Whew. Fifty and no more counting!

Hello all--

In the mid 1990's, I landed in Anchorage Alaska, and that event marked the 49th state that I'd visited. I only had one more to go--which was Hawaii.  I wasn't concerned, I flew jets for a living, and it seems everyone wanted to go to Hawaii, so it would happen, and probably sooner than later.  The years passed, and each time I flew over an ocean it was the Atlantic. The total number of countries reached 40, and my state total was still stuck at 49.  Then, in 2008, I was forced to quit flying.

One Monday morning not long ago, I was thinking about my travels, and what was left on my life to-do-list.  On impulse, I booked a trip to Maui.  I'm here now, writing this from my room overlooking the ocean, and it's pretty cool.  I can't do all the things I would have done ten, or fifteen years ago, my skeleton seems most unhappy these days, but it's still an amazing place.  Also, the sunset pictured below happens outside my balcony each evening, and coincides perfectly with happy hour.  Better late than never, and who knows, maybe Donovan Nash will return to the islands once I leave?   

 


In other news, I received an email from my publisher informing me that not long ago, Code Black was #55 on Amazon, which makes me a best selling novelist.

Pegasus Down is officially posted on my website:  www.philipdonlay.com and is available for pre-order with most retailers.  Order early, it makes everyone in my world happy, especially me. A gift certificate stocking stuffer perhaps?

I'm also putting together the 2016 book tour, if you have any suggestions let me know--I'll see what I can do.

Last but not least, I want everyone to have a great holiday season, cherish the people you love, and please, be kind to one another and travel safe. 




  

Category Five--coming to a bookstore near you.

Hello all--

November is shaping up to be an exciting month!  On the 10th, my first novel, Category Five, will once again be back in print.  It's an amazing feeling to still have demand for a book that first came out in 2004.  A year ago I wrote about the origins of the story, and last spring I went back and read it again for the first time in over ten years.  I have to say, it held up well.  The foundation for the Donovan Nash series began with solid footing, and still continues today.  As always, thank you for being a part of the journey, and please enjoy this book again.

In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricane Helena is gathering strength, becoming the most powerful storm in recorded history. As Helena bears down on Bermuda, Donovan Nash, along with other members of the scientific research organization Eco-Watch, are called to fly in and extract key government people who have been studying Helena. For Donovan Nash, the routine mission turns deadly when an attempt is made on the life of the lead scientist. A woman from the past, Dr. Lauren McKenna, is suddenly thrust back into his life. With 300 mph winds and waves over 90 feet, Helena marches relentlessly for the vulnerable east coast of the United States. In a bold attempt to diffuse the power of the hurricane, Eco-Watch is called upon to conduct a final flight above the massive fury, where the jet suffers a catastrophic engine failure. Now the only option is to maneuver the crippled airplane into the calm of Helena's eye.

Pegasus Down and Friends

Hello all--I've been working.  The edits for Pegasus Down are nearly complete (word on the street is that readers of the Donovan Nash series are really going to like this one)  Also, my first two novels, Category Five and Code Black are going to be re-released by Oceanview Publishing.  I'm so happy that everything Donovan Nash is now under one roof and will be back in print.  Enjoy!

It's a good day when I get to hold a new book in my own two hands--even if it is a review copy.

Release date:  3-1-2016 

Re-release:  November 10th, 2015                                                  Re-release:  November 24th, 2015

Pegasus Down

Hello all--

I know, I know, it's been a while, but I was waiting to gather up the news and then really go big!

Since my last post, I have managed to regain the rights to Code Black, the last of my books held by another publisher.  The good news is that my current publisher, Oceanview, now own the rights to everything Donovan Nash, and soon, both Category Five and Code Black will be back in print.


As usual, I'm now in Montana, working on the next thriller, but I did want to share something that went up for pre-order today.  Pegasus Down, March 1, 2016.


A CIA-operated jet on a clandestine mission disappears in Eastern Europe.  No mayday, no wreckage, and no known survivors.  No way to know if the top-secret extraction of a key American scientist from Slovakia, or his liberator, Dr. Lauren McKenna, code name Pegasus, are dead or alive. 

Donovan Nash’s precarious world is rocked when word reaches him that his wife, Lauren, is missing in Eastern Europe. Using his millions, and fueled by the fear of losing his wife, Donovan and company cut a swath through Austria and Hungary.  Desperate, Donovan leverages his lifelong secret to enlist an unlikely ally―one of his oldest friends―who may very well want him dead. As Donovan closes in on the truth, another, and more deadly, reality is revealed.  A ruthless terrorist group has acquired a stealth aircraft with the ability to deliver a nuclear device. They are poised to strike―but where?  What started as a rescue turns into a full-throttle aerial chase.  Will Donavan be able to rescue his wife, as well as prevent a nuclear catastrophe?

Book tour 2015. From the road...

Since Aftershock was released, I've been to eight states, signed a bunch of books, did a dozen or so radio shows, and I've lived out of a suitcase for six weeks.  I've been sick once (cold or allergies, depending on who you talk to) I've had my poor knee injected, (ouch, by the way) as well as my shoulder injected (not as big an ouch, but still) both were designed to alleviate pain in an effort to keep my body moving.   So, all in all, it's safe to say that my skeleton is not all that happy with me at the moment--nor I with it.  This morning I received an ultimatum via my aching back. The message was clear. If I quit traveling soon, my body will let me live.  So, I'm headed for my refuge in the Pacific Northwest.

