Guest Post with author Robert B. Lowe

WHAT INSPIRED THE PLOT OF PROJECT MOSES?

by Robert B. Lowe

There are a few elements to the plot. There is the grand conspiracy that the main characters discover and must reveal before the rogue agents and corporate masterminds can find and kill the heroes. And, there also is the dynamic of how everything occurs. How the pieces of the grand conspiracy come to light. And, how the main characters uncover the plot and launch their counterattack of sorts against the bad guys.

Journalism.

I’ve made a couple of career changes but my first was as a journalist out of college. I spent 12 years working on newspapers in Arizona and Florida. During most of those years, my job was to work on investigative stories. Sometimes this was based on tips that came in, information that beat reporters had turned up, or simply something in the news that just didn’t look right and deserved more scrutiny.

When it came to deciding on the main character for Project Moses, it was natural to make him – Enzo Lee – a reporter. Like a cop or a lawyer, a journalist is a handy protagonist since he or she always is looking into something new and interesting. Whether it’s a crime or just a light feature, reporters are out there gathering information and in a position to stumble upon something that can drive a mystery-thriller – horrendous crime, massive conspiracy, some truly bad guys, etc. 

So, a lot of the things that occur in Project Moses happen with that in mind. What kind of event would pull a reporter into the story? Based on how he would research a story, what might he find or how would that trigger a reaction from the conspirators? Once he knew the outline of the conspiracy, how would Enzo Lee flesh it out and get the evidence? What tricks or tools would he employ to wage war with the bad guys?

Law.

My second career was as a lawyer. So, it’s no surprise that Enzo Lee’s partner and love interest turns out to be Sarah Armstrong, a lawyer, and that a key part of the plot revolves around what occurred in her law school experiences. 

 

Bioterrorism.

The main crime in Project Moses – aside from the murders of many possible witnesses – has to do with bioterrorism and the use of genetic engineering techniques to cause mischief. 

I’ve long been interested in the technology and implications of various types of genetic engineering and simply understanding what genes do. When I was in law school, one of the requirements to graduate was to write an extensive paper – almost like a dissertation – about some topic with some significant legal issues. I tackled the implications of the genetic testing of people in terms of health insurance. What happens when employers and insurers can tell through genetic tests whether you are a higher risk for heart attacks or cancer? One answer, of course, is that they might figure the smart business decision is to not hire you or give you insurance. But, the idea of everyone having their fates determined not based on merit or choices they’ve made but by the good or bad luck of their genetic makeup seems unfair in our culture. 

Anyway, my interest in this realm was really the genesis of the main conspiracy in the book. I just started thinking about what might happen if some bad characters could use the technology of genetic engineering. Early in the book, I wanted to have a mysterious murder that would be one of the threads pursued in the beginning. I picked a plant as a key element and that sort of drove the plot toward a plant biology story.

Of course, I set the story mainly in the San Francisco area since that is where I live and have worked for the past 20 years. It’s a place that people love to visit and have almost a Disney view of it. The Golden Gate. Cable cars. Lombard Street. It is quite a beautiful city with an amazing mix of lifestyles and ethnic backgrounds. So, it’s a beautiful and interesting frame for a story. Having a plot heavy on the high-tech, biotech themes was a natural for this setting as well. 

Robert will be giving away a $10 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter at the close of the tour as well as to the host with the most comments, not counting the hosts or his own.) and encourage your readers to follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/04/virtual-book-tour-project-moses-by.html. 

About the Author:

Robert B. Lowe is a Pulitzer-prize winning author whose fiction is based in San Francisco, his adopted home.

His past experiences – a 12-year career in investigative journalism and a Harvard Law School degree – enable him to write gripping mystery thrillers in both the legal and journalistic fields. Lowe draws his inspiration from John Grisham, Dick Francis and Lee Childs and adds his own San Francisco twist. Readers will enjoy his references to the city’s landmarks such as Chinatown, North Beach and Pacific Heights  and the Bay area’s foodie culture.

When Lowe isn’t writing he enjoys a day at the golf course and spending time with his wife and daughters.

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