Throwback Thursday - Behind the Scenes (NYPD Intelligence)

Readers of my books know that I reference a lot of different places and agencies. Many of them are part of the backstory for my characters, so I thought I would start something new called: Throwback Thursday.

From time to time I will present you with a brief history of one of the units or locations I write about, to help you get a better understanding of the character’s story.  Today’s Throwback Thursday post pertains to something near and dear to my heart: NYPD intelligence.

In Perfect Pawn, readers are introduced to retired NYPD Detective James Maguire. For a period of time he was assigned to the NYPD’s Intelligence Division (now known as the Intelligence Bureau). What many do not know is that the command’s roots can be traced back to Lieutenant Giuseppe ‘Joe’ Petrosino and the Italian Squad. Lt. Petrosino was instrumental in pursuing the organized crime group known as the ‘Black Hand.’ Petrosino was killed while investigating the group in Palermo, Sicily.

It would be nearly fifty more years till the Intelligence Division would be tasked with providing dignitary protection, but in an ironic twist, during his infiltration of an Italian anarchist group, Petrosino uncovered a plot to assassinate then President William McKinley. Petrosino alerted the Secret Service, but the President ignored the warning, even after then Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt, who had been an NYPD Commissioner, vouched for Petrosino and his abilities. As warned, the group followed through and McKinley was assassinated during his visit to the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo on September 6, 1901.

Following Petrosino’s own assignation, by the Black Hand in 1909, Acting Detective Sergeant Charles Corrao took over the Italian Squad. At that time the city was dealing with a string of attacks with explosives, as the Black Hand had now begun to use bombs as a means of extortion.  On one occasion Corrao grabbed a bomb from Black Hand member Giovanni Rizzo’s hand and defused it while the man fled. After a subsequent chase, and an exchange of gunfire between the two, Rizzo was captured.  For his actions, Charles Corrao was awarded the newly adopted NYPD Medal of Honor and the Rhinelander Medal for Valor on May 18, 1912. The NYPD’s Bomb Squad has its foundation in these early bomb investigations.

As the years progressed, the role of the Intelligence Bureau would adapt and expand. What started with investigating Italian organized crime (the Black Hand Squad) soon included communist activities (the Red Hand Squad). The Red Squad then became known as the Bureau of Special Services and Investigations (BOSSI), which was focused on domestic groups like the Black Panther Party, Weather Underground and the Students for a Democratic Society. Along the way, they picked up the dignitary protection assignment. In the early 70’s BOSSI was reorganized and retitled the Intelligence Division. Following the September 11th Terror Attacks it was expanded to a global unit and renamed the Intelligence Bureau.

My time in the Intelligence Division was an incredible part of my career with the NYPD, so it is only fair that it also plays a pivotal part in the character of Maguire. I’ve stood next to presidents, the Pope, and more foreign and domestic dignitaries than I can count. I’ve ridden in motorcades and I’ve watched them with a birds-eye-view from helicopters. It is simultaneously exhilarating and nerve-wracking. One of the things you learn quickly is to never be complacent.

One story that drove that point home rather quickly occurred back around 1995/6. The Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, was traveling in his motorcade. At the time, because of the elevated threat risk, the Israeli PM got what amounted to a Vice-Presidential level motorcade package.

At the last minute we got word that a decision had been made to take the secondary route, which involved the Belt Parkway.  I was assigned to huntsman, the helicopter which provides aerial surveillance along the motorcade route, and things were going along quiet well; at least until the thought occurred to me that traffic was really, really light coming from the opposite direction…… Anyone who has spent 15 minutes in New York City can tell you that traffic is never light.

I instructed the motorcade to slow down and told the pilot to head forward to see what was causing the delay. My initial thought was a motor vehicle accident, which would bring the motorcade to a halt unless we got a lane cleared. My fears were surpassed when I gazed out the front window of the helo and saw that the Mill Basin drawbridge was in the upright position as a large vessel lazily made its way in from the Atlantic Ocean.

Oops.

This resulted in an immediate frenzy of colorful communication between me and my USSS counterpart, as we tried to get the motorcade to come to an almost screeching halt. I will never forget the sight of the motorcycle officers, from the Highway Patrol, racing up to the drawbridge to get them to drop it back down in place.  How we managed to unscrew that one in time, remains a mystery, but we did. The motorcade never stopped moving and I don’t remember ever using the Belt Parkway for as long as I was in the Division.

In Chapter Five of Perfect Pawn I provide the reader a glimpse into the world of presidential protection. For many, it is the closest they will ever get to being inside the bubble. It was from this period of time in my career that I drew on inspiration for not only the role of Maguire, but his friend, Rich Stargold, who is a composite of some of the people I worked with in the Secret Service.

Someone once asked me if I missed it and my answer is: Yes, every single day.

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72 Poplar Street, Brooklyn, NY (Former home of the Intelligence Division) - Author Photo

Challenges for Writers: Slip-Sliding Down The Rabbit Hole

In his book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, author Lewis Carroll was kind enough to provide the perfect metaphor for us as writers.

