Samuel asked J.T. Patten:

Unlike many other authors in the spy fiction genre, you've actually had a career in the intelligence gathering business. As a result, do you feel that there is less research to do for your fiction books compared to other authors who may not have had such experience?

J.T. Patten Hello Samuel. Thanks for reaching out. Great question. For SAFE HAVENS: Shadow Masters, there was very little research that needed to be done. Writing the military / conspiracy thriller was a classic case of write what you know. For my next novel in the series, Primed Charge required a lot of research. Much more than I had expected. Unfortunately, Sean Havens got himself involved in a few locations that I had less experience in. To capture the sight, sounds, smells, political situations, etc, half of my time was spent digging in. On the one hand, it made it much harder to free write, on the other hand, the chunks made it a better way to keep flow and pace up. I think the second book is just as exciting and mechanically written better, as a result. Hope to finish it soon.

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