Frank Demith is an award-winning author and retired U.S. Army veteran with 28 years of distinguished service, including a pivotal role at the Pentagon from 2004 – 2008. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Frank served as the Program Manager for the groundbreaking 09L Army Interpreter/Translator program. Under his leadership, the program was developed into an Army Military Occupational Specialty, with two active-duty units, one Army Reserve unit, and one National Guard unit. Frank also acted as the program’s spokesperson, working closely with civilian teams and contractors to ensure its success and advancement.
Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Frank joined the Army after high school, embarking on a career that combined operational excellence with innovation. Now residing in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Frank dedicates his time to writing books and contributing articles to various magazines. An avid history and fiction enthusiast, he enjoys exploring battlefields, playing the saxophone, and spending time with his wife and their four dogs.
Frank’s commitment to leadership, storytelling, and continuous learning reflects his lifelong passion for service and community. This one-on-one interview shares Frank’s background and experience writing his debut novel, Of Vital Interest.
Tell us about Of Vital Interest.
Sergeant Abdullah is a trained linguist, a soldier, and now a mechanic, giving everything he has to serve the country that gave him a better life.
This stalwart soldier is heading out on his fourth deployment to Iraq, where he grew up in a small village before moving to the States with his parents under a military visa program. He is eager to deploy to Iraq and assist the military’s mission any way he can.
Meanwhile, Specialist Al Khafaji joins the US Military as part of another special recruiting program through which he ultimately becomes a US citizen and soldier. However, Al Khafaji’s motives are unclear to his superiors, who cannot discern what is different about him. While Al Khafaji moves through linguist training, he receives cryptic phone calls and emails as he prepares to deploy to Iraq, where his family still resides. What could these unsettling messages mean? Who is sending them?
In Of Vital Interest, Abdullah’s and Al Khafaji’s lives interweave as the two men join teams in Iraq, where the US Military works to dismantle a terrorist militant cell operating in a nearby village. A battle of good versus evil played out in a fight to the death, this riveting, fast-paced novel will have you hooked from the very first page!
What inspired you to write Of Vital Interest?
The confluence of my personal and professional experience inspired me to write Of Vital Interest.
I waited for several years for someone to write about the Army Interpreter/Translator program and what it accomplished during the Global War on Terrorism but nothing was ever written.
I decided to write the book and dedicate it to the more than 1,500 individuals who joined the Army to serve as Interpreter/Translators in the 09L program.
I think the program is an important part of our history and shows once again that immigrants play an important role in our country.
What is one message you would like readers to remember?
Immigrants have always played an important role in the history of the United States and always will. In writing Of Vital Interest, I wanted to give readers a better understanding of what men and women in the Armed Forces go through, when they deploy to a foreign country during a time of war.
Purchasing the Book
Of Vital Interest has received positive reviews from well-known literary organizations, authors, and reviewers around the world. Kirkus Reviews writes, “Demith supports this action-packed story with his own vast knowledge of the military, carefully detailing the large amount of training and planning that goes into missions…for fans of the genre, this story of military action will not disappoint.” The Historical Fiction Review writes, “Readers looking for a novel that both captivates and teaches in equal measure…should definitely check out this book.”
The book is available for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Nook, and other online bookstores. Readers are encouraged to purchase their copy today: https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Interest-Frank-Demith/dp/196220216X
To connect with Frank and learn more about his work, visit: www.frankdemithauthor.com. You can also find him on LinkedIn and Facebook.
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To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Frank Demith’s Of Vital Interest is a Fast-Paced Military Thriller that Explores the Duality of a Soldier’s Inner Battle Between Faith, Nationalism and Love For Fellow Soldiers