Today, we’re visiting with Bob Doerr, an award-winning author who uses his military background in counterintelligence to help write his suspense novels. Let’s get right into the life and work of this Texas resident.

Jim: Did you intend to write before you got involved in counterintelligence?

Bob: I think I’ve always had aspirations to be an author, but I didn’t seriously dedicate myself until after I retired from the Air Force.

Jim: Did you begin to work on your novels while you were still in the Air Force or after you retired?

Bob: I started writing my first book as soon as I retired from the Air Force, but then another job opportunity came along. I worked for another eight years. I actually had two books written by the time I found a publisher.

Jim: How much of your books rely on personal experience or personal knowledge?

Bob: While the books are strictly fiction, a lot of what I experienced or learned from my career with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations has helped me with my characters and plots.

Jim: Does your experience in dealing with people of many diverse cultures find its way into your books?

Bob: Not so much with the Jim West series. I am currently writing a stand-alone international thriller where that experience is coming in handy.

Jim: You novel Loose Ends Kill won the Silver medal for Fiction/mystery by the Military Writers Society of America. Tell a little about Loose Ends Kill.

Bob: Loose Ends Kill starts with Jim West getting a call from a lawyer in San Antonio, TX, who is representing one of Jim’s old friends. The friend wants Jim to come to San Antonio to help him prove he did not murder his wife. As his friend tells Jim, “Even my lawyers think I’m guilty.” Jim is the type of guy who can’t say no, so he sticks around much to the chagrin of the police and the defense lawyers. Most aggravated, though, is the real killer who finally decides he needs to get rid of Jim, one way or the other.

Jim: Are you a member of the Military Writers Society of America?

Bob: Yes, I am and have been for four years.

Jim: I didn’t know there was such a group. How large a group is it? How structured is it? Does it have conferences or meetings? Local or national?

Bob: It’s a national organization that has approximately a thousand members. It has a formal structure with a board of directors and membership dues. The organization has an annual conference and an annual book contest.

Jim: The Stars and Flags national book contest promotes books that have a connection to the military. You won silver in the 2012 contest with Another Colorado Kill, as well as another Silver from the Military Writers Society. Congratulations. Give the readers a little taste of this book.

Bob: In Another Colorado Kill, Jim is heading to Colorado Springs with a friend for a golfing weekend when they discover a dead body in a restroom at a rest stop. After a second dead body turns up a day later with Jim’s name written in her note pad, the police focus on Jim. While Jim has a good explanation for this, the sheriff assigns a female deputy to keep a close eye on him, and with eyes like hers Jim has no complaints. Together they try to unravel a complex set of leads that ultimately brings Jim face to face with the killer.

Jim: I understand you have a Masters in International Relations. Do you put that knowledge to good use in your books.

Bob: Not in the books I’ve had published, but as with my background in counterintelligence, my next book will rely more on that knowledge.

Jim: So, with five books published and another due out this year, what’s on the horizon for Bob Doerr, novelist?

Bob: I hope to finish the stand alone thriller I mentioned above this year and then may alternate between new Jim West adventures and a new series with the protagonist in my new thriller.

Jim: And lastly, where can the readers find your books?

Bob: My books can be found online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and at some book stores.
Thanks for the opportunity to visit your blog.
You can find Bob’s books on Amazon at: http://amzn.to/10g8s1g . You’ll also find his Amazon Author page there for more information on this interesting and talented man.