MJ Javani Explores Espionage Thrillers Rooted in Personal Experience

A Journey Through Middle Eastern Affairs and Espionage Fiction 

MJ Javani combines personal history and professional experience to create authentic espionage thrillers that explore terrorism and radicalisation. 

MJ Javani is a seasoned expert in Middle Eastern affairs, whose experiences as a former intelligence operative with the CIA and the Department of Defense have profoundly shaped his writing. Drawing from his personal journey, including his parents’ escape from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Javani has crafted a series of espionage thrillers that not only entertain but also educate readers on the complexities of terrorism, radicalisation, and the threat posed by extremist regimes. His work, notably the Janusz Soltani trilogy, reflects a unique perspective on the geopolitics of the Middle East, offering a compelling blend of historical insight and fictional intrigue. In this interview, MJ Javani delves into his inspiration for his main character, his dedication to cultural authenticity, and the challenges of writing realistic spy fiction while navigating the constraints of his past intelligence work.  

MJ Javani’s thrillers offer an exciting, realistic take on espionage, grounded in deep cultural and political insights. 

In ‘The Billionaire’s Conspiracy’, what inspired the creation of Janusz Soltani’s character and his unique background? 

Janusz Soltani’s journey begins with The Buraq Project, the first book in the trilogy. The inspiration was an individual with the exact same background (Polish mother and Iranian father) I had met at the CIA. I thought how interesting it would be to base a novel character around him. Someone with such a unique background will absorb a variety of languages and cultures in his daily life. This type of person also has physical characteristics that allow him to blend into a variety of environments, a great advantage for a spy.  

How does your experience as an intelligence operative with Iranian roots influence the realism in your Middle East-based thrillers? 

The Janusz Soltani trilogy is about the Iranian regime and its activities around the globe. Many of the greatest authors in this genre are not professional intelligence officers. Yet they write compelling novels that stand the test of time. The ability to create memorable characters in realistic settings is the most important attribute of an author. As a reader, I also seek cultural nuance and authenticity in spy novels. Many best-selling espionage thrillers don’t offer that. Without naming names, some famous authors depict scenarios that are unrealistic, both from an intelligence and cultural-political perspective. My motivation was to write a good story with greater authenticity to reflect reality.  

“The ability to create memorable characters in realistic settings is the most important attribute of an author.”  – MJ Javani

Can you share the research process behind the geopolitical elements featured in your novels? 

The novels reflect my understanding of the Middle East through both personal experience and fifteen years working in the American intelligence community. Having said that, I did extensive research on the technical aspects for the stories. For instance, The Buraq Project is about Iranian development of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) which required my devouring reams of data to understand basic principles of rocket science. Operation Devil’s Vengeance, book two, is about the weaponization of the Marburg virus, a deadly pathogen similar to Ebola. This involved extensive research into the human immune system, vaccinations, and the effects of hemorrhagic fevers. I believe espionage thrillers require discussions of advanced technologies to excite readers.  

What challenges did you encounter when blending factual intelligence operations with fictional storytelling? 

My intelligence career has been both my greatest asset and the source of my greatest challenge. Everyone entering the CIA must sign a lifetime nondisclosure agreement. This means that anytime a former Agency employee writes a book or article, it must be submitted to the CIA’s Publications Review Board. Sometimes it can take months for submissions to be reviewed and approved. Often, there are multiple redactions, even for a work of fiction. This happened with the first novel, The Buraq Project, for which I filed an appeal and won. Nevertheless, it’s a time-consuming process which can make life difficult if you have deadlines for agents and publishers. How did ‘Operation Stuttgart Mayhem’ set the stage for Janusz Soltani’s subsequent missions? 

Operation Stuttgart Mayhem was written as a teaser. It was available at no cost on Book Funnel in exchange for an email. It’s a short story about Janusz Soltani’s first mission for Unit 81 after leaving the CIA. It captures Janusz’s new opportunity to serve the United States and defeat her enemies without the constraints of a large bureaucracy and the shackles of political correctness.  

What message or themes do you aim to convey through the Janusz Soltani series? 

Until recently, authors from around the world sought publication of their novels in English because the space to discuss any topic, no matter how controversial, was open. Over the past fifteen years the boundaries of debate in the West have been eroded by the relentless march of political correctness. The inclusion of greater number of groups into protected categories has dealt a tremendous blow to honest debates, even in fiction, as more and more people take offense to the written word. This is the tradeoff between truth and happiness that Aldous Huxley warned about in his prescient masterpiece, Brave New World. I make it a point to write characters that do not bow down to political correctness or woke orthodoxy. If you take offense by an author’s creative attempts to entertain, my novels are definitely not for you.   

How do you balance maintaining suspense while ensuring cultural and political accuracy in your narratives?

Suspense, above all else, is about fear. The fear of not knowing what comes next for a character with whom the reader has developed a connection. The fear of something bad happening, perhaps to a minor character with whom the reader identifies.  Cultural and political accuracy deal more with the realm of world building and background setting to a story. Both elements are essential, and should complement each other in a good tale. As long as the cultural and political world building does not drag on for too long, it should serve to enhance the suspense by making the entire experience all the more realistic.      

What advice would you offer aspiring authors aiming to write authentic and engaging espionage thrillers? 

Don’t get intimidated by what other people will think or say about your writing. It’s not a contest, writing is about doing something that you find satisfying for yourself rather than anyone else. Writing is also a skill that you improve over time. The key is to just keep doing it. Even for the best writers, the process is always one full of revision and refinement. The only option is to jump in and keep working at it, and keep working at it, and keep working at it! Even after years and decades of this process it will never be perfect. Just good enough is all a good writer can hope for. Regarding espionage, read as many books and news stories as you can to familiarize yourself with the topic.