Interview with J.L. Hancock, Author of The Spear and the Sentinel

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Spear and the Sentinel?

I used to work as the head of innovation for the US SEAL Teams and I spent a lot of time working with national labs. At one location I had the pleasure of working on quantum sensor technology and the plot sort of formed itself. Additionally, as far as the characters are concerned, I wanted to express the dynamics of working in the Special Operations community as an outsider and the ongoing cultural issues one may face.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Spear and the Sentinel, what would they be?

“Smooth Criminal” by Alien Ant Farm.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I read a lot of scientific and political non-fiction but science fiction and technothrillers are what I turn to for fiction to read. As for writing, I would say technothriller all day long.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The Afghanistan Papers by Craig Whitlock, The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver, and Act of Defiance by Tom Clancy.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

More than anything I love writing emotional scenes that make the action matter. In this book, a major character has to come to terms with his past in way no one was expecting. Navigating that space is a ton of fun for me!

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I do most of my writing in my head when I run.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Be an egotist, but don’t be egotistical. (Something my martial arts teacher taughte me as a kid. It basically means that you control how the world sees you but never let how you are seen define your character.)

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Nothing is ever as it seems.