The Orion Team. discussion

Group member Rick Campbell happens to focus on a area of military fiction that has become neglected in the era of the counter-terrorist thriller. Military fiction focusing on submarines. In this interview, he talks about his first book, how he came to end up in the genre (he actually wanted to go into Science fiction) and what his second book, which is basically a 21st century version of Red Storm Rising, featuring the PRC will feature. https://ethanjonesbooks.wordpress.com...

My review on his latest book. which I recommend to the members of this group.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just started listening to this book on audible. great story so far! thanks for the recommendation!

Hi Samuel - thanks for posting, and also for the great review, as well as for detailing the areas you had issues with. You're the 4th person who's pointed out my Glock error - I need to do a better job on my firearm research so I don't make these kinds of errors in the future.

Interesting link for members. http://rickcampbellauthor.com/styled/...

New book coming soon I see. Russians and a race through some uncharted waters to crack open some submarines.

Hi Samuel - Book 3 is now titled Ice Station Nautilus, set for release on May 10, 2016. The cover is done and it's pretty "cool" - I'm not sure when St. Martin's will populate Goodreads and the bookseller sites, but you can take a look and read a synopsis of the plot at http://rickcampbellauthor.com/Rick-Ca...

Rick wrote: "Hi Samuel - Book 3 is now titled Ice Station Nautilus, set for release on May 10, 2016. The cover is done and it's pretty "cool" - I'm not sure when St. Martin's will populate Goodreads and the bo..."

Very nice cover art. You're blessed with a very good designer. Contemporary with a consistent, highly distinctive theme.

The description very intriguing. Seen a few news articles regarding the North Pole and how it'll be more geopolitically important in the coming years.
And it's a challenging setting for your characters.

Thanks for the cover love, Samuel. The Arctic is a great setting - intriguing to many readers, with interesting scenes above and below the ice - submarine operations are notably different in the Marginal Ice Zone and under the ice cap. Fortunately, I was able to visit a polar ice camp a few years ago, so the ice station scenes were easy to visualize. (Broke my hand up there, but that's a different story.)

The pending jockeying for natural resources as the ice recedes is an interesting plot premise - I've been fermenting on it, but haven't come up with anything good yet.

Rick,

I finished TRIDENT DECEPTION and I'm on to EMPIRE. I think you are hitting a good balance with Christine O'Connor. She is proving to be the "new day" Jack Ryan - character growth through conflict is perfect.

Rory Church

Hi Rick, typing up my review of your first book now. After a bit of writers block last month when it seemed the South East Asian tropics had robbed me of my writing abilities, I'm back on top form and the product is coming along very well. Been inspired by the main theme of T.T.D, namely the brilliant cautionary tale you crafted, alluding to that in the intro allowed me to get the ball rolling.
Can't say when I'll be posting it, but never fear, it's now not a question of if, but when.

Hi Samuel - thanks for the update, and I hope you enjoyed The Trident Deception.

Rick wrote: "Hi Samuel - thanks for the update, and I hope you enjoyed The Trident Deception."

Hello again Rick. Here is my humble review on your first book.
I profusely apologize for how long it took for me to get this written up. I got distracted when I shouldn't have. I'm very sorry.
Anyway, I hope you like it.
Here's to the success of Ice Station Nautilus, and your future projects.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hi Samuel - I'm glad you enjoyed The Trident Deception, and thank you for the wonderful review!

Rick wrote: "Hi Samuel - I'm glad you enjoyed The Trident Deception, and thank you for the wonderful review!"

My pleasure. You have talent, large quantities of potential and a long, fruitful writing career ahead. I found your first book a pretty decent and rare cautionary tale about WMD's. I find in this day and age, much of the public behave flippantly with them or think it's a mere trifle to irradiate a problem on the other side of the globe.

When it isn't . Since the Cold War ended, the possibility of global annihilation has been reduced and the world seems to have forgotten that nuclear weapons are still nuclear weapons, designed to destroy millions of people on impact within the span of a few seconds.

Thank your for rectifying that a little in your first book. Many authors treat atom bombs as mere dramatic props. You on the other hand did not by instead taking a original and creative approach in focusing on the individuals who have the burden of waging nuclear warfare on the general public's behalf , showing them as the human beings they are.

