Boom! Welcome to Books & Biceps, the only newsletter for sophisticated meatheads where I share weekly book recs, author interviews, workout motivation, random sports stuff and more. Forwarded this email? Join 30,000+ other readers here.

The Council: A Thriller by Matthew Betley

We have been on an absolute tear with incredible behind-the-book author interviews lately across so many of my favorite genres. A few weeks ago we talked to Craig Fehrman about his new history of Lewis & Clark, we talked hoops with 5x NY Times bestseller Shea Serrano, and this week we’ve got an interview with former Marine and bestselling author, Matthew Betley about his awesome new thriller, The Council.

I read this book in about five days because it flew by in the best way possible. The plot is big and cool: There’s a secret organization hidden within the government that has infinite resources to control world events. They spy. They study. They manipulate everything. And when they need someone eliminated, from powerful leaders to business moguls, they bring in a group of elite operators who all have one thing in common (I’ll let you read what it is), while convincing them their actions are all for the greater good. As the book gets going (and after a few high-powered missions) Owen Pierce, the bad ass leader of this group, begins to suspect that the Council is lying to them. And we’re off…

The Council reads like an action movie and throwback military TV show rolled into one, like a mash-up of the phenomenal 80s A-Team with Mr. T and Tom Cruise’s recent Mission: Impossible films. If that sounds great to you, and I’m sure it does because you’re reading a newsletter called Books & Biceps, then read my conversation with Matt here and then grab the book!

ONE

FINKEL: Longtime readers know I am a huge fan of book covers that are inspired by a scene in the story. Your cover, of four operators on a mountain, staring at a far-off gondola heading to another mountain peak fits the bill perfectly. Makes us think: When does that happen? What’s happening? What’s the set-up?

What are some things you look for in a book cover to catch the reader’s attention and tease something from the story?

BETLEY: Which is exactly what I want readers to think, at least in this case, for the opening scene - What's so important on that gondola and how are they going to cross that valley to get to it?  As for covers in general, they need to be dynamic, eye-catching, have a great color scheme, and be related to the story, even if a cover is exaggerated. It's always about the aesthetic and how effectively you can grab a potential reader's attention in a saturated thriller market. 

TWO

You’ve got a bunch of what I’d call major tentpole action sequences in this book. The one teased on the cover in the mountains, a Mexican compound outside Cancun, inside Gulfstream jets, on Constitution Island, an old Hollywood set… All unique and interesting and giving us new set pieces for firefights and standoffs. Do you pick these spots before you’re writing the book, or do you let the writing take you where it goes and then you think, “you know where this scene would be cool? Constitution Island”... Or something like that? Which one is your favorite in the book?

I usually have envisioned most of the set pieces in any novel I've written. In this case, the first place was Constitution Island. A very good friend of mine, Brian Costello, my #1 trusted reader, called me and said, "I just took my family to this place, and you need to set a scene here." Considering its proximity to West Point across the Hudson River, NYC, and the UN, I knew where Owen's hunt would end. Brian gets all the props for that one. 

THREE

Without giving anything away, I have to ask about one of your main villains in the book, The Custodian. From the second you introduce him, I’m thinking he’s a more professional, modern version of American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman. Any inspiration there? Where did that character originate from? He’s super entertaining.

Man, I LOVE how everyone has responded to The Custodian. Of all the books, short stories, and screenplays I've written, I have to say that he's my favorite character I've ever created. If I ever write a standalone prequel in this world of Owen's, I would do one on The Custodian. I also love your comparison to Bateman and American Psycho, but in this case, I just thought of the most GQ, preppie serial killer I could who loves 80s Yacht Rock and lives by a very strict code...all the while satiating his urges as a serial killer with unlimited resources. The goal was to make him wildly entertaining, complex, evil, and calculating, even if he doesn't realize it.

FOUR

Where did you get the idea to use an abandoned Wild West movie lot as the backdrop for a major showdown? I thought it was very cool. Gave all the modern weaponry and tech used by the characters an old west theme, including a full-on Saloon. Nice touch!

I've done so many big action set pieces, but I'd never done a Wild West one. I'd toyed with the idea of writing a Western, and instead, I thought, I'll go full-TIMECOP and have modern weapons in an old-timey setting. The trick was contrasting the time period of the set with the modern amenities. And of course, who better to occupy that place than a bad-ass biker gang! 

FIVE

Let’s finish on how you approach writing hand-to-hand combat scenes. Or in this case, a few knife to katana blade combat scenes and then some! Do you visualize the characters and how they’d fight beforehand… Almost choreograph it? Or do you start the fight, use how each character thinks, and build the fight sequence that way?

