As a child, I was always concerned by existential threats to humanity so much so that when my parents built a house in central Virginia, I insisted that a bomb shelter be included. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, we were probably the only family in central Virginia with the means to withstand a nuclear attack.
R. Chapman Wesley – 3 December 2023
The Back Flap
Professor Anatoly Popov, an esteemed virologist and Russian-born defector, steals the world’s deadliest virus from a US counter bio-terrorism lab. His aim–to alter its properties with the remains of an interstellar meteorite to create a Universal Cure, based upon an ancient Chinese legend. But the theft sets off a murderous clandestine multinational competition for the ultimate bioweapon. Now with his time running out, Popov pins his hopes upon Commander Rex Lee, an ex-Seal medic and novice physician-scientist, and a desperate search mission in the Amazonian rainforest of Brazil to restore the promise of The Well.
About the Book
What is the book about?
An unexpected, incredulous discovery by a novice physician – scientist of color, eliminating a whole category of human suffering, sets off his quest for a universal cure but, for others, an assassination-driven multinational, clandestine competition for the ultimate bioweapon.
When did you first start writing the book?
I retired from practicing high risk medicine on the last day of 2017. Shortly thereafter in Bangkok, I had recently met and had become a very close friend of Don Allen. He is the owner of High Top Publishing and the publisher and producer of Boston Teran, a novelist highly sought after for cinematic adaptation. I asked Don to read my first chapter. He essentially raved about it, but I was not about to ask him to take it on because first I had to prove to myself that I was worthy. I wrote the outline of the story in the Shanghai Airport in June 2018. Then I wrote the story in screenplay format before writing it as a novel.
How long did it take you to write?
For the novel, about a year. Then I narrated the audiobook and rewrote the screenplay during the pandemic. At that point, another close friend, Dannion Brinkley, a NYT best-selling author, championed my work and got it before an independent publisher, who accepted my work. However, I did not feel comfortable with the proposed contract. At that point, I showed it to Don, simply for his opinion. He, however, enthusiastically offered to publish the novel.
Where did you get the idea from?
As a child, I was always concerned by existential threats to humanity so much so that when my parents built a house in central Virginia, I insisted that a bomb shelter be included. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, we were probably the only family in central Virginia with the means to withstand a nuclear attack. That began a lifelong campaign against nuclear weapons.
In the early 2000s, I became interested in pandemic threats from the SARS-Coronavirus and later H5N1 and H1N1 influenza viruses. But even earlier than that, I had dreamed about the threat of the meteor impacts and about a mystical indigenous tribe that had preserved what we had long since forgotten. It took another 20 years before I visualized my story in advance of the Covid pandemic.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled? /What came easily?
Although it took time, writing the book was surprisingly easy. I knew the story that I wanted to tell. I knew how it began, and, most importantly, I knew how it would end. The story is essentially a myth. My outline relied heavily on the Hero’s Journey as expounded by Joseph Campbell. Once completed, I wrote the story using screenplay format, concentrating on actions and visuals. Writing the novel, focusing on dialogue, was quite easy. Then I rewrote the screenplay.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The heroine in the story is an amalgamation of two Brazilian women that I have known, both extremely intelligent and sexy beyond belief. It has been said that all fiction writing is autobiographical. My hero is based upon a fictionalization of my experience in clinical medicine and basic science research. In addition, I have always been into movement, through sports and the study of dance for most of my life. Now I am a novice student of Kung Fu, having long ago fallen in love with Bruce Lee movies.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
The Celestine Prophecy has had a profound influence upon my work. James Redfield’s concept that synchronous events can propel a hero’s or heroine’s quest forward became a foundation for my story.
However, without question, Science of Mind and its companion Science of Mind 365 have been the most important books for me personally. I have studied these books every morning upon awakening for well over 20 years. They have been essential to reinforcing my study of clinical hypnosis, first initiated 40 years ago during my residency training.
My own writing of poetry predates any ambition I might have had for a career in writing. I very much enjoy the rhythm of poetry, particularly the iambic pentameter. I strove to make my very first chapter poetic. In several passages of my novel, I consciously played with language, exploring alliteration, rhyme, and rhythm to the initial consternation of my story editor.
Regarding poetic influences, the mystical poems of Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu are among my favorites.
Regarding other Taoist influences, the works of Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha most notably expressed in his book, Tao Classics of Longevity and Immortality: Sacred Wisdom and Practical Techniques have been extremely useful for me.
Do you have a target reader?
My story should appeal to anyone on a spiritual quest, examining one’s current stage in life and seeking what comes next, particularly if confronted with aging or health related issues. Thus, the story will appeal to a middle-aged demographic, but certainly not exclusively as many young people are questioning and questing for an enlightened future.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?
My formula is: Spend a lot of time thinking about the story. Ask oneself, “why am I writing the story.” What is the theme? Know both the beginning and the end. Outline in screenplay format focusing on the visuals and action. Write the novel focusing on the dialogue. Then rewrite the screenplay.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes, I used a screenplay format as my outline with as much visuals and action as I can muster.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
When writing a novel, I tend to edit each chapter when completed. Of course, I go through extensive edits when the novel is completed.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Jazz in general; but particularly all phases of Miles Davis.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No; not yet. We will see what the future brings.
Luck; it just sort of happened. Actually, approaching an agent never presented itself.
Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
When the book was ready, everything seemed to fall into place.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I created the concept by pasting together rudimentary design elements. Then I submitted it to a designer to create the final design.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in rural central Virginia, the son of a family physician father and an English teacher mother.
Where do you live now?
For the last 26 years, I have lived in Las Vegas, Nevada, practicing clinical cardiology in every conceivable practice model.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I am a lover of innovative, challenging Avant Garde Jazz, exhibiting true musicality. I would love to re-expose its spirituality to the world.
What are you working on now?
The Horse: In 1947, a young ex-Marine Wyoming rancher, whose wife died in a relocation camp after childbirth, seeks a cure for his 5-year-old Japanese American daughter’s terminal illness based on a “calling” from a Native American legend.
End of Interview:
For more from R. Chapman Wesley, visit his website and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
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