R.N. Shapiro's Blog, page 3

About Heroes: Why I Wish I’d Met Matt Schnirel

Taming the Telomeres wins Gold Award for top thriller

They say that heroes leave behind a little part of themselves in each of us.  I don’t know if that’s true, but I want to tell you why I wish I’d met Matt Schnirel, who I think was a hero.  And he’s not the only one either.

Singer songwriter Jack Johnson asked: “Where’d all the good people go?  I keep changing channels.  I don’t see them on the TV shows…”  But–if heroes surrounded us every day, they wouldn’t seem heroic, would they?  Why? Because heroes are rare.  And, they make you aspire to be a person of integrity. Someone you hope you can be.

Michael Doran was a fantastic trial attorney from Buffalo, and a professional friend of mine.  He hired Matt Schnirel right out of law school to work at his small law firm.  He didn’t hire him because he finished at the top of his class.  He hired him because he had clerked for his small law firm in Buffalo, and everybody that met Matt loved him.  Michael was a very successful, persuasive attorney in front of juries.  And he was a great judge of a lawyer’s character.

I was as shocked as everyone in Buffalo that knew Michael and Matt when I heard the news that Michael Doran’s small Cirrus plane crashed in 2009 after it took off from a municipal Cleveland airport, after Michael and Matt had attended a hearing there.  Something went horribly wrong right after take-off and Michael tried to get the plane back to the airstrip when it crashed not far from the airport.  And, it was one of those planes with a special parachute that can be deployed, but only after the plane reaches a certain altitude.

I went to the funeral for Michael Doran, and that was where I heard a lot about Matt Schnirel, who was a new, young lawyer working with Michael’s law firm and who was the only other passenger who lost his life in the crash.

Heroes don’t panic in life threatening situations.  I learned a great story about Matt Schnirel after Michael’s funeral at a tribute for Michael and Matt.  Matt and a group of his high school friends accidentally went down a wrong trail on a Jay Peak Vermont ski slope in 2003 on a frigid winter afternoon-ending up stranded at nightfall in a deserted valley with no ability to get out (and no cell phone service).

Night fell, and the temperatures dropped to 30 below zero, and as each hour passed they all became more and more desperate.  One lighter proved pivotal—Matt and the others broke off tree branches and built a fire and continued to feed it hour after hour, fighting off frostbite.  At dawn, Matt led his friends to try to find their way up and out of the valley, and during that effort rescuers found them.

Matt Schnirel retold this story in his personal statement to Buffalo school of law in his application, and he was (you guessed) accepted there.

Other heroes don’t help save anyone, but still are heroic.  My late aunt, Annette Halprin, may never have “saved” anyone but she lived live with a certain  savoir-faire,  meaning she was adaptable, knowing what to do in any situation.  She treated everyone around her with dignity, she was funny, and she was always someone who I looked up to. She’s another hero, and I was privileged to give a eulogy at her funeral.

Perhaps that’s why I wrote about a hero named Amanda Michaels, the leading female character in my first fiction thriller, “Taming the Telomeres.”  I am sure I infused a part of Matt and a part of Annette in the character development for Amanda.  Though Amanda seems imperfect and perhaps not heroic at the beginning of “Taming,” she manages to pull through against her seemingly insurmountable obstacles after being the sole survivor of a jet crash.

I wish I had met Matt Schnirel.  We all have heroes.  I’m sure you know someone like him or my aunt, and no, all the good people are not gone. They are just hard to find.

True or False Fun Fact: A telomere [tel-uh-meer] is a rare monkey found only in Madagascar?

 

This answer is not found within a species or genus of monkey. Nor on Madagascar.   A telomere is the protective tip at the end of cell chromosomes, involved in controlling cell life. And death.  A nobel prize was awarded in 2009 for scientific strides in telomere biology: how the chromosomes can be copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation. The Nobel Laureates showed that the solution is to be found in the ends of the chromosomes – the telomeres – and in an enzyme that forms them – telomerase.  Elizabeth Blackburn and Jack Szostak discovered that a unique DNA sequence in the telomeres protects the chromosomes from degradation.

