BREAKFIELD-Charles works as a data/telecom solution architect and supports digital security, blockchain solutions, and unified communications. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles’ love of wine tastings, cooking, and Harley riding often provides writing topics.

Much of his personality comes from his father who served in the military for 30 years and three wars. Charles grew up on multiple bases and different countries. The multi-cultural exposure helps him with the various character perspectives they bring to the series. His personal ambition is to continue to teach his co-author Burkey, humor.

BREAKFIELD AND BURKEY together build stories as fictional story writers. Storytelling is the best method to share excitement, thrills, and insights to today’s technology risks.

EnigmaSeries.com has information on their 12 books, 10 short stories, audio books, book trailers, and the upcoming Enigma Heirs.

Look for our cozy mysteries/murders in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles.  from Amazon.com

 

 

LitPick Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Breakfield and Burkey, as a team, bring a unique blend of expertise and personal interests to their writing. As the Enigma Series' CTO, Breakfield leverages his decades of technology expertise to bring innovative technothriller elements into storytelling. His deep knowledge of World War II history, extensive world travel, and cultural exchanges provide multidimensionality to the people, places, and journeys readers discover in the stories. Beyond writing, Charles enjoys wine tasting, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking new recipes and extravaganzas, and woodworking, which adds a personal touch to his work. 

Enigma Series’ COO, Burkey, uses her extensive professional knowledge to optimize technology and business investments influencing character experiences and situations within the stories. Readers can discover the distinctive characteristics of people she has met woven into contemporary situations between the covers. Rox treasures her family (including the puppies) and friends, reading and reviewing books, and traveling whenever possible. But one of her most cherished activities is meeting readers at various events, including book clubs. This interaction with readers is what truly makes her work meaningful.

 

Are you a multi-genre author or a single-genre author?  How did you decide what types of book you would write?

 

We are not just multi-genre authors, but we also have a unique writing process. Our journey started with technical manuals and white papers for Auerbach and the corporations we were part of. However, we soon realized our passion for storytelling and began crafting techno-thrillers—action-packed stories with real technology as the surprising element. The invitation to join the Underground Authors in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles led us to explore cozy mysteries. Our repertoire now includes historical fiction, women’s contemporary, literary fiction, and even a dabble into science fiction. We believe that writing in different genres is not just a challenge, but a way for us to stretch and grow as authors.  

 

If you write in multiple genres, do you have a favorite, or is one type of book easier for you to write than others, and why?

 

Our work in the thriller and cozy mystery categories brings us immense joy. The short stories, in particular, provide a unique opportunity to delve into the backstories of our main novels, adding depth and intrigue to the overall narrative of the characters' behaviors.

 

When did you start writing?  Did an event or person prompt you to take that leap?

 

Rox Burkey is the catalyst for the series. She got us into writing non-fiction for Auerbach. When we tired of doing tech manuals, she postulated, why not techno-thrillers? Then, she challenged Breakfield to work with her in cozy mysteries. The manta is, “Why can’t we do that genre too?” 

 

How / where do you find the plots you write about?

 

We scan the technical horizon, looking for the next element to explore or learn how it can make people vulnerable to power or greed. It isn’t challenging to find new material for cyber thugs to use to their advantage, and the cyber heroes who say no then stop them. Life situations are a portion of the stories that make them relatable to contemporary people in our connected digital world.

 

Mark Twain said “Write what you know.”  Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a panster?  Do you plot, plan, and conduct hours of research; or, do you just sit down and write whatever comes to mind based on your personal history and knowledge?

 

Our storytelling journey begins with an idea sparked by our work or in the news that we discuss taking to a story concept, blending plotter and panster attributes. We plan the who does what to whom, where, and when; the rest is just nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. We map out a storyline as a synopsis, propose 15-20 chapters in a spreadsheet, and then begin writing. The manuscript is batted back and forth between us, our form of literary ping-pong. The process helps us smooth out the story, polish characters, and deliver a finished story that reads as though there is only one voice. We do research during the entire process, ensuring we can successfully argue our premise of the story. 

 

Tell us your latest news.

We released Trusted Friends & Lovers, a women’s contemporary collection of selected short stories just in time for Mother’s Day gifts. Enigma Forced, book two of the Enigma Heirs trilogy, is planned for release before summer, making a perfect vacation read with the audiobook planned to follow.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

We write to entertain readers. The technology elements in the hands of the bad guys are real, and we want people to take technical vulnerability seriously. Cyber thugs are evil who stalk the innocent and technically naïve to take advantage.

How much of the book is realistic?

The technology elements in the stories exist. How it is used by the cyber heroes and the cyber thugs is available in the news daily, verifying the exploitation. People have been held up and robbed by highwaymen/women. Crime has been an equal opportunity business threat forever. Today, cybercrime is done from behind a computer while criminals sit around in their jammies.

What books have influenced your life the most? 

For Breakfield, it would be WWII history, as told by both sides of the struggle. For Burkey, it would be The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. 

 

What are your current projects?

Our all-consuming, current project is The Ransom Enigma story #27 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, due out in August 2024.

 

Can you share a sample of your current work with us?