If you are like me, it can sometimes feel that we are tumbling head-over-heels down a Rabbit Hole in the pursuit of our chosen profession.  The casual reader (along with your family and friends) has a skewed sense of what it actually means to be a writer. They see folks like James Patterson, J.D. Robb and Lee Child and think that we all fall into that category, but that’s like comparing someone who plays for the New York Yankees with a Double A player on the Trenton Thunder.

The harsh reality is that the role of an indie author is much more complicated.

As an up & coming author, you need to realize that your ‘work’ does not end with the final draft of your book. In fact, it is only the beginning and there will come a point in time when you look back fondly on the writing phase as being the fun part.  As of this post, I have authored a total of ten books, along with two novellas, and I am currently working on my latest work-in-progress. You would think that I would have a firm grasp of the publishing process, but you’d be wrong.  I learn new things pretty much on a daily basis; which I guess is a lot better than not learning.

For someone just starting out you need to face the fact that, unlike the authors listed above, you probably do not have access to publishing resources, meaning: Tag, You’re it. When addressing this issue, you have two choices: 1) Pay someone to do it, or 2) Do it yourself. Personally, I opted for the latter, because I have always been a hands-on person, but that does not mean it will always work. You have to know your limitations.

Your first concern, upon completing what you believe is the final draft of your book, is to get it edited. I know, I know, you’re sitting there going: “I took AP English, I’m good.”  - No, you’re not.

There is a lot more that goes into the editing process than just grammar. Authors wear one hat, editors wear a different one. We create stories in our mind, which we think we translate well onto paper, but sometimes we forget to add some of the details. An editor will go through and pick that up, because they don’t have the backstory floating around in their heads. If they have questions then the reader will be left with questions, and that only works in cliff-hangers, not the middle of your story. If you do not know someone who can help, then this might be an area where you want to pay, but be prepared for sticker shock: Grammar Nazis are not cheap.

Beyond the text, one of the critical parts of a book, that is often underappreciated, is formatting it. Simply put, people expect your book to look like any other book produced by a legacy publishing house.  Take the time to learn how to format correctly. If you want to be a professional writer, your book has to look like it was professionally written. Go to your library (ever writer should have one in their home) and peruse the interiors.  Make sure you learn how to emulate what you see. If you want to be the next James Patterson, ensure that your book is on the same level as his.

Consider the writing process like mowing the grass. Most anyone can take a patch of rich soil, sprinkle some seeds on it, water it and grow a pretty nice, grassy field. But if you don’t maintain it, it will end up looking like crap. The more upkeep you do, the better it looks and the more it will be appreciated.

Cover Art is another critical area that is often overlooked. There is an old saying that goes, “You only have one opportunity to make a good first impression.” You could have someone create an amazing cover, but when you shrink it down to thumbnail size, which is what most of your potential readers are going to see, it looks like an undefined blob. Conversely, I have seen some folks who grab the first ‘clip-art’ image they can get, slap it on the cover and think, “I’m done.” – Well, in a way you’re right and so is your book.

There are several critical things to consider:

1.       Is it appealing looking to the audience?

2.       Does it correspond to the plot of your book?

3.       Can you see the title clearly?

4.       Can you see your name clearly?

5.       Does it look cartoonish?

 Whether you agree or not, the truth is that people do judge a book by its cover. You could have written the next Hunt for Red October, but if your cover looks like it was put together by an 8th grader for art class, the odds are pretty good that a potential reader is not going to be willing to plunk down their hard earned cash just to give you a chance. You have to make them want to buy your book instead of that best-selling author’s book.

Remember, you’re a combatant in the ‘thumbnail wars’ so fight accordingly.

When I wrote my first book, Perfect Pawn, I thought I had nailed it on the first go-round, but as time went on I began to rethink that. Over the years I had grown in experience; so I went back and made alterations to not only the text, but to the cover as well.

Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate things from time to time.

Coming Up Next: REVIEWS.

That is, after all, what we should be focusing on after we launch our books. If you are not driven to be a best-selling author, then ignore everything you have just read, because it really doesn’t matter. Write your book, publish it, and walk away. But, if you are like me, and do want your book to appear on the NY Times Best-Selling List, then you have to be prepared to do the heavy lifting.

Next week I will be discussing some of the things you can do to boost your sales.

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Interview: INFOWIND News

I had the opportunity to sit down and have a chat with Chip Peterson over at INFOWIND News. We discussed a number of things including my career with the NYPD, my response to the September 11th terror attack at the World Trade Center, politics and my career as an author. I hope you enjoy it.

Radio Interview: Your Book, Your Business, Your Brand w/ Daria Anne

I recently had the opportunity to do an interview with the incredible Daria Anne on her show: ‘Your Book, Your Brand, Your Business’ which aired on iHeart Radio Network.

We had a great time discussing my books, the general topic of mystery novels, as well as some of the perils and pitfalls of the publishing industry. I was also happy to answer some listener questions.

The episode is available by following the link below:

Interview with Former NYPD Cop and Author Andrew Nelson

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Interview - The Authors Show

I recently had the honor and privilege of being interviewed by Linda Thompson for The Authors Show. It is an online radio outlet that interviews authors from a wide variety of genres.

My interview will play for twenty-four (24) hours on October 9th. You can access the interview by clicking on the link below, scrolling down to the date and selecting the book title: PERFECT PAWN

Hope you enjoy and feel free to share this with other readers you know.

https://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/

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