Taming the Telomeres (TTT) is a fiction thriller that examines the vast commercial potential of telomere research to the world’s super powers.  The value of extending human life even 15% is mind boggling, and biological spying on these advances is hardly surprising.

While not about taming monkeys on Madagascar, TTT won the 2015 Gold Award for top fiction thriller in the Readers Favorite Int’l. Book contest, and was the lone medalist in the New Apple Literary Awards for ebook fiction thriller also.

Some call TTT a biological thriller, or a medical thriller.  Amanda Michaels is the lone survivor of a jet crash that killed all aboard.  Except her.  She comes to learn that she possesses biological secrets that covert agents will kill over.

Taming the Telomeres is now available on audible.com narrated by Mikael Naramore, and the ebook and paperback  versions of Taming the Telomeres are also on Amazon.

 

True or False Fun Fact: A telomere is a rare monkey found only in Madagascar?

 

This answer is not found within a species or genus of monkey. Nor on Madagascar.   A telomere is the protective tip at the end of cell chromosomes, involved in controlling cell life. And death.  A nobel prize was awarded in 2009 for scientific strides in telomere biology: how the chromosomes can be copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation. The Nobel Laureates showed that the solution is to be found in the ends of the chromosomes – the telomeres – and in an enzyme that forms them – telomerase.  Elizabeth Blackburn and Jack Szostak discovered that a unique DNA sequence in the telomeres protects the chromosomes from degradation.

Taming the Telomeres (TTT) is a fiction thriller that examines the vast commercial potential of telomere research to the world’s super powers.  The value of extending human life even 15% is mind boggling, and biological spying on these advances is hardly surprising.

While not about taming monkeys on Madagascar, TTT won the 2015 Gold Award for top fiction thriller in the Readers Favorite Int’l. Book contest, and was the lone medalist in the New Apple Literary Awards for ebook fiction thriller also.

Some call TTT a biological thriller, or a medical thriller.  Amanda Michaels is the lone survivor of a jet crash that killed all aboard.  Except her.  She comes to learn that she possesses biological secrets that covert agents will kill over.

Taming the Telomeres is now available on audible.com narrated by Mikael Naramore, and the ebook and paperback  versions of Taming the Telomeres are also on Amazon.

 

Taming the Telomeres Named 2015 New Apple Literary ebook Mystery/Thriller Medalist

Taming the Telomeres was named the Medalist in the 2015 New Apple Literary award contest, for ebook mystery/thriller.

Taming the Telomeres explores the tip of the human chromosome, and efforts to commercialize extension of cell life. Named the 2015 Medalist for ebook mystery/thriller by New Apple Literary Awards

Click to head to New Apple Literary Award website:

New Apple Literary Award for 2015 ebook mystery/thriller, Medal to Taming the Telomeres by R.N. Shapiro

 

Attorney-Author R.N. Shapiro Interviewed About His Award Winning Thriller

Profuse thanks to Patrick Austin, who now is the editor of the Virginia State Bar Docket Call Newsletter, for a nice interview about the ethical dilemmas faced by trial attorney Andy Michaels in Taming the Telomeres, my fiction thriller. The Judges also have some serious ethical issues as well.  Click below for the interview.

R. N. Shapiro interviewed in Docket Call Newsletter published by VA State Bar

 VSB interview RNS [Click link].

 

Taming the Telomeres Audiobook Now on Audible.com and itunes

Quite pleased to report that the audiobook narrated by Mikael Naramore is now available on itunes, Amazon, and on audible.com.  It was a real pleasure working with producer/narrator Naramore, and the review and editing process was illuminating. Rather than “typos” the main issues involve pronunciation preferences and many other subtle preferences. See the screen shots.

There has been a major increase in audible sales of books since users can listen to an audible book through their mobile phone and use bluetooth in a car, which eliminates the need to have any CD’s, like 5 years ago.  Now, Taming the Telomeres is available in audio format.

