Author Interview: Robert Krenzel

I'm happy to present my first author interview. Today, I'm interviewing Robert Krenzel, author of the Gideon Hawke series. Robert is a retired army officer who served for over twenty years. He now lives in Kansas with his wife and two children and is the author of a YA series. He was kind enough to do an interview for me about how his experiences in the army shaped his writing. 

During your career in the US army, you have been posted to various places. Can you describe an experience abroad that has deeply influenced you?  
Only one? I’m going to cheat and give you two experiences that specifically shaped my writing. While stationed in Germany I deployed to Kosovo, where I worked very closely with the British units that were adjacent to my company’s sector. The Brits were consummate professionals, but they brought a wonderful sense of humor to our work. As a result, when I write about the British Army, I can never do so without a bit of a sympathetic pen, even when it’s 1776 they are burning their way across my home state! 

​The second experience was a roadside bomb detonation near Hawijah, Iraq in 2007. That was my introduction to combat, and it informs my perception of what goes on in a character’s head during battle.

What is the most challenging part about being a writer ?   
For me, quite simply, it is finding time to write. I have a wonderful marriage, two very busy kids, and full-time job. It can be quite a challenge to find time to tap away on a keyboard. The notepad function on my iPhone has been a blessing; I’ve done some of my best writing on that tiny little screen!

How has being a father influenced your writing?
 I am not sure I would be a writer were I not a father. It certainly affects my choice of words and subject matter: I will not write anything I will not let my son or daughter read. This may tone down my work slightly, but it also challenges me to convey my message in a way that can appeal to a broader audience.  

List the best books you read this year (3-5)
 This is a tough one! Should I not count This Glorious Cause? I will go with: Captured in the Caribbean, by Sara Whitford (a fun YA historical fiction novel by a really talented new author); Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup (yes, I just now got around to reading it, and I’m glad I did!); Rebel Song by Amanda Clay (a dystopian YA novel full of plot twists and turns); and What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss (not his best book, it was unfinished after all, but it is a new book by Dr. Seuss! What’s more the section at the end that offers insight into Ted Geisel and his methods is worth a read in its own right). 

What are you working on currently?
 I am putting the finishing touches on Times That Try Men’s Souls, the second novel in the Gideon Hawke series. This book picks up the story in July of 1776: America has just declared its independence, and the largest military force ever assembled (up to that point) has just arrived to contest that declaration. The Americans suffer setback after setback. Just when the protagonist, Gideon Hawke, thinks that all is lost for himself and his cause, the tide begins to turn. The Americans win at Trenton and Princeton, and the cause survives! I am crowd funding the publication of Times through Pentian Publishing. You can learn more at:http://pentian.com/book/fund/1554 .

Your books require a lot of research. How do you conduct research? How much of it is reading and how much is derived from experience?
I do research in a number of ways. I read a great deal, from a number of sources. I have made the acquaintance of a few experts on the age of gunpowder warfare, and they have been a huge help. I also make an effort to travel to the scene of the action whenever I can. While I was putting the finishing touches on my first novel, This Glorious Cause, I had the opportunity to visit New Jersey and explore Washington’s Crossing as well as the Trenton and Princeton battlefields. For me, touching the very ground over which my characters fight is a thrill, one that I hope comes to life in Times That Try Men’s Souls.

What makes a story extraordinary?
 An extraordinary story takes the reader to another time and place. When I tear my eyes away from a book, glance at the clock, and realize I read for hours instead of the few minutes I intended…that’s a good read!

 Any message for your readers? 
The wait is nearly over! Times That Try Men’s Souls will be published in time for the 240th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. What’s more, I have started work on Gideon Hawke Number Three: A Nest of Hornets! This novel is set in New Jersey in the winter of 1777; it explores the constant skirmishing of “Forage War” as well as the tensions between American Patriots and Loyalists.

You can find Robert on his official website, http://robertkrenzel.com/

Connect with him on his social media pages: 

LinkedIn
Facebook Page
Gideon Hawke Novels Facebook Page 
Amazon Author Page

You can buy his books here: 
This Glorious Cause (Gideon Hawke #1) 
Support Robert's next book, Times That Try Men’s Souls (Godeon Hawke Series #2) 

To read my interview on Robert's blog, go here. 

Click here to visit Robert's website

 Many of the people we consider heroes are ordinary people who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances and rose to the occasion.

- Robert Krenzel