Books have a been a huge part of J.D. May’s life from the very beginning, and set the stage for her to become a bestselling author with her thriller ‘Factor – 7’ This riveting action packed book takes readers on a breathtaking adventure spanning three continents, telling a tale of bio-weaponry, secrets, betrayal, infidelity, and the redeeming power of love.
Dr. Sam Hawkins dying friend’s last cryptic words and a string of apparent cover-ups catapult him from his mundane life into the world of the most wicked. He learns more from a beautiful Italian doctor, Rainee Arienzo. Together they must ferret out the truth, but exposure of the truth is as dangerous as the group and weapon that they seek. ‘Factor-7’ is only one factor in a long insane mathematical equation which sums equal death and annihilation. Friends deceive them. The law deserts them. The Collegium and their plan terrify them and the Mexican Cartel has incarcerated them both physically and emotionally. ‘Factor-7’ introduces The Keepers, an ancient secret society that comes to Sam’s rescue and ultimately changes his entire life.
‘Factor -7’ is a no holds barred read, which has had booklovers and reviews glued to their seats, dying to find out what happens next – and raving about it to their friends. Recently J.D. took some time out of her busy schedule to let us in on her work, and what’s next from this gifted writer.
Not everyone is able to become a bestselling author, what is the key to your success?
Success is in the eye of the beholder–I’d say first. Success comes in many forms. Writing is a passion for me. I enjoy the written word and when not writing myself, I am often reading. I felt successful just to get the book written. It was and still is a labor of love. One must love what they do to be a success. But success can also be a personal goal and not necessarily considered successful to others. I think people have found a good read with ‘Factor-7’. It is thought-provoking and people have said it’s a “page turner.” It’s a best seller and I’m thrilled with that.
Preparation is one key to success in my opinion. Therefore, I did a ton of research for ‘Factor-7’ and think that’s apparent in the book. I think clear, concise language and good editing are also keys to making a reader want to share their interest in a book. Readers sharing good reviews is a key factor to making the book a selling property. So, getting readers should be one priority. I think social media is essential to getting the word out that the book is available and what it’s about-thus creating interest. I am not opposed to giving freebies out for reviews. Hiring good quality consultants, who know the business, is also essential to getting the word to potential readers. But again, success is subjective and my success is perhaps a combination of personal satisfaction and public recognition. I don’t think it’s possible to be successful in anything if money is the only driving force to creating something. There must be a passion for what one does and when a project is completed, a sense of success follows no matter the financial gain. Making money is like the icing on the cake.
Dr. Rainee Arienzo, an Italian infectious disease specialist, is an extremely compelling character in ‘Factor – 7’. What was your inspiration for her development? Also, if you could actually meet her what would you all do and why?
Sam needed a strong woman to pull him from his unhappy and perhaps tedious ho-hum life. Just anybody would not have been able to convince him the validity of the information she possessed and the ultimate imminent danger. Rainee had to be strong and committed to her cause to ever get Sam involved. If the story was to be realistic and if Sam was to morph into his own force of nature and evolve, she must be the catalyst behind him. Rainee is a composite of people I have known or wish to have known, just like Sam was when I was creating his character. Of course, Rainee had to be highly intelligent, a brave and strong personality and an Italian beauty.
I chose her to be from Italy because it is one of my favorite places on earth. If I was able to meet her, we would drink wine and eat fresh mozzarella on a farm I know in Sorrento. We would smell the lemons and sea air on the Isle of Capri and we would speed down the winding road, with the top down, toward Positano.
You are such an amazing writer; can you tell us how writing first became a part of your life (aka. Where did it all begin?)
I remember writing on an old blue electric typewriter my parents bought me back in the 70’s. I wrote short stories, poems and not very good song lyrics. So, I have been friends with the written word most of my life. I read a lot and keep up with current events, so when I see things or hear news reports, it can spur an idea. ‘Factor-7’ was one of those stories that came from the headlines, although written before the Corona Virus pandemic. I can only write fiction because I find it far more interesting. But the fiction I tend to gravitate to and write, is a precious breath away from our possible future realities.
When you did the final read-through for ‘Factor – 7’ can you tell us what your favorite moment or scene was and why it called to you so much.
‘Factor-7’ was originally written in the early 90’s. It was put away as life happened and not picked up again until about 2018. I re-wrote every word at that time. It was updated, improved and changed in more ways than not. I sent it to professionals for formatting and editing, which I think is critical if one wishes to mass market the work. I guess I got the final edit about May of 2019. I think my favorite scene is when Sam and Rainee are kidnapped by the drug cartel. It is frightening and it sets the stage for Sam and Rainee to become stronger and more determined than either of them thought possible. I think I also like that time in the book because Sam realizes how much he loves Rainee. The epiphanies of both characters at those moments are critical to the entire story and the growth of each character accordingly.
I’ve heard that you have a new book in the works, called ‘Germline’. Can you let us in on what this book is about?
My next novel is going to be called Germline. It brings back several of the characters from ‘Factor-7’ and is a sequel. It could be read alone, without having read ‘Factor-7’, but the two do intertwine in many ways. Sam and Rainee will find it impossible to not become immersed in the threat, as they experience literally one of the most heart-breaking and frightening events of anyone’s life. It brings back the demonic antagonist and the man who hates Sam. The cartel returns but are more dangerous and more intent on their goals than before. There is another angle in Germline. Germline Editing is the DNA manipulation of an embryo. A group, hostile to the United States and her allies, team up with the Mexican cartel and their trillions of illegal monies, kidnaps the antagonist scientist from ‘Factor-7’, and become obsessed with the creation of what they consider to be super humans/soldiers via Germline Editing. We know this is possible through CHRISPR, but has been obviously and fortunately deemed unethical and illegal. But my antagonists in Germline have no morals or ethics. It is a frightening scenario and based upon the current climate of rogue science, the story could become a horrifying reality in our not-so-distant future.
To find out more about J.D. May and ‘Factor-7’ head over to Amazon.