 

Author Book Bubble comments: Horror of waking up from a coma with no memory

Click to see my latest author comments about the “Doctors Explain” book chapter from Taming the Telomeres, when Amanda Michaels first comes out of her coma, surrounded by medical doctors.

https://www.bublish.com/bubble/stream/8536?share=fb

Author R.N. Shapiro book bubble from ‘Taming the Telomeres’ thriller-awakening from a coma lacking any memory

Award Winning Author R.N. Shapiro Interviews Award Winning Author Garret Holms About ‘Grant of Immunity’ Thriller

 

Author Garret Holms brings major credibility to his international book award winning legal thriller Grant of Immunity, having worked as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and trial court judge. I recently met Garret at the 2015 Readers Favorite Int’l book award ceremony in Miami, Florida (he was awarded a silver medal) and we traded writing stories and tips that may help us both as thriller authors.

He told me he enjoyed reading my award winning thriller ‘Taming the Telomeres’ and I promised to read his novel (which I did and it was excellent!) and then he agreed to this interview about his courtroom thriller, and our author-to-author chat follows:

Award winning thriller author R.N. Shapiro interviews award winning author Garret Holms about his exciting legal thriller ‘Grant of Immunity’

Q:  Please summarize, without spoilers, your award winning novel Grant of Immunity? And is it part of a series?

A: Grant of Immunity, is set in 1976, Los Angeles. Sarah Collins, a young mother of two, is brutally raped and murdered at the Hollywood Reservoir. For nineteen years, the murder remains unsolved and the case goes cold. In 1995, the streets of Los Angeles are being terrorized by Jake Babbage, a traffic cop who uses his position of power to rape and murder innocent women. On his way to court one day, Babbage sees Judge Daniel Hart. The two recognize each other, and the terrifying night of nineteen years ago comes back to haunt the highly respected judge. The aftermath of the encounter brings long-buried secrets to light and tests the moral fiber of Judge Hart, who has committed himself to protecting those victimized by the very crimes of which he is now accused.

Grant of Immunity is the first book in a three-book series of novels that have Judge Daniel Hart the protagonist. The second book in the series will be completed during 2016.

Q:   What appeals (pun unintended) to you about writing legal thrillers?

A:  The courtroom is the best stage for a gut-wrenching thriller. It’s where tempers fly and tensions flare.

L-R: Author R.N. Shapiro, author Steve LeBel, & author Garret Holms at the 2015 Readers’ Favorite author awards ceremony in Miami, Florida.

Oftentimes, when you read legal thrillers, lawyers and detectives are cast as leads while the judge is a secondary and somewhat elusive character. As a author in the legal thriller genre, I wanted to explore the judge’s position in the judicial system with accuracy while showcasing the bare emotions that are often tucked away when one is in an authoritative position like that of a judge.

I enjoy creating well-rounded characters that transcend their respective titles or roles in a legal thriller. This is the writing challenge I love: to construct an authentic set of events, including powerful courtroom scenes, that engage, entertain and educate the reader.

Q:  Outline the legal experience in the type of law you write about?

A:  As a prosecutor and defense attorney, I’ve tried countless cases. I know the disappointment that comes with losing after weeks of going over how I would present the evidence. I also know the joy of winning, and how it feels to speak to the jurors in those circumstances.

I’ve handled countless trials as a judge. I know what it’s like to have everyone in the courtroom watching your face as the evidence unfolds as well as the challenge of having to decide difficult legal questions quickly and correctly.

Q:  What’s surprised you the most about your experience with the law, and translating this into writing legal thrillers?

A:  After years working in our criminal justice system, I still believe our system of justice is the best in the world. What surprised me is how difficult it was to translate everyday courtroom life into a riveting work of crime fiction.

Q:  How hard is it to be accurate about the legal system and present an accessible narrative?

