Guest Post by Chuck Waldron, author of The CleanSweep Conspiracy

Hello, my name is Chuck Waldron, author of the dystopian thriller, The CleanSweep Conspiracy. Thanks for allowing me to be a guest today

The CleanSweep Conspiracy is the result of an active (some have said overactive) imagination, a gift from my parents. My writing is a reflection of a solid Midwestern upbringing and a satisfying career in children’s mental health and non-profit management. Ah, but the real joy is giving in to the creative writing urges that have followed me along that entire path.

The idea behind The CleanSweep Conspiracy, how I came to write it?

• The emergency police force of over 10,000 uniformed officers from surrounding police.
• Add 1,000 security guards and several military units.
• Drawing lines on a map to outline an area with checkpoints to monitor who enters and leaves. People would be issued identity cards to determine who belonged.
• More than a billion dollars would be spent to head off rioting and trouble makers
• Police wearing black tape over their shields to prevent identification.

That couldn’t happen, you say, only to learn that the news story above-described actual events that occurred in a major North American city? The G-20 Economic Conference place in Toronto, Canada in 2010 but might it happen in any town?

  The seed for the story line of The CleanSweep Conspiracy was planted as I read about the planning, the riots, and the follow-up of that event.

As the story was coming to me, I came up with the working title Deception. That changed to conspiracy. I like to have a working title as motivation.

The CleanSweep Conspiracy is about ordinary people who have to make a choice. When they hear the actual nature of the evil they face, will they be able to act? That was the inspiration for my protagonist, Matt Tremain.

My novel looks at the motives of a group of men who took it upon themselves to create a matrix, a way of determining those who somehow didn’t fit in. Wouldn’t the city be a better place if the annoying people were made to ‘disappear?’

It’s a story as old as social engineering, even before we knew to call it that.

If the conspirators could only organize another conference, similar to the real one described above, infiltrate the city with a small army of thugs, causing panic and destruction, people would do anything to feel safe again.

That was the inspiration for evil personified, Charles Claussen.

I’ve been asked What’s it like being published for the first time?

Words can’t do justice to the feeling of seeing my first book in print. It’s now up to four, and the feeling is still the same. Joy comes close. Now, I still delight in seeing one of my stories in print. The CleanSweep Conspiracy is no exception.

I’m asked what I do besides writing.

It’s been said I’m a decent public speaker, entertaining and inspiring at times. I can still keep my balance on a two-wheel bicycle. I’m a pretty good poker player but wouldn’t give up my writing to go on the Professional Poker Tour. That said I have heard I feign interest, lack perseverance and could use a good talking to.

On a serious note, I’m proud to be a volunteer at Save the Chimps. It’s nearby and happens to be the world’s largest rescue sanctuary for our chimp cousins.

Looking ahead, there’s always more to write about. I’m currently working on a sequel to The CleanSweep Conspiracy and think it will be a trilogy.