What does it take to work together successfully? Collaborative authors Jay Flynn, Kaenan Oliver and Dominic Oliver know the answer so well they could probably write a book about it. The Los Angeles writing team recently paused their busy screenwriting careers to produce "Jitterbug Lift," their first novel by "Oliver Flynn."
"We check our egos at the door," Dominic Oliver said. Kaenan Oliver agreed, "Whatever's best for the story makes for the best collaboration." Having worked together for years, Jay Flynn added, "It's about the relationship. We have spent weeks non-stop polishing a draft and other times had to sneak our writing in like alcoholics."
Jitterbug Lift takes off with the opening shot of the Cold War in 1948, when the Soviet Union deprived Berliners of supplies, and blockaded access to the city. The Allies flew thousands of air-drops into Berlin for a year. "The Airlift was the right thing to do," said Dominic about the controversial aid. "And Truman did it-in the middle of an election."
Like post-World War II comic book heroes, each writer brought a special skill to the mission: Jay is a college professor and electrical engineer; Kaenan is a script consultant; and Dominic is an actor and acting coach. Together they crafted an historical thriller fueled by desire, revenge, romance and forgiveness. Here's the scoop:
Former WWII bomber pilot Chance Mitchell trades bombs for food, fuel and medicine to drop over Berliners while his private mission is to find and rescue his buddy and former B-17 copilot whose plane recently went down behind the Iron Curtain on a clandestine flight. His quest through the lawless ruins takes him to the beautiful but damaged Sonya, a Jewish Resistance fighter with an enigmatic mission. Powerfully attracted, Chance doesn't know if she will lead to his answer or his destruction. When a fire has blazed so hot, one can be burned by even the ashes for a long time.
What's it all about? On that, the three agree: the human toll of war, the struggle to survive, the power of connection. And above all, Love and Reunification.
Major players in this story emerge as the German women who united to rebuild their country. "They weren't very glamorous," said Jay. "It was an agonizing, slow process that doesn't fit into one date in history. But they were still a major force."
The authors have always been attracted to the idea that great things are done by ordinary people. "When you're at 35,000 feet flying over the Rockies, you're being held up by things that weigh so little that it takes a trillion trillion of them to make a gram," Jay said. "And each one is hitting the plane's wings and pushing it up, just a little. But given enough of them, they will carry you home. We're a lot bigger than those molecules of air. Together we can do great things."
What's next for Oliver Flynn? An action-adventure novel set in Panama. More details? Shhhh....It's Top Secret.
Jitterbug Lift is available on Amazon:
Title: "Jitterbug Lift"
Author: Oliver Flynn
Pages: 408
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2/19/13
Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-1479259137 ISBN-10: 1479259136
E-Book Kindle: ASIN-B0093AZJYA
Retail Price: $14.39
