Former U.S. Army paratrooper Chuck Driskell’s latest novel, “To the Lions,” is a blend of crime, suspense, and spy genres. In addition to talking about his writing for this interview, the former paratrooper discussed one of his military jumps that almost ended in tragedy. The incident took place on a cold, peacetime morning at Grefenwoehr Training Area in Germany when Driskell was working with other soldiers in the impact area of the training grounds during a time when no live-fires were to be performed.
“The safety officer was very clear when he said we needed to be out of the impact area no later than 0900 hours,” said Driskell. “However, at precisely 0830, we heard a number of distant thumping sounds that sounded an awful lot like artillery fire. We stopped what we were doing and waited, afraid to even say anything as we stared at one another wide-eyed. Sure enough, seconds later we heard the distinct ripping sound that signifies incoming artillery.”
Driskell added, “Movies have usually represented it with a whistling sound but it actually sounds far more menacing—as if the air is being torn in two. It’s one of the scariest sounds I’ve ever heard. When the rounds began exploding nearby, we made a hasty exit. None of us will ever move faster than we did that day. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and we still laugh about it to this day.”
Those two-and-a-half years in Germany forged many memories that fuel Driskell’s interest today, including writing. “To the Lions” was conceived during a pleasant vacation in the Barcelona area in 2012. Driskell said, “I’ve always enjoyed prison books and movies and, while I was there, I read ‘Midnight Express’ by Billy Hayes. At one point during the reading I thought, ‘Would someone actually volunteer to be sent to a violent prison?’ Although I knew such a basis for a plot had been used before, I was intrigued enough that I felt it was worth a shot.”
With a setting in mind, Driskell wanted to create a story that would help him connect with his readers because he sees that as one of the most rewarding aspects of being a writer. He said, “I wish I had the skill to put into words how utterly happy I am when someone enjoys one of my books.
“Just today I received an email from a gentleman in Florida who told me he was nearing the end of one of my books. He said he couldn’t stop thinking about my characters, and their predicaments, while he was out in his yard, mowing the grass. To me, connecting with someone through my thoughts is the greatest pleasure I can receive as an author.”
Driskell wanted to use the setting to capture his readers’ interest? “I do believe in the goodness of people,” said Driskell. “Since much of the book is set in a prison, I wanted to show that, very much like in the outside world, the prisoners represent all types of people. Many of them, despite the bad choices they made to land themselves there, aren’t as deadly as they might have us believe. But, since they’re in the prison with a number of bona fide gladiators, they have to act as if they’re equally as menacing to prevent becoming a victim.”
It’s that sort of “prisoner’s dilemma” that is represented by protagonist Gage Hartline’s cellmate, Salvador. Driskell said, “Salvador violently tests Gage when he arrives. Had Salvador not done that, he’d have projected weakness to those around him. But once the spotlight is off of Salvador, Gage discovers him to be a compassionate human being.”
Driskell was anything but happy when he first finished “To the Lions.” He said, “I slapped my laptop shut, disgusted with the story I’d put so much time into. I felt it was the worst story I’d ever written, and that included a few manuscripts that still remain ‘in my drawer.’ After a few rewrites, I began to come around, but I still thought it was pretty bad. I gave it to my beta readers and, in short order, four out of five of them said it was my best work. The fifth disliked a character that I subsequently changed.
“I was still unconvinced but, after giving it to a wider group of trusted readers, decided to move forward with publishing. Two months after it was released, Solipsist Films optioned the Gage Hartline series and made it a point to tell me ‘To the Lions’ was the book that hooked them. I’ve since learned not to judge my own work.”
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Learn more about Chuck Driskell on his website at http://chuckdriskell.com.