A:  The legal system has strict rules of evidence and uncompromising standards of ethical behavior. Sometimes authors, for storytelling purposes, overlook these rules.. For example, years back, there was popular movie where, during a criminal trial the defendant’s public defender and a member of the jury worked together to investigate and determine if the defendant was guilty. In the end, they determined the defendant was innocent and that the true murderer was . . . the judge! This was a great story with a profoundly surprising twist. But, it could never happen in real life.  The lawyer and juror were obstructing justice and the lawyer could be disbarred for such acts. In my view, this is the equivalent of an action movie where the hero outruns an explosion or of a horror movie when the coed goes back into the house even though she knows the ax murderer waits inside.  My goal on the other hand is to write a compelling and engrossing story that is consistent with the way our justice system works without the gimmicks.

Q:  Are there legal concepts that you find very hard to convey in a fiction thriller?

A:  It can be challenging to convey certain legal concepts in a digestible way for the average Joe. If a plot depends upon a subtle legal theory, it must be presented in a way that the reader understands and is interested in.  If done correctly, the reader is engaged and finishes the novel with a sense that they learned something new and insightful about our criminal justice system.

Q:  What do you think the public’s biggest misconceptions about the legal system are?

A:  Some of them think that a good lawyer will do anything to win his or her case, legitimate or not, ethical or not, legal or not. Others believe that prosecutors are only concerned with winning their case, even if an innocent person is convicted and even executed. There are people that view judges as cold, aloof and impatient. There are people who view many police as corrupt also.

I try to counter this by presenting a story where you have both good as well bad cops, careful as well as careless lawyers; caring as well as callus judges. I aim to develop stories that look inside these characters and demonstrate that guilt or innocence is not black or white, but shades of gray.

Thanks so much for the interview Garret, and you can pick up Grant of Immunity on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble, and the audiobook is on Audible.com, or iTunes.  Check out Garret Holm’s author website as well. We look forward to book two in your series featuring Judge Hart as well.

 

Author R.N. Shapiro Interviews MayCay Beeler, co-author of Buccaneer

My author-to-author interview of MayCay Beeler, record setting pilot, who coaxed Jack Reed, secretive cocaine smuggling pilot for the Colombian cartel, to reveal his life story.

First, my congratulations to MayCay Beeler, on winning a finalist award in the 2015 Readers Favorite international book award contest for her co-authored non-fiction book, ‘Buccaneer: The Provocative Odyssey of Jack Reed, Adventurer, Drug Smuggler and Pilot Extraordinaire.’  I was fortunate to meet MayCay and many other fascinating award winning authors at the Miami Readers’ Favorite 2015 awards ceremony I personally attended to receive my own award for Taming the Telomeres, A Thriller. (see the photo of MayCay and I celebrating our award winning novels below).

So, who is MayCay Beeler?  She is quite the extraordinary person, having worked as a TV host/producer/journalist, active FAA Certified Flight Instructor, world record breaking pilot, and of interest now:  true crime author.  MayCay was the first writer to coax Jack Reed, the Colombian Medellin cocaine cartel’s secretive smuggling pilot, to reveal his life story.  One problem:  Jack Reed was still serving a life prison sentence as a result of his conviction in the longest U.S. drug trial in U.S. history, convicted along with Carlos Lehder, his Colombian cocaine smuggling confidante.  (As an aside, mystery currently surrounds Lehder, whose U.S. prison sentence was reduced in 1992 for providing testimony against Panamanian dictator Manuel Noreiga.  Lehder supposedly is still serving time in a minimum security U.S. facility, but under the umbrella of a witness protection program).

I found the Buccaneer non-fiction story intriguing, got MayCay to sign a copy of Buccaneer, and read it in two days on my last vacation. Then, I persuaded MayCay to provide me an author-to-author interview about Buccaneer, which follows:

Q: It seems to me highly unlikely that you would have been able to convince Jack Carlton Reed to reveal his life story in Buccaneer, if you had not been an accomplished award winning pilot yourself; do you agree with that?

