James McDevitt is the author of the new novel A Walk Among Heroes. He is also a veteran and a firefighter, and he lives in Alabama.
Q: What inspired you to write A Walk Among Heroes?
A: I’ve always been fascinated with movies, songs, and poetry — the lyrics and words that resonate with our emotions.
I think the inspiration came in 2010 when I was in Iraq. I had a little black book that I still have today, with the beginnings of a story. I had a goal of reading 100 books during the year I was there. I only made it to 73, and I’ve never come close since.
In all of those books, there was one story that I particularly remember for inspiration — Snowleg by Nicholas Shakespeare. I decided right then that I was going to write one of my own.
This novel was sparked by a real account from WWII about two American soldiers, Warren Felty and William Miller. Before the war, Felty saved Miller from a nearly fatal car accident during a snowstorm in Pennsylvania.
Years later, they were both captured as POWs, and during a brutal 75-mile winter death march, Miller collapsed and was close to dying. Against all odds, Felty recognized him and helped carry and push him forward until they both survived. All the stories of that book were inspiring but this one hit the hardest.
My book doesn’t retell their story, but the emotional truth of loyalty, sacrifice, and the bonds that outlast war is the heart of A Walk Among Heroes.
Q: What impact did your own military service have on the writing of the novel, and what did you see as the right balance between fiction and history as you wrote the book?
A: Experience makes a writer. I had a unique opportunity to leave the country and live abroad three years of my life. I try not to put any fiction into my writing. It’s all based on something real to me. Three years of war has an impact on anyone. I try to use it as something positive. I used
genuine emotions and things soldiers actually say. I bring out the dark humor in times of terror.
Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: It’s pretty straightforward and resonated with me. I’ve walked beside a lot of heroes in the army and in firefighting. There are so many great men and women out there who have given it all for the betterment of humanity. Some of us are lucky to be beside them.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I hope they take away what it feels like to go through war, what it feels like to come home, and how disconnected a veteran may feel because of what they’ve seen or had to do. I hope they see that it’s not only hard on the veteran but it can be worse on the family left behind. I hope it brings them tears, joy, and laughter. I hope reading A Walk Among Heroes gives them hope. I hope they’re able to see the good in the world.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on a series in a completely different genre. A mix between Interview with the Vampire, Constantine, and The Time Keeper. I have a lot of work to do and I’m about 60 pages in.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I have a fascination with psychology. Maybe it’s because I’ve played over 500,000 hands of poker or that I’ve had two professions reading people at their worst time under stress. I have an insatiable desire to learn.
I realize that we all have original experiences in life, but we have the same emotions behind those unique stories. I hope to convey that in all of my books and poetry. I hope to get to the core of human emotion with my words.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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