Chuck Waldron’s latest novel, Lion’s Head Deception, is a dystopian story about an investigative blogger who uncovers more than he ever imagines…and has no idea what to do with his discovery.
An investigative blogger uncovers a sinister conspiracy, a billionaire’s plan backed by select government officials, designed to exterminate citizens who do not live up to a predetermined screening matrix; under the guise of rioting and a destabilized city, the plan is implemented and the blogger fights not only to discover and reveal the truth, but to survive.
“I grew up,” Chuck said, “listening to my grandfather, an Ozark Mountain story teller, spinning tales of the caves on his farm, describing them as hiding places once used by the Jesse & Frank James’ gang. It didn’t matter if the stories were true or not. Those legends set fire to my imagination, creating images that emerged slowly over the years, finally igniting as my short stories and novels.”
Now, thirty-plus short stories and three novels later, ideas keep coming, with more novels under development. Do they share anything in common? Each has its own unique voice and tale to tell, yet, at their heart, his stories tell about the human condition – the good, the bad and the ugly.
As Chuck tells it, “stored images that echo in my writing include train whistles in the night, Norman Rockwell childhood scenes, U.S. Army memories, blue collar jobs, university, a professional career, and finally retirement. Many of my images are drawn from this pool of memories: places visited, sights seen, and people met. The rest I fill in with my imagination: dreams of places yet to be visited, sights yet to be seen, and people yet to meet.”
His literary roots were planted in the American Midwest and thrived when transplanted to the rich, cultural soil of Ontario. He and his wife, Suzanne, are now warmed by the sun on Florida’s Treasure Coast.
His latest book is Lion’s Head Deception.
Visit his website at www.WriteByMeBooks.com.
Welcome to Between the Covers, Chuck. Why was writing Lion’s Head Deception so important to you?
Privacy and freedom are two of the cornerstones of our democracy.
Lion’s Head Deception is a dystopian novel that touches on some current themes of those two. In the United States our individual right to privacy is held to be sacrosanct, free from searches without a warrant and free from arrest without cause. Since the event of 9/11 there has been a sharp increase in the fear that our expectation of privacy has been eroded. That fear is both imagined and, judging by some of today’s news, real.
The theme of Lion’s Head Deception taps into our contemporary conversation as we try to balance our post 9/11 desire for safety with excessive surveillance and social regulation.
What was the experience like writing Lion’s Head Deception?
Delving into an imaginary world I never want to exist was often unnerving. It was especially so when a current news story seemed so close to what I was writing.
How did you come up with the title?
My antagonist had a hidden agenda and is all about deception. Lion’s Head is an actual location on the Bruce Peninsula, located northwest of Toronto. When I imagined a location for the secret meeting of the men behind the stealthy plot the isolation of the area seemed a good fit for a title Lion’s Head Deception
Can you tell us more about your main character, Matt Tremain?
Matt’s an ordinary young man. He struggles for a sense of identity and purpose. He’s a person with self-doubts. He’s more comfortable with online friends, people he will never meet. He was unprepared for his role in the story.
What are his strengths and what are his weaknesses?
Matt’s strength is his determination. In spite of misgivings he relies on the belief that if he doesn’t act who will? His weakness is a certain naiveté that he hides behind skepticism.
Are there any supporting characters we need to know about?
Matt may have some potential partners; he just isn’t sure about them. He will have to find out if they are friends or not. There’s the TV reporter and her cameraman and a police detective.
Can you open to page 25 and tell us what’s happening?
Matt Tremain thinks he has eluded capture by agents of a new security force and reached the safety of his office. Sitting at his computer he has an online conversation with someone he has never met, but someone he trusts implicitly.
What about page 65?
The newsroom of the TV studio where Susan Payne works has just been occupied by agents looking for video recordings containing her interviews. They have damaging information the new security force doesn’t want revealed.
Now that Lion’s Head Deception has been published, what’s your next project?
I am already at work on a sequel to Lion’s Head Deception. I’m planning on a trilogy with the theme.
Do you have anything you’d like to tell our readers?
I give you all a heartfelt thank-you for taking the time to read about Lion’s Head Deception. Write to me and tell me about reading the story.
Between the Covers 