When I sat down to write Free R.A.D.I.C.A.L., I’m not going to lie, I was worried. Fuck that, I was scared shitless.
With the help of my faithful companion, Claire the Mule, over a four-year period since landing in NoCo, I had banged out the five books in The Claire Saga series —
An Alien Appeal: An Alien Appeal (The Claire Saga Book 2) – Kindle edition by McCaffrey, Tom. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Kissing My Ass Goodbye: Amazon.com: Kissing My Ass Goodbye (The Claire Saga Book 3) eBook : McCaffrey, Tom: Kindle Store
Finding Jimmy Moran: Finding Jimmy Moran: Codicil to The Claire Trilogy (The Claire Saga Book 4) – Kindle edition by McCaffrey, Tom. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
and
Where The Ley Lines Meet: Amazon.com: Where The Ley Lines Meet: Final Chapter to the Claire Saga eBook : McCaffrey, Tom: Kindle Store
However, I wasn’t sure if I still had any gas