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One Nation-Indivisible
Visitors
by John Stricker
FAQ's (sorta)
As I get questions, if any, I'll answer them here. In the meantime, here are a few things that might answer questions that haven't been asked yet.
01
Where did the idea for the books come from?
I read an article several years ago about Abraham Lincoln and how he wasn't necessarily the choirboy "Honest Abe" that modern casual history presents him to be. A lot of it depends on your Point of View, but some things about him really don't, you just have to know about them. One thing, in particular, was that in his own words he said over and over that the war was NOT about slavery. He said that he didn't believe he had the legal authority to free the slaves. It was about taxes. One of the main reasons for secession were huge tariffs on manufactured goods paid for by the south, with almost not tariffs being paid by the north on the south's raw materials. The federal government was dependent upon that and when the states seceded, it was gone. There were many other things, like illegally carving Virginia into two states, suspending the writ of habeas corpus, shutting down newspapers, illegal conscription and arrests, defiance of the Supreme Court, and others. This got my mind moving towards where we were at today, with an out of control federal government, and what it would take for a secession to occur.
02
So are you advocating secession, are you a seditionist?
Hardly. Although I do think that some of what's in the book IS coming for us (especially an economic collapse caused mostly by a crushing federal debt and out of control entitlements), I don't think secession or sedition is an answer. To be honest, I'm an old man. I think the country will hold together until I'm worm food and for some time after that. While the term "I don't care" isn't really accurate, it is kind of my feelings right now. You see, I'm not a Billionaire like the characters in my book. I have no power or ability to influence the future. It's out of my hands so I'm not worried about it. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change" pretty much sums me up at the moment. So for those of you that DO get to live through it... Good Luck.
03
There are lots of facts and figures in the book, are they accurate?
As accurate as I could make them, yes. I spent many hundreds, if not thousands of hours researching for the book. Military, GDP, Taxes, and so many other facts. Even to the point of the speeds of the aircraft and distance details. I wanted everything to be as realistic as possible both for you, the reader, and myself to know I did a good job with it. Now I will confess I started writing the books clear back in 2010 so some may have changed somewhat since then. I did try very hard to go back and update what needed to be updated in the editing process, but if you find something that is WAY off, let me know.
04
Are these real places and people?
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Oh, c'mon now. This is a NOVEL. That means it's fiction, make believe, not real, all from my imagination (warped as it may be). Having said that there are references to specific places in the book at different times, but I've taken literary license with ALL of them and just bent and molded them to suit my narrative. No, there is no 'Ivory Tower' in Kansas City, so don't go looking for it. If you do find it, Tony will just have to shoot you anyway so there's no point.​
05
How long did it take to write?
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That's hard to say. I started it in late 2010 if I recall correctly, doing research about Lincoln and the civil war. I didn't start writing until early 2011. Once I started, I wrote the whole thing, both books, as one way too long manuscript that was over 1,000 pages and almost 300,000 words. I didn't go back and check spelling, grammar, continuity of the story or characters, or anything like that. I just sat down and started typing. That took about 3 weeks. I've been working on it ever since except I was interrupted for about 4 years due to life events. The second book is nearly done and just going through final editing now.