From the Publisher: Jack Carr, a former Navy SEAL, led a special operations teams on four continents as a Team Leader, Platoon Commander, Troop Commander and Task Unit Commander. So when he delivered a thriller about a fictional former SEAL, famed editor Emily Bestler had to sit up and take notice.
‘This is one of the most exciting debuts I’ve read in ages,’ Bestler, who first brought Vince Flynn and Brad Thor to market said, ‘While this is a work of fiction, Jack Carr’s decades of experience as a SEAL, ranging from communications and intelligence to leading sniper teams to commanding a Special Operations Task Unit, give The Terminal List the on-the-ground authenticity that breaks a political thriller out from the pack and certainly grabbed me from page one.’
In Terminal List, Lieutenant Commander James Reece is compiling the most dangerous list in America; on it are the names of individuals at the highest levels of government and the military, each of whom has played a part in a treacherous, vicious plot that left Reece’s entire team dead in a catastrophic ambush and resulted in the murder of his loved ones. With nothing left to lose, he’ll target them in an equally brutal fashion, without regard for the laws of combat or the rule of law.
Don’t miss out: Carr will be visiting Pittsburgh on May 19 for KDKA-TV Military Support Day!
“So powerful, so pulse-pounding, so well-written – rarely do you read a debut novel this damn good.” – Brad Thor, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
“Careful while reading this one, it could leave a mark.” – Steve Berry, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
This interview was originally conducted and published by The Real Book Spy and is re-published here with their permission. Be sure to add The Real Book Spy to your feeds for more excellent thriller coverage!
You’ve said you always wanted to be a Navy SEAL and an author — and now you finally get to check off both boxes. How long did it take you to write your first book, The Terminal List?
From putting pen to paper, or in this case fingers to the keyboard, it took about a year and a half. Then the real work started: the re-reading, the editing and then more re-reading and editing before it was finally at a point where it was ready for submission. I remember how nervous and excited I was to finally mail it to Emily Bestler at Emily Bestler Books in New York. That was a day I’ll never forget.
Your hero, James Reece, is awesome. As a reader, who are some of your favorite protagonists, and who was your inspiration for Reece?
James Reece is a combination of all sorts of people, both real and fictional, though not intentionally. His career mirrors mine in that he was a prior enlisted SEAL who transitioned to the officer ranks, but that is where the similarities end. I took quite a bit of artistic license to make him much tougher, stronger, smarter, wittier, skilled, and better looking than I ever was, or could ever be. I wanted him to be likable and have flaws just like we all do. I didn’t want to make him a stereotypical SEAL as is sometimes portrayed in the media. I think one of the reasons he is resonating so well with readers is that I took the emotions I’d felt through different experiences over my time in the SEAL Teams and applied those feelings to a fictional character and narrative. He’s a real guy that can flip the switch and get the job done when he needs to.
I’ve been reading fictional thrillers as long as I can remember. My mom was a librarian, so I grew up surrounded by books and was instilled with a love of reading from a very early age. I felt a connection with Tom Clancy’s character John Clark very early on because of his SEAL lineage, so when Without Remorse came out I was thrilled, as it is essentially the John Clark origin novel. I loved the protagonists created by Nelson DeMille and David Morrell growing up and devoured everything they wrote. Later I discovered the characters of Scott Coleman and Mitch Rapp, and then Scott Harvath, all legends in the modern thriller genre. One of my favorites is Bob Lee Swagger, introduced to us by Stephen Hunter in Point of Impact. I can’t get enough of him and eagerly await his next adventure.
What’s it like being with the same editor and publisher as Vince Flynn and Brad Thor — two thriller icons who helped shaped the genre into what it is today?
It is difficult for me to put into words exactly how humbling it is to be part of Emily Bestler Books. I have looked up to both Vince and Brad since I first cracked the covers of their books. To now be an author working with Emily Bestler is an honor I can’t quite describe. I was fortunate enough to meet Vince Flynn before he passed away and I will always treasure the time we were able to spend together. And I certainly would not be where I am today without Brad Thor. I’ll never be able to thank him enough for opening the door for me and for welcoming me into the company of scribes.
Any chance readers might one day see James Reece on the big screen, and who would be your dream casting choice to play him?
Funny you should ask, we are in talks right now with the exact person I always envisioned playing James Reece, but for now, I am sworn to secrecy…
Do you plan to make Reece a series character, and what comes next after The Terminal List?
There is another book in the works right now scheduled for release in March 2019 with characters from The Terminal List, but which ones and in what capacity, that’s a secret…
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