Author:  Jeff Wade

Books: "First Traitor”

Interviewer: W. H. McDonald – President of the MWSA

W. H. "Bill" McDonald:  Author, minister, retired Lt. Commander (USN) Jeff Wade. His award winning book “First Traitor” – is a real modern thriller. He also writes ministry and inspirational books. He served for twenty-three years in the Navy. He is married and lives in Chula Vista, California with his wife. He has three grown daughters.

Q: How did a nice guy like you write a book like “First Traitor” it is so different than your other creative works and books? Is this the old alter ego coming back out or the real you? After all you are now a man of peace and are a minister?

My writings are not as diverse as you might think. I have always felt that, for me, there are only two honorable professions: the military and the ministry. Both occupations require sacrifice in behalf of others.

Q: Writing thrillers is certainly much different than sermons and inspirational books. How do you prepare to write them and is the creative process the same?

Writing fiction is fun from start to finish. I start with only a basic idea of where I’m going and then write what I see in my head. I get a mental picture of a scene and then let the characters walk me through what they might do in real life. New scenes take shape as the characters are developed.

Non-fiction is much different for me. I do detailed research and organize my thoughts into a detailed outline. When the outline is the way I want it I write the narrative for each point. I am much more careful when writing religious works. Fiction is for entertainment, but Christian writing has eternal consequences. Therefore, I have to ensure what I say is absolutely accurate and grounded in the Bible.

Q: How long did you take to write your novel? Did you write it over a period of months or years or did it all come to you quickly as you typed it out on the computer? What was the creative process like?

The first draft took me about a year. I like to write from multiple viewpoints. This forces me to write all the major scenes from start to finish as a continuous narrative. I then break the scenes into pieces and insert them onto a plot/time line. The next phase is to write the transitions between the narratives. The only part of the process that feels like work to me is writing the transitions and the many revisions to the draft.

Q: What inspired you to become a minister after the Navy? Was this always something in back of your mind that you wished to do?

I became a Christian a few months after enlisting in the Navy and felt called to the Gospel ministry soon thereafter. While on active duty I spent almost all of my free time working in different church staff positions in local churches wherever I was stationed. I even started a church once while in the Navy. So really, I never switched from one profession to another. When I retired from the Navy I simply stopped sharing my time with the military and focused on the ministry full-time.

Q: You are retired from the Navy but certainly not from working as is evident from your ministry work and your novels. So how do you find the time and energy to do what you do and still make time for your family?

I feel strongly that people shouldn’t spend time; they should invest time. Therefore, I am a very scheduled person. Every area of responsibility has a place on my “Master Life Schedule.” I schedule time with my family and place the same priority on developing personally as I do on developing professionally. I keep my energy level up by continually revisiting why I do what I do. This creates the drive necessary to keep going. I’ll also stop and take a short nap if I need to. I am a believer in the “power nap."

Q: When you were in the Navy did you have any long deployments away from your family? How did they handle it and how did you cope being away from your daughters and wife for those periods of time? That had to be a hardship all the way around for everyone.

I loved the Navy with a passion, but admittedly, it was hard on my family. I made numerous long deployments and moved my family to a new location twenty-six times over the course of my twenty-three year career. My wife is a real trooper and gets all the credit for holding things together whole I was gone. Believing in the mission of the military in support of freedom helped me cope with the cost of serving. My family suffered a great deal, but all veterans throughout history have paid a price personally to defend our freedom and way of life.

Q: If you had it to do over would you still have gone into the Navy as your first career? Any regrets about that choice now that you look back on it?

I have no regrets at all. I would absolutely do it all over again. While it is true that serving causes many difficulties in life, it also creates many opportunities. The Navy taught me discipline and focus. The military paid for my undergraduate degree and allowed me to travel the world. I was privileged to work side by side with some of the brightest and most dedicated people in the world. I gleaned much experience from my peers and superiors.

Q: Obviously you have felt some spiritual urgings to get into the ministry but was there some event or situations in your life that brought that desire in realization?

Readers may not completely understand how it happened for me, but I’ll share the thought process the best I can. I have always felt an urge to lead and I love public speaking. My call to the ministry happened at an old fashioned tent revival meeting in South Carolina. As I listened to the preacher and watched him give the altar call at the end, God made it clear I was to do as the preacher was doing. My calling to the ministry brought clarity to my purpose and helped me understand my gifts and heart felt love of public speaking and the study of leadership.