Furthermore, you treat the topic with maturity and gravity it deserves. I commend that very much.

I looked at naval fiction recently and there are only three authors I can name off the top of my head. You, Mr Larry Bond and a chap named David Poyer.

I put you at the top. Mr Poyer might have been in the writing game longer than you have but your books are far more entertaining by a country mile.

As for Larry, I find he does a bit better with his land based military thriller funnily enough. And he does not have your gift of writing the submarine battles in such a way that the reader can visualize what it going on and not be confused about what is happening.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Is Ice Station Nautilus coming along nicely? And did the suggestions on armaments that were discussed regarding a pivotal chapter make it into the final drafting process? Just curious. If you have any other questions about kit and hardware, feel free to ask questions in this group. We've recently had a large influx of members, quite a few military veterans who I'm sure would be delighted to lend a helping hand.

All the best. May book 3 get the sales and reviews it deserves Rick.

HI Samuel - thank you for the kind words. Regarding the issue of nuclear weapons, I hadn't planned to delve into that in the book; The Trident Deception was designed to be a submarine thriller, and I take great care not to attempt to influence a reader's moral or political beliefs. My job is to entertain, that's it.

However, in order to turn The Trident Deception into a thriller, I put the submarine eight days from launch range, which is unusual. Submarines on Alert are always in launch range, and the launch windows open almost immediately and certainly within hours. However, that would have led to a very short book. So I put USS Kentucky eight days away, to give Pacific Fleet a chance to track them down and sink them before they reached launch range.

As I was writing the book, I decided I had to answer - what would happen if a crew had eight days to think about what they were about to do? I was a member of four ballistic missile submarine crews, and I was always confident we would launch if the order was received. But part of that reasoning is that we really don't think about what we are doing. If the message arrived, we'd decode it, validate it, set battle stations and launch, and be back into our normal watch routine in an hour. We don't think about what will happen 30 minutes later, when the warheads hit their targets, because it's too difficult to wrap your mind around. If we ever launched, the world would be a vastly different place when we returned. There would be no United States - every major city and our home port destroyed, and our families would be dead. The country would be in ruins - absolute chaos with the financial sectors wiped out, electrical grid destroyed, with the survivors struggling to obtain the bare necessities of food and water.

USS Kentucky's eight day transit caused me to pause and think - what would the crew think about, and how would they react with eight days to ferment on what they were about to do, and it gave me the opportunity to delve into the character aspect of the story a bit more. Of course, I tweaked a few things to make for a more entertaining read, but the basic issues the characters struggled with, on both sides of the launch issue, are issues I think everyone aboard our ballistic missiles submarines struggle with. We never talk about the issues among ourselves, though, and hopefully will never have to confront them.

Ice Station Nautilus is set to release on June 28th, and will be at the front of every Barnes & Noble for two weeks on their Biggest Books of Summer table. (Hopefully a few weeks more, but B&N has been more reluctant to extend books in their Octagon promotion this year.) It should then move to the New in Fiction racks for a few more weeks. Your weapon suggestions made it into the final draft, and although I haven't needed any weapon expertise help on Book 4 yet, I've found your SVR versus FSB section very handy. Thanks Samuel!

Rick wrote: "HI Samuel - thank you for the kind words. Regarding the issue of nuclear weapons, I hadn't planned to delve into that in the book; The Trident Deception was designed to be a submarine thriller, and..."



"Seen plot synopsis. Awesome is the first word that comes to mind. Grand and sweeping are two more. So this is what the SVR and maybe the GRU are going to be working on? Can't wait to see how their geopolitical "bear hug" comes about and how Christine and her bosses are going to try shatter it."


The U.S. aircraft carrier patrolling the Western Pacific Ocean is severely damaged by a surprise salvo of cruise missiles. While the Russian government officially apologizes, claiming it was the result of fire control accident during a training exercise, it was instead a calculated provocation. With the U.S. Pacific fleet already severely under strength, the Russian President decides that the US response is a clear indication of their weakness, militarily and politically, and initiates a bold plan.

