-
You’ve been described
as a modern day Indiana Jones. How does a dentist,
husband and father
juggle being a pilot,
world traveler and history buff?
-
You used to be a competitive sportsman as well. Why did
you give that up?
-
You seem to have a lot on your plate. What made you decide
to tackle writing?
-
The Portal reads
quickly, like a Grisham novel, but it’s a big book.
How long did it take to write?
-
There are some hair-raising airplane stunts in the book,
and you say that they are all possible. Have you tried
them yourself?
-
Your heroes aren’t typical square-jawed, stoic icons.
They’re flesh and blood people who laugh and cry, and
feel joy and fear. Why did you opt for this type of
portrayal?
-
Kelly Wilson, the
female lead, doesn’t sit around waiting
to be rescued — she’s as scrappy and heroic as the men
she’s around. Who was your inspiration for Kelly?
-
You touch on the
issue of what the world would be like if the Allies
hadn’t won World War
II. What captivated you about that subject?
-
Why do you think World War II continues to intrigue readers
and movie-goers?
-
A key topic in the book is the Allies plan to land at
the Port de Calais (instead of Normandy) on June 6, 1944.
Was that really an option? How would that decision have
affected the outcome of the war?
-
You also touch on the issue of the negative impact Westerners
can have on indigenous people like the Indian tribes of
eastern Columbia. Why was that an important issue for you?
Have you seen it happen first-hand?
-
You create incredible descriptions of Paris, New York
and the depths of the Amazon jungle. How do you craft such
remarkable images?
-
It’s not hard to
imagine The Portal being
made into a movie. If you had an opportunity to cast it,
who would you get to play the three leads?
-
What are you working now?
