Popular Questions for the Author: In Regards to Hostile Takeover

I am turning 30 tomorrow, June 24th, 2015 and with my first novel being out there and published, I wanted to share more insights into my crazy mind and thoughts behind this first project.

The novel can be found at: CreateSpace or Amazon

Since publishing my first novel last Wednesday, many people have reached out with some of the same or similar questions. So, I figured I'd share my answers with everyone.

FAQ with Brandon S. Stec about Hostile Takeover: A Novel

1. Why did you decide to write a novel? What was your motivation?

As a kid, I would read books on top of books every summer and as often as I could during the school year. I loved suspense and mystery books and as I've gotten older, I've become an even bigger reader. In high school, I took an elective class for creative writing and loved it. It's one of the few classes I remember positively from high school. On December 31st, 2012, instead of going out and partying, I stayed in and spent time relaxing. It was that night I started writing Hostile Takeover. I decided my New Years Resolution that year was to write a complete first draft of a novel. I finished it in six months. My motivation was a pursuit for a creative outlet where I could share my thoughts and passions through this story and it developed into a hobby and then a more passionate pursuit. I had a lot of fun with it.

I never thought I'd be publishing a novel and putting it available for sale online.


2. Why did you name the MC Callan Wyss? Any significance behind the name?

Well...Chris O'Donnell plays G Callan on NCIS: LA and they call him Callan on the show so that was where the first name originated. One of the episodes was on in the background as I was conceiving the character names. There is no significance to Wyss either. Instead, I just liked the unique spelling of a semi-common last name.


3. Who is your favorite character? Favorite character name?

Ellis Merced is my favorite character. Favorite name is Mercury Peligroso, but he is a minor character. A more involved character name would be Nala Richards.


4. Why set the story in LA when you are a Midwesterner?

I wanted to experience the same unfamiliarity as my characters. None of them were very familiar with their scenery, so it was a learning experience for the both of us.


5. Which scene is your favorite? Hardest scene to write?

My favorite scene is a difficult question because there is a collection of many diverse and thought-provoking scenes and some that are hilarious (in my mind at least). I'd have to go with Callan's sprinting through the soccer field scene because for the first time in the novel Callan is feeling something real and is expressing himself in his own way.

The hardest scene to write was the shooting in the alley scene, but without giving up too much information, I'll just say it was an emotional experience to delve into the different factors involved.


6. How did you come up with the idea?

The idea spawned from a conversation about the state of technology in our lives during an episode of a brief television show called Revolution. I was convinced that without technology our society would crumble and suddenly I had an idea and started writing down all these scatter-brained thoughts. Hostile Takeover was the result.


7. Where did you find the time to write an entire novel and then edit it?

It became simple once I got into a system. I'm a night owl, so I spent some late nights and spent my weekends enjoying a cocktail on occasion and scrubbed through the novel multiple times.


8. What was the hardest part of writing your first novel?

The structure and organization of the novel was my biggest challenge. I could blabber on forever but unless I reached my end goal, it was all for nothing. I found it easier after reading a few really great writing books, one being Stephen King's On Writing. The one thing that I feel I need to work on most is outlining. I know that now for future novels.

9. Which character is the most misunderstood? 

Nala Richards is the most misunderstood character. She starts as a determined rebel and changes quickly when realities are revealed that conflict with her original beliefs. Nala is a strong woman who takes control and develops into a fun supporting character.

10. What's next?

Well...One would assume I have a plan, but really the promotion of Hostile Takeover and learning from the experience are the primary immediate goals. I have two novels I want to work on next and both need lots of work. Most likely, I'll use this experience to better prepare my second one for potential publishers and agents. Both of the novels I have to work on are very close to my heart and are based on life experiences in some sense.

I'd love to hear people's feedback, good or bad, because the only way I can do a better job of telling the story is to hear all the necessary opinions from readers. I will be looking for beta readers for my next one to get more opinions before going to publishers. If there are other questions, feel free to email me: brandonstec@gmail.com

Thanks!

Brandon S. Stec

About my first published novel: Hostile Takeover

I am excited to announce that my first novel, Hostile Takeover is now available on CreateSpace and soon will be on Amazon as well.

https://www.createspace.com/4886370

It was extremely easy to use CreateSpace to do the self-publishing process and I am incredibly appreciative to everyone that encouraged me and supported me as I went through this process. My goal was to have this done by my 30th birthday and guess what!?! I made it by 8 days!

So I'll tell you a little about the book and will periodically share some insights about the characters and story-line. My goal was to share a story that was somewhat inspirational, but also enlightening. There is an epidemic in our world with an incredible dependence on technology. We spend most of our days glued to some type of device. In a world where this is to an even bigger extreme, we meet Callan Wyss and his collection of clients, friends, co-workers, and his brother Nathan.

