John Clayton’s column in the NH Union Leader 2009
Serendipity
Speaking of books, there's a little thing in the publishing
business called serendipity, and it comes into play when you write a novel and
your fictional premise suddenly becomes a shocking truth, a truth that results
in global outrage, banner headlines and round-the-clock cable news coverage.
That's what's happening to Joe Smiga.
Simply stated, the premise of his first novel is this -- Iran has
nukes.
That's the central storyline in "Behind the Lies," a
prescient piece of work worthy of Tom Clancy, what with Hamas and Hezbollah and
renegade Ayatollahs in control of Kilo-class submarines and, in a tribute to
his adopted hometown, Joe has scripted a cliff-hanger of a naval battle with a
destroyer called the USS Manchester cast as a key player in the drama.
Talk about lucky timing.
"Actually, I had it planned," Joe said, and, while I
thought he was joking, he wasn't.
"I'm Jewish," he explained, "I've been reading the
Jerusalem Post for years and for as long as I've been reading it, Israeli
intelligence has been saying that Iran would have a nuclear capability by the
end of 2009, so when I started writing in 2005, that was going to be my
premise." And what was his reaction when President Obama held that press
conference announcing that Iran has acquired "sufficient information to be
able to design and produce a workable atomic bomb"?
"It's a terrifying reality, but as an author, I was
thrilled," he said. "His remarks reinforced the title -- the truth
'Behind the Lies' -- and the fact that my book has a black President who's in
his first term in the book strikes a chord with readers as well.” If you'd like
to be one of them -- readers, that is -- you can seek out "Behind the
Lies" on the Amazon or Barnes and Noble websites, or if you're looking for
an autographed copy, you can go to www.joesmiga.com.
John Clayton is the author of several books on
Manchester and New Hampshire, including his newest title, "Remembering
Manchester." He writes a regular column for the New Hampshire Union Leader
a statewide newspaper.
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