Brett Andrew Strange is the author of two novels, Beneath the Purple Dawn and Against the Dusk, as well as Encounters: Six Short Stories. Though he currently calls San Francisco home, he has traveled extensively in the past and formerly resided in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Strange has also applied travel into his character and event development as he is working on his novels. He has visited well over two dozen countries to complete research for his writing and it truly shows when you open one of his novels and begin to read it. 

We were elated to be able to talk with Strange recently where he discussed his writing.

What books did you grow up reading? Did these inspire you to become an author?

I grew up primarily with the modern twentieth century classics – Hemingway and Fitzgerald, for example. I also consumed many Russian authors, such as Tolstoy and Bulgakov, and European authors, Maupassant, Mann, and Camus.  Joseph Conrad was a favorite early explorer of global themes. Conrad developed a darker, multi-layered, existential writing style that was truly innovative.  Conrad also conveyed a sense of foreign place like no other modern writer in English.  

What was your inspiration behind the development of the Paul Drake Thrillers Series?

My inspiration was my time at the Central Intelligence Agency and my subsequent life and work in the far-flung locations portrayed in my writing.  My novels, while fictional, are derived from real people I encountered and operational situations.  Fiction is simply the most effective and entertaining way to communicate the underlying essence of these experiences—sacrifice, deception, loyalty, and heroic action.  I’m not a fan of thriller fiction that is based on fantasy or derived from stale Hollywood formulas. In contrast, I want my writing to stay grounded in actual tradecraft and the most relevant political issues of our time, even if such an approach is more unsettling and nuanced.   I also wanted to thread together a compelling, rather spiritual love story that would resonates beyond the espionage plot and take the story to a higher emotional and universal level. 

Are there any parts of the first draft that didn’t make it into the final copy?

Yes, there are areas which were simplified to deliver a crisp reading experience.  I value my reader’s time.  Intelligent readers bring their own imaginations to make assumptions without the need for excessive explanation.  This tighter approach also mirrors life.  Life is never completely explained, nor should art be. For example, the first book’s title, Against the Dusk, is the title of a certain painting that first draws Paul and Katya together.  More details on this painting as view differently by many of the characters are best left to the reader’s imagination. 

I’m thankful for the input of Webster Stone, who helped enhance the cinematic aspect of certain scenes given to his experience with writing movie scripts, and to Alex Hoeffler for helping to dramatize the audio version.  Alex’s voice renditions of the characters really captured the novel’s mood and tempo for both books.  I hope my readers will consider listening to this stellar audio version! 

If you could spend a day with another popular author, who would it be and why?

I’ll go with Joseph Conrad, who lived an incredible life and was a master stylist in a language that was not even his native tongue. Conrad’s techniques shaped modern fiction. I would be fascinated to know more about his unique mind, and also the era when he lived. 

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given about writing?

Write clearly and precisely on important subjects that you know well from experience. My goal is to use words precisely so the reader can see, hear, taste, and hopefully feel what Paul and Katya experience.  To quote Tolstoy directly: “A real work of art destroys, in the consciousness of the receiver, the separation between himself and the artist.” Just achieving some small sliver of this goal, is a great achievement for any author. 

Grab Your Copy Today! 

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Purple-Dawn-Novel-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B0BHKWVNKK