A:  Yes. It was our flying that initially bonded us. When we exchanged flying stories as fellow pilots, I was awed by Jack’s clandestine bush pilot skills, and Jack was amazed by my passion for the cockpit. His flying was strictly to “get the job done,” while my “honest” (As he called it) professional work aloft gifts me with incredible joy. It is much more than just a “job” for me. Jack got a kick out of that! He expressed great admiration and genuine concern for my role as a Flight Instructor, knowing how dangerous it can be. Jack confessed he had tried to teach Carlos Lehder how to fly during some of their long smuggling flights together; and, not being a trained Flight Instructor himself, he soon discovered it was too dicey and nerve-racking!  

Q:  “I am NO RAT,” Reed declares more than once in his biography, and he seemed quite bitter about many other persons who had some role in the Colombian cocaine smuggling business that turned into “rats” for the DEA and the prosecutors.  But “turning” folks involved in criminal business is typical and not unique to drug smuggling.  What did you learn about Jack Reed on this issue from interviewing and getting to know him?

A: This is what made Jack “Jack”. Loyal to the bone. A former attorney of Jack’s described him as an “old timey outlaw.” Ratting runs rampant these days. Jack was old school. He held his tongue and took his deep respect for his comrade, Carlos Lehder, to his grave. He had a deep love for Carlos as a brother. I respected Jack’s devotion, yet didn’t fully understand it until after he passed. The years that followed bestowed me with the opportunity to meet and communicate with the main players in this story. This has brought me much insight.  I have learned not to judge. We don’t have to agree with the decisions and choices other people make, but if we would only open our hearts and minds, we will be amazed by their spirits. I have learned to open my mind.     

 Q:  Do you have any idea how many times you met with Reed for prison meetings in researching and working with him on this book?  Were you allowed to be in a room together with guards, or did you have to meet divided by a glass divider?

A: The vast majority of our interviews are documented in the hundreds of personal letters we exchanged. Letters disclosing never-before-told information about the Norman’s Cay operation, Carlos Lehder and Jack. Of course our phone calls were informative as well. When we met in person, it was in a large prison visiting room under the watchful eyes of guards. We were able to sit next to each other. No glass barrier. When Jack was hospitalized the last time, I was allowed to be at his bedside with a prison guard right outside our door, and sometimes with two guards sitting next to me in the same room. Jack was shackled to the bed.

Q:  Norman’s Cay, in the Bahamas was essentially owned by Carlos Lehder and his Colombian smuggling ring during the central years of the cocaine smuggling operation.  Did you visit Norman’s Cay piloting a plane yourself?  What can you tell us about your own visits to this beautiful Bahamian cay?

A:   Oh yes, I have flown to Norman’s Cay many times. The first time I went, I piloted my son and an elderly North Carolina couple that had crash landed on the island in 1982. That’s when their private airplane developed engine trouble during what would become a vacation from hell. I personally flew them back to Norman’s Cay 21 years later to find their lost airplane. I documented our journey in an article I wrote for the world’s most widely read flying magazine and produced a documentary, “Return to Norman’s Cay”, available on Amazon. While it is a touching true lost and found airplane story, the documentary includes what I now know to be false information about the purported violent nature of Carlos Lehder. Over a decade and much new research later, I have learned my initial reporting was flawed. There is a lot of misinformation in the media about Carlos Lehder. Regarding the island itself, Norman’s Cay is breathtaking!  It’s like visiting your very own private island with a colorful history! The island lives in the Exumas chain in the Bahamas. Glorious!    

Q: Tell us about the process of bringing Buccaneer to publication.  Did you personally need to edit his manuscript and work with Jack on the editing while he was still alive?  Please elaborate on how the process worked.

A:   Lots of editing. Jack’s original manuscript was essentially his memoir written behind bars. When he shared it with me, I had a zillion questions. It was far from complete. We spent nearly two years in the interview process so I could supplement his writings in this collaborative work. I had no idea I would be the end of his life story and would complete the book 4 years AFTER he passed on. In the editing process, I was careful to keep the writing true to his words, his voice, his tone. This is a true story. Nothing was embellished, fancy, filtered, or fabricated. The entire project, from start to publication, took six years. 

Q: What project is front and center for you now, either a book or any other interesting project?

