Reflexive Fire: One on One

We sat down one-on-one with Jack Murphy, author of Reflexive Fire. If you're looking for a book with character and grit. It really has to start with the author. Mr. Murphy is the "Real Deal". He served our country for 8 years, in U.S. Army Special Operations. As a Sniper and Team Leader in 3rd Ranger Battalion. And as a Senior Weapons Sergeant on a Military Free Fall Team in 5th Special Forces Group.


How did you develop Deckard's personality and character?

Deckard is a combination of personality traits that are not commonly found into the Special Operations community but are also consistent with the type of eccentric person that you only find in Special Operations units.  He is the type of person who could never exist in "civilized" world.  That said, he also carries many of the characteristics that are often found in professional soldiers, he has a strong sense of right and wrong and a sense of honor about him.  The missions he accomplishes are so impossible that I figure that the man running the show must be a little strange to begin with so that is how I approach the character.  He isn't the stereotypical Captain of the football team type that is common in the genre of military thrillers.

What was your inspiration for Reflexive Fire?

One of the main inspirations was the story of the real life Private Military Company called Executive Outcomes with was one of the only offensive PMC's out there that took the fight to the enemy.  They were very effective and worked as a commercial venture to clean out bad guys like UNITA in Angola and the RUF in Sierra Leone.  The second main inspiration that drove the plot of the novel was the real life conspiracy uncovered by two-time Medal of Honor recipient General Smedley Butler.  General Butler was asked to lead a right wing fascist coup against the United States government with an Army of WWI veterans.  He opted into the conspiracy long enough to find out who the puppet-masters were and then blew the whistle on the "Wall Street Gang".  When I wrote Reflexive Fire, I asked myself what a coup attempt like this would look like today.  Who would the conspirators be and who would they hire to lead their Army?  What if the guy they hired ended up being a modern day General Butler and he led their Private Military Company just long enough to turn the tables on them?



Does the Reflexive and PROMIS story arc cross paths sometime in the future?   Will Sean Deckard and son work together?

Yes, the Deckard novels definitely mesh and merge with the actions his father takes in the PROMIS series.  Bits and pieces of what is revealed in the PROMIS series will play a role in Deckard's contemporary adventures.  Will father and son ever work together?  I think we'll see them in a book together at some point.  Somehow, I don't think they are on good terms though.

I saw the sneak peak on "Target Deck", your new novel. Deckard is in Mexico now.

Target Deck takes Deckard and his Private Military Company into the viscous drug war in Mexico where he squares off against several cartels.  The plot will also lead our protagonist down a dark path and into the heart of what has become the so-called "Fast and Furious" scandal in which elements of our government knowingly funneled weapons to Mexican drug cartels.

Can we look forward to a third book in the series? Where is he headed to next?

Absolutely, the third novel will take Deckard and Samruk International to India!

What does Jack Murphy do to decompress?

Usually I go for a run to clear my head but I also relax by reading although most of that is taken up with school work and research for my books.  I also play video games when I have the chance like the Assassin's Creed games, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Mass Effect, and others.  As a writer, I think these games are much edgier and innovative than movies, television, and most novels!



I want to thank Jack Murphy for taking the time to sit down with us and give us some insight into the Deckard Series. We plan on having a discussion in the future on his PROMIS series. Where we follow an earlier time line with Deckard's Father.

This book scares you. Jack Murphy mixes facts with a plausible fictional story line. And has created a main character, that is both a badass, and a man of honor. Get on it. Well worth it.

Print or Kindle Version of Reflexive Fire available at Amazon. You can visit Jack Murphy's website here: http://reflexivefire.com/

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