Authenticity in Fiction
There are some things that irritate me more than others, but when I sit down to watch a TV show or a movie, or read a book, I would like it to be accurate in its details. For example, a car goes under water, and a “hero” dives in to save the passengers. There is a struggle to get the door open or to break the glass, and time is ticking away. The “hero” isn’t an Olympic swimmer or diver. He’s a cop. But in the amount of time it takes for the “hero” to get not one, but two passengers out of the submerged vehicle, any normal individual would have run out of air and become fish food, just like the passengers in the car.
Typically, I shake my head and point out to my wife the fallacy, and she will say, “Joe, it’s just a TV show.” I normally respond with, “But …” and Kim will cut me off and say, “Joe, just watch the show.” Well okay, but why not have some accuracy in what is portrayed?
I began reading Tony Hillerman back in college. He is deceased now, but his daughter has taken up the mantel. Hillerman wrote a tight, but simple mystery featuring Navajo Nation police as the main characters. Throughout the story, Hillerman weaves Navajo culture, setting, and history into the story, and I discovered early on, it was the Navajo culture and spirituality that drew me in. So much so, in my nine books (my tenth comes out January 2025), I developed Navajo characters into my story. But because I’m a gringo and my dealings with the Navajo Nation were through books and an occasional TV show or movie, I had to research like crazy and rely on experts.
Fortunately, Robert Johnson of the Navajo Nation Museum and Brenda Hat, a Navajo, were more than happy to help me. Eric Painter, a teacher who taught on the Navajo Nation Reservation was helpful with setting and culture. I found several sites on the Internet about the Navajo language and culture, and I am on an email list that once a week or so, I get a lesson on Navajo culture and beliefs.
I believe so strongly in accuracy, even in fiction, that when someone reads my books, I am fairly certain one would have a hard time crying foul. And it isn’t just about my Navajo characters and their culture.
I rely on three law enforcement friends, who have become characters in my books, though their titles might be different. Police Chief Jamie Graff (a Chief of Detectives in my books) has not only shared redacted warrants and such with me, but has been a wealth of information for me on tactics. Sheriff Deputy Earl Coffey, (his title in my books) has shared his SWAT training and tactics with me, as well as police procedure and courtroom proceedings. My nephew, Sheriff Deputy Alex Jorgenson (a detective in my books) has shared much of the same, and even helped me with weapons and uniforms, right down to the type of boots that are worn (for him, four, one for each season) as he tromps around Northern Wisconsin. His father, my brother-in-law, Brian, helped me with hunting in my book, Betrayed, which was extremely helpful and necessary to the storyline. Helpful, because I don’t own a rifle or handgun and I don’t hunt. Furthermore, I have only fired a rifle a handful of times. A friend, Roger Spencer helped me with fishing, including the gear, boat, and trailer for my book, Blaze In, Blaze Out.
For my recent book, Fan Mail, I relied heavily on a former high school classmate, now a lawyer, Mike Plaisted, who helped with verbiage, charges and assorted courtroom drama and interplay between the judge, defense lawyers, prosecuting attorneys and such.
Early on in every book, I used a former student of mine, James Dahlke, (sometimes referred to as Skip Dahlke in my books) who is now a forensic scientist. He has helped me with forensics and with how evidence is handled and what can and can’t happen in a lab.
Sharon King and Filippa Unger are not only friends, but are nurses who have helped me with all of my medical questions, especially with what might take place in surgery and in a hospital.
I know I’m not the only author who seeks to be accurate in writing. Among many others, David Rabin (In Danger of Judgment) and Cam Torrens (Stable) are friends who write for the same publisher as I do, who use their backgrounds and knowledge in crafting their stories for accurate portrayal. If you’ve not read these two books or checked out their writing, and if you enjoy thriller-mystery-suspense, you are missing out.
Accuracy doesn’t have to be intrusive. I don’t get on a soapbox and chortle on about this or that in my books. But I believe readers enjoy authenticity, even in fiction, and many, like me, are turned off at something that just doesn’t “feel” right, is unbelievable, or is inaccurate.
Earlier this week, I was interviewed on the Horizons Author Lounge about my writing and in particular, my book, Fan Mail. In case you missed it, you can find a recording of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMaIO4wZjiw
Last, my book, Stolen Lives, Book One of the Lives Trilogy, will be on sale on Amazon for FREE for the Kindle version beginning Sunday, April 14 through April 17. Here is the link and the book description:
2021 Finalist, The Best Thriller Book Awards on BestThrillers.com
2021 Literary Titan Gold Award Winner
“Stolen Lives represents an exciting probe of abduction and unusual connections between fourteen-year-old victims, and is recommended reading for thriller and intrigue fans…” -Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
“A harrowing and unforgettable FBI thriller.” –BestThrillers.com
“A riveting murder mystery that slowly unravels a puzzling crime that will have readers furiously flipping pages.” –Literary Titan
Three twelve-year-old boys are inextricably linked by abduction and murder.
Two boys were just abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others… dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. A fourth boy, George Tokay, a Navajo, holds a key piece to this puzzle and doesn’t realize it.
Kelliher and his team have been on this case for two years. There isn’t much to go on, and each time he gets a break, potential witnesses are found dead. The stories of these boys are like loose threads on a sweater: pull the wrong one and it unravels completely. Slowly, Kelliher realizes that there may be one or more members of his team behind it all. https://amzn.to/3oMo4qZ
