After 40 years in business management, GC decided to retire and try something different. He made a list of things he wanted to try, one of which was writing a novel. The only writing GC had to his credit was technical manuals and procedures, but he enjoyed reading various genres and was an avid reader.
GC had been a Ground Searcher and K9 Flanker on a search and rescue team for a few of years when he decided to retire which allowed him to spend more time with the team and was now available to respond to activations. New writers are often advised to write what they know, which in GC’s case, is search and rescue.
Drake Storm: Path of Spirits is his debut novel which takes place in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. GC has spent many days backpacking and hiking throughout the southeast United States, which was great preparation for search and rescue. He has a B.S. Degree in the Management of Human Resources and has worked in Industrial Construction Management, Distribution, Quality and Specialized Logistics.
GC's other interests include street rods, playing bass guitar, gardening and home remodeling projects. He lives in the southeast United States with his wife of over 40 years, two children and their families, eight grand dogs (one is search and rescue), two grand cats and an assortment of chickens.
An Interview with GC Moore, author of
Drake Storm, Path of Spirits...Authors Lounge, July 2023
What is your book about?
My debut novel takes place in the southeast United States and tells a story of Drake Storm, a retired Special Forces Operator and member of the Mighty Catawba Nation. He is part of a local search and rescue team and is seeking his two year old niece whom he fears is a victim of human trafficking. Drake suspects she was abducted by a former family friend and drug user. While on a search and rescue mission in the Appalachian mountains, Drake and a red haired team member seeking her Native heritage, stumble upon an ancient Catawba Path of Spirits. It was used by Catawba Warriors of ancient times to travel unseen and surprise their enemies. Human traffickers are using the Path to move their victims through the fringes of a world of spirit forces.
With the help of a World War Two veteran, a Gullah Root Doctor and powerful allies from a world beyond, Drake brings down the human trafficking organization which extends into the depths of big business, law enforcement and the highest offices of the U.S. government.
What inspired you to write the book?
My inspiration came from participating in searches for individuals that had a poor home environment and had run away from their parents, guardians or caretakers. I became interested in learning the clues and warning signs of human trafficking. When on a search, we go into areas that are rarely, if ever, seen by the average citizen or law enforcement. Houses that are a half mile off the road at the end of a dirt drive. Abandoned mobile homes, possibly being used for meth production. Makeshift transient shelter towns. I felt knowing the signs of trafficking could be beneficial.
The Human / Sex Trafficking / Child Exploitation crisis is astoundingly high among people of color – specifically black and indigenous females. In 2020, I learned of President Trumps Executive Order 13898 creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. I now had my plot and the heritage of my protagonist - Catawba.
A secondary motive for writing my book was to shed light on search and rescue technicians. We work with local law enforcement to search for the lost subject. In the rain, snow, heat, cold, mountainous terrain where there are no trails. We search swamps, riverbanks, lakes, and often at night. This is dangerous work and I have seen many law enforcement officers injured while searching, as they are often not equipped for ground searches. Still, they search. We are there to give them a break so the search can continue or to bolster their coverage. We often help provide a happy ending to the family of the search subject. All too often, we can only provide closure to families of those that don’t come home alive.
What is your target audience for the book?
I wrote the book with the military, law enforcement and first responder readers in mind. It has an amount of technical jargon and technology that will resonate with them. However, anyone that enjoys a fast paced, action filled novel will enjoy my book. Filled with history of the various indigenous tribes of the southeast US, the Gullah and Geechee cultures of the coastal regions of the Carolinas and Georgia, and various folklore or tall tales, I hope many will find it enjoyable.
What do you hope readers could get out of your book?
It is my hope that my book might in some small way be the catalyst for people to learn the warning signs of human trafficking. Military personnel, law enforcement and first responders are on the front lines, looking for signs of trafficking. Ordinary citizens can be a huge part of their efforts. Recognizing the signs and reporting them to law enforcement might help someone already imprisoned, or perhaps prevent someone from being enslaved.