A:  I cannot fully disclose, but will say it involves helping to set the record straight where false information has led to character assassination of certain players still behind bars in Jack and Carlos’ infamous drug trial. Programs like Netflix Narcos, although wildly popular, blend fiction with fact, confusing viewers and even the powers-that-be about what really happened back in the cocaine cowboy heyday. This is not to glorify or excuse the drug traffickers, but to clear the air and expose false information in the media that is hindering freedom for a particular prisoner today.

Thanks for the interview, MayCay! Personally, I flew through Buccaneer, it was interesting to view the cocaine trafficking world through the eyes of one of its notorious pilots, in collaboration with pilot-broadcaster-author MayCay Beeler.  Perhaps my interest was fueled by being an author myself of a fiction thriller featuring covert and counter-intelligence operations, but, without reservations I recommend this to all those who enjoy non-fiction award winning true crime novels.  Pick yours up on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

 

 

Author R.N. Shapiro Interviews Maycay Beeler, co-author of Buccaneer

My author-to-author interview of Maycay Beeler, record setting pilot, who coaxed Jack Reed, secretive cocaine smuggling pilot for the Colombian cartel, to reveal his life story.

First, my congratulations to Maycay Beeler, on winning a finalist award in the 2015 Readers Favorite international book award contest for her co-authored non-fiction book, ‘Buccaneer: The Provocative Odyssey of Jack Reed, Adventurer, Drug Smuggler and Pilot Extraordinaire.’  I was fortunate to meet Maycay and many other fascinating award winning authors at the Miami Readers’ Favorite 2015 awards ceremony I personally attended to receive my own award for Taming the Telomeres, A Thriller. (see the photo of Maycay and I celebrating our award winning novels below).

So, who is Maycay Beeler?  She is quite the extraordinary person, having worked as a TV host/producer/journalist, active FAA Certified Flight Instructor, world record breaking pilot, and of interest now:  true crime author.  Maycay was the first writer to coax Jack Reed, the Colombian Medellin cocaine cartel’s secretive smuggling pilot, to reveal his life story.  One problem:  Jack Reed was still serving a life prison sentence as a result of his conviction in the longest U.S. drug trial in U.S. history, convicted along with Carlos Lehder, his Colombian cocaine smuggling confidante.  (As an aside, mystery currently surrounds Lehder, whose U.S. prison sentence was reduced in 1992 for providing testimony against Panamanian dictator Manuel Noreiga.  Lehder supposedly is still serving time in a minimum security U.S. facility, but under the umbrella of a witness protection program).

I found the Buccaneer non-fiction story intriguing, got Maycay to sign a copy of Buccaneer, and read it in two days on my last vacation. Then, I persuaded Maycay to provide me an author-to-author interview about Buccaneer, which follows:

Q: It seems to me highly unlikely that you would have been able to convince Jack Carlton Reed to reveal his life story in Buccaneer, if you had not been an accomplished award winning pilot yourself; do you agree with that?

A:  Yes. It was our flying that initially bonded us. When we exchanged flying stories as fellow pilots, I was awed by Jack’s clandestine bush pilot skills, and Jack was amazed by my passion for the cockpit. His flying was strictly to “get the job done,” while my “honest” (As he called it) professional work aloft gifts me with incredible joy. It is much more than just a “job” for me. Jack got a kick out of that! He expressed great admiration and genuine concern for my role as a Flight Instructor, knowing how dangerous it can be. Jack confessed he had tried to teach Carlos Lehder how to fly during some of their long smuggling flights together; and, not being a trained Flight Instructor himself, he soon discovered it was too dicey and nerve-racking!  

Q:  “I am NO RAT,” Reed declares more than once in his biography, and he seemed quite bitter about many other persons who had some role in the Colombian cocaine smuggling business that turned into “rats” for the DEA and the prosecutors.  But “turning” folks involved in criminal business is typical and not unique to drug smuggling.  What did you learn about Jack Reed on this issue from interviewing and getting to know him?

