Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I’m Robert A. Coryell. My friends call me Al. I’m pushing 70 years old but this is my first novel. Writing a novel has always been on my bucket list, I just never had the time or the opportunity until I retired. Most of my life has been spent writing technically: reports, proposals, manuals, stuff like that. Most of my working career I was involved in software engineering and data management for large corporations… and NASA. I’ve worked on the Space Station and Space Shuttle programs.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is called Afghan Horse. It’s a play on words, “horse” being a nickname for heroin. The premise of my book is that the CIA smuggles heroin into the U.S. from Afghanistan to sell on the black market. Ostensibly, the sales are to raise money for black operations since the agency can’t legally be budgeted Congressional funds with a sequester in place. Without giving too much away, the hero and heroine accidentally discover the CIA’s plot and that makes them targets on the run.
The inspiration wasn’t a sudden light switch moment or an epiphany of some kind. Watching the opioid crisis evolve over the last few years, especially heroin, gave me pause and made me wonder where all that heroin came from. I remembered reading about a guy named Gary Webb, an investigative reporter in California, who accused the CIA of helping Mexican cartels smuggle cocaine into the United States. He ended up dead. Supposedly, he shot himself in the head… twice. Or so the LA Coroner’s office ruled. Movies were since made about the CIA’s operations. One popular one with Tom Cruise was called Air America.
Anyway, I began to wonder why heroin had become such a prolific killer in the U.S. and where it might be coming from. Almost by accident, I watched a documentary on the Afghanistan heroin trade and how it blossomed after the American invasion in 2001. Within a decade, Afghanistan became the largest producer of heroin and opium in the world, exporting almost 80% of the world’s supply. But the U.S. Government denies that any of the heroin in America comes from Afghanistan. Seriously? I saw an opportunity for a strong story there. So I came up with a scenario that made as much, or more, sense as Iran/Contra and set it to paper. That documentary was the seed for Afghan Horse.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual writing habits? Not so much habits as places. It was difficult for me to write at home. Too many distractions. I would ride my bicycle five miles every morning to the library and spend all day there writing. The community where I live has a clubhouse where I would often go if the weather wouldn’t let me use my bike. I also flew to Chicago a couple of times and hid in my daughter and son-in-law’s basement for months, away from civilization, social contact and other annoyances. I probably wrote half the book in that basement.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like books that challenge the status quo or social norms. They need not necessarily be radical or revolutionary, although that appeals to me, too. Books like Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’, or Robert A. Heinlein’s ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’, books that force you to think and question what ‘normal’ means appeal to me. Hesse’s ‘Siddhartha’ comes to mind. Genre is not as important to me as subject. Although I have to admit, good science fiction writers hold a high place in my heart… Asimov, Bradbury, Clark, and I guess I would have to throw in Huxley and Orwell.
What are you working on now?
I’ve thought about a sequel or a prequel. But for the moment, I’m focused on trying to understand how to sell my book. This process is all new to me. I self-published Afghan Horse so all the marketing and advertising falls on my shoulders.
Oh, I’ve also toyed with an idea for a “Coming of Age” novel that takes place in the early 1960s where I grew up in Tampa, Florida. It would be a sort of ‘Stand By Me’ but darker.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I’ve said, I’m still struggling to do that. Amazon is my primary source for both promotion and sales. But the book is also available on Barnes and Nobel.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a new author, myself, I’m not really qualified to give advice to anyone. Just don’t quit would be the best advice I have to offer. Before I could write this novel I had to learn how to do so. There are loads of websites that purport to help and teach you. Honestly, most of them are worthless. I’m a very methodical writer. I outlined the entire book before setting prose to paper. It’s my understanding that’s not very common. If you can or want to learn to write that way, check out a method called “Dramatica”. I spent six months reading and studying the philosophy behind it before I began to write. For me, it was worth every minute of the time invested.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have no sage writing advice. Something my dad once told me sticks with me: “Never argue with an idiot, bystanders can’t tell the difference.”
What are you reading now?
I accidentally found Scott Turow when my wife checked out an audio book from the library. The actor that does the reading is excellent, all kinds of accents. If you’re a Turow fan but have never listened to the audio versions of his books, you have to check it out. It will change the way you read his books.
What’s next for you as a writer?
At 70 years old, I’m not going to leave a huge catalog of material. I’ll write one or two more books and call it a day. Writing is a hobby for me, not a vocation.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I mentioned Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’ earlier. I’ve probably read that book five times over the years, the latest perhaps four years ago. It blew me away the first time I read it. The concepts she introduces are fascinating and I intuitively understood the truth in them. The book has strong characters with character and a storyline and plot that resonates in any time period. It seems especially apropos in today’s politically charged socio-economic environment.
Author Websites and Profiles
Robert Coryell Website
Robert Coryell Amazon Profile
Robert Coryell’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account