On the plus side, I had the best time ever!  I met so many new friends which is always fantastic.  But even better, I connected with treasured friends, people I hadn't seen or heard from in decades. Sharing long-forgotten memories with an old friend is truly one of the best feelings ever.

My body will calm down, the pain and misery I subjected myself to will eventually subside, and what will remain are the memories.  Aftershock book release was the best yet, and I thank each and every one of you I met in bookstores, elevators, airports, bars, and restaurants--you're all part of the smile on my face.  Thanks so much.

And to the very special people who met me 35+ years ago, and thought enough of those times to come and say hello in 2015--thank you.  You're the best, I love you all, and I'd make this trip all over again if we could hang out some more. Maybe next year?

Until then, here's a photo from the good-old days:  The author, circa 1978.  22 year old copilot on a Cessna Citation

   

Interview with the author...

Hello all, I was going through my blog today, and I noticed that the most visited posts were the ones where I write about myself--or the writing process. (A process that often times consists of charts, schematics, notes, articles, books, and the ever-present calculator, and of course caffeine)   But there is also the mental process, the brainstorming and  the outlining.  With that in mind, here is an interview about writing Aftershock that I did a while back with David Ivester of Oceanview publishing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, HOW AND WHEN YOU STARTED WRITING.



I started writing in High School. An English teacher encouraged me to keep writing and I did. At eighteen I had an article published in a national aviation magazine and while still a teenager, I vowed to write a novel one day.
 WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE YOUR NOVEL?
 Aftershock became a concept the day I landed a private jet in Guatemala City and could see a venting Volcano from my hotel. It was remarkable.



HOW DID YOU USE YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE OR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND TO ENRICH YOUR STORY?
 Of course, there’s my aviation background which not only brings the reader inside a jet, but I put them in the cockpit and place their hands on the controls. With all of my travel I’ve typically been to each place I write. I feel like the less you have to invent, the better the story. I also take great pride in how much research I do when I do have to make something up—like the Scimitar. It doesn’t exist, but it could.



ANYTHING AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL IN YOUR NOVEL?
 You bet. I’ve taken little bits of myself and sprinkled them here and there; it’s one of the joys of being the novelist. There’s the love of flying, BMWs and Canadian whisky. The travel, the interesting people, the complex logistics, they all come from my life as a professional pilot.
 ARE ANY CHARACTERS BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
 Yes, some know, some don’t. Some think they are but aren’t. It’s great fun and it’s all better left secret. Be forewarned, if you do know me, everything you do or say is fair game for my books.
 WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE OR MOST SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER? AND WHY?
 Donovan Nash is always my favorite, simply because he’s the strongest, yet most damaged character in all of my books. In Aftershock, I loved writing Eva, followed by Montero and Lauren. I think they evolved the most during the telling of the story and it was very gratifying peeling back their layers.



WHO IS YOUR LEAST SYMPATHIC CHARACTER? AND WHY?
 La Serpiente—he was evil simply out of greed.
 WHAT PART OF WRITING YOUR BOOK DID YOU FIND THE MOST CHALLENGING?
 It’s always the logistics. Once that’s settled, it’s then the relationship between Donovan and Lauren. They’ve come a very long way since the opening scene of Category Five, to the epilogue of Aftershock.




WHAT DO YOU HOPE THAT READERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOU BOOK?
My mission is always the same—to entertain. In this book I deal with loyalty and truth, as well as love, both past and present. There are life and death situations, sacrifice, and finally questions about revenge, friendship, and courage. All wrapped up in a fast-paced, action-filled story featuring airplanes and volcanoes. Take your pick as to what resonated--but above all, be entertained.
 WHAT WRITERS HAVE INSPIRED YOU?
 Ernest K. Gann, Richard Bach, Wilbur Smith, Martin Caidin, Alistair MacLean, Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, William Kent Krueger, David L. Robbins. The list could go on for a very long time.
 WHAT IS THE WRITING PROCESS LIKE FOR YOU?
 It changes all the time. I used to write in great, inspired chunks, lasting 2-3 days at a time, and then be spent. Now I chip away, writing nearly every day when a book is taking shape. Sometimes it’s easy, other days it feels impossible. In the end, there is a sense of accomplishment that rivals anything I’ve ever experienced.
 WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE ABOUT WRITING THAT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
 Stop for the day when you know exactly what the next sentence is going to be.
 WHAT IS THE WORST PIECE OF ADVICE ABOUT WRITING THAT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
 That a writer should write every day, even if you don’t feel like writing.
 WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE PIPELINE?
 Of course, Donovan and company can’t stay out of trouble for very long.
 ANY FINAL WORDS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR NOVEL, OR LIFE IN GENERAL?
 I want to thank my readers. You’re my biggest joy. You’re the best!

One of my favorite reviews!

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

“Aftershock” by Philip Donlay / Review by Jonathan Thurston

http://www.killernashville.com/aftershock-by-philip-donlay/