Considering the way The Silent Cardinal ends, there are a few different paths his storyline could go down, and I am exploring them all. He never wanted to be in the mess he found himself in as the premise for both books, so I am thinking through the right way for him to be called back into action that is consistent with his character.
What inspired you to dive into the father/son theme in The Silent Cardinal?
It was a continuation of the relationship that started with The Hubley Case when Ben’s son is attacked. While writing that scene, I wondered what would happen if terrorists ever kidnapped Joe and used it as leverage to get Ben to do their dirty work. And thus, the sequel’s idea was born.
How did you come up with the premise for, The Silent Cardinal?
One thing that is very clear about Ben is that he doesn’t want to be involved in international espionage or domestic terrorism. He’s not employed by the CIA, FBI, or military and he doesn’t want to be. So, the premise was created based on what the situation would have to look like in order for him to get involved.
In The Hubley Case, Siebert was all over the map with regards to FBI and CIA jurisdiction. Can we expect more of the same in The Silent Cardinal?
Yes, in fact a bit more. In this story not only is there collaboration between the FBI and CIA, but when things turn very personal for Ben, he goes renegade for a while. This further blurs the lines because as the FBI tries to locate him, he is still in contact with his trusted CIA source to stop the threat.
The Silent Cardinal seems like it has a lot of moving parts. Is it realistic?
It is on several fronts. First, whenever there have been legitimate terrorist threats to the USA, different members of the intelligence community have come together to solve the problem and reach out to individuals who can help. Next, the concept of an individual (e.g. a special ops person, data specialist, etc.) being both an asset and a liability at the same time is hardly novel. Often times it’s that shade of grey about people that keeps people intrigued. And finally, when someone’s child is at risk, you can’t predict how he or she will react. What Siebert does is – I imagine – what many fathers in his place would say they’d do if they were him, but it also lends itself to some debate. Was he justified? Does he have the right? These are difficult questions to answer when you’re not in that spot, but part of the goal of the book is to make people wonder what would I do?
What was the best part about writing a sequel?
I thought it would be not having to come up with backstories from scratch, but it turned out to be putting snippets in the sequel that a) were not truly necessary to understanding The Silent Cardinal but b) also gave folks who’d read The Hubley Case an extra nugget. There are a few arcs and tiebacks, character traits and quips in The Silent Cardinal that those readers told me they enjoyed. That was really fun.
How did it feel bringing ex-marine Ben Siebert back for another conspiracy in The Silent Cardinal?
It was great. I had actually started down a different path when I got several letters from fans of The Hubley Case asking me if Ben would come back. Writing The Silent Cardinal was that much more rewarding to be able to do so.
What was the hardest part about writing a sequel?
For me – and you could get a variety of answers depending on the author, genre and book – it was figuring out how to give the right amount of context around the characters that was revealed in the first book. I believe that any sequel should be able stand alone. In other words, you shouldn’t have to read book 1 in order to completely understand and enjoy book 2. But since the characters already have a history, readers of book 2 need some context that was covered in book 1, and I found it challenging to walk the line between not repeating myself yet still giving those who hadn’t read book 1 what they needed.
Is The Silent Cardinal a sequel to The Hubley Case?
Yes, it has many of the same characters and takes place two years after The Hubley Case. But while it would logically make sense to read The Hubley Case first, you certainly don’t have to. The Silent Cardinal was written to be standalone, meaning you could read it first and still enjoy the story.
Why did you decide to write a sequel?
It actually started with the fans. I got a lot of notes from people asking me if they’d see these characters again, specifically Ben Siebert, Tom Fedorak and Nikki Benton. Originally my next novel was not going to be a sequel, but I got enough inquiries that it inspired me to think about what these characters might be up to and what that story might look like.
Was it hard to write a sequel?
Harder than I imagined. At first I thought it’d be easier because much of the characters’ backgrounds had already been developed. But finding the balance between making The Silent Cardinal independent of The Hubley Case while also not regurgitating much of what was in The Hubley Case was challenging for me. I wanted those who’d read The Hubley Case to get more insight to the characters they already liked, while also introducing those characters to new readers in a meaningful way. I imagine that’s a common goal for writers who have a series…and I credit them – it’s a lot harder than it looks.
