It is my honor to introduce you to author Bob Hamer. Bob draws upon his vast experiences as a former undercover FBI agent to write realistic, fast-paced, action-packed books.
Who is Bob Hamer?
I'm a husband, father, grandfather and now an author. I spent four years on active duty in the Marine Corps followed by twenty-six years in the FBI, all of them as a street agent and many of those years undercover. I was the undercover agent in twenty administratively approved undercover operations, some lasting a day or two, others more than three years. I've successfully posed as a contract killer, fence, drug dealer, international arms merchant, white collar criminal, even a pedophile. Both as a case agent and as an undercover agent, I worked organized crime, terrorism, gangs, and child exploitation. I retired from the FBI in 2006 and since that time have published three books (THE LAST UNDERCOVER, ENEMIES AMONG US, and TARGETS DOWN). I've written for television and consulted for such TV shows as THE INSIDE, ANGELA'S EYES, LAW&ORDER:SVU, and SLEEPER CELL.
Bob is being humble about his service as an FBI agent. He received numerous awards throughout his career including the FBI Director’s Award for Distinguished Service, five United States Attorney Awards for Distinguished Service, and numerous letters of commendation including one from then U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I try to dedicate one day a week to visiting our wounded warriors and their families in the hospital. I've developed some life-long friendships and have been truly blessed to be in the company of real American heroes, not athletes and actors, but young men who have sacrificed greatly for this nation. We've shared lunches, dinners, and holidays. It is truly an honor for me to be welcomed in their brotherhood.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your characters? I draw from my twenty six years in the FBI. All of my characters are somewhat composites of people I've encountered throughout my career. There's a lot of Bob Hamer in my hero Matt Hogan, he just is a lot better looking, younger, and has more hair.
What is your newest release? TARGETS DOWN is the second novel in the Matt Hogan series. In this book Matt is tasked with determining who is responsible for the murder of two people and the critical wounding of an FBI Agent's wife. The undercover assignment takes him into the world of Russian organized crime, neo-Nazis, human trafficking and terrorism...all areas I worked at some point in my career.
What issues are the characters working through in your latest release? On a personal level, Matt struggles with his faith and is tethered to reality by his wife, Caitlin, a believer. On a professional level, he must battle bad guys and bureaucrats, something which I encountered throughout my career.
What kind of research, if any, did you have to do for the book? I did very little research for the book per se because most of the research was done while actually investigating the particular crimes I discuss in the book.
What are your favorite books to read and why? I read my Bible everyday but I am far from a deep thinker. I read some non-fiction, typically dealing with current events but always enjoy Vince Flynn, Ollie North, Daniel Silva, Brad Thor, and others who tackle terrorism from a fictional perspective in a realistic way.
How did you get involved in writing? I can't sing or dance and after twenty six years of being a practiced liar working undercover I decided to share some of those experiences in books. I started late in life as a writer but now have written spec pilots for TV shows, spec featured films, children's stories for a text book, a true-crime memoir, novels, and current event articles for various blogsites.
What do you enjoy most and least about the writing process? I hate to write...I love to re-write. I love to get the basic story down and then go back over and over until I have a product I'm willing to share with the reader.
What advice would you offer an aspiring author? WRITE. When I'm disciplined I try to write a thousand words a day. When I reach my word count I can hit "save" and move on to something else. Some writers certainly write more, others less, but discipline and consistency are the keys.
What story ideas would you like to explore in the future? Can't give away my secrets. I just plan on drawing upon my undercover experiences and writing stories I hope others will enjoy.
What are you currently writing? I occasionally write articles for Andrew Breitbart's Big Peace and Big Hollywood usually when a current event issue moves me, often about Marines and their families. I am almost done with the first draft of my next novel in the Matt Hogan series. I am hopeful that it will be ready for the publisher by Labor Day.
http://www.bobhamer.net/samplechapters.html
