Interview: Author ‘Mike Maden’ Talks New Book Clive Cussler Ghost Soldier: An Oregon Files Novel

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I grew up working in the canneries, feed mills and slaughterhouses of California’s San Joaquin Valley. A lifelong fascination with history and warfare fortuitously led to a Ph.D. in political science focused on conflict and technology in international relations. I was in grad school when I happened upon Tom Clancy’s magnificent, The Hunt for Red October. Not surprisingly, my first foray into fiction was a four-book techno-thriller series centered around drone warfare. After that series ended, I received the thrilling but wholly unexpected invitation to join the Tom Clancy franchise. It was an amazing experience.

Now I have been given the incredible privilege to write for The Oregon Files, the iconic series brought to life by the legendary Clive Cussler. With the help of his terrific writing partners Craig Dirgo, Jack Du Brul and Boyd Morrison, Clive built the series into an international bestselling franchise with some of the greatest characters and memorable moments in the genre. It goes without saying that I have big shoes to fill. Providentially, the first endorsement I received for my first novel Drone came from the hand of Clive Cussler himself. It was an extremely generous thing for him to do and I am forever grateful. It’s a debt I intend to repay by honoring his memory and legacy by creating more amazing adventures for the Oregon and her valiant crew.

The book is in stores on Tuesday, September 3rd from Putnam. Click on the link to buyt a copy. https://amzn.to/3X7XIkX Listen below to the interview.

When African jihadis attack a Nigerian regiment using American weapons, Cabrillo and the Oregon crew are on the case, investigating from Afghanistan to Kuala Lumpur to track a mysterious arms dealer—a genius, or perhaps a devil—known only as the Vendor.

Cabrillo goes undercover to find the Vendor’s base, but his adversary isn’t just an arms smuggler. He’s an arms maker, and Cabrillo just walked into a lethal military game alongside the most dangerous mercenaries in the world, designed to test the Vendor’s cutting-edge AI arsenal.

And yet, surviving an arena full of flame-throwing robots isn’t even his biggest problem. The Vendor has an army of high-speed drones headed for a pivotal military site, and if the Oregon crew can’t stop them from releasing a deadly neurotoxin, the entire globe will erupt in conflict.