Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Robert Barlow Jr
Book Title: D.O.G. Executive Order
Released: 03/31/20
Genre: War and Military Action Fiction
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “D.O.G.: Executive Order”?
Barlow Jr: I have long followed politics in America and have always believed there are too many corrupt politicians who profit from, and get away with, their corruption, and I wanted to write a story about bringing down a corrupt politician. Even though I have my own political opinions, I wanted to write the story without using the names of political parties, so those have been excluded. I’ll let the reader wonder which characters follow which parties.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Barlow Jr: I search online for some of the least common names, and then I attempt to find the best names that fit the characters traits. In the case of Zach Hinson, I tied his desire to be a sniper to being descended from Civil War sniper Jack Hinson. Sadly, during the editing process, Jack Hinson’s name, and Zach’s family connection, was edited out. I’ll have to make certain I reconnect the two in the sequel.
As for J.J., I served with a military officer whose first and last names began with the same letter, and his nickname, to his superiors, became those two letters, but his being an officer meant he was my superior, so I would not even consider calling him by his nickname. With that in mind, I wanted to have a character go by his nickname over his real name, and I decided Jason Jones to be the real name. Of course, Jason and Jones are quite common, so they were the perfect choices to change to J.J.
The character of the president does not need a name and remains nameless. Everyone knows who the president is, whether his is called, the president or Mr. President. I think having a nameless president adds to the character’s intrigue.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Barlow Jr: Nothing that hasn’t already been discussed in the other questions.
If "D.O.G.: Executive Order” were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Barlow Jr: Naming actors to portray my characters might be more difficult than naming my characters. I’m dating myself with this response, but most of the actors I know from sight or by name are all too old to be most of the characters in this story. But let’s give it a whirl.
Zach Hinson – Zach and J.J. are the same age, so I need to find two actors close to the same age. These actors also need to be able to personify Zach's and J.J.'s warrior persona. I would love Jeremy Renner in this role, but because of his age, I would have him portray Colonel Sullivan. For Zach I would choose Chris Hemsworth.
J.J. – Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pine are close enough to the same age, and the perfect ages for Zach and J.J. I would choose Chris Pine for J.J. because I believe he could better perform J.J.’s role.
The President – My initial thought of an actor for this role is to choose an unlikeable one, but I cannot think of any. I can see Denzel Washington as the president. He’s an outstanding actor, and I believe he could easily portray the power-hungry, corrupt president. Will Smith would also be a good choice.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Barlow Jr: I don’t write from outlines, so my writing is seat-of-the-pants story telling. (Thankfully we have word processors.) When my thoughts escape me, I stop and try to develop a solution. I then start typing whatever comes to mind. Sometimes I like it and sometimes not. If I don’t like it, it is easily changed using the word processor. Good or bad, whatever I type helps me keep the story moving.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Barlow Jr: Write because you have a story to tell and enjoy telling it. If you write because you want to make lots of money, you’re more likely than not to be discouraged from continuing. Do not be afraid to do your research, even for fiction, so your story has more validity. Finally, edit, edit, edit your story if you plan to publish it, and do not be your own editor. After you’ve rewritten multiple times, hire an editor – and be prepared to make major changes to your story, some of which you may not like.
What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?
Barlow Jr: I’m a bit of a history buff, so I read more nonfiction than fiction, by far, but I write fiction. I think military themed fiction comes easiest to me, perhaps because of my experience, but I enjoy, and have begun, an historic fiction book set in the early 19th century, and a paranormal story that my wife favors, and wants me to finish because of her interest in that subject.
What are you working on next?
Barlow Jr: For the last few years, my work schedule has prevented me from writing, so my writing has been limited to adding ideas to existing books begun years ago. I have since retired and will have much more time to complete some stories. Besides those mentioned in the favorite genre question, I’ve begun a sequel to D.O.G.: Executive Order. I’ve started the story opening, and I know what I want the story to be about, but I’m far from completing it. I’ve also begun a crime thriller that I believe has an interesting twist. It also has something that most of my books do not – a female lead. Finally, similar to my book Time Passed yet much different, I've started a story about the emotional effects of war on someone who witnessed the awful images. Where Time Passed was set in Vietnam, this story is set during the War on Terror, where America's warriors witnessed images that no one should ever see. It is tentatively titled, Life After, and I'm farther along with this story than any others.
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