A: This is what made Jack “Jack”. Loyal to the bone. A former attorney of Jack’s described him as an “old timey outlaw.” Ratting runs rampant these days. Jack was old school. He held his tongue and took his deep respect for his comrade, Carlos Lehder, to his grave. He had a deep love for Carlos as a brother. I respected Jack’s devotion, yet didn’t fully understand it until after he passed. The years that followed bestowed me with the opportunity to meet and communicate with the main players in this story. This has brought me much insight.  I have learned not to judge. We don’t have to agree with the decisions and choices other people make, but if we would only open our hearts and minds, we will be amazed by their spirits. I have learned to open my mind.     

 Q:  Do you have any idea how many times you met with Reed for prison meetings in researching and working with him on this book?  Were you allowed to be in a room together with guards, or did you have to meet divided by a glass divider?

A: The vast majority of our interviews are documented in the hundreds of personal letters we exchanged. Letters disclosing never-before-told information about the Norman’s Cay operation, Carlos Lehder and Jack. Of course our phone calls were informative as well. When we met in person, it was in a large prison visiting room under the watchful eyes of guards. We were able to sit next to each other. No glass barrier. When Jack was hospitalized the last time, I was allowed to be at his bedside with a prison guard right outside our door, and sometimes with two guards sitting next to me in the same room. Jack was shackled to the bed.

Q:  Norman’s Cay, in the Bahamas was essentially owned by Carlos Lehder and his Colombian smuggling ring during the central years of the cocaine smuggling operation.  Did you visit Norman’s Cay piloting a plane yourself?  What can you tell us about your own visits to this beautiful Bahamian cay?

A:   Oh yes, I have flown to Norman’s Cay many times. The first time I went, I piloted my son and an elderly North Carolina couple that had crash landed on the island in 1982. That’s when their private airplane developed engine trouble during what would become a vacation from hell. I personally flew them back to Norman’s Cay 21 years later to find their lost airplane. I documented our journey in an article I wrote for the world’s most widely read flying magazine and produced a documentary, “Return to Norman’s Cay”, available on Amazon. While it is a touching true lost and found airplane story, the documentary includes what I now know to be false information about the purported violent nature of Carlos Lehder. Over a decade and much new research later, I have learned my initial reporting was flawed. There is a lot of misinformation in the media about Carlos Lehder. Regarding the island itself, Norman’s Cay is breathtaking!  It’s like visiting your very own private island with a colorful history! The island lives in the Exumas chain in the Bahamas. Glorious!    

Q: Tell us about the process of bringing Buccaneer to publication.  Did you personally need to edit his manuscript and work with Jack on the editing while he was still alive?  Please elaborate on how the process worked.

A:   Lots of editing. Jack’s original manuscript was essentially his memoir written behind bars. When he shared it with me, I had a zillion questions. It was far from complete. We spent nearly two years in the interview process so I could supplement his writings in this collaborative work. I had no idea I would be the end of his life story and would complete the book 4 years AFTER he passed on. In the editing process, I was careful to keep the writing true to his words, his voice, his tone. This is a true story. Nothing was embellished, fancy, filtered, or fabricated. The entire project, from start to publication, took six years. 

Q: What project is front and center for you now, either a book or any other interesting project?

A:  I cannot fully disclose, but will say it involves helping to set the record straight where false information has led to character assassination of certain players still behind bars in Jack and Carlos’ infamous drug trial. Programs like Netflix Narcos, although wildly popular, blend fiction with fact, confusing viewers and even the powers-that-be about what really happened back in the cocaine cowboy heyday. This is not to glorify or excuse the drug traffickers, but to clear the air and expose false information in the media that is hindering freedom for a particular prisoner today.

Thanks for the interview, Maycay! Personally, I flew through Buccaneer, it was interesting to view the cocaine trafficking world through the eyes of one of its notorious pilots, in collaboration with pilot-broadcaster-author Maycay Beeler.  Perhaps my interest was fueled by being an author myself of a fiction thriller featuring covert and counter-intelligence operations, but, without reservations I recommend this to all those who enjoy non-fiction award winning true crime novels.  Pick yours up on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.