Part 2: Q&A with A.R. Goldsmith, Author of A Dangerous Business

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A Dangerous Business follows Nicollette Beverley from the jungles of Thailand to the hills of the Falklands as she navigates dangerous missions, international intrigue, and scrutiny from her male superiors. In this Q&A, A.R. Goldsmith discusses how Nicollette’s journey continues from the first book, how her character grows into a confident and skilled agent, and the challenges of writing her high-stakes adventures.

Buy the book here. Book Description: 

A realistic novel of female spies and coming of age in the Cold War era of British Intelligence.

A Nicollette Beverley Spy Novel

From the jungles of Thailand to the sheep-covered hills of the Falkland Islands, Nicollette Beverley's skills as a special operative in the service of her home country England are put to the test. After a dangerous mission in Southeast Asia, Nicollette is accused of betraying her country. Defending herself successfully under the intense scrutiny of her male superiors, Nicollette goes undercover once again--completely alone in a remote Atlantic archipelago off the coast of South America. Her mission has serious international repercussions and puts her life in jeopardy. Will she have the strength and determination to succeed?

Author Bio: A.R Goldsmith is a native Washingtonian, growing up in Montgomery County, Md. and graduating from the University of Maryland. He lives in Ellicott City, MD, with his wife, Pauline, of 40 years. He has 2 children and 5 grandchildren.

1. Did you always plan on writing a sequel to A Nasty Business? What was the process like in creating the continuation of Nicollette’s story? 

No, not really.  My original idea was to write one book titled ‘The Last Mission’.  The book would follow some of the same story as ‘A Nasty Business’, but end with Nicollette completing her brief service after the Falklands war.  Then she would return to civilian life, settle down, and raise a family.  I found that as I was writing book #1, the story expanded and grew.  Nicollette’s journey wasn’t going from point A to point Z; it was more like a squiggly line going from A to Z but passing through the other letters in no specific order!  There was much more to be written about her journey, and the ideas kept flowing.  The single-book idea was now going to be a series. I ended the first book with some hooks to flow into book #2.  What happens to Peg?  How does Nicollette react to her new status?  How does this affect her relationships with her parents and friends? How does she feel about her ‘home’ in Brockwirth?

2. Did you encounter any challenges in penning new adventures for Nicollette in A Dangerous Business?
   

A little.  I was able to continue her story rather fluidly.  I left enough open questions to get started, and then I used some of my original thoughts and ideas when it was just going to be the one book, and eased them into book #2.  The challenge was to piece it all together to make it flow and add some newer ideas and surprises along the way.

3. What was it like writing Nicollette’s character development from the first book to the second book? 
   

Nicollette grows dramatically from book #1 to book #2.  In book #1, we see her leave her safe, secure, and somewhat naive life and start her journey into British Intelligence. Still, subconsciously, reminding herself of her home in Brockwirth. In book #1, starting with training and ending up receiving a medal from a Sheik in the OAE, is quite a journey in and of itself.  Continuing her journey in book #2, Nicollette is now an experienced agent. She has gained maturity and strength.  She still finds herself defending herself against women-based bias, but now, she has more confidence in her own skills and starts to push back.   Nicollette continues her close relationships with Val, Peg, and Sarah. They become a ‘mini support group’ for each other and continue to work together on special missions. Nicollette has also developed a very close, not romantic, association with Peter Johnson and, to a lesser degree, Charles Thompson, two senior agents in group 226/157. Her superiors, Colonels Hartwell and Blasingame, as well as Lieutenant Blankin and Sgt. Durban, have all given Nicollette votes of confidence, and she has earned their trust.  She is even now recognized by the Ministry of Defence.  Nicollette has now completed her transformation into a full-fledged Agent, both physically and mentally.

4. Which novel did you enjoy writing more, and why? What were some of the differences you experienced in your writing process for A Dangerous Business versus A Nasty Business?
   

