankers that gave me the experience and knowledge to fully develop the Wall Street and Federal Reserve part of the story. I also did a lot of research into the Federal Reserve and the bailouts after 2008. Having said all of this though, my imagination did play a significant role in providing a lot of color for The Reason.
It was very interesting to read about “Bloodsport” type matches, though not to the death, by someone who has been there, how many of these matches have you been in approximately?
More than I can remember. For the better part of a year, I did almost one a week. I was constantly hurt (sometime severely) and in pain. And even after that year, I did at least one a month. It is important to note though, that I was not some kind of bad ass. I lost as many fights as I won. In fact I got terribly beaten and hurt in many fights. I would have to say I learned more in the fights I lost than the ones I won. I was told once that the stature of a man is more revealed in how he handles loss and failure than how he handles victory. I think that is true. Many times it was a great accomplishment for me to just be able to walk out of the venue on my own two feet, knowing that I had just been in a very brutal, bloody fight, even though I had lost.
Do you think it is possible for our “wonderful” politicians, on both sides, who have put us in this current situation can truly get us out of our predicament?
In my humble opinion, yes. But it will take teamwork and focusing on what really matters. Right now our polticians seemed more interested in name calling and trying to fix social issues while, financially speaking, our great country burns. It doesn’t matter if you are Christian, Muslim, gay or straight, we still need to live within our means and not print money to cover up the fact that we can’t. That is not a morality issue, it is a financial issue. I believe this country should not and really can’t legislate morality. Once we figure that out, maybe we can get down to the business of what government should really be about.
Should we “audit the Fed,” and what are your thoughts on results from such an audit from a government in its current state. Basically meaning I would not trust any audit results unless a certain few people conducted the audit.
We should audit the Fed, but you are correct it should be truly and independent audit. Having the GAO audit the Fed is the same as the fox guarding the henhouse. It should be a truly third party audit, like any publicly traded business has to have.
Another writer question (they seem to outnumber questions about the book), but how long did it take to write The Reason? I tend to go in spurts, with more getting done in winter for some reason.
The project from start to finish was 3 ½ years. Of course that included many edits with two different editors and other parties. Being my first book I also took the opportunity to learn a lot during the process. But in order to stay on target for The Reason and the second installment The Truth, does require the discipline of writing every single day, including weekends. Since I also have a day job, that discipline was critical.
This question is similar to question 2, but were the “sub” stories hard to keep track of while writing or were they laid out and them placed where they needed to go as the book came together?
The sub stories were really a function of the main story so they were developed at the same time. A story board was critical to keep it all straight. However as the novel evolved during its finishing and the lengthy edit process, the sub stories evolved as well. Many times I really let the characters tell me what their particular story should be. I learned this from another author that I heard speak. And that is to listen to your characters, as after all it is their story.
Lastly, the Reason is mostly non-stop action. The world needs a new action hero, are any of the characters from The Reason going to be seen again?
The second installment, The Truth is complete and in the editing phase now, expected for release in the fall of 2016. All of the same characters will be present, along with their decisions, both good and bad that allow them to be who they are, as they try to heroically salvage what is left of this, the greatest country’s economy. The plans now are for a three book series, but it may go beyond that, or their may be spin off’s for certain characters. Survival of all the characters may not be possible, as sometimes great sacrifice is needed to meet great challenges. You will have to wait for The Truth to find out more.
