Hey Cataclysm Fans! Hopefully you’ve all gotten word that Book 3 in the Cataclysm Series: “First Months After” — has been released and is up for sale on Amazon. A bunch of new characters were created for this one–both “good guys” and “bad guys” alike. And some of the previous characters who only made small appearances in “First Days…” and “First Weeks…” get more in-depth treatment in Book 3. As is the usual, I borrowed from real life for many of these characters–at least in name if not in personality. Some have some interesting stories, so for this blog post I thought I’d touch on the wrestling-based origins of many of the characters in “First Months.”
First–we see much more of Josh Rimone, the iconoclastic mercenary. As I mentioned before, Josh’s story is very close to the real deal, and in Book 3, the chapter titled “The Interview” goes into Josh’s background in some detail. The real Josh had nearly the exact same background as this Josh. Only the surname–which he requested–was changed to Rimone (Pineapple in Yiddish, according to him). All of the background info involving Josh’s college career and early post-college career are accurate, as well as his introduction to the world of privately contracted mercenaries. And the “weird” part– that’s all Josh. Just putting him in the book helped it write itself.
A new character added to the dramatis personae is Boo Andrews. Boo, unlike Josh, is an amalgam of reality and invention. Boo is Jake’s best friend throughout college and beyond. the real-life person on which he is partially based–Andrew “Boo” Bouie–was my best friend as well. We were in each other’s weddings and were virtually inseparable for about a six-year stretch. The harsh parting of the ways, however, is NOT part of the real Boo’s world, and the real Boo was neither a wrestler nor a Marine. The story of Jake being jilted by a beautiful girl named Maria, however, hits closer to home. A girl with a similar name and background broke my heart with one of my best friends and college teammates, causing a smaller and more temporary rift than the one that Boo and Jake experience. The real Boo’s personality is definitely infused into my book character, however. He is an intellectual, an athlete, and a loyal friend.
Oleg Stravinsky is the main villain of Book 3. There is nothing at all real about Oleg–both his name and his background come straight from my imagination. But I wanted to tap into some of the stereotypes we have encountered in literature and film about Russian military types. Oleg is a well of profound thought and deep feeling, but his inflexible self-discipline keeps him quiet for most of Books 1 & 2. Father Joe needed a formidable foil in his army, and I built up Oleg’s athletic and military background to make him a serious threat and more-than-worthy opponent for Jake. The build-up for that story-ending final battle begins early, and we see both of them demonstrate their skills throughout. The scene in which Oleg demonstrates his physical prowess in sombo–the Russian folkstyle of wrestling and combat training–directly mirrors the kind of thing one finds in most combat sports. The sparring that takes place among the Russian cell members is like every one I ever encountered in my 35-year-wrestling career. The way he handles himself in contrast to some of the others is the kind of thing you see in so many wrestling rooms that it almost doesn’t bear mentioning. Anyone who has ever sparred in a combat sport will love this chapter!
The Russian Cell Members— these guys’ personalities were dreamt up completely by me–but their names come from some of the greatest Russian and international wrestlers in history. Sergei (killed in Book 1)–came from Sergei Belaglazov, and his brother, Anatoly, also makes an appearance. Arsen comes from Arsen Fadzaev, Bouvaisar from Bouvaisar Saitiev, Maharbek (Khadartsev), Valentin (Jordanov), and Aleksander (Karelin)–with a nod to and discussion of Aleksander Medved as well. Any international wrestling fans will enjoy seeing these guys’ names–but I’m sure that none of them were international spies in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff-– in the very same vein, I needed to have the Joint Chiefs gather, discuss, and meet with the President at Camp David. And I needed them to be personable enough that their names should be presented. So, like the Russian assassins, I chose from among legendary wrestlers–some of which I’m proud to say are friends of mine. The Secretary of the Navy–Ed Peery, was the USNA wrestling coach for several decades and a mentor of mine. He sadly passed not many years ago, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him. The Secretary of the Army was Ted (in reality Ed–but I didn’t want to confuse readers) Steers. Ed Steers was the West Point wrestling coach for years, and finished up his career as an assistant athletic director at the Citadel in South Carolina. I’m proud to say Coach Steers is also a friend of mine whom I wish I could see more of. The Secretary of Space Force–which is barely even a “thing” right now– is Mike Moyer. Mike, another friend, is the tireless leader of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Mike was the head coach at George Mason some time ago when I first got to know him, and since then few people have done anything close to the amount that Mike has for our sport. The final two secretaries: Air Force and Marine Corps–are not personal friends, but were idols of mine growing up. Wayne Baughman is the personality-rich former coach of the USAFA in Colorado Springs and was an amazing Greco-Roman wrestler and Olympian. Reading his books and columns has been especially entertaining and enriching for me over the years. Greg Gibson, the Olympic Greco-Roman champion in 1984, was someone I always wanted to be. One glance at photos of either of us together immediately demonstrates my failure on that end. The Camp David chapters were fun, because I could channel most of their voices and attitudes–at least a little–in their discussions.
Eric Mazzaros– This new character, a member of the CBRNE science team who teams up with Wendy and the Colonel at the Pentagon, comes from a real place as well. A friend and fellow wrestling coach, Eric (real spelling) Meszaros is a Physics teacher at Winters Mill with me. The real Eric is a methodical, no-nonsense kind of guy, and in this way he contrasts a bit with his fictitious double–who comes across a little like a mad scientist the way he blows up the mobile lab in the Pentagon and alters Laura Fisher. Making him a little unpredictable and dangerously curious is, in a way, my own little private joke with the real Eric–who would never have risked the kind of explosion that CBRNE faced with his fictitious self’s experiments.
Greg Knoll— Greg only shows up briefly in the final Camp David chapters, but his introduction was fun as well. It was a personal barb sent to a teaching colleague of mine. Greg Knill–(his real name, one vowel away)–is a longtime fellow teacher at Winters Mill High School. In most recent years, he has occupied a position known as “Academic Facilitator.” He’s in charge of numerous projects–like standardized testing, character-based curriculum, student government, and a number of things that the administration need help with. He lives in a world that is kind of between administration and classroom teachers–and yet somehow often encompasses both. I have always enjoyed teasing him about being a sycophant and power-hungry ladder climber–neither of which is true–and thought it would be a hoot to make his character exactly that at the absolute highest level. Greg Knoll literally convinces the President to stage a Russian secret attack after which he can surrender–in exchange for a lavish lifestyle for himself and his assistants (which would include Greg). I laugh out loud at this every time I type more of the story line about it.
Tying some real-life people in with fictitious characters is fun–but it also serves a practical side. If I have a real person in my mind when writing the character, I can more easily channel a voice, a point of view, or a reaction that stays true to character–and consistency of characters is something I’ve always seen as crucial in the fiction I’ve read over the years. I hope you enjoy some of these new “semi-real” folks I’ve introduced in First Months After. I have more of the same planned for Book 4–“First Years After,” which is currently in the idea stage.
Writing with Jay Vielle 