Today is the official release date for UNDER CLOAK OF DARKNESS which doesn't necessarily mean much in practical terms since pre-ordered books won't arrive for another week or two, but still, it's a milestone for me for it signifies the closure of a project I began on a morning in April of 2004; a project I started almost on a whim, with no publisher, no agent, and not even a firm story in mind--just the idea of this intense, decent young man named John Apparite struggling to do the terrible things he must in service to his country (or, perhaps, in service to the Director, whichever influence is greater at any given moment).

But I DID know a few things I wanted for Under Cloak of Darkness:

1. It had to be a period piece. I wanted "us" versus "them" and only in the 50's and early 60's does one get that full flavor during the Cold War. As a lover of history, I really looked forward to absolutely cramming into the work as much 50's trivia, lore, tid-bits, and doo-dads as I could. From what the reviewers have said, I think I succeeded, for the most part. But there's always room for improvement, and in the second book, especially in regard to baseball and poisons, I think you'll eventually find I've exceeded what I did in the first one. One has to do that in a sequel, I think, to keep it interesting.

2. It had to have no set moral compass, just like "real life." No one is perfect; no one's motives are entirely pure, and that also had to come out. While there's good guys and bad guys in the book, the good guys aren't entirely all good, nor are the bad guys entirely all bad (even Viktor isn't 100% unsympathetic, since both his parents tragically perished in the siege of Leningrad). Apparite, I thought, had to be conflicted with what he was forced to do--what man, aside from a mentally-ill maniac (perhaps like Viktor?) would take true joy in the cold-blooded killing of others as a requirement of their job? I can't imagine any sane man would--and neither would John Apparite. I don't believe in assassin "killing-machines" as entertainment any more than I believe in Ed Gein-like serial killers as entertainment. Apparite might kill, but in a way it begins to wear on him; he realizes, I think, that it is beginning to lessen him as a man; as a human being. That, to my mind, is closer to reality.

3. It had to move quickly. Some reviewers have compared my plotting technique to that of a film's: fast-paced, action-oriented, with detailed visual-based descriptions (almost as if the tale was being seen on film), and so on. The reason it's that way is that, really, I'm more movie-oriented and -influenced than literature-oriented and -influenced. So when I wrote, I wrote the John Apparite movie that was playing in my head more than the, say, John Apparite book I formulated from other books I've read. But I like this style--it's reader-friendly and relatable, and though it's not "high-brow" (I'll never win a Pulitzer for it, that's for sure!) or scholarly, it seems to do the job. The book is meant to be read and enjoyed in a spirit of fun and adventure, not deliberately slogged through like Dostoevsky or Joyce.

4. It had to be technically accurate. I prepared for this by researching books and the internet to its full capacity, and while no man can be 100% accurate when expounding on such varied subjects as weapons, Isshin-Ryu karate, the Washington Senators, Italian meats and cheeses, and the restaurants on the Queen Mary, I don't think I did any worse than the next man. If anyone finds a factual error, let me know! I'd be happy to post and discuss it, and correct it for future editions.

5. Last of all, I wanted to have fun doing it--and I did. I wrote under no deadlines, no pressure, no outward motivation at all except that great writers' feeling of being compelled to tell a story. I can't think of a single word of this novel that I wrote while "blocked," or under some external force to complete the tale. When I wanted to write, I wrote. When I didn't, I waited until I did; waited until the story of John Apparite completed itself in my head and it forced itself out onto the paper.

But now the book is officially "out" as of today so I'm tracking my sales and preparing for signings and compiling press packets and arranging for newspaper interviews and writing this blog and speaking to writing groups and telling the tale of John Apparite, feeling all the while that he's become real, and that one day he will knock on my door and say, "Hey, what's this I hear about you writing a book about me?"

If he ever does, I hope I've done him and the Director proud.

My thanks go to all who helped me get to this point, and to all of you who have either bought, or are going to buy, my book. And please stop back here and post a comment, or write me via the web-site (www.imkoontz.com) and ask about Mr. John Apparite, or J, or the Director, or Viktor, or Hitch, or Standerton, or even Dr. Hoevenaers. Ask anything you want (you can also send e-mails to the address imichaelkoontz@yahoo.com) and I'll do my darndest to give you some kind of answer. Seriously--try me. And tell your friends!

All my best--

I. Michael Koontz