debut crime fiction from Jim Jordan

 

Men of God

JP Jordan

Crime mystery thriller

Orange Hat publishing

September, 2020

Ebook $

Print $18.95 paperback; $29.99 hardcover

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About the Book

Having reluctantly accepted a job from family friend and CEO Emil Swenson, former pararescueman Nick Hayden quickly transitions from rescuing soldiers in Afghanistan to desk jockeying at Weston, a Wisconsin-based insurance company. He’s tasked with closing a failing division responsible for insuring religious institutions, but recent investigations surrounding the murder of a formerly insured priest, a known pedophile, leave Nick feeling suspicious.

Without any leads except a cryptic letter found at the crime scene, the case quickly goes cold, but another murder of a previously insured religious leader leads Nick to a chilling realization: a serial killer is on the hunt. When more obscure messages lead him to believe the next target has been chosen, the race to stop the ruthless killer begins. 

A Brief Interview with the Author

Jim, what do you love about your book?

I really enjoyed the research process for writing Men of God. I was fortunate to pick the brains of several experts from numerous disciplines including the military, law enforcement, and the legal arena. When I needed additional background material, I loved the challenge of finding it on the internet. It was a fun exercise take the expert material and weave it into an interesting storyline. I’m proud of the final product and pleased with the response I’ve gotten from readers.  

Tell us a little about your journey to publication?

My journey to publication started years ago with a rough idea for a book over a bottle of wine at the dinner table with my wife. I had always wanted to write a fiction novel and tossed out the premise of a serial killer hunting down clergy. At the time, I was working full-time and wanted to spend time with my family, so the idea of writing a book went to the back burner. However, that initial thought never went away.

When I retired, I decided to pursue my dream and made writing a priority. In my head, I developed a research plan, found experts, and got to the point that I felt ready, thinking the book would flow directly from my brain through my fingers onto the written page. I remember sitting in front of my laptop realizing I still needed characters, background information, and a storyline. So, after a couple of weeks of making little progress, I decided to type the initial draft of the prologue and presented it to my wife. While we had talked about a book many times, she liked the first pages and told me she was surprised I could write so well.

I began writing in earnest, completing the initial draft of the book in about a year. I often joked with friends that writing the book was the easy part of the process. Getting to publication took much longer than I thought. Writing query letters, getting rejections and/or silence from publishers was frustrating. But I kept learning my craft by attending workshops and conferences, while also learning the ins and outs of a new business.

More than a year later, I pitched Shannon Ishizaki from Orange Hat at a Wisconsin-based writers conference. After sending her the first few chapters, it turned out she was interested and I signed a contract. Then the learning curve got steeper as I went through the editing process and made all the decisions required to print a book and support it with marketing. I don’t think anyone fully gauged the effect of Covid on the publishing world. After all the work, the printing process was delayed and many of the traditional marketing techniques to launch the book were off the table. However, with the support of the Orange Hat team, my dream became a reality.

Introduce us to your main villain.

With Men of God being a mystery thriller, I can’t divulge that information. Suffice it to say that there are many twists and turns as you come down the stretch with the book that will hopefully keep readers engaged and surprised.

What do you hope readers will tell other book lovers?

That they were both engrossed and entertained by Men of God right down to the final page. Also, that the characters evoked some emotional reaction one way or the other.

What are you reading now?

Brad Thor’s Near Dark is at the top of my list. However, I’m also working through a series of short stories in Stephen King’s Different Seasons. Also, as a Rush fan, Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass is on my reading table.

What’s next for you?

I’ve written a second novel (and a third) featuring a second level character from Men of God. In the follow-up book, Detective Chuck Nowitzke and his partner, Anissa Taylor, are tasked to investigate a series of jewelry thefts that take place largely in Wisconsin. Nowitzke and Anissa are also the protagonists in the third book.

About the Author  J. P. Jordan    

After completing his career as an insurance management professional, Jim’s creative focus is now on writing mystery fiction novels. Men of God is his first effort in this genre. Jim currently resides in Sister Bay with his wife, Nancy.