These days we have the pleasure of speaking with Dave Edlund, author of the suspense novel titled Unintended Consequences. Thank you for joining us and permitting for this interview.

DE: Thank you, it’s a pleasure.

PBR: Your story has a effective level of credibility inside the idea, actions and reactions of the characters. Please tell us a bit how the concept of synthetic petroleum undermining the foundation of OPEC and other oil producing nations became developed to grow to be such a suspenseful story. Do you think events like this are a real possibility?

DE: As I observe global events-politics, economics-it seems that the unexpected is a lot more often the norm. I owned my very first automobile in the course of the oil embargos in the ’70′s power costs soared. We want to feel we are helpless, but I do not think that’s correct. Forty years ago, OPEC thought it could dictate US policy by severely limiting the supply of oil. But what if we didn’t need to have to import oil since the US was close to mastering how to synthesize it? How would the OPEC nations, as well as big oil organizations, respond to the threat of losing billions in income? As a country, we strive for energy independence. But perhaps there are unintended consequences of achieving that objective? I think that premise is very genuine, and the technology is inside our grasp.

PBR: Your book carries the reader via Ecuador. Have you truly traveled or just researched the places utilised in your book?

DE: I have been fortunate to travel a lot, even though I have never ever been to the jungles of Ecuador. I have been to Caracas transited the Panama Canal French Polynesia, Hawaii, and the Caribbean Island numerous instances Europe and Asia-in reality I was in London on September 11, 2001. But my most memorable trip was to the former Soviet Union, just prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain. And yes, I have been that guy at the skilled conference who is severely jet lagged, can hardly keep his eyes open for the duration of the proceedings, and is startled to waken in the middle of the night, not know where he is or what day it is.

PBR: You have formed a memorable character with Peter Savage. How did you come up with his character and what attributes of his do you take pleasure in writing about the most?

DE: I enjoy to read action-adventure novels, or action thrillers. But I am disappointed by characters-heroes-who are too excellent to be true. So, I set my thoughts to create a hero that is quite true. He has weaknesses flaws that make him vulnerable. He is not Dirk Pitt or James Bond. Rather, I wanted Peter Savage to be what I image a true individual to be when faced with extraordinary challenges. Peter Savage wants to believe that life will unfold according to a standard script, but when tragedy strikes he is forced to make tough options. I like writing about this. I think that at some level absolutely everyone has had to deal with private loss or tragedy. How we manage that says a lot about our character. I also wanted Peter Savage to carry a robust belief about what is correct and what is incorrect, and then permit him to struggle with the shades of gray that are inevitably present in complicated circumstances.

PBR: Your individual expertise in fuel reforming goods is impressive. What adjustments do you see for the near future?

DE: Fuel reforming is a term used to describe the procedure of converting carbon-containing materials-such as garbage, biomass, manure, coal, and oil-into hydrogen-wealthy gaseous products. It is old technology, and as I mentioned in the book, this technology serves as the basis for production of synthetic petroleum. The South Africans use this technology to this day, and Germany utilised it to prolong World War II. For better or worse, the impact that reforming will have on society is rooted in economics-it is not a question about technologies. As long as petroleum and gas from the ground are relatively cheap, fuel reforming and synthetic oil item have restricted commercial scope. But it is obtaining use in niche applications such as backup power at telecom internet sites.

PBR: Who are some of your favored authors or what books have influenced you the most in your writing career?

DE: That’s a difficult question, simply because there are so several. My list of favored authors alterations with time. But those authors that have influenced me? I’d have to say Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly, James Rollins, and Michael Crichton-possibly with a dash of Tom Clancy. I truly like the Dirk Pitt adventures they are extremely entertaining-witty characters, intriguing plots, and thrilling locations. Most likely far more than any other author, it is those novels that sparked my interest in writing someday. And then there is Matthew Reilly. 3 of his novels-Ice Station, Scarecrow, and Contest-are, in my opinion, some of the very best examples of “can’t-put-it-down” nonstop action that you will ever find. Rollins also pulls together some exciting plots and fascinating characters-I specifically like his Sigma Force team. But for a demonstration of the subtle art of melding science truth into science fiction, I assume Crichton is at the top of the list. And I’d say that Jurassic Park is as good as it gets.

PBR: What other prior works have you published?

DE: I’ve published an engineering text on reforming methanol to make hydrogen for fuel cell applications. The book deals with the existing state of the science and technology, and discusses the barriers to commercialization-which are mainly rooted in economics. In reality, mostly my writing has been technical-a lot more than 85 patents and a dozen technical papers. But writing technical papers and books has become boring in the sense that your material is defined for you. In contrast, when writing fiction I define the content material-the characters, the action, the plot and places-I appreciate that. It is intellectual creation at a different level.

PBR: We have learned Peter Savage will continue his exploits in your subsequent novel, The Devil of Darfur. Please tell us what you can about the sequel.

DE: The plot is based on the premise that genetic material, recovered from Neanderthal remains, can be infused with human DNA to lead to cellular transformations. This research is getting conducted by a secretive character named Colonel Ming. He is a rather brilliant geneticist, really, though his targets are less than honorable. Naturally, Peter aids the SGIT team, led by his great friend Commander James Nicolaou, on a clandestine raid on Ming’s compound in western Sudan, exactly where it is believed human experimentation is being conducted. How Peter happens to be in that part of Africa is a key component of the novel and I don’t want to give too a lot away! I’ve introduced two of Peter’s pals-Todd Steed and Gary Stout-and they play considerable parts throughout the story. The action is fast and furious but, in keeping with my goal of generating the characters “actual” and the plot plausible, there is also tragedy, and not absolutely everyone will make it residence. There is a sample chapter posted on my net internet site.

PBR: We surely wish you the greatest of achievement with Unintended Consequences and with your upcoming sequel. Again, thank you for sharing some of your thoughts with us.

DE: Thank you.