GS: Is Act of War set up in the same universe that most of your books are set in? For example, will we see popular recurring characters such as Brad Elliott and Patrick McLanahan show up? Or is it entirely separate from your established universe?

DB: This was a completely separate project with separate characters. The focus from the beginning was for an 18- to 45-year-old target market, which meant we needed mostly younger characters.

However, I wanted to maintain my most popular theme that I employ in my novels: bold, audacious characters, plenty of high-tech gadgets, and plenty of unexpected twists and challenges.