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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, July 9, 2018

the murky waters of international diplomacy - Selected by J. Allen Wolfrum

Former Army helicopter pilot, Susan Turner is Selected as the next President of the United States. In order to avoid a nuclear war, she must overcome personal demons and learn to navigate the murky waters of international diplomacy.

Description:

Former Army helicopter pilot, Susan Turner is Selected as the next President of the United States. In order to avoid a nuclear war, she must overcome personal demons and learn to navigate the murky waters of international diplomacy.

Five years ago, the Dove Revolution changed the political structure of the United States. The President, Senate, and Congress are no longer elected by the public, they are Selected at random every two years. A shadow organization known only as The Board, advances their sinister agenda by taking advantage of their anonymity and Susan's tendency to make brash decisions. Blackmail, espionage and murder are all in play as The Board manipulates geo-political events to spark a war between the Soviet Union and the United States.

With the help of her former Squadron Commander, General LeMae, Susan Turner attempts to lead the nation through these turbulent times while battling her own internal demons. Susan is a battle-hardened war veteran but she must learn what it takes to be a world leader. Nuclear war and the future of the human race hang in the balance.

GUEST POST
A different war

The protagonist of my debut novel, Selected, is a former Army helicopter pilot, Susan Turner. The novel takes place after a political revolution that resulted in politicians being selected at random instead of elected by popular vote. When Susan first arrives in Washington D.C., she feels at home. On her first day in the Oval Office, she even runs into her former commanding officer, the Presidency is going to be a cake walk.

Her overconfidence quickly causes problems. A team of special forces operators is killed in a helicopter crash due to her brash decision making. It’s not abundantly clear that the decision she made was incorrect, but she feels responsible for their deaths and it causes her to have doubts about her ability to lead.

Susan’s Military background causes her to fail in her first attempt at diplomacy with the Soviet Ambassador. She has to learn that politics is different than the Military, the highest ranking person cannot simply give orders. Over time she adapts to the job but her Military background isn’t specifically responsible for her ability to succeed as President.

Her major successes as President only come after she learns that other world leaders act in their own self interests. Aligning the self interests of other countries is where progress can be made. It is impossible to force another world super power to bend to your will. Susan ultimately learns this lesson but it doesn’t come easy. Her biggest success occurs when she creates a scenario in which two world leaders who despise each other lead the way for a multinational economic treaty. If Susan would have solely relied on her prior Military training, she would have failed as a President.

There is a good case to be made that her Military training gave her the ability to adapt to her new environment and succeed. In short, her Military training was harmful at first but ultimately proved to be the key to her success.

About the author:
J. Allen Wolfrum is a fiction author and former Marine. He served four years as a Marine Corps Infantryman in the most decorated Regiment in Marine Corps history. During Operation Iraqi Freedom he led an infantry squad on missions spanning from the oil fields of Southern Iraq to the streets of Baghdad.

After the Marine Corps, he spent the next fifteen years exploring life from several perspectives: press operator in a plastics factory, warehouse stocker, confused college student, Certified Public Accountant, bearded graduate student, management consultant, and data analyst.

J. Allen Wolfrum’s writing career began in 2017 with his debut novel, Selected. He uses the unique combination of his Marine Corps, professional and life experience to create a realistic perspective on the political thriller genre. He lives in Southern California with his beautiful wife and two cats.
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2 comments:

CMash said...

I hope you get a chance to read this book. It was an exceptional read!

CCAM said...

@CMash - I noted your recommendation :) the gap between military and politics (from various points of view) will always give material for a good story