I’m pleased to announce the publication of my new novel EL NORTE. It’s available in all Amazon online stores worldwide (and in Kindle Unlimited). In ebook and paperback. 322 pages.
This suspense thriller follows an introverted Texas high-school graduate who has his world blown apart on a celebration trip to Central America. Will he find the strength in himself to survive and to get justice for his family?
The Genre
This book is a bit of a shift for me. It’s technically a “Thriller” in terms of genre. Think Lee Child, James Patterson, David Baldacci, etc. Not that historical novels or time-travel adventures—my previous books— aren’t thrilling or suspenseful in their own ways (they are), but thrillers have a certain fast pace and tension that I’m leaning into more and more. And in this specific case, I’ve always liked survival and on-the-run stories. So that’s what I created with EL NORTE.
And yes, I know there’s a 1983 movie with the same title, but this story is very different from that one. Also very different from the American Dirt novel, which became somewhat notorious over the issue of “cultural appropriation.”
I’m very comfortable with my story and character portrayals. Yes, I also include characters with ethnicities and backgrounds different from my own, but I continue to spend time with people from various walks of life, and I’ve used “cultural sensitivity” editors and early readers who match my characters more closely to provide me with valuable feedback in the writing process.
The Settings and Locations
I knew I wanted this story to start and end in Texas. But with a long circuitous journey in-between, with a lot of action in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. I’ve lived or spent time in all those places. I’m familiar with the settings and the cultures. While in many cases I was an outsider “passing through,” I never hesitated to notice the people and the places where I found myself. And though I’m able to communicate in four languages, the universal emotions and feelings of hope, fear, ambition, and danger need no translator.
The Cover
I designed the cover, and I think it’s one of my best yet. As someone on the Book Cover Reviews site said of it: “the cover is easy to read, even in thumbnail; it has great colors and is nicely balanced.” Thriller book covers tend to be dark and bold, and that was my guiding principle. And notice the train and the “wall”? Those are key story elements.
The Protagonist
People sometimes ask me how much of “me” is in my heroes (protagonists). And the answer is this: Most writers put something of themselves into their characters. It’s what makes the characters feel real. So, yes, I definitely drew on some of my own personal history for my male protagonist (named Jager). I went to high school in Texas. I had a transnational family at the same age as Jager. I had certain skills at his age that I give him. And problems as well. But he is not a full reflection of me. He’s more interesting, I think ;-).
Secondary Characters
Thrillers all need conniving and determined villains, so my main antagonist was not hard to come up with. But selecting the others who join Jager on his journey was more involved.
I wanted an ally for my hero, and a certain character ultimately emerged. Same with a mother and her two children. All these characters would become “the team,” and ultimately, they would contribute to the idea of Family, which is one of the main themes of EL NORTE.
So check out EL NORTE, and in the meantime . . .
Say hello to 2023!
— Harald
P.S. I want to acknowledge the people who helped me with this latest book: editor Jennifer Quinlan, beta reader Cielo Bellerose, early readers Tim Schneider, Gilles Biscos, Mike Booth, Richard Marks, and Tim Vannaman. Plus my Founding Fans, and, of course, my wife, Lynn.
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