AI Podcast Interview: Bill Fortin — MINDSET: The Invisible
War
The Cold War Chronicles Podcast
Host: Sarah Mitchell
Guest: Bill Fortin, Author
SARAH MITCHELL: Welcome back to The Cold War Chronicles. I'm your host, Sarah Mitchell, and
today I'm joined by Bill Fortin, author of the highly anticipated fourth installment in his Cold War Series,
MINDSET: The Invisible War. Bill, thank you for joining us before the official release.
BILL FORTIN: Thanks for having me, Sarah. It's great to be back on the show.
SARAH: This is your fourth novel in the Cold War Series, following Red Eye: Fulda Cold, Stinger:
Operation Cyclone, and Medellin: Acapulco Cold. What made you decide to bring Rick Fontain into the
post-Cold War era with MINDSET?
BILL: You know, I've always believed the Cold War never really ended—it just changed uniforms. The
adversaries are still there, but now they're wearing business suits and hiding behind corporate fronts,
university research grants, and diplomatic cover. MINDSET explores what happens when the
battleground shifts from Berlin Wall checkpoints to Wuhan laboratories and White House back channels.
SARAH: The novel opens with a fascinating alternate timeline where Donald Trump becomes Speaker of
the House in 2022 and ascends to the presidency through constitutional succession. What drew you to that
political framework?
BILL: I wanted to explore a "what if" scenario grounded in constitutional reality. The succession
mechanisms exist in our founding documents for a reason. I thought it would be compelling to show how
a legitimate constitutional process could unfold during a genuine crisis—and more importantly, how the
deep state would respond when their preferred outcomes weren't available.
SARAH: Rick Fontain returns as your first-person narrator. How has his character evolved across the
series?
BILL: Rick's been through a lot. When we first met him in Red Eye, he was a young NOC operator
learning the business. Now in MINDSET, he's the guy running IBS Inc., coordinating complex
international operations and dealing with the fact that his son Ricky has followed him into the life. That
father-son dynamic became really important to me in this book. Rick's older, wiser, maybe a little tired—
but still the guy you want in the room when things get complicated.
SARAH: Speaking of IBS Inc., you've created this fascinating corporate entity that serves as a private
contractor for government operations. How much of that is based on real-world organizations?
BILL: More than people realize. The relationship between private contractors and the intelligence
community has a long history—Air America during Vietnam, Blackwater in the 2000s, and countless
lesser-known operations. What I tried to capture is that grey area where patriotic citizens with specialized
skills work outside official channels to accomplish what bureaucracies can't. IBS Inc. is fictional, but the
concept is very real.
SARAH: The novel features two major operational storylines—the extraction of Dr. Shi Zhengli from
China and the infiltration of Iran's Fordow nuclear facility. How did you research these complex
operations?
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BILL: I spent considerable time consulting with former intelligence officers, reading declassified
documents, and studying real operations from the past fifty years. The Fordow facility is real, as is the
Wuhan Institute of Virology. I tried to make the operational details—the tradecraft, the equipment, the
procedures—as authentic as possible while obviously changing specifics to protect sources and methods.
SARAH: Dr. Shi Zhengli is a real person, the so-called "Bat Woman" of Wuhan. Why did you choose to
include her as a character?
BILL: Because her story represents one of the most important unanswered questions of our time.
Regardless of what actually happened with COVID-19, the questions about gain-of-function research,
international funding streams, and the relationship between Chinese and American research institutions
deserve examination. Fiction gives us a way to explore those questions without making specific
accusations about real events.
SARAH: The book touches on some very sensitive political territory—COVID origins, constitutional
succession, Deep State operations. Were you concerned about reader reactions?
BILL: Of course. But I think readers of thriller fiction expect authors to tackle contemporary issues. Tom
Clancy did it. Frederick Forsyth did it. W.E.B. Griffin, who's been a huge influence on my work, built his
career on blending real history with compelling fiction. The key is treating the material with respect and
intellectual honesty, even when you're using it as a backdrop for entertainment.
SARAH: Your writing style has been compared to W.E.B. Griffin. How do you feel about that
comparison?
BILL: Honored, obviously. Griffin was a master of military authenticity and character development. If
my work captures even a fraction of what made his books so engaging—the sense that you're getting an
insider's view of how things really work—then I'm doing something right. But I'm also trying to bring my
own voice to the genre, especially in terms of the technical complexity of modern operations.
SARAH: The technical detail in MINDSET is impressive—everything from centrifuge specifications to
communication protocols. How do you balance authenticity with readability?
BILL: That's always the challenge. I try to include enough technical detail to satisfy readers who know
this stuff, but not so much that it bogs down the story for general readers. My rule is: if the detail
advances the plot or reveals character, include it. If it's just showing off my research, cut it. The goal is to
make readers feel smarter for having read the book, not overwhelmed.
SARAH: Hannah Fontain plays a much larger role in this novel. Tell us about developing Rick's wife as
a more active character.