What are your future goals / plans for the book.
I am working on distribution to bookstores and my marketing plan. I am also working on my second novel where Drake Storm and team move into the New England states to continue searching for his niece, and he continues to fight trafficking and exploitation. It too, will be a combination of fact, fiction and folklore.
And something more about yourself.
I spent my 40 years in business where the only writing I can claim are technical manuals and quality procedures. I reside in the southeast United States with my wife, children and their families.
Thank you, GC
You are very welcome!
Drake Storm, Path of Spirits...Authors Lounge, July 2023
What is your book about?
My debut novel takes place in the southeast United States and tells a story of Drake Storm, a retired Special Forces Operator and member of the Mighty Catawba Nation. He is part of a local search and rescue team and is seeking his two year old niece whom he fears is a victim of human trafficking. Drake suspects she was abducted by a former family friend and drug user. While on a search and rescue mission in the Appalachian mountains, Drake and a red haired team member seeking her Native heritage, stumble upon an ancient Catawba Path of Spirits. It was used by Catawba Warriors of ancient times to travel unseen and surprise their enemies. Human traffickers are using the Path to move their victims through the fringes of a world of spirit forces.
With the help of a World War Two veteran, a Gullah Root Doctor and powerful allies from a world beyond, Drake brings down the human trafficking organization which extends into the depths of big business, law enforcement and the highest offices of the U.S. government.
What inspired you to write the book?
My inspiration came from participating in searches for individuals that had a poor home environment and had run away from their parents, guardians or caretakers. I became interested in learning the clues and warning signs of human trafficking. When on a search, we go into areas that are rarely, if ever, seen by the average citizen or law enforcement. Houses that are a half mile off the road at the end of a dirt drive. Abandoned mobile homes, possibly being used for meth production. Makeshift transient shelter towns. I felt knowing the signs of trafficking could be beneficial.
The Human / Sex Trafficking / Child Exploitation crisis is astoundingly high among people of color – specifically black and indigenous females. In 2020, I learned of President Trumps Executive Order 13898 creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. I now had my plot and the heritage of my protagonist - Catawba.
A secondary motive for writing my book was to shed light on search and rescue technicians. We work with local law enforcement to search for the lost subject. In the rain, snow, heat, cold, mountainous terrain where there are no trails. We search swamps, riverbanks, lakes, and often at night. This is dangerous work and I have seen many law enforcement officers injured while searching, as they are often not equipped for ground searches. Still, they search. We are there to give them a break so the search can continue or to bolster their coverage. We often help provide a happy ending to the family of the search subject. All too often, we can only provide closure to families of those that don’t come home alive.
What is your target audience for the book?
I wrote the book with the military, law enforcement and first responder readers in mind. It has an amount of technical jargon and technology that will resonate with them. However, anyone that enjoys a fast paced, action filled novel will enjoy my book. Filled with history of the various indigenous tribes of the southeast US, the Gullah and Geechee cultures of the coastal regions of the Carolinas and Georgia, and various folklore or tall tales, I hope many will find it enjoyable.
What do you hope readers could get out of your book?
It is my hope that my book might in some small way be the catalyst for people to learn the warning signs of human trafficking. Military personnel, law enforcement and first responders are on the front lines, looking for signs of trafficking. Ordinary citizens can be a huge part of their efforts. Recognizing the signs and reporting them to law enforcement might help someone already imprisoned, or perhaps prevent someone from being enslaved.
What are your future goals / plans for the book.
I am working on distribution to bookstores and my marketing plan. I am also working on my second novel where Drake Storm and team move into the New England states to continue searching for his niece, and he continues to fight trafficking and exploitation. It too, will be a combination of fact, fiction and folklore.
And something more about yourself.
I spent my 40 years in business where the only writing I can claim are technical manuals and quality procedures. I reside in the southeast United States with my wife, children and their families.
Thank you, GC
You are very welcome!