Political unrest is spreading through the Eastern European states. The Russian Northern Fleet moves swiftly in the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian army is moving west to the border, and Russian Baltic and Black Sea Fleets are mobilized. In one bold strike, the Russian army moves to reoccupy a large number of the industrialized areas of the former USSR, while blockading the vital sea passages through which the world’s oil and natural gas transit. To make matters worse, Russia’s Special Forces have wired every major oil and natural gas pipeline with explosives. If the U.S. makes one move to thwart Russia, they’ll destroy them all. The U.S. is risking disaster if it acts, but the alternative is quite possibly worse. Torn between the unthinkable and the impossible, the only possible move―to launch an attack on all fronts, simultaneously.

Rick wrote: "HI Samuel - thank you for the kind words. Regarding the issue of nuclear weapons, I hadn't planned to delve into that in the book; The Trident Deception was designed to be a submarine thriller, and..."

And just in time for life to imitate art......seems a alleged project by the SVR didn't go to plan.....

http://uatoday.tv/opinion/montenegro-...

Rick wrote: "HI Samuel - thank you for the kind words. Regarding the issue of nuclear weapons, I hadn't planned to delve into that in the book; The Trident Deception was designed to be a submarine thriller, and..."



Also nearly finished this and have begun writing the review. Your best yet by far. A solid plot concept and after all the pieces are in place, you utilize the unique tactical environment to the fullest extent possible. The climax I also found pretty creative. Die Hard In the Arctic with four submarines thrown into the mix. One wrong move means a deep freeze. And also, the characterization is dead on, Christine's finally won me over #ThirdTimeLucky

Review done. Since it's a netgallery review, ultimately I decided to split the difference and put a boiler plate review on the official book page and the actual one here.....

BLACKMAIL RICK CAMPBELL REVIEW.

“I'm a fighter. I believe in the eye-for-an-eye business. I'm no cheek turner. I got no respect for a man who won't hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat.” ― Muhammad Ali

“The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.” ― Otto von Bismarck

“I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.” ― United States Navy Lieutenant John F. Kennedy

The year 2017 is underway, and so far, it’s shaping up to be as chaotic and confounding as what came before. Economic calamity in Europe. Humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East and Africa. Geopolitical cataclysm in Asia, and don’t get me started on the Americas whether it be North, Central or South. The world is now undergoing violent, painful events and tensions are rising. The sort of tensions that one could assume by reflecting on history, may kick of a war of some kind. A proper, brutal, unforgiving world war, the likes that would make the present-day war on terror look like a trip to a Boy Scout Jamboree.

But where would such a war start? Iran with its desire to subjugate the Muslim world is a prime candidate, and ditto the Diaoyu Island pissing match between China and Japan. But, there is a third candidate who may kick off world war 3, and fittingly, several decades ago, it was on the verge of doing just that. It’s the country which poor Mitt Romney was mocked, for having the foresight to warn us about. It’s the nation ruled by former spies, who maintain the most active, formidable paramilitary capability on earth. It’s the country with 1600 nuclear missiles pointed at its main enemy. It’s the bear of geopolitics, it’s claws sharpened and polished to perfection. Ladies, gentlemen, presenting, the Russian Federation.

Once believed to have been thrown on the dustbin of history, and assumed to have become a meek, rusting democracy, under Vladimir Putin, the new Tsar of all the Russia’s, present and future, the bear has become angry, with a fat chip on its shoulder. It seeks to acquire hegemony over Europe and won’t stop until it has evened the score with its enemy, the United States of America. From waging a smash hit, successful political warfare campaign that has gotten the knickers of America and its allies in a real twist, to annexing the East Ukraine, Russia in on a roll and anyone opposing it will be ground underfoot, like many were in the 20th century.

Such events make the timing of Military thriller writer Rick Campbell’s fourth book, BLACKMAIL, highly fortuitous. Campbell is a US Navy Veteran who served on Submarines for several decades. Highly experienced, at one point overseeing the operation and firing of a chunk of the US nuclear arsenal on a Trident Submarine, he has since moved on to a fruitful civilian life, resurrecting the moribund naval thriller sub – genre that had been dead since the start of the war on terror. Despite having written only 4 books, Campbell has already become the king of the sub – genre having revitalized it with his combination of experience, highly creative plot concepts, and ultra-fast pace. Blackmail is no different, and in this review, of the book where I believe the author has hit his stride, you’ll find out why. Now to the review. What happens if you’re faced with the impossible choice of either being Red or dead?