BILL: Hannah has always been in the background of Rick's life, but I felt it was time to bring her
forward. She's not just a wife waiting at home—she's intelligent, capable, and serves on the IBS Inc.
board. When the action comes to the Waldorf, she's not a victim to be rescued; she's a partner who picks
up a weapon and fights alongside her husband. That felt authentic to how these relationships actually
work in the intelligence community.
SARAH: The novel features a significant action sequence at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington. What
drew you to that setting?
BILL: The Waldorf has such a unique history—it's been the backdrop for presidents, foreign dignitaries,
and countless important meetings. Setting a thriller action sequence in that kind of iconic location creates
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interesting tension between the civilized veneer and the violence underneath. Plus, it allowed me to
explore what happens when the threat comes directly to you, rather than sending you abroad.
SARAH: You've structured MINDSET with multiple concurrent storylines—domestic political crisis,
international operations, personal relationships. How do you manage that complexity?
BILL: Very carefully. I use detailed timelines and chapter outlines to make sure everything synchronizes
properly. Readers will forgive a lot, but they won't forgive plot holes or timeline inconsistencies. I also
rely heavily on beta readers and editors to catch problems I might miss. The goal is to make the
complexity feel natural rather than overwhelming.
SARAH: The novel introduces some unique antagonists, including the "Sky Blue" organization. Without
spoiling anything, what can you tell us about them?
BILL: Sky Blue represents the kind of sophisticated threat that keeps intelligence professionals awake at
night—a foreign influence operation that's been patiently cultivated over years, with assets embedded in
American institutions. They're not the obvious bad guys with Russian accents. They're the quiet
professionals who've been building their network while we were focused elsewhere. That patient,
strategic thinking is what makes them dangerous.
SARAH: There's significant use of real military hardware and intelligence agencies throughout the book.
Did you face any challenges getting those details right?
BILL: Constantly. Military and intelligence readers will catch any mistake you make, so you have to do
your homework. I've made errors in earlier books—readers will gleefully point out when I've put the
wrong rifle in a soldier's hands or misidentified a military unit. You learn to research exhaustively and
accept that you'll occasionally still get something wrong. When that happens, you acknowledge it and do
better next time.
SARAH: What role does your personal background play in informing the authenticity of your novels?
BILL: Without getting into specifics, I've spent enough time around the intelligence and military
communities to understand how they actually operate—the culture, the bureaucracy, the genuine heroism
mixed with very human failings. The operators in my books aren't cardboard heroes. They're
professionals dealing with impossible situations, making mistakes, and sometimes questioning whether
their sacrifices are worth it.
SARAH: MINDSET ends with significant threads left open. Are you planning a direct sequel?
BILL: Yes and no. The conspiracy revealed in MINDSET is much larger than what Rick's team uncovers,
and some of the most important revelations are still ahead. I'm already working on an outline, which will
deal with the aftermath of the events in MINDSET—particularly the hunt for Red Echo and the exposure
of the full network. If we are successful in the marketing effort the series will continue.
SARAH: For readers new to your work, would MINDSET be a good starting point, or should they begin
with Red Eye: Fulda Cold?
BILL: Great question. I've tried to make MINDSET accessible to new readers while rewarding those
who've followed the series. You can definitely start here—I provide enough context about Rick's
background and the recurring characters that new readers won't be lost. But honestly, starting with Red
Eye gives you the full arc of Rick's development, and some of the relationships make more sense with
that history. Either way works.
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SARAH: What's the most important thing you want readers to take away from MINDSET: The Invisible
War?
BILL: That the threats we face today are often invisible precisely because they're hiding in plain sight.
Foreign influence operations, compromised institutions, patient adversaries playing a longer game than
we are—these aren't conspiracy theories, they're documented realities. Fiction can sometimes illuminate
truths that nonfiction can't, because readers engage with characters and stories in ways that help them see
patterns they might otherwise miss. If MINDSET helps even a few readers think more critically about
what they're seeing in the news, I'll consider it a success.
SARAH: Bill Fortin, MINDSET: The Invisible War pre-releases at the end of May. Where can listeners
find the book?
BILL: Amazon Kindle for pre-orders, with the paperback and hardcover to follow shortly after. The
audiobook we'll take eight or nine weeks once the contract is issued. Cold War Publications handles all
aspects of the product—we're a small independent house, so readers who buy directly from Amazon or
from the IngramSpark distribution network support each phase of the product's release.
SARAH: Bill, thank you so much for joining us today. Best of luck with the release.
BILL: My pleasure, Sarah. Thanks for having me on the show. For your listeners—Rick and the team
appreciate your support, and there are more adventures coming. Drop us a line and let us know how we're
doing.
SARAH: That's Bill Fortin, author of MINDSET: The Invisible War, available for pre-order now. When
we come back after the break; we'll be discussing recent developments in our ongoing series on Cold War
espionage tradecraft. Stay tuned.
End of Interview