Q: Did you have this deep religious faith while you were in the Navy or was it something that grew as you evolved in your life?

I had no Christian experience prior to enlisting in the military. I became a Christian a few months after reporting aboard my first ship. I noticed a shipmate who was always reading his bible. I eventually asked him why he was reading it so much and he used the open door to present the Gospel to me. I accepted Christ and the rest, as they say, is history.

Q: What kind of a childhood did you have growing up? How was high school for you? Any found old memories that you wanted to share?

My childhood was mostly unremarkable. I grew up in the hills of West Virginia and spent my time swimming in the river, romping through the woods, and playing sports in school. My father indirectly influenced me to join the military. He was a colonel in the Army and I loved to listen to his war stories. I suppose it is no wonder I followed in his footsteps.

Q: Do you have plans for more novels like “First Traitor” coming along in your mind or on your computer right now?

I am in the process of writing a leadership book for Christian leaders. I’m about thirty thousand words into it and plan to finish the book before I start on anything else. I do have a few chapters of a sequel to First Traitor written along with the basic plot outline.

Q: Can you tell us something about your other books and writings?

I have written two other books. After the Sinner’s Prayer was written to help new believers understand their new faith. His Presence in Prayer was written to help folks draw closer to Christ in prayer.

Q: What thoughts would you like to share with others that might inspire them in their own lives?

The most important thing is lie is to be reconciled to God through Christ. The second thing is to understand your place in life and develop your God-given gifts. Inspiration is derived from a clear vision of your purpose.

Q: What has been your greatest learning experience about life or yourself or others?

As a young man I was driven to prosper in my career and rise through the ranks. Now that I’m a little older I think it is important to build relationships with family and friends. One day everyone will step out of the rat race of the work force. Those who have done nothing but build a career and accumulate wealth will be left with nothing of true value. True happiness comes from investing your life in the life of others.

Q: If you could change the world in some small way what would you like to see happen?

I think I’d like to see people stop living for self and start helping those around them. War, famine, and crime are all caused by people seeking personal power and wealth.

Q: What do you think is the greatest danger facing the USA today? Is it our own moral ethics decline or is it the threat from terrorism?

Ben Franklin said that our system of government can not sustain itself unless the citizenry believes in God. Our laws assume that people embrace the Judeo-Christian values of the bible. Much of the craziness we see in the political arena is due to losing our moral compass. The family is the place these values are supposed to be instilled. As the family continues to be attacked in the courts and in the legislature the country and its people will continue the terrible spiral of moral decay. The values that helped us stand up to tyranny in World War II have been eroded to the point that most people no longer willing to make great sacrifices to protect our way of life. Terrorism is just the enemy of this generation. It is nothing compared to what we have defeated in the past. The danger it presents is so dangerous because we have very little national will to defeat it.

Q: What goals do you have for the next decade or so? (Self-improvement, creative projects, travel, etc.)

I plan to continue my work in my church as long as I have strength. I am now laying the ground work to narrow my focus to training new Christian leaders and helping those presently in the ministry to be more effective. To accomplish this goal, I will continue to write leadership oriented books and maintain my leadership newsletter, but I will also delve into podcasting and broadcasting the message.

Q: What advice do you have for someone wanting to write a novel?

I think it is smart to take a few courses on novel writing. There is a lot more to writing novels than jotting down a good story. To have any hope of getting published without going the self-publishing route, you must understand what editors are looking for. Writers need to learn how to write a synopsis, an outline of the chapters, a query letter, and they need to learn the basic vocabulary of the trade. Also, it is wise to aggressively put your writing before others in the business, such as MWSA and others.

Q: Is there anything that you would like to tell us about yourself that we would not know already from your books?

No sir.

Q: Any last thoughts or wisdom to share?

No sir.

Bill: Jeff thanks for allowing us to look inside your life a little and learn something about you. God bless you and best of luck on your future projects.

Bill, thanks for the interview. I’m excited about the future of MWSA.

*You can learn more about Jeff Wade by visiting his website.