Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey write as Breakfield and Burkey. We
started writing non-fictional papers and books, but it wasn’t as fun as writing fictional
stories. We found it interesting to use the aspects of technology people are incorporating
into their daily lives more and more as a perfect way to create a good guy/bad guy story
with elements of travel to the various places they have visited either professionally and
personally, humor, romance, intrigue, suspense, and a spirited way to remember people
who have crossed paths with them.
We love to talk about our stories at private and public book events. Burkey conducts
author interviews for various groups—she loves learning about authors and their
passions. Her first interview was, wait for it, Breakfield. You can often find them at local
book fairs or other family-oriented events.
What do you do when you are not writing?
We both have day jobs, so writing is almost a luxury when time permits. The
good news is that since we work in the high-tech industry, we have a conveyor belt of
cyber problems and possible solutions which change daily. The bad news is how best to
weave the best topics into our next story. We pick the most relevant topics most of which
are in the headlines.
Do you have a day job as well?
Our professional careers mean we must schedule time for writing, editing, and
discussion on story direction. We dedicate the early morning to writing efforts when fresh
and before meetings surround us. The balancing act is like a tightrope walker carefully
navigating to the other side.
When did you first start writing, and when did you finish your first book?
Breakfield and Burkey wrote together in business in early 2000. From there,
we switched from non-fiction tech manuals to fictional thrillers with a technology threat.
The Enigma Factor got released in 2012. We’ve stayed busy with eleven more in Enigma
Series, book 1 in Enigma Heirs, Enigma Tracer, several short stories, a novella, and
recently added cozy mystery to our accomplishments. We participate in the Magnolia
Bluff Crime Chronicles with the Underground authors and have released book 5 and book
16 in that collection.
How did you choose the genre you write in?
We write in two significant genres, technothrillers and cozy mysteries. Our
short stories reach further with contemporary women’s literature, science fiction, and
romance. We write for reader enjoyment. With our professional careers as a backdrop,
thrillers with a hint of cyber threat remain our favorites.
Where do you get your ideas?
We see evolving technology and its evil twin cyber threats. Seeing what bad
actors from the Darknet are launching at mankind gives us ideas on defeating the enemy.
But it’s not just the technology because technical advancements are designed as benefits
to humans. If we align the human element, we determine the best method to delete evil.
For us, it is always discovering the puzzle and then figuring out how to solve it.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Yes, we get writer’s block, but not in a traditional sense. We consider limited
time to deliver quality writing, roughly 2-3 quiet hours. Sadly, interruptions can disrupt
our focus. The continuous blocks allow us to deliver our thoughts and ideas from initial
content to final reviews.
Do you work with an outline or just write?
Yes. We use both. A story concept will be discussed, and ten-plus chapters will
be sketched out. We each take a chapter and begin writing the manuscript. Think of it as
structured chaos since the outline in the spreadsheet may be altered numerous times due
to the progression of the actual story. The critical issues for us are the character
development and the story progression.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way, either growing up
or as an adult?
Breakfield and Burkey have each been avid readers since they could read.
Frequent trips to the library to check out books, book reports, and books in our respective
home libraries continue today. Mystery and adventure were the initial higher runners. The
Dune series is one of Breakfield’s favorites.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
Our first two books were non-fiction tech tombs for Auerbach, who did the
heavy lifting. We decided to go the route of self-publishing to retain control of our
content. We found that the path of independent press with multiple properties in multiple
media formats is NOT for the faint of heart. Our biggest challenge was, and still is, the
compelling back cover content. But as in all things, if you are willing to try, stub your
toes, then try, try, and try again, you succeed.
If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it
published that you would change?
We try not to look back for things we should have done differently but instead
concentrate on looking forward to presenting our work to more people, in various media,
across different countries. When we reflect, it is to avoid making the same mistakes and
add polish to the second edition. We can always do it better the more we practice.
How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your
genre?
We like going to book fairs and libraries to speak with readers to hear their
likes and dislikes. Increasingly, many people don’t get quality reading time, but they will
listen to audiobooks. We want to offer a variety of media, including e-books where the
reader can control the print size, paperback for fans of page turning, and audiobooks to
fill in gaps while driving or doing chores. We consciously decided to offer our work in all
three media for the best possible experience for our buyers. Then we noticed a good
market for our work in other countries, so we also added those channels.
Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
Our newest book, The Killer Enigma, is book 16 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime
Chronicles. We participate with the Underground Authors. Each author creates a cozy
mystery story in our fictional town of Magnolia Bluff, Texas.
