by James Quinn
Best regards,
James Quinn and the Creativia Team
A Message from James Quinn
Rogue Wolves is my most personal book. It is personal in so many ways, some of which I am happy to tell you about and some that I can barely tell to myself, let alone my readers.
The theme of Rogue Wolves is that of obsession. For Caravaggio, it is the obsession to be the best in the business. For Eunice, it is the obsession to play by her own rules. For Gorilla, it is to hunt down a dangerous man whatever the cost. Out of all of them, I can associate with Gorilla's obsession the best.
I have spent most of my adult life tracking people. Some of these have been 'bad' people, some have been just misguided and in bad situations. Out of all of these jobs, one specifically stands out.
I once spent the best part of two years tracking a man down, trying to gather intelligence and information on him. This man was good at hiding, good at spreading false information. He was almost a ghost, a spectre.
Somewhere in that two years, it went from being a job that I had to do, to becoming (almost) an obsession to find him and discover who he was.
I tracked him across the globe over many different countries and, from each source, I got a different perspective on this person. When I finally discovered what I needed and found out who he was, the man (the 'target', in the terminology of our trade) was already long dead. It was a bittersweet moment. Good because I had closure to the operation, bad because I couldn't look him in the eye and say, “After everything – all the lies, the travel, the false leads, the buying of informants and sources… all of that – I found you.”
That period of my life gave me the inspiration for the Rogue Wolves story and Gorilla's hunt for Caravaggio.
I also like to think of Rogue Wolves as my 'American book'. America without a doubt is a country of extremes, both good and bad. Rogue Wolves was born in the heart of the USA and my visits, and knowing the people of this great country, have had an influence on the characters and locations.
People always ask writers what other works of fiction inspire their stories. So let me tell you here, and with full disclosure, that if you are looking for the literary influence for Rogue Wolves, I can direct you towards Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, mainly for its searching nature of a man being drawn towards his nemesis.
The other work is, of course, a Bond story. For someone of my generation, Ian Fleming's works had a deep-rooted effect and one of my favourite Bond books is the much underrated, and not universally loved, The Man with the Golden Gun. I love this book (incidentally, I have a very rare first edition copy – but that's another story). I have taken it all over the world with me and love the idea of two gunmen going up against each other.
So, if you are looking for reference points for Rogue Wolves, I would point you in the direction of both books.
Fundamentally though, Rogue Wolves is a fledgling love story between two lost people – Eunice Brown and Gorilla Grant - who just happen to be in the same profession. They are two sides of the same coin, who have gone through terror, hardship and overwhelming odds and, despite all of that, have still found love with each other.
They are, I believe, soulmates.
James Quinn
USA
2017
Acknowledgements
Life is, in my not so humble opinion, made up of a series of wonderful experiences and the people that add to those experiences and make them happen are just as important. That's what I truly believe. So, some thank-yous to some fantastic people who have helped with Rogue Wolves. They are, in no particular order:
Sgt Stephen Ertel, US Army, for letting me have the full Mustang experience in and around Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I am forever in your debt Sir.
To my writer friends Marnie Cate and Mike Stern, who are always there with support and good advice. I would recommend that you check out their works. They are both fantastic authors and wonderful people.
The Creative team at Creativia Publishing, who always do a fantastic job.
To Graham Blackhall, who nudged me in the direction of Tenerife and the Presa Canario breed when I had hit a wall in the story. Graham and I have only ever met the one time (on that occasion we actually spent a day knife-fighting!!!). However, I think we should go for a second shot at a meeting and maybe have a beer or two? Knives are optional…
To Steve and Dan (my own personal “Q” Section), for pointing me in the direction of the ASP when Gorilla needed a new 'shooter'. I think it fits him perfectly. Thank you, guys.
To my beautiful Lulu, who as ever ALWAYS writes the last line of all my books, and to my little 'Gorilla' Jack, who inspires me in everything that he does. You are my world and I love you both completely
xxx
About the Author
James Quinn is the author of the Gorilla Grant spy novels. He works as a freelance security consultant, bodyguard and private investigator. He has spent nearly two decades in the secret world of covert surveillance, undercover operations and international security.
He is trained in hand-to-hand combat and in the use of a variety of weaponry including small-edged weapons. He is also a crack pistol shot for CQB (Close Quarter Battle) and many of his experiences he has incorporated into his works of fiction.
He lives in the United Kingdom and the USA.
Books by the Author
A Game For Assassins (The Redaction Chronicles Book I)
Sentinel Five (The Redaction Chronicles Book II)
Rogue Wolves (The Redaction Chronicles Book III)
Gorilla Warfare: A Jack Grant Thriller
The Christmas Assassin