In my lifetime, I've taken multiple styles of martial arts and even trained with the Marine Corps boxing coach (9/11 and a deployment made it the shortest boxing career ever; LOL). But more importantly, I'm a very visual writer. My process from the very first draft page of OVERWATCH, my debut Logan West thriller, has always been the same: sit in front of computer; put in earbuds; play epic movie scores from composers like Lorne Balfe, Hans Zimmer, etc.; see the action; hear the dialogue; feel the emotion; and transcribe what I'm experiencing. I've never felt like a writer, more like a transcriber recording his observations in his head. As a result, when a fight starts in my head, I let the action play out as fluidly and naturally as possible. I obviously know the result ahead of time, but the story dictates how vicious and brutal the fight will be. The one exception is when I wrote a fight scene for RULES OF WAR inside a Chick-fil-A that ended in the kitchen. I remember a critic who loved the book calling it one of the most original kills of the year. Not sure about that, but it sure was fun to write, and I love their spicy chicken sandwiches! 

BONUS QUESTION:

Do you think of major plot twists ahead of time? Or do you find yourself in the middle of writing a chapter and then think of a perfect way to yank the reader in another direction to keep them on their toes?

I'm a sucker for old-school-90s-movies-style plot twists. I always try to have at least one major plot twist, whether it's at the beginning, middle, or end of a story, and in order to plot the story carefully, they're usually thought of ahead of time. The best magic trick is one where the audience doesn't even realize they're in the middle of it. Abracadabra! 

GRAB THE BOOK HERE!

The garage gym, AKA, The Flex Factory, was looking mighty fine this Monday morning. I have a swim meet coming up at the end of May, so I’m dialing down the heavy, low-rep sets during my full upper body lifting days and going with higher reps or slower reps to leave more in the tank for swim practice in the evenings.

I really like this workout. Hits everything up top (I do my mobility/flexibility leg days separately). Gives me full range of motion for chest, shoulders, back, biceps and triceps while not going close to failure. I’ve found I’m less tired the next day and don’t feel as sore in the pool. Try this next time you’re in the gym:

If you can’t read my awful scribble:

Warm-Up: 30 seconds jump rope, 5 Slam Balls slams (40 pounds): 5 rounds total

Weighted Pull-ups: 8×5 slow w/ a 30-pound Ruck Sack

DB Bench (slow), full range: 3 x 8 (50 pound DBs)

Ring Dips: 2 × 10 bodyweight

Light Standing Dumbbell Presses easy: 3 × 12 (25 pound DBs)

Tri/Flys - I invented this. It’s a wide, bent band lat pulldown, like doing the butterfly out of the water, but after the full stroke, you bend your elbows and do a triceps press down. These are killer and I love them. 2 × 12 slooooow (70 pound band with handles)

Barbell Curls slow: 3 × 12 (45-pounds then 65 pounds then 85 pounds)

Fellas! If you’re a guy over 40 and you’ve been looking for a new digital magazine that’s written for midlife men, by midlife men, on the topics that actually matter to us: family, fitness, fashion, finance, food & fun, then join us at Midlife Male.

I’m the Editor-in-Chief and I write a column every Tuesday called The Manologue. This week, I wrote about a movie that every dude should watch (or re-watch) once you hit 40. I’m talking about Warrior. I posted this on Twitter a few days ago and the number of guys who have written me to say it’s also one of their favorite sports movies of all time is crazy. Read this, then watch it.

Try One of Our Most Popular B&B Challenges:

The ‘Read More, Lift More’ 30-Day Brain & Body Endurance Challenge

The Flex Factory Garage Gym Muscle Manual: 90 Days to Meathead Nirvana

P.S. WE’RE 193 DAYS OUT FROM THE RELEASE OF BEAR BRAWL!!!

SOME EARLY PRAISE:

"Jon Finkel's ingeniously conceived Bear Brawl is the most fun you'll have reading a novel this year. Set in my home state of Arkansas, this high-octane thriller bleeds raw authenticity. From the expertly plotted action scenes, to its heart-wrenching themes--Finkel's debut novel arrives on the scene loaded for bear."

-- "Eli Cranor, Edgar Award-winning author of Mississippi Blue 42, Ozark Dogs, and Don't Know Tough"

Pre-order your book right now! We have a TON of cool giveaways coming, so just screenshot your order and you’ll be able to take advantage of every single one:

Jon Finkel is the award-winning author of Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage, 1996: A Biography, Hoops Heist, The Life of Dad, Jocks In Chief, The Athlete, Heart Over Height, “Mean” Joe Greene and more. His books have been endorsed by everyone from Mark Cuban, John Cena and Tony Dungy to Spike Lee, Kevin Durant and Chef Robert Irvine. He has written for GQ, Men’s Health, Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and has appeared on CBS: This Morning, Good Morning Texas, Good Morning Chicago, and hundreds of radio shows, podcasts and streams. Jon was recently profiled in The New Yorker about the awesome community he’s built around his Books & Biceps newsletter. They describe him as “a gym rat’s Reese Witherspoon”. Reply to this email for any media requests.

→ DO YOU READ BOOKS & BICEPS MOST WEEKS?

→ DO YOU WORK FOR A BRAND OR COMPANY OR SELL A PRODUCT?

Want to get in front of 29,000 awesome readers who focus on being smart, wellness, fitness, nutrition, entertainment, sports and more?

You could be our next title sponsor! Previous sponsors include Nike, Random House, Netflix, Huel, HubSpot, SFH Nutrition, La Touraine Watches and more…

Download our media kit here:

→ Reply to this email for rates and availability.