We begin the novel in the West Pacific. A US Aircraft carrier, patrolling the coast off China is attacked by a Russian guided missile cruiser without warning. The Russian ambassador is summoned to the White House and after giving his profuse apologies, leave the American President unaware of the true nature of the attack. Returning to the Russian Embassy, the Ambassador makes a call to the Kremlin. We learn that the Russian Defence Minister Chernov and the director of the SVR, Gorev, along with a faction of the Russian military have been attempting to convince their President, Kalinin to take advantage of an opportunity to achieve what their predecessors failed to accomplish. World domination.

Upon conclusion of the meeting, Chernov gives the green light for his project. Nuclear capable missiles are shipped to the Kalingrad Oblast. The Belarusians are notified of a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. An SVR agent provocateur, sets the stages of an assassination intended to cause all hell to break loose in Ukraine. Back in Washington, Christine O’Connor, the National Security Adviser and protagonist is deep in depression from a terrible choice she was forced to make in book 3. Attempting to burry herself in work, she soon finds herself flying to Moscow to conclude the New START arms control agreement she had been negotiating several months before.

Unbeknownst to her, her hosts are on the verge of setting the world on fire and as they do, she finds herself at the eye of the storm. From Moscow, to Delhi and Beijing and the Persian Gulf, all the great powers, new and old, are beginning to settle accounts. And as the world’s only super power, the USA, battles to keep the current world order strong and stable, only one question will remain. Can the strong countries be broken by blackmail?

In terms of plot Blackmail is an outstandingly written military thriller that blends in several surprises and a timely plot concept to create a tour de force. The new great powers, whether utilizing hard, soft or asymmetric assets, are taking a variety of different approaches to kick, prod or blow the United States off its position as global hegemon and these approaches are creating the sort of tensions that if they come crashing together would start World War 3. Campbell reflects this theme in his fourth book, and creates a plausible scenario about how all the certainties that the West takes for granted, whether it be alliances, military strength, moral superiority or acceptance of the way things are can be eroded, undermined or blown apart. This theme while touched upon in other thrillers, hasn’t been followed completely through, but Campbell takes things all the way and actually takes time to portray what might happen if the world really slipped into the abyss, rather than balancing perilously on the edge. Blackmail brings the best of Campbell’s first three books together and shows a writer who has hit the proverbial bulls – eye with his writing, which has developed into a fast paced,

Action and setting? The best the author has done by far. After an impressive, intimate claustrophobic duel on and under, a polar ice cap, Campbell has returned to making a grand spectacle of the kind that was the focus “Empire Rising”. And he doesn’t disappoint. From the opening first strike in the blue waters of the pacific, to a great tour of the halls of political, military and espionage power in Russia, the novel then sweeps us to a grand naval battle off the coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf. One of the surprises in Campbell’s fourth book is that unlike many military thriller writers, he engages in a spot of “world building” in this book, expanding and developing the fictional universe he’s created to an impressive degree. Apart from enhancing the epic scope of the tale, Campbell’s expansion of the fictional setting also helps bring it to life, and make it feel a whole lot more immersive and real than most military thriller writers attempt to make their works.

Research? Superb, Campbell has jumped the bar he set himself and replaced it with a new one. Firstly, for those who are new to Campbell’s thrillers, the man has no equal when it comes to warfare on the waves. Whether it be carriers, cruisers or Campbell’s own speciality, submarines, the author, shows you what these machines are really capable of rather than listing off their capabilities like a used car salesman. His skill in integrating the perfect level of real world detail into the narrative ensures that unlike other turgid, detail laden naval thrillers, the pace of the plot does not come to a crashing halt, and the reader is able to appreciate and learn about the complexities of modern naval warfare, a true game of 4 – D chess that is far more complex than civilians appreciate. Secondly, Campbell paints a masterful geopolitical portrait of the current Cold War 2.0 between Russia and the West, taking the reader through a vivid journey of the strategic dynamics and advantages Russia has (a world class paramilitary and intelligence capability), along with the new tricks up its sleeve that the public in Europe and America doesn’t realize it has, namely refurbished conventional military assets and the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. Having fully come out of the 1990’s mid – life crisis, the bear is back in a big way, and more than capable of coming up with plots and plans to cause its enemies to come tumbling down as Campbell shows in this fine novel.

