The World of
DEACON ROSS
When I started down the path of constructing Deacon Ross, I felt the voices of certain iconic espionage and thriller characters scrambling to influence the process. I've always been drawn to the brutal efficiency of Jason Bourne, yet not so much the dark, brooding part of his personality. I'm mesmerized by the intellectualism of Robert Langdon, but he's just kind of, well, a wuss. I love reading about the operational focus of Pike Logan, but he's a real jerk. Deacon is in a class of his own. He's the type of guy you'd want to have a beer with, yet he could provide a dissertation on the history of the beverage. His Delta Force military experience has certainly left its emotional and physical scars, yet his sense of humor and optimism shines through. There is no question he can kick ass, but he prefers other options before dipping into the beast.
I'm a visual guy. I like describing things in terms that can be easily pictured in mind, and like reading authors that do the same. That said, you'll notice in my books that I get very specific in certain details to help the reader immerse themselves in the experience. I like to name items, brands and pop culture references.
Here's some of the reoccurring details you'll bump into while reading my books that make Deacon who he is...
1973 Land Rover Series III
"The heater in a 1973 anything is questionable, especially a Land Rover. In Ross’s mind, that was a minor inconvenience for the experience of driving the spartan truck. Granted it was freezing outside this time of year, so a heavy jacket and a pair of gloves was a must. As a kid, he was always drawn to the puritan 1970’s era SUV’s. Jeeps, Land Cruisers, Bronco’s, Scouts… he loved them all and had owned several. But something about the Series III was special. Maybe it was the iconography of being the ultimate safari vehicle, or the simple fact that it was British." --- CHARIOT chapter 55
FOX 599 KARAMBIT
"The man bounded at him. In the less than two seconds it took the man to close the gap, Ross grabbed his karambit. The blade immediately deployed with its characteristic click and went to work on the assailant. The man swung wildly at Ross, in the typical out-of-control manner of an unskilled fighter. Ross blocked the man’s right hook with his left forearm and delivered a searing upward slice of the karambit to the man’s right underarm. With his rear leg, Ross brought a powerful front kick to the man’s sternum, sending the Tango stumbling backward. Ross stood ready for more but stayed where he was." --- CHARIOT chapter 50
RANDOLPH AVIATORS
"Oh, speaking of wearables, that reminds me. You wear Randolph aviators, correct.”
“I do,” responded Ross guardedly.
“Good. Do you have them on you?”
Ross pulled the aviators out of his inside jacket pocket and handed them to Mia. The Quartermaster studied them for a moment before calling one of the nearby tech’s over, providing hushed instructions on some type of modification that Ross didn’t understand.
“We’ll make a little enhancement to them before you leave today. It’s not a standard offering yet, but we want to try it out to see how it works.” --- CHARIOT chapter 16
DELTA FORCE
"The recruit is a former Tier 1 operator from 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta. While a member of Delta, he served in both assault and surveillance functions. This particular soldier participated in several very high stakes hostage rescue and recovery missions, gaining him special notice among JSOC oversight. During the latter part of his service career, he became obsessed with mastering non-lethal CQC, or close quarters combat methods. This particular skillset caught my attention given Fourteen’s no-kill charter." --- CHARIOT chapter 5