Life was pretty good for Callan. He had an awesome job and his choice of women. He worked for the most powerful man in the country. Then his day turned bad. A terrifying attack on the country's power structure launched Callan into a fight for his life and the lives of those he cared most about. Enthralled with a conspiracy and power struggle, Callan and Nathan begin to relearn what life was like without their devices and technology. They must learn to work together to save everyone and they begin experiencing deep and defining emotions for which they never expected. Callan and Nathan take the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotion and adventure to an unexpected climax through this thrilling tale.

That's the premise of the story. It's simple, relevant, and intriguing and I hope you enjoy meeting Callan and his band of travelers.

Please pick up the book and share what you think. This is my first novel to go to publishing and I have other projects I am excited to work on next. First things first, I want everyone to meet Callan Wyss.

2014 in Review: A Year of Monumental Life Experiences with Unfortunate Tragedy Mixed In

Happy New Year!

As 2015 begins, I wanted to take some time and reflect on a year that was filled with many experiences and a roller coaster of emotions. 2014 was a year where I had so many personal experiences and challenges arise and I couldn't be more grateful for all the support from friends and family I have had through all of this.

I want to go chronologically so I don't forget anything. I hope this inspires other insights as I go, but my goal is to reflect and remind myself about all the incredible things I've gone through in 2014.

January:
In the first month  of the year I left a company I'd been with for over four years, the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the right time for a change as a partner in Procurement Concepts, we really needed someone to start running the company full-time and this was my opportunity to do just that. I enjoyed my time with the Chiefs and without those four years, I wouldn't have received my MBA or gotten to know all the great people I did. This was a risk, but I knew I had to take it and things have gone very well.



March-May:
In March I began my campaign for Man of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Kansas City. I was honored to be a candidate and a part of this wonderful fundraising campaign. The support I received was overwhelming and I ran my campaign in honor of my grandmothers, who were both cancer survivors. Defeating Cancer...One Stec at a Time was my motto for the campaign and t-shirts and social media helped me create awareness for the cause. Throughout the campaign, I heard from family and friends who were gracious with their donations and promotion of my campaign. As I recall the campaign and the incredible honor it was to be a candidate, I originally didn't know if I would win and even though I didn't, I felt like a winner just for helping contribute to the over $500,000 raised for the cause. It was an amazing accomplishment and something I will always remember as one of the most unique experiences of my life. Now I am on the committee for the Chicago Man & Woman of the Year campaign and I get to contribute more and tell my story to many different people.



April:
One of the scariest tragedies I've ever experienced happened in April of 2014. I've touched on this event in a past blog. To summarize: A man went onto the campus of the JCC in Overland Park (1 mile from my apartment) and opened fire on people in the parking lot before heading to a Jewish Retirement facility called Village Shalom to shoot another person. He was a former KKK leader and well-documented anti-Semite. Three people died, none of which were Jewish. The auditions for the KC SuperStar contest were going on and people from all over the Kansas City area were converging that day on the JCC to participate and this man decided he was going to ruin things. He failed to kill a Jewish person and instead of instilling fear in the community, the community rallied and showed their support by walking with each other during my BBYO kids Candlelight Vigil walk the Friday after the shootings. Thousands came from all over Kansas City and the kids did such an amazing job to put this together to honor the victims. This experience inspired my second novel, which is now finished in 1st draft version.

http://brandonsstec.blogspot.com/2014/04/love-wins-hate-loses-candle-light.html

June:
This year was also my final year as a BBYO advisor in Kansas City and my residency in Kansas City also ended in June, which made for a very busy birthday month. I spent four years as an advisor for Twos AZA, the second chapter in the history of BBYO and was blessed with an incredible group of teenagers whom I got to know well over the years and am glad I did. I encourage anyone to take some time to volunteer with a youth group and spend some time with a group of young future leaders. I still keep in touch with many of the teens and even though I ended up sacrificing more time than I originally thought I would, I wouldn't change a thing of the four years spent with Twos AZA. Being an advisor also allowed me the opportunity to become more involved in the Jewish community of Kansas City and found a community that accepted me and welcomed me and Jason (my brother) into their homes for the holidays. I couldn't thank the families of Twos AZA enough for making me and Jason feel so welcome and trusting us with their teens.


Also in June, I moved back to Chicago, ending a year and a half stretch of living with my little brother, Jason in Kansas City. This was the first time as adults we had ever lived together and I'm so glad we got to spend this time together. My brother and I have had our disagreements like any brothers, but we became much closer by living together for the time we did. I'm very glad to see my brother now successful in his career and happy with his life in Memphis.