I enjoyed writing both books!  Each book had its own set of challenges.  Book #1, A Nasty Business, was harder to write because it was my first real writing project since college.  I’ve always been a bit of a storyteller (my family complains I elaborate too much, even on simple things), but to ‘put pen to paper’ for a book for people to read, well, that is a different matter.  I had an idea for a story in my head, so I just let it happen.  I didn’t place any restrictions on myself, for grammar, consistency, or even if what I wrote made any sense.  I just wrote what I wanted. I let it flow freely.  Once the first draft was written, I wanted to get some feedback.  A family friend, Nancy Weeks, an author herself,  gave me some good tips about the opening page, and then I met Victoria Bruce, a professional writing coach. She liked my manuscript, and her input was invaluable.  I rewrote my book about 8 or 9 times.  Then I met Jessica Powers, an editor and publisher, who did a great job of the final editing and put the whole package together to publish.  It’s a great feeling to have something you wrote go from manuscript to a published book!                                                  The second book, A Dangerous Business, seemed easier and certainly was faster to write. At this point, I decided that this would become a series of at least 3, and hopefully more books. I already had ideas for the story from leftover material from book #1, so the challenge here was to make the story flow consistently from book #1 to book #2. I wanted the reader to go seamlessly between the two.   I knew I didn’t have to do much character development work on Nicollette or her group for book #2.  I had a beginning and an end; I just needed to write some interesting ‘side’ stories throughout Nicollette’s continuing journey.  

5. The setting throughout the novel is constantly changing. What was the experience like researching different locations and creating believable settings through detailed descriptions? 
   

In book #2, Nicollette does a lot of travelling.  The book opens in Thailand, specifically in the ‘Golden Triangle’, where Thailand, Laos, and China meet. This area is known as a large opium and other narcotic stronghold.  This area is mentioned in the first book when Nicollette was working on the communications desk.  She appears to get frustrated and antsy when her superior continually tells her to respond, ‘stand by. ’  I thought this would be a great way to start book #2, with an overseas active mission.  I was of school age during the Vietnam War and received my Draft Card in 1974. (I did not get called up. I was classified as 4H, in school.) However, I did develop an interest in the Southeast Asia region. It was on the news every night.  One of my favorite movies is ‘The Bridge Over The River Kwai’, so between the news and the movie, I had a bit of a reference in my head as to how to describe Nicollette’s surroundings in Thailand. The Brussels part of the book was also a continuation from book #1, although now, Nicollette is a full-fledged agent, not just an observer.  I pictured a highly secure and hidden secret operations headquarters in Brussels. The hospital chapters were influenced by my personal experiences: hallways, desks, and rooms, pretty standard stuff.  For the Falklands portion of the book, I had some help from my Brother-in-Law, Paul Fitzer. Paul retired from the RAF and served in the Falklands during the war.  Between his ‘on the site’ descriptions and some online research help, I was able to clearly describe Nicollette’s surroundings for the reader.  I guess subconsciously, I also thought about ranches on TV shows like ‘Bonanza’ as well.

6. Have you personally travelled to any of the locations in the book? If so, what influences did your travels have on your writing process?

I’ve never been to Brussels, Southeast Asia, or the Falklands.  My protagonist, Nicollette, is loosely based on a family member who grew up in Broadway and still has family nearby. (Broadway is the model for Brockwirth in the book.)  I have been to both Broadway and Cheltenham many times.  I love Broadway.  It’s a small, quiet Cotswold village, and yes, there is only one traffic signal in the village. The War Memorial is in the center of the village, and Broadway Tower is located on the top of a hill just outside the village. From the Tower, one can see a breathtaking panorama of Broadway and the surrounding Vale of Evesham. I felt that drawing upon my experiences in Broadway and the surrounding Cotswold area, I could write from a personal perspective about the contrasts Nicollette faces as her journey expands.

6. Nicollette and her group of friends work closely with the military, often undertaking the same dangerous missions and being held to the same standards, despite not having received the same level of training required of military personnel. Can you talk about the expectations placed on civilian espionage officers and the challenges they might face when being held to military standards?
   