Here is a brief teaser about the August 20th release: JJ and Jo learn privacy doesn’t
exist. They return to Magnolia Bluff to check on their friends and recapture the small-
town anonymity. In Magnolia Bluff, no one suspects their fame. They discount the status
as urban legends in favor of acceptance and a quiet, peaceful life. After all, a supermodel
needs time and space to recharge between jobs. A geek wants time to adore his wife. Past,
present, and future collide in a perfect storm no one expected. JJ and Jo take action to
uncover the truth. Chief Tommy Jager likes them but feels they’re a lightning rod for
trouble and disruption. Who will live or die to prevent the facts from being exposed? The
answers may be in the graveyard with fresh flowers on the gravestone.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
It should come as no surprise that there is a little bit of Breakfield and Burkey
in all their characters. That means the good ones and, yeah, the bad ones too.
Additionally, our tech jobs have taken us to so many different destinations worldwide that
it is not difficult to imagine fictional situations that build upon what we have
experienced.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
One of our favorite chapters in The Killer Enigma mixes the drama of a real-
world situation with the unexpected humor relating to the story. Here is a portion of that
chapter:
Thinking someone was delivering something unexpected, Lily opened the door and
stepped outside. The impact of the falling man took her by surprise, and cried out from
the dead weight. “No.”
Lily breathed heavily, having exorcised herself from under Calvin. Prickles from splinters
in her back worried her if they were to get removed with a burnt needle. The man was
barely breathing, yet she found a pulse. She stood and danced in place, fishing her phone
from her front pocket. Relief swept through her as she punched a number and heard it
ringing.
An alert commanding voice answered. “911, what’s your emergency?”
Lily shrieked, “I wet my pants!”
The 911 operator released an exasperated sigh that sounded frustrated. “Ma’am, I’m
sure this is an emergency in your mind, but this is not the place to report you need a fresh
diaper. So let me recommend—”
“This is Lily Greenly at Flower B&B. One of my guests collapsed against me when I
opened the front door. I want emergency people here now to help. He looks beaten,
bloody and is unconscious. But he’s breathing.”
Lily heard the demand in this order. “Stay on the line, please, while I alert dispatch.” She
heard him moving his wheelchair. The open line of communication let her know the
dispatcher insisted the EMT go to the correct address.
“Ms. Greenly, in the future, when you call 911, please leave your incontinent problems
out of your request for help.”
“Robert, don’t use that tone with me!” Lily snarled. “The next time someone drops two-
hundred-fifty-plus pounds of ex-football running back on you in surprise, let me know
how that works for you.”
The operator released a breath. “Lily, I’d probably wet my pants, too.
How did you come up with the title?
Titles must be short but quickly convey the book’s intent. Enigma is part of our
branding and symbolizes a layer of technology between the pages. Before settling on The
Killer Enigma, we searched for cozy mystery titles and other crime/suspense titles.
Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Breakfield and Burkey are working on the Enigma Heir series’ second book,
Enigma Forced. One of the secondary bad guys got away at the end of Enigma Tracer and
shows his evil agenda in our next book. Anytime you have someone with a day job trafficking narcotics and children, there will always be good guys trying to bring them to
justice. Enigma Forced is due out in early 2024, with book three, Enigma Jewels, planned
for early in 2025.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea
you’d love to work with?
We have a core group of heroes, R-Group, who we have evolved over the
series. New characters, especially evil geniuses or femme fatales, move in and out of the
stories if their plans are intercepted. We even have redeemed characters who decided how
they wanted to change and told us. Good versus evil and sticking to the moral high-
ground weave through our stories. We don’t believe in a standard formula for every story
because our imagination and characters take us in various directions.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best
compliment?
Our toughest criticism was a personal attack on us as authors. It was vile and
simply vulgar when an anonymous assailant made unfounded statements that were not a
criticism of the story. The best compliment was from a reviewer who complained about a
cyber freebooter character we had used in book number ten “I didn’t want to feel sorry for
the Mathias, but I couldn’t help myself…”
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up. Writing is a skill that is learned and practiced. Your success is
about delivering a product that changes how people think or enters their imagination for a
while. Practice, get feedback from multiple sources, rework, and deliver your best.
Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
We thank our readers and fans for their thoughtful comments and reviews. For
any author, readers’ most important role is delivering feedback and sharing their thoughts
with friends. This year we set up a monthly drawing for a 25-dollar gift card. Readers of
any one of our stories can write a review and post it on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or
Bookbub. Then copy the link to that review and post it on EnigmaSeries.com, in the
rafflecopter, for a chance at the cash.
Contact and Social Media:
Email: Authors@EnigmaSeries.com
Website: https://www.EnigmaSeries.com/
Blog: https://EnigmaBookSeries.com/the-enigma-chronicles/category/blog-statement/ and
Medium https://medium.com/@enigmaseries
Connect and follow on Social Media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbreakfield/ and
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanneburkey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnigmaSeries and https://twitter.com/1rburkey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEnigmaSeries and
https://www.facebook.com/roxanne.burkey.50
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Vz4x5ctTnx3yUhZk1OJkw
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/enigmseries/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enigmabookseries/
Bublish: https://bublish.com/author/breakfieldandburkey
Amazon: Rox https://bit.ly/3pE0D8e and Charles https://amzn.to/3rjHjO7
From the Book Reviewer's Desk 