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David McCaleb

Goodreads Author

Born

in Nassawadox, VA, The United States

Website

https://davidmccaleb.com

Twitter

McCalebBooks

Genre

Thriller, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction

Influences

David Poyer Lenore Hart ...more

Member Since

June 2016

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/mccalebbooks

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David McCaleb was born on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Growing up on a farm, he studied the teachings of nature, enjoying hunting and fishing, intermingled with hard labor. One of the last green belts on the east coast, the Eastern Shore is steeped in creative culture, with which he credits much of his inspiration.

He graduated from St. Andrews School in Middletown, Delaware, attended Valley Forge Military College, and was accepted into the United States Air Force Academy. He served in the Air Force as a finance officer for five years and received multiple awards acknowledging his skill in helping the government ~~waste money~~ track expenditures.

After his military service, he enjoyed an eclectic career which included entrepreneur, marketer, i ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

"I was like a father who’d just moved their last child into the college dorm just to awaken the next day to sounds of morning sickness emanating from the bathroom." *bwaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaa* My poor parents. That's me. It was *almost* happening to me, too, but was a false alarm. Clearly Kensington liked your humor and relatability. I expect that's also in RECALL, right?

David McCaleb Yes, there is humor in RECALL. However, as I refined the manuscript I found myself scaling it back a bit. It is a black ops thriller, after all. As I …moreYes, there is humor in RECALL. However, as I refined the manuscript I found myself scaling it back a bit. It is a black ops thriller, after all. As I listened to reviewers read through the chapters, I learned that weaving humor into a thriller is an art of itself. You can have a good wit, but writing it into a tale of high suspense is tricky. At times, what I initially thought was hilarious came off as clunky to certain readers, while others took it in stride. I believe you'll enjoy the final result. I've written several humor pieces on my blog, and I find them easier to cast. In short, I layer humor into my thrillers, but I'm still learning the art.(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

David McCaleb When you say "writer's block", I'm assuming you mean the "I have no idea where this #*&@! thing is going" kind of writer's block. In that case, you ou…moreWhen you say "writer's block", I'm assuming you mean the "I have no idea where this #*&@! thing is going" kind of writer's block. In that case, you outline. You have to get a general idea of where the story is headed. It doesn't need to be too specific, but create your target. Can't even do that? Ask a kid. They'll come up with some of the most absurd, and ingenious, ideas.

Next, review your characters. Who are they now? How should they change through the story? Characters are the most interesting part of any novel, literary or commercial. I know not every author will agree with me on that, but who cares about the story if you can't relate to the characters and enjoy walking in their flesh? Figure them out. Just like the outline, it doesn't need to be too specific.

Finally, plop those characters back onto the pages of the manuscript. Now that they know where they're at, and where they need to go in the story, they'll take off running so fast your fingers won't be able to keep up.

A mild warning: Don't let that outline constrain you. If one of your characters gets a scent in their nose and runs off the page to chase it, let them. At least for a little while. But keep a zapper collar around their throat so that you can call them back should they stray too far.(less)

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Combine Editions
David McCaleb’s books

Average rating: 3.94 · 1,062 ratings · 75 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	Recall (Red Ops Thriller #1) 3.90 avg rating — 734 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Recon (Red Ops Thriller #3) 4.07 avg rating — 163 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reload (Red Ops Thriller #2) 3.94 avg rating — 145 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vestmen's Gale 4.20 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2021 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Series by David McCaleb

Red Ops Thriller (3 books)
by

David McCaleb (Goodreads Author)

3.93 avg rating — 1,042 ratings

Topics Mentioning This Author

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English Translati...: * Norway	52	812	Aug 28, 2017 05:46AM
English Translati...: David Mcaleb - Vestmen's Gale	1	2	Feb 04, 2021 08:57AM
English Translati...: March 2021 - read-along	4	24	Mar 24, 2021 09:37AM
Crazy Challenge C...: 2020 Help Me Decide	2218	143	Apr 04, 2026 02:00PM