December 6, 2010

Lee Kessler has written and published two novels, White King and the Doctor and White King Rising, based on actual events, which shows the how and the real why behind the war on terror. It has remained at the #1 position in “Suspense” with one of the country’s largest online publishers. She has also written a screenplay (The Last Line of Defense) about a government abuse of power, which was awarded “finalist” in the International Filmmaker Screenwriting Contest.

We chose to feature Lee Kessler and her White King series not only because they are riveting, well-written works of suspense but also because the message they convey is timely and powerful. Ms. Kessler has created a story that will make you stop and consider the direction in which our country is heading—along with the tools we can provide to the next generation in order to change our position in this emerging landscape. Her political insights will, at the least, leave you wondering whether the story she writes is true. Her solution, in that case, is pure genius.

The following is our interview with Lee Kessler, who discusses the White King series, writing, and publishing.

What inspired you to become a writer?

My love of telling stories and a desire to communicate with people. I love writing because it is lasting.

What other types of jobs have you had?

Labor relations executive, college teacher, and a professional actress for 35 years.

How long did it take you to write White King and the Doctor and White King Rising ?

It took about 4 months on WKATD for the first draft, and about 6 months spread out over 3 years for WKR.

What made you decide to write these books, with this particular subject matter?

I wanted to help my country after 9/11, and I had read that the Israeli’s felt Ayman Al-Zawahiri was the most dangerous man on the planet; that he would kill a lot of people; and that they could not figure out what he was going to do next—he was always ahead of them.

Since I have had the opportunity as an actress to play real people, I had specialized training in human behavior, which I felt might enable me to figure out his motives and his future actions. I’ve always been the kind of person who refused to turn my back on a problem if it presented itself—I’ve never subscribed to the idea of “someone else will do it.” We were clearly in the fight of our lives here, and I did not assume there was “someone else.” So, I decided to tackle the problem and see if I could bring anything to the table which could help.

Where did you get the information or ideas for this series?

The character information on the real life characters was drawn from back story research into their lives. Current events were easy and obvious to get coverage on, and the rest was creative imagination once I figured out Zawahiri’s true, driving motivation (which is not what our government and our media think it is).

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing these books?

That the scenarios I was creating were, in fact, proving true, and that I appeared to be writing into the future with accuracy. Now people are calling the books “prophetic.”

Writing is a largely solitary pursuit. Did you have to do a lot of research or work closely with others while developing your ideas? What was the best resource?

To be honest with you, my best resource was my own training in human behavior, the mind, my experience as an actor and director, and my willingness to look at the issues without looking through the filter of my own biases.

What would you say is the greatest challenge in your writing?

Finding a way to make sure that the people who need to know about my “discoveries” will actually be able to benefit from them—getting the books into the hands of those who can make a difference in their various areas of responsibility.

In what way do you feel the subject of your novels is important to current political or social events?

Frankly, I feel if we do not understand what Zawahiri and his crew are actually doing to us, we will lose this fight and lose our freedoms. White King Rising [the sequel to White King and the Doctor] is the story of a Trojan Horse welcomed into the United States by the people of the United States. And it is that Trojan Horse which is undermining us at our very foundation. It is also the story of how we win, and how Generation Y holds the key to our survival.

You mention that White King Rising is “the story of how we win.” Is this a book you intend for the young people, Generation Y—giving them the tools they might need to combat some of the growing political issues of the day, including the War on Terror?

I do!

In what ways do you work to bring your material to your particular audience?

We are working to make a major motion picture of both books, so that the ideas can reach a mass audience. Gen Yers watch 100 movies for every book read, so getting it to them in a visual form is important. Also, I speak to young people and their groups wherever possible to express my faith in them, but also to challenge them to rise up and meet the occasion. Once they recognize how they are being attacked as a group, they do respond. I intend to expand the speaking engagement aspect of this and make myself available to talk to youth groups. And, I’m starting into the social media aspect to reach Gen Y and develop a Twitter following—I will also be launching a blog intended to reach across the generations.

What are your suggestions to other writers for how to become better at their craft?

