Depth Charge by Jason Heaton (carter reed .txt) 📗

a novel having its own soundtrack, but listening to the track on repeat was inspiring as I edited the book, and it will find its way into the audiobook and, one day, the film score (a writer can dream, right?).

My friend Rick Marei learned that Tusker’s diving watch was to be an Aquastar Benthos, and he generously provided me with some inspiration in the form of a vintage Benthos to wear while I wrote Depth Charge.

Growing up in suburban Milwaukee wasn’t the most exotic or exciting life, but I found a kindred, dreaming spirit in my oldest friend, Christopher Winters. In high school, Chris and I shared musical tastes, wrote poetry, and went to coffeehouses while other friends were partying. Later on, it was with Chris that I did my first shipwreck dive, and we’ve shared countless adventures, both topside and underwater in years hence. The fact is, I always looked up to Chris. He took up acting, wrote a children’s book as a teenager, and took a bus to New York to try to get it published. He later became an award-winning maritime historian, author, and photographer. His focus, drive, and talents have always been an inspiration to me. Oh, and on a trip to Sri Lanka together, Chris started calling me “Tusker.”

Back when I was writing for Gear Patrol, I worked with a young editor named Chris Wright. I sparred with Chris occasionally over his suggested changes to my articles, but deep down I knew he was usually right and he made me a better writer. I told Chris that one day when I wrote my first book, I wanted him to edit it. With Depth Charge, that day arrived, and I cannot emphasize enough how much his editing improved the book you are reading. If you’re going to write a novel, never, ever, skip the editing. And if you can, hire Chris to edit it.

Nick Milanes, another Gear Patrol alum, came recommended by Chris to do the proofreading of the final layout. It takes a certain kind of person to proofread a 60,000-word 300-page book full of foreign names and arcane diving references, and Nick is that person. There’s nothing worse than opening a new novel and finding mistakes and typos, and the fact that Depth Charge looks so good is largely down to Nick.

The idea for Depth Charge was hatched in Jamaica, fittingly while my wife, Gishani, and I were staying at Goldeneye, Ian Fleming’s former estate. We were sitting by the lagoon after a morning snorkel when I got a bit of bad career news over e-mail. The decision to embark on a novel crystallized right there, and we immediately starting hatching plot ideas and possible publishing strategies, mere meters from where all of the James Bond novels were written.

The simple fact is, not only would Depth Charge never have been written, but I’d never have become the writer I am, if it weren’t for Gishani. Over our two decades together, she has always encouraged, cajoled, scolded, motivated, critiqued, and supported my writing efforts. She was there with me when I was writing my gear and watch reviews, taking the photos. And she always listens when I read out even my most boring work.

Gishani pored over Depth Charge, page by page, helping craft plot, relationships, names, and giving honest feedback on readability. She helped set up the Depth Charge website and has promised to help package and ship the books when orders come in. And she has supported us both, without complaint, while I spent months chasing a dream. Gishani always told me that she believed I’d be a novelist one day. Well, here I am, and it’s largely thanks to her.

Finally, what novelist doesn’t thank his parents? We often joke that my wife and my mother compete for the title “Number One Fan,” but if longevity counts, then Mom wins. As far back as I can remember she encouraged and celebrated my writing, and my reading. She always has been my champion, cheering for me from the bleachers, no matter what I’ve done or how well I’ve done it. The love of a mother knows no bounds and I owe a life of happiness and success to her.

Though Dad likes to pretend he keeps a tight rein on their finances, I know he’d relent if Mom decides to buy 100 copies of Depth Charge. Dad has always been the rock, the strong support our family relied on while we had our fun. I can’t count how many times he bailed me out or lent practical advice and a lifetime being his son has given me the strength and confidence to even write this book. He’s also afraid of deep water, one trait I’m glad I didn’t inherit from him.

I want to acknowledge two books I read that provided good background for some themes in Depth Charge. Stalin’s Gold, by Barrie Penrose, explores the salvage of gold from a sunken British warship in the Barents Sea. It is a daring story that could have been a thriller if it wasn’t true and it provided ideas and inspiration for Depth Charge.

The Hermes Adventure, by Rex Morgan, is a fascinating firsthand account of an expedition to dive the HMS Hermes wreck, written by the son of the photographer who was on board Hermes when it sank in 1942. The book spans three generations and 40 years, from Australia to Sri Lanka, and has some amazing photos and accounts of the ship’s sinking by her surviving crew.

Finally, I want to thank all those who encouraged me from the beginning of this project. Despite a lifetime of travel and adventure, both underwater and topside all over the planet, it was the sitting at home during a pandemic that became my life’s greatest adventure. The early and continued interest from those who signed up for email updates, sent me emails and messages with advice and encouragement kept me going when I hit moments of writer’s block, plot dead-ends, travel restrictions,