Avwriter asked Ward Larsen:

Have you ever read a newly released novel from another author, and said to yourself, "Darn, I was thinking of writing a story like that, but they beat me to it"?

Ward Larsen Absolutely! But there are always ways to manipulate an idea to make it your own. Let's face it--how many Special Forces heroes have stopped a nuclear weapon from going off at the last second?
And there are a lot of good stories in that lineup. The challenge for an author goes beyond the big picture idea and rests in wrapping that concept in details and characters that make it memorable.

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