Characters? Quite possibly the best Rick has done. A few standouts, but I’ll focus on O’Connor, Chernov, Gorev and Kalinin. First, Christine O’Connor, the National Security Adviser. After a very impressive turn in Ice Station Nautilus, O’Connor returns and continues the impressive character growth and development that she experienced in the third book of the series. Suffering from a grave case of depression and survivors guilt after being forced to leave a dear friend of hers to a cold grave in the arctic, O’Connor gradually gets back into the swing of things when her country goes to war. In this novel, Campbell gives his protagonist a real chance to shine, and in many respects, the heart of the book isn’t about the first chapter of world war 3, but O’Connor fighting her own personal battles, whether it be her own demons and the men who nearly killed her in the third book. Fully fleshed out, O’Connor has evolved into one of the finest “everyman/everywoman” protagonists in the genre. She’s got limited combat training and she is no steely eyed badass who can do no wrong. But she’s gotten far more wise to the dangerous world she lives in and is now extremely cunning and resourceful, as she demonstrates when settling accounts with the most dangerous spy in Russia.

Next, we have Chernov. He’s the driving force of the scheme in Blackmail and could be considered the main antagonist. An ultra – nationalist who behind an affable mask, schemes to get Russia to the top table and isn’t afraid of the corpses he leaves behind, Chernov is quite the Machiavellian schemer and quite the paranoid one as well. Having overreached himself in the previous book in a hair – brained cover up that led to massive property damage and loss of life, the defence minister has decided to take another foolhardy gamble, leaving his subordinates to do his dirty work and trying to claim the credit afterwards. But on the cusp of glory, a big skeleton pops out of his closet and seeks to drag him down. And it’s this ticking clock on whether he will be able to survive and live to see his world domination plan coming to fruition that provides a fair bit of tension in his character arc.

Then we have Gorev, the director General of the SVR. Gorev is the secondary antagonist of the tale and the hatchet man for the Kremlin. A ruthless spymaster in the classic Russian tradition, Gorev and O’Connor come into conflict with each other, with him eventually seeking to destroy the American official who waltzed into his life. Sadistic and heartless when on the job, Gorev is one of the more despicable antagonists in Campbell’s series, having nearly no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And when he’s finally brought down, it will be hard for you to suppress a grin.

Finally, we have President Yuri Kalinin. Yuri, while at first glance, a Vladimir Putin clone, in fact is a far more different and interesting character underneath the former KGB background. While his first appearance in the third book did not give him much of a chance to shine, in Blackmail, Campbell fleshes him out significantly and the result is satisfying. While a veteran chekist, Kalinin is a far more genial figure than Putin (who in this series he’s succeeded as President). Still haunted by the death of his first wife, Kalinin soon becomes smitten with Christine O’Connor who resembles his ex-love. The resulting interactions are surprisingly well done for a military thriller, a genre not known for complex romances. And while things eventually go to hell in a handcart, Campbell makes his fictional Russian president very human, rather than a soulless, raving autocrat.

Overall, Blackmail is an exemplar of an author who has found his niche and established himself as the author without equal in a sub – genre that has remained mostly untouched until now. Boasting one of the most timely stories in the genre this year that focuses on a danger that may befall the whole globe soon, a cast of fully fleshed out players who have many layers to them and whose compelling journey continues, and an outstandingly integrated level of real world detail that will make readers comprehend the brutal changes that have been undergoing in Russo – American relations, Blackmail is one of the finest military thrillers written in 2017. As the final ships are sunk and the sides in the war switch to their “Plan B’s”, one thing is for sure. This book is only the beginning of what looks to be a sweeping bloodbath, and thriller novel tour de force. And whatever course Campbell charts for the players in his work, one most certainly will follow.

Recommended.

Samuel wrote: "Research? Superb, Campbell has jumped the bar he set himself and replaced it with a new one. Firstly, for those who are new to Campbell’s thrillers, the man has no equal when it comes to warfare on..."

Had fun with the opening quotes. Quite surprising as well as they sum up a lot of what happens in the story.

Hi Samuel - thank you for the fantastic review. I'm glad you enjoyed Blackmail.