Writing more helps. The more you write, the better you can become. Also, don’t edit when you write; just write. You can always do a rewrite. Just get the ideas out first. And I definitely recommend an understanding of grammar and a command of the English language. I personally also like to read other writers’ works—to pick up an understanding of how someone else got an idea across.

What are some of the tools you feel are critical for today’s writers to acquire?

Well, for me, frankly, I was way behind in the use of computer technologies. So I had to acquire even rudimentary skills there. But for most, I think it is a mindset. Your greatest tool is your mind—just keep it flexible, inquisitive, and open. You’d be amazed at what you can see if you will just look. And then you will have something fresh to write about.

What do you feel is the best way to market your own work?

Because of the subject matter and the urgency of my stories and their accuracy, I had to do direct marketing. I have used TV, radio, speeches, book signings, and the Internet.

Has this approach been successful for you?

Yes, but I am still learning. I can definitely say that the most books sell when I am doing a book signing, which has been promoted by someone (store or private party) who has read the books and believes in them. When I talk, then people want them. That is why I am going to be developing the Blog—to have a place to voice ideas and engage the reader. There is a great deal yet to talk about, and I want to reach individuals directly. Internet is a great way to do that—since it knows no physical boundaries and does not limit my influence to where I physically am.

How do you feel about advancing technology in terms of both marketing (such as the web and ebooks) and in terms of social networking? In what ways should today’s authors take advantage of these things, or avoid them, as the case may be?

In marketing one’s books, there is no question in my mind that the Internet and social networking can make all the difference with regard to how widely read one’s material is. In White King Rising, the solution lies in one of the technology tools that Gen Y uses all the time. Though their parents might regard it as a weakness, it actually becomes a strength that defeats our enemy.

Are you self-published?

Yes. Then I formed a publishing company.

What led you to take this route over traditional publishing?

In my case, it was the timeliness of the material. I was actually predicting the thought process and possible actions of a very real enemy, and the issues were red hot. So, I could not wait for the process of finding an agent, who would find a publisher, who would then find the editor, etc. etc. Two years would have gone by. In that same two years, I got my book out, and it was already in the hands of people who can actually influence our national security. The key issue with self-publishing is accepting the fact that you will have to learn marketing and develop effective marketing strategies. I’m still on a learning curve with that since I’m a bit of a pioneer here. Some of our marketing strategies worked well and produced sales; others did not.

Do you feel there’s a stigma attached to self-publishing?

I think there has been. But, frankly, there has always been a stigma when someone launches forth in new directions within an industry. For example, Henry Ford was outrageously criticized when he changed the transportation industry from the horse and buggy to the automobile. New things are always challenged by the establishment that thinks it will lose out. They won’t, if they adapt. But, the establishment always loses when it fails to change to meet the needs of the current public it serves. Look at the young generation. They clearly communicate and interact in different ways. Also, an artist will find a way to reach his audience! If the only way was through a publisher or record company, then we put up with having to play that game. But, as soon as technology made it possible for us to bypass some of those blockages and get our material out faster and more directly, and with us in charge, there was no way the creative person is not going to avail himself of that.

Do you think Americans are reading less than before?

The younger generations, yes.

Why do you think this is?

Media, technology. We are more and more visual as a society, and we demand instant solutions. We have two generations in a row now where TV was their baby sitter and constant companion. They moved to a computer monitor as a screen, and now use all the technology tools which visually reach them. The downside is that to do well in life, one has to be able to think. And, if you get all your information from someone else presenting it to you through a video screen, you are receiving all the time, but may not be thinking and creating. Reading does require that the person think, and use his imagination to bring the story to life—whether fiction or non-fiction. I believe we should cause our own thoughts; not have every thought given to us by someone else. As you read, you tend to think, and agree or disagree with the thoughts of the author. You are better engaged mentally, in my opinion.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

L. Ron Hubbard, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Jane Austin, and Nelson Demille. (There is a mixed bag!)

Who do you feel influenced you the most in your writing or chosen genre?

L. Ron Hubbard in the breadth and variety of his works and research. And my high school English teacher, Marco Conde, as she introduced me to great writers, and was committed to teaching composition.