The move to Chicago was not necessarily a fun time (I hate moving) as my apartment proved to have a smaller doorway and elevator than I anticipated, but once I was moved in, I was very happy with my decision to finally live in the city. One of the best parts of being back in Chicago is that I am now able to spend time with my family and long time friends and have taken advantage of being close to home to see my immediate family more often.



July:
The summer marked one year since I was diagnosed with IBS. Although this is not a debilitating condition, there are many times where it makes for a terrible day or night. I've worked on my diet and changed many habits to battle my condition, but am still a work in progress. Things have been better, but when you have a condition that can be ignited by stress and you run a company full-time, it usually is not a great mix. I've always been very open about my IBS and am always interested to hear from people on different ideas on how to live with it or stories about their own battles with stomach issues. Special thanks to all my friends who've put up with or supported me on these changes.





October:
Late October was the worst part of 2014. We suddenly lost my Bubby and I didn't get the chance to say goodbye. My Bubby and I were very close and since my Papa passed 20 or so years ago, she was the grandparent I knew the best and spent most of my time with. We talked often and I still have the instinct to call her and tell her a funny story (funny to me, but likely not funny to many others) and she would always listen to my stories and always cared about how I was doing. Her number one request to me was that I constantly focused on being happy. Whether it was my writing or my company, she would ask for updates. I only have one grandparent left and my Grandma Jeanne and I keep in touch, but my Bubby was very special in my life. Many friends reached out and those that grew up with me knew how close we were and expressed their condolences, which I really appreciated. This has caused me to focus even more on my health as in the same year we also found out my dad has diabetes. My diet and exercise schedule has become more structured and I feel better as I continue to improve my healthy living choices. My family is small on my mom's side, but we have bonded together for the first time in a very long time and I know my Bubby would be very happy at how we have regained relationships. She wanted that more than anything, so that is our ultimate gift to her.



November & December:
It's winter in Chicago...so it's cold!

There have been many other experiences mixed in with these major events, but I can't go through them all. I'd never finish if I did. I finish with this: I do not have a specific resolution for 2015, but I hope to make it a year of more accomplishments and growing relationships. It will be another year of personal growth as I continue to fine tune the craft of being a writer part-time and running a start-up on the verge of expansion every day. My goals are lofty as always, but thanks to many past experiences, I know I can accomplish them.

In the words of Joe Dirt, "Alls I got to do is keep bein' a good person. No matter what, good things'll come my way. Everything's gonna happen for me, just so long as I never have no in my heart".

Happy Holidays Everyone! Thank you for reading! Comments are welcome and appreciated!

Brandon S. Stec

My review of Karin Slaughter's "Fractured"

Karin Slaughter's Fractured  Review: 

The first thing that stood out to me about Slaughter's writing is the incredible detail and description she provides along side all the tension she builds up between characters. I almost envy the quality description because it provides a perfect image of the entire scene throughout the novel.

There was obvious tension built when Paul kept calling Will "Trashcan" and there was implied tension when Will had to cram his body into Faith's Mini. I loved hearing all the different perspectives, from the Campanos to Faith to Will all struggling with different issues. The only reason I gave this 4 out of 5 stars is that I felt the wrap up dragged on quite a bit and was excessively detailed. This is simply a style preference. Once I knew the killer and they found Emma, I was like OK, cool on to the next story, but Slaughter kept going and going. I recommend this to all my friends who enjoy thrillers which are engrossed with fantastic story-telling and suspense.

Thoughtful Quote of the Week: Louis C.K.

Talking is always positive. That's why I talk too much.

- Louis C. K.


I wanted to use a quote today that was positive as I am currently turning a corner in my lifestyle in an attempt to be healthier in my mindset and healthier in my body. I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and it often makes me feel miserable and unmotivated to get up and do anything. So, recently I joined up on a 6-week Detoxitarian program to help me get more control over my diet and my health. This was a foreign idea to me and something that is a positive leap of faith to try and change some things in my life. Most of my friends who know me well enough know that I am usually one to talk things out, but not always. I usually only talk about some things, while others just eat away at my spirits. This is changing as I become "detoxed" and I'm excited about it. I'm generally a very happy person, not necessarily optimistic, but I'm happy with my life. I love to write and read and do all the things that occupy my days, but plenty of things bother me too and I am beginning to learn how to better deal with that. 

I encourage all my friends and readers and strangers to talk things out in life and share your thoughts. Staying silent is not going to solve anything. I'm still a work in progress, but I'm taking steps in the right direction and maybe after this six weeks, I can finally move past my battles with IBS and move on to something else that is more positive. 