The pretense for Nicollette’s invitation to join British Intelligence was a directive from the M.O.D. (Ministry of Defense).  Her group, 226, is headed by a woman, Major Hartwell, later promoted to Colonel.  All of Nicollette’s superiors and trainers are military, and even her training is located at a Royal Air Force Base.  I wanted to use the military as a guide for the training because of the rigidity and seriousness it brings. Strict guidelines, a no-nonsense approach, and hard forced work would wake and shake the recruits up real fast.  Plus, because it is the military, the training is believable and easier for the reader to become engaged with Nicollette.  Also of note, Nicollette’s training does not include typical military drills like patrols and live fire, but focuses on the intelligence side, such as cryptanalysis and satellite imagery. The training is designed to make her think and process information.  Hence a difference between training as a soldier and a civilian agent.

8. People in these lines of work often experience PTSD from the intense and traumatic situations they face. When writing Nicollette’s continued journey, did you consider the effects of PTSD she might be experiencing? How did you incorporate those effects into her character?
   

Nicollette does face some PTSD issues.  She continually refers back to the New Year's Eve incident of attempted rape as a catalyst and motivation for her commitment and success.  Nicollette also relives in her mind her first live gun fight when she was on a mission on the little Tumb Island.  The words of Lt. Amin, Nazrine, ‘Fire the damn gun!’, echo within her whenever she feels indecisive or unsure. I feel Nicollette uses these memories as a catapult for calming her uncertainties and removing stress. And as an ‘umbrella’ to all of this, she finds herself still wondering about the effect of her new experiences on her prior ‘Brockwirth life’.  Nicollette seems to carry a concern and angst about still being able to fit in with her friends, family, and general life in Brockwirth before British Intelligence, and her new life as a Special Agent.  Almost like trying to walk a tightrope while reassuring herself that, ‘You can take the girl out of Brockwirth, but you cannot take Brockwirth out of the girl. ’

9. Nicollette’s father reveals a long-kept secret that changes the dynamic of their relationship. Was this reveal always planned as you plotted your story, or did it emerge naturally as Nicollette’s story unraveled?
   

I loved writing the reveal about her father.  I thought about how I wanted to approach this for some time and decided to incorporate James, Nicollette’s father, as part of a larger story. Starting with the secrets he held for the entirety of Nicollette’s life, to his and Alice’s relationships with Peter Johnson, The Clarkes, and Col. Hartwell, and ending with the emotional discussion between Nicollette and her father about the award James received during the war and how it affected him.  Nicollette realizes that she shares much of her father’s feelings and emotions.   She now understands the underlying uneasiness that her parents have held about her new path in life and the people she works with.  On a personal note….This section is rather special to me. Nicollette’s story is based loosely on a family member, and so is James.  He was a great man and had a part in inspiring me to write.  A true gentle giant and a man far bigger than his 6’ size. (He was actually a boxer as well.)

10. The ending leaves an opening for the next chapter as Britain enters war with Argentina. Does Nicollette’s journey end here, or do you have plans of writing another installment in the A Nasty Business series? 
    

Yes, I hope to write several more.  Book #3 is in progress, and I have ideas about book #4 and beyond.  Book #3 actually ends where my original single book would end; however, Nicollette’s journey continues.  There are new challenges throughout the world, and agents are needed to confront them.  There will be professional and personal decisions she has to make that could alter her life path.  What could they be?  Does she meet someone?  Are old debts trying to settle?  Does she leave Brockwirth both physically and emotionally?  Secrets???

11. What do you hope readers take away from this chapter of Nicollette’s story?

Interesting question…..Obviously, as a writer, I want my readers to become engaged with our Nicollette, to travel with her in her career path, and be eager and glad to cheer her on!  To remember that even though Nicollette’s journey starts 50 years ago, the challenges she faces as a woman in a man’s environment are still around today. Nicollette is determined and strong.  Although she is reminded throughout her journey about the proverbial ‘glass ceiling’ for women, Nicollette tries to push her and others' doubts aside and just deal with the tasks at hand.  She is humble, sensitive, and determined, and I hope our readers fall in love with her as much as I have while writing about her.