INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
As a professor of Human Anatomy & Physiology, Bill Brewer learned the value of stories to keep his students engaged. Storytelling is a passion of his which extends beyond the lecture hall. He enjoys writing because character’s traits and personalities can be allowed to grow as the story develops. Well-crafted sentences also convey action scenes with intensity and clarity. Dawn of the Assassin is the origin story of the reluctant killer of men, David Diegert, the protagonist of Brewer’s series. A second novel, Blood of the Assassin, will follow in late 2019, with the third book, Code of the Assassin, being released in early 2020.
Who is William Schiele?
In 2017 I published the novel Tears of the Assassin under the pen name William Schiele. Using a pseudonym seemed like a good idea at the time. The value of an alternate identity as an author has since faded, many people struggled to pronounce it correctly, (Sheel). I now publish under my given name, Bill Brewer. Tears of the Assassin was divided into two volumes each of which is now being published under different titles. Dawn of the Assassin is the first volume of Tears, while Blood of the Assassin tells the story contained in the second volume of Tears. Readers who have already enjoyed Tears of the Assassin will be excited about the third book in the series, Code of the Assassin which continues the story of David Diegert beyond Tears of the Assassin and Blood of the Assassin. Code of the Assassin will be released in April 2020.
What attracts you to this book’s genre?
I love thrillers, which is to say I enjoy them on an emotional level that defies explanation.
As a writer, I chose the genre because the characters get to utilize force in ways denied to us in a civilized society. While I’m very happy to live within the confines of civilization, I find it entertaining to create characters who can choose to act in ways that are violent and exciting. They will often suffer the consequences, but also reap benefits to which we civilized folk are denied.
How does this book make a contribution to the genre?
David Diegert does not have permission to kill people. He is not an agent of a three letter government institution. I believe this intensifies the pressure on him as he acts, not guided by a conscience assigned to him by his superiors, but by a personal code which evolves as his missions escalate. I realize this is not completely unique, but I wanted to push him out of the role of obvious hero and into circumstances that engage the reader into agreeing or disagreeing with his choices. The good guy is tinged with gray. I’ve enjoyed characters operating in a dark shadowy place, having to make moral decisions while the bullets are flying and punches strike flesh and bone. I hope the David Diegert series entertains people engaged by heroes that are gritty and real, operating outside the confines of law enforcement.
What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?
I have enjoyed many authors, and my shelves are filled with the paper souvenirs of the many journeys great writers have taken me on, but the two most influential authors are Mark Greaney and Vince Flynn. Mark’s Gray Man series, with the protagonist Courtland Gentry, inspired me to see that a character, outside the establishment, could be written as a hero. Mark’s first Gray Man book established Gentry as the anchor of a phenomenal series. Mark has been able to sustain reader interest as Court has developed into a more and more engaging character throughout all the subsequent books. This young man still has a lot of stories in him and I’m very happy to remain a committed fan.
Vince Flynn first captured my imagination with the distinctly strong will of the character Mitch Rapp. The stories were fresh and relevant to the times. Vince’s writing was fast paced and satisfying, it was like reading a movie. His ability to describe and create action left me literally turning pages as fast I could. He was the first author to convince me that reading was better than watching. Vince also kept the series interesting as Mitch’s life grew and developed as his adventures continued. Kyle Mill’s continuation of the series is demonstrative that, once again a great character can outlive the creator.
Was there anything new you discovered, or surprised you, as you wrote this book?
This may sound silly, since I am a guy who writes from an outline, but the relationships between the characters surprised me many times. Characters develop a personality the more you write about them, but those personalities often clash in unexpected ways when you put two of them together. I know that seems contrived, but I stopped predicting what would happen and just went with what did happen when I introduced two characters.
For example, in my outline Alexi Strakov and David Diegert were supposed to become friends. When they first met, however, I realized these two were not going to like each other. Strakov especially, did not like Diegert. It changed the trajectory of the story as their relationship became more and more adversarial.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
As my readers are entertained, I hope they reflect on the concentration of power and wealth that is occurring right in front of us every day in the United States and throughout the world. David Diegert represents many people in our society who are losing the capacity to function in our current economy. He is forced to act for those for whom money is an inexhaustible source of power. We should all be cognizant of the widening wealth gap in our society.