The Lightning Wolves
In the shadow of the Bavarian Alps, Julianne "Adelwolf" Richter trains every day to end the lives of men. She has firearms for friends and a lawless mercenary for a father. Earning his respect is her top priority, but it isn't easy to impress a descendant of Red Stars, the former USSR's paranormal-warfare program. Adelwolf may be skilled, but she's only human.
Not so with her twin. Geist is the boy with all the benefits: the genius, the gadgets, and a sinister eye that can kill with a glance. Unlike his sister, he plots to undermine their father and his neo-Nazi clientele. But Geist is doomed to fail without Adelwolf's compliance.
Their explosive rivalry attracts a counterterrorism agent with a history at Red Stars and fearsome powers of his own. When he and his commandos trace the mercenaries to their mountain home, Adelwolf is forced to choose between loyalties. Defend her father and the slaughter of innocents, or join Geist and watch her world burn.
I had many reasons for writing The Lightning Wolves—a personal challenge, promises to loved ones, unrelenting dreams—but perhaps the most important arose from a popular saying, "Write what you want to read." For amateur writers, there's a certain arrogance to it, this idea that we can write a better story than what's on offer, something special or original. But I believe that sort of arrogance is the fuel that sparks our creative fire. Writers, of course, can't create something truly original, and the further we stray from market expectations, the more risks we take. Still, there are special qualities that all writers bring to the page. Our ethics. Our experiences. Our worldviews.
I reject the view that life is a struggle between good and evil. I like my heroes flawed and my villains redeemable. This is why the "good" guys in The Lightning Wolves are initially presented as bad—they're mercenaries. Also, my "evil" guy, though ruthless and terrifying, can demonstrate compassion and basic human understanding. Realistic, conflicted, these are the kinds of characters I want to read.
No one in this story is more conflicted than its protagonist, Adelwolf. Her father won't trust her unless she can kill on command, but something inside her resists. Her moral instincts? Or her mother's influence? Writing this book was my way of enticing readers to ask, "Is it ever right to take a life?" The answer I offer, as you might expect, is complicated.
Why set the story in Germany? There are many reasons for that too, but again I'll narrow my focus. I've met a few native Germans over the years, and none fit my expectations. They were so similar to Americans—watched our shows, spoke our language (sometimes eerily well)—but they didn't laugh at our jokes. Not the Nazi jokes, at least. I can't count how many times I've heard Germans equated to Nazis, as if a lifetime didn't separate their eras. It isn't true; Germans hate Nazis as much as anyone. This is why the story is named The Lightning Wolves—die Blitzwölfe—a play on stereotypes. Its German characters thrive in a world of death and shadow, but even they have no love for the swastika.
It may be tempting to see The Lightning Wolves as a thriller or crime drama. These elements flavor the story, but fantasy and horror are the prime ingredients. This deceptively simple cops-n'-robbers conflict is acted out by characters with dark and terrible powers, given rise by ancient, godlike beings who mingled their blood with that of humanity. Their history lies buried beneath crumbling ruins, guarded by esoteric orders, and embodied in the few of their kind who still walk the Earth. Weird stuff, for sure, but that's what entertains me. That's what I want to read.
If the thoughts I've shared here entertain you too, I've good news. The Lightning Wolves is only the beginning.