I talk a lot too, Louis, but fortunately that is a positive thing. 

Thoughtful Quote of the Week: Robin Williams

"You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you'll win, no matter what the outcome."

Robin Williams - Patch Adams

The loss of a creative and entertainment genius like Robin Williams was enough of bad news for one day, but to find out he suffered from depression and was battling addiction again truly was a message that something must be said and done about the epidemic of people suffering from mental disease going untreated in this country. I'm not an activist, doctor, or politician and I don't expect anything from this blog except to share my thoughts and express my desire to help. 

We all know about depression and addiction and the many stories of people taking their lives or accidentally overdosing because they were so addicted they couldn't stop. It's not a problem that strictly affects creatives or famous people. It effects many common Joes like me too. I am fortunate that I have no addiction problems (except maybe sugar), but I know people who have battled addiction or are battling addiction and I know how difficult it could be. Whether it is cigarettes or cocaine, a person should not be so dependent on a drug that it lowers their capacity to live so much that they don't want to live anymore. This country is not about that and as a community, we should do all we can to prevent that for our kids, friends, and families. Let's treat the person. 

I'm fortunate to have a stable of willing friends and family to listen when I'm mad or upset and to be a supportive bench to sit on when I need. We all need the support of someone. I'm more than happy to listen to anyone and if you are a Facebook friend or Twitter follower and feel the need to talk to someone, don't be afraid to send me a private note. I am not a professional or expert in any of these fields, so I would likely recommend professional help if it is needed. The stigma surrounding mental health and depression sickens me. These people are just like everyone else, yet they are embarrassed or scared to let others know of a condition or feeling. I've felt depressed before, I'm not ashamed of that. 

I'm aware there are many causes for depression and suicide, but it bewilders me that some of those causes could be controlled if people were less of assholes. Maybe this is harsh, but if we stopped bullying, hating, spouting discriminatory words, and abusing this world would have a happier population. 

Why do we hate each other so much? What separates two kids in high school or middle school so much that one believes they are superior to the other and therefore they have the right to belittle that person to something smaller than a nickel? Am I guilty of some of these behaviors? Sure. We all are in some way. Dislike and hatred runs in all of our blood for some reason. Do I intend to be that way? No. Just like everyone else, I'm a work in progress, but I've made a conscious effort to try and erase this behavior one at a time. I've let go of the past and often times, it feels good. My family has had a lot of conflict in the past and I'm proud of the point I am at, where I have a relationship with most everyone in my immediate circle now. Is it perfect? No. Just because you don't like someone, doesn't give you the right to make them out to be any less of a person than yourself. 



One of my all time favorite songs is Heal the World by Michael Jackson. 

                                                                  "Heal The World"

There's A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need
To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living

Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow

We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares

We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

You And For Me

Heal the world we live in, save it for our children

I ask all my friends, family, readers, and acquaintances to consider the words "Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race." The message is simple. 

Thank you Robin Williams for all the laughter and entertainment. I was a huge fan and will be watching all of your work from Aladdin to Good Will Hunting to Hook to get a few laughs this week. For those who read this and want to share the thoughts, please feel free to message me or comment. These thoughts are strictly my own and there is no intention to offend or disquiet anyone. I feel passionately about helping others and hope you do too. 

Thoughtful Quote of the Week: Simon Cowell

"My dad said to me, 'Work hard and be patient.' It was the best advice he ever gave me. You have to put the hours in."

-Simon Cowell

Patience is a virtue, or at least that is the saying. I believe patience is the most difficult virtue to acquire. In this day and age, patience is lost in the fold of immediate results, responses, and satisfaction. I am not a patient person. It is something I've been working on and have certainly have gotten better with. Simon Cowell's quote just puts it into perspective. It is so important to be patient and work hard and often that gets lost in the repetitiveness of the work day. Everything needs to be done right now and often times if you work hard and be patient the finished product would be so much better. 

I often need to slow down, even when writing this blog. Instead of posting this on Tuesday just to get it done, I went back and rethought the message I was trying to deliver. It is important to remember that everyone has the same number of hours in a day. Sure some people wake up at god-awful hours of the day because they want to get more done that day, or they stay up late like I do. Either way, you need to put the time in and put the hours in. The result is always more rewarding when you put the time in. 

I recommend everyone take the weekend to visit with this and see where you can find more patience in a day and try to work on that. We all can use more patience and even if something is urgent, don't lose your head because time is limited. Be patient. I worked on that these past couple days and I felt so productive even though my time was consumed with detail-oriented work, I got everything done and put the time in on a project that I feel I accomplished well. Now I get to implement the tool I built and it should make my days much more productive. 

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Please share your thoughts!