Ask the Author: Don Bentley
Answered Questions (12)
Don Bentley
Hey Kay! I'm currently focusing on my first Vince Flynn Mitch Rapp book so I don't believe there will be a Matt Drake book in 2024, but he's not going anywhere. Thanks for the great question!
Don Bentley
Hi Peter--Flash Point comes out at the end of May. You can find more info here: https://donbentleybooks.com/books/tom...
Don Bentley
Hey Jayson! The 3rd book in my Matt Drake series, Hostile Intent, releases in just under a month on 3 May 2022. The 4th book in the series, Forgotten War, won't release until 2023. To stay connected with everything I'm working on, you might want to consider signing up for my newsletter at https://donbentleybooks.com/newsletter/
Thanks for the question!
Don
Thanks for the question!
Don
Don Bentley
Hey Jayson! Matt primarily uses a Glock 23 and an M4 with an EOTech sight because that's what I carried/used. As for your question about research, the amount I do varies by the book. I did a ton of research for Hostile Intent--hopefully it pays off!
Don Bentley
Hi Carol! You can purchase signed copies of Without Sanction at BookPeople in Austin (https://www.bookpeople.com/book/97819...) or at my local Barnes & Noble in Round Rock, TX ((512) 600-0088). Both stores will gladly ship to you. As far as the Hostile Intent giveaway, I'm sorry but I can't sign these books as they are given away by the publisher. Best of luck!
Don Bentley
Hmmm...this is a great question! Unfortunately, while I've lived a very interesting life, I don't think I have any true-life mysteries that could carry the weight of a book. Maybe that's why I make up my own plots instead!
Don Bentley
Target Acquired, my first Tom Clancy Jack Ryan Junior novel, is my most recent book. In fact, I just turned it into my editor a couple of days ago. Being new to the Tom Clancy universe, I wanted to write something that stayed true to the series but also brought my own flair to the character. In a previous life, I was an FBI Agent, and I saw first hand how often what were supposed to be routine operations became something more. With that in mind, I decided to start the book by putting Jack in Tel Aviv (one of my favorite cities in the world) to monitor a routine asset validation exercise. Except that as readers of the series know, nothing with Jack Ryan Junior is ever routine!
Don Bentley
This is a tricky question in that I don't believe you get inspired to write just like you don't get inspired to go to your day job Monday through Friday. To be a successful writer, you have to put your butt in a chair and write whether you feel inspired or not. That said, I've found that if you're faithful to your goal of sitting down and writing every day, inspiration will come. Sometimes that happens as your writing, but more often for me, it happens when I'm at the gym or taking the dog for a walk. There's something magical that occurs when you write every day in that the story lodges in your mind and your brain can work on things even when you're not writing. For me, that's when the magic happens.
Don Bentley
I just turned in Target Acquired (my first Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan Junior book) to my editor, and I'm now hard at work at the third book in my Matt Drake series. The second book in my Matt Drake series, THE OUTSIDE MAN, launches on 2 March 2021 while Target Acquired will be released in June 2021. 2021 is going to be a fun year!
Don Bentley
Don't quit and find a good critique partner. To me, these two things are bound together. You're never going to write the book that sells if you quit writing, and you're never going to get good enough as a writer to sell your work if you don't have someone to provide you with honest, constructive feedback on your work.
Don Bentley
Seeing your book on a bookshelf is hands down one of the best things about being a writer. That said, hearing people talk about how characters you brought to life touched them is a close second.
Don Bentley
Writer's block is always a tough thing to overcome. I've found that most of the time when I can't write, it's because I don't know where the story goes next. When that happens, I do a number of different things including rereading what I've written so far and writing down the unanswered questions in the previous chapters, making a list of potential plot outcomes, and working with index cards to plot possible story branches. I've also learned that my subconcious is pretty good at solving problems if given the chance. With that in mind, I try to keep a good workout schedule when I'm writing as I've solved many a plot problem in the gym or while walking the dog!
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