What do you think makes a good story?

An idea which causes the reader to think, and which changes him in some positive way as he encounters the plot, characters, and issues.

A lot of people say you should write what you know. Do you think this is important?

I think you can write about anything. But, if you choose to write about something you don’t know, you will need to come to know it, or you won’t be able to communicate effectively. I think it’s just a question of sequence. And, are you willing to learn about something new?

In what ways do White King and the Doctor and White King Rising reflect this principle?

I knew about the human mind, and I knew how to evaluate a character and determine behavior, but I knew nothing of terrorist networks and intelligence agencies. All of that I had to be willing to “get acquainted with.” I did not bury myself with minutia. I was willing to look and experience those areas, and then I used my imagination to bring them to life. Oddly enough, the intelligence communities can’t separate the fact from fiction in my books, so I can’t say enough about “imagination.”

Is there a message or theme that runs throughout your body of work?

Yes. We hold the solution to all the problems facing us. We just have to be willing to face them. What you can face will never take you down. But what you cannot, or will not face, can take you down.

In what way does this relate to your own personal philosophies or beliefs?

It is completely consistent with my personal philosophy. Be willing to look life square in the eyes—all of it—and you will not be overwhelmed by it. There is both beauty and ugliness there, so be prepared to face some unpleasant truths. Look and then choose the life that enhances and reaches for answers, and which uplifts other people. That is how we bring a society forward, in my opinion.

Do you have any projects in the works that you can share with readers?

I am just starting the third in the White King series. And, of course, the movie of WKATD will be coming.

White King and the Doctor is a suspense novel about the War on Terror, through the eyes of Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the mastermind and second-in-command of Al Qaeda. Based on factual events, it begins in January of 2001 and ends on Inauguration day, 2005.

Zawahiri is playing a diabolical and brilliant game of mind control, using public relations as it has never been used before. His complex game has military, sociological, economic and political consequences.

Two men are pitted against him in a desperate race to know what his next move will be, and to locate where he is. One is James Mikolas, a CIA analyst who advances an outrageous theory, and the other is Andrew Weir, an eighteen-year-old Grandmaster chess champion who proves it.

The actual events of our current history are tied together with a back-story that paints a suspenseful and provocative picture of a never-before-played game. It will challenge you to think; it will arouse you to look at things you’ve never examined; and it will change how you view the world around you forever.

Buy Now! (Also available on Amazon.com.)

At the stunning conclusion of White King and the Doctor, CIA analyst James Mikolas and Andrew Weir, his young Grand-master chess champion partner, had discovered the secret identity and location of the world’s second-most-wanted terrorist—Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Believing they also knew what strategy he would use to bring down the United States from within, and WHO the true White King was, they set out to stop “the Doctor.”

Having successfully escaped, however, Zawahiri assumes another identity in a shockingly different part of the world, where he continues his “hide in plain sight” tactic, and triggers his doomsday scenario against the United States—set to launch June 30, 2011.

Discredited and ostracized by the US government, Mikolas and Weir are determined to warn the unsuspecting White King and save America from complete cultural destruction. They are joined in their desperate mission by Andy’s wide receiver, Brian Washington Carver. Having climbed out of the “hood” to become a star collegiate football player and computer “gamer,” it is his personal tragedy that unlocks the mystery of HOW Zawahiri plans to destroy us, and how we can defeat him at his own game.

In a suspense novel taken from today’s, and possibly tomorrow’s, headlines, White King Rising is the story of how we win.

Buy Now! (Also available on Amazon.com.)

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Lee Kessler grew up in upstate New York and was educated at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, where she received a B.A. degree in Speech. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, her college career was hallmarked by regional and national debating and oratory championships.

Her career in Hollywood and New York spans thirty-five years and includes dozens of guest starring roles in episodic TV, mini-series, and movies-of-the-week. She had re-occurring roles in the series Hill Street Blues, Matlock and LA Law. She was submitted for Emmy nomination twice for her starring roles in Collision Course and the television special Which Mother Is Mine? She is a produced playwright, novelist and screenwriter.

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