From Enigma Jewels, due out in early 2025, book 3 of the Enigma Heirs trilogy.

Chapter 1 – Ride Share

Flashing lights and the screaming siren pierced the night as the cop dropped his car into gear, speeding after the black SUV after it squealed past. The officer shook his head. “Jerk!” he said, realizing the chase was on as the culprit surged forward and took a radical right at the next corner. He notified headquarters, then focused on the pursuit.

 Being a seasoned pro, the officer laughed as he closed the distance and pulled onto the left side of the Tahoe. The driver jerked the wheel to the right to evade and clipped the curb. He overcorrected and then braked to miss the police car. Losing control, the car careened into a commercial trash container, pushing several feet with a crumpled front end.

The officer pulled his car to a stop and jumped out with his revolver drawn. He clicked his shoulder radio with his current status as he rushed to the driver’s door and tapped the gun's muzzle on the window.

“Get out of the car. Keep your hands up,” he shouted, trying to see through the tinted window.

Moments ticked by before the heavy SUV door began creaking open. “Don’t shoot,” the male voice cracked. “I’m hurt and can’t open the door any wider. I’m not armed. Can you help, please?”

The officer kept his weapon level as he grabbed the door with his left hand and opened it. Surprised at seeing a young teen, he rolled his eyes. “Kid, who are you? This vehicle is registered to Julian LaFleur, not a punk teenager. Why didn’t you pull over when you realized I was behind you?”

Struggling out of the SUV, the teenager moaned as the officer pulled him over and then made him face the vehicle. 

“Some dude pulled up to my friends and me, flashed the cash, and said there could be more if one of us volunteered to tear around the city fast. He said to meet him at noon tomorrow at Tiki Bar in San Juan. Then I’d get the money since I was the dumb ass who let him and his buddy walk away with their briefcases.”

The officer clicked on the handcuffs. “Didn’t you think something was wrong with doing this? You’re lucky you didn’t kill someone or yourself.”

The teen winced. “His buddy laughed, saying only a man would take the dare. I couldn’t resist the hundred bucks.”

“Describe the two men.”

"One was an older man with greying blonde hair who smelled of cigarettes. The tall, muscular man was younger and tougher. They were betting which of us would bite down for the dare.”

“Where were they headed?”

“They headed toward the San Juan Bay Marina.”

The officer spun the kid around by the arm and pulled him toward his patrol car. He opened the back door, helped him in, then shut the door. He tapped his radio and transmitted the facts he’d learned, annoyed at missing the expected tag. 

 

Pick one of your characters and share some of their backstory that didn’t make it into the novel.

We frequently take our backstory material fallout from the main novels and create short stories to flush out the characters' details further and help us explore other genres. One of our stellar heroines, Julie Rancowski, crosses paths with one of our favorite bad boys, Juan Rodreguiz. Bad as in most moms would object to their daughters dating these types of boys. Julie protects people by erasing an individual’s past and providing new identities to allow them to hide in plain sight. Her childhood was undefined, so we crafted a backstory and published it as The Jewel. This story explains where she came from and why she is focused on helping others. This delightful story earned the grade for inclusion in our selected short stories for Trusted Friends & Lovers.

 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep practicing and get someone other than family or friends to review your work. Networking with other authors is a great way to get ideas on marketing for your creations.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Writers appreciate fair and honest reviews. Even short and sweet, reviews are part of keeping the edge to our creative sides. We also love audiobook listeners and added the series' voice, Derek Shoales, to deliver this format for our novels. Samples of his work are on our website and available at all the favorite outlets, including Amazon and Spotify. 

Is there one person past or present you would like to meet and why?

Charles would like to meet his younger dad, Colonel Breakfield. Colonel Breakfield flew single-engine fighters in three wars. Charles would enjoy listening to his father regale him with all the stories he didn’t share with his sons. Rox would like to meet Leonardo da Vinci and listen to how he decided to explore so many things from various points of view. 

 

What do you want written on your headstone and why?

Breakfield’s would be—I wish I had pushed to do more. Overachievers are just that way.

Burkey’s would be—Til you Can’t. You keep at it until the end.

Other than writing, do you have any hobbies?

Charles’ love of wine tastings, cooking, woodworking, and Harley riding. Some of these elements are found throughout the tales. He continues to try to teach Burkey humor. Rox enjoys family, learning, people-watching, travel, and cooking. 

Can you share something personal with your readers?  Do you have any holiday traditions?  What kind of music do you enjoy?  What kind of movies do you prefer?  Do you have a favorite author?

If money was no issue would you prefer a cozy beach bungalow or a rustic cabin overlooking a mountain lake?

 

In true co-author with a single voice response, yes. 

 

One final question...Do you have a blog/website? If so, what is it?  Do you have a social media platform where your fans can go to interact with you and follow your progress?

Response: They have book video trailers on their YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@TheEnigmaSeries, and website, www.EnigmaSeries.com We invite you to visit the website for FREE stuff, along with samples of the books and options to purchase signed copies shipped free in the continental US. We invite you to check out the fun acronyms created for the stories. Reach out to them at Authors@EnigmaSeries.com, Twitter@EnigmaSeries, or Facebook@TheEnigmaSeries.