Author Bio for Michel Cloutier, author of The Hunt for Komodo Cracker

 

For over eighteen years Michel Cloutier has taught computer networking environments in Montreal, Canada. Occasionally, he manages to tear himself away to scuba dive the many local shipwrecks that dot the bottom of the Saint Lawrence River. His love for history has also moved him to travel to exotic and history-rich countries such as Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and many other areas in Europe, the Middle East, and Central America.

 

In the pages of this novel, Michel has merged his two passions of network security and ancient history to create an adventure sure to hold your interest until the climactic end.

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Q&A Interview

 

Q: Do you try to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

 

A: I did not try to be one or the other. My story has been in the works for many years before I even thought of transferring it to paper. So my efforts concentrated on writing in a way that would transport the reader into a new and exciting world that will both entertain and hopefully, stimulate the intellect.  

 

Q: What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

 

A: None of my modern characters are based on real people. Some reflect values I feel strongly about and others come from bad experiences I had to revisit and understand more fully. As for my fifth century BC characters, I have history books to thank. I must add that the ancient Persian Empire is used as a backdrop to my story. So where real historical figures appear, their dialogues and actions are from my imagination, all fiction. The same is true with historical events of the time period. 

 

Q: Is The Hunt for Komodo Cracker a result of your experiences, research or expertise? 

 

A: All of the above and if my answer seems like a cop out, it isn’t. My story is told from three points of interests. My expertise comes when the story begins with encrypted files and a coded message, both connected to a hacker called Komodo. This in part is due to my work as a network security trainer. I have been teaching this subject for over eighteen years.  I’ve also traveled to many countries rich in history such as Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy and more. Admittedly, this does not make me an expert on the fifth century Persian Empire, but the people I’ve come in contact with and my studies on the subject have helped me understand this time period.  As for the research, well I would be doing the reader a great injustice if I neglected the hundreds of hours of research needed to make The Hunt for Komodo Cracker believable.

 

Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning a book?

 

A:  The conflicts some of my characters struggle with come from decades of personal experience. The research for this was more to confirm than to discover. The historical accuracy in reference to Persia 473 BC was another story all together. I have a basic knowledge of the time period but I needed more. So I used the internet, a few books on the subject I have at home and of great value to me was communications I had with experts in ancient histories.

 

Q: What are the key takeaways you hope reader find in The Hunt for Komodo Cracker?

 

A:  This is very difficult for me to say. The last think I want to do is influence anyone to think like me. What I sincerely hope is this, when the reader is done with my book, I hope to have delivered an adventure that was both entertaining and challenging. If it happens to tickle your point of view on some of the issues the characters face then so be it.

 

Q: Do you hide any secrets in your book that only a few people will find?

 

A:  Yes, but if I told you, it would no longer be a secret.

 

Q: What was the most difficult scene to write?

 

A: I can’t say any one scene was more challenging than another.  If you mean a sensitive subject in a scene, well that would be when Rambax, a Persian guest at an unusual gathering describes in some detail a child sacrifice to the god Baal.

 

Q: How do you select the names of your characters?

 

A: I spent much time and effort in choosing the names of all of my main modern characters. Some names were selected because of the meaning behind the name and how it reflects the character’s personality. Others because they remind me of people I know. As for the ancient Persian characters, the names were selected to resemble the time period, including some names people might recognize.

 

Q: What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?

 

A:  I believe the reader expects my characters to be true to the time period. In The Hunt for Komodo Cracker that would be the Persian Empire of 473 BC. The challenge for me was that some of my characters are from the twenty-first century traveling back 2500 years. Needless to say, it makes for some interesting conversations.

 

Q: What is your favorite childhood book?

 

A: This one is easy. I was somewhat of a loner up till I became a teenager. So I spent hours on end living the many wonderful adventures of Tintin and his dog Snowy by Georges Prosper Remi known by the pen name Hergé. I most add the passion has not faded away. I even named our family dog Milou, the French equivalent of Snowy.

 

Q: Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

 

A: I have always been a huge fan of science fiction. At first my interest was for classics like The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Then I started to read the book version of some sci-fi movies I enjoyed. It wasn’t until I read The Killer Angel by Michael Shaara that I entertained the idea of writing a story combining time travel and an ancient civilization. I added to the mix a conundrum and I came up with The Hunt for Komodo Cracker.

 

Q: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

 

A: Without a doubt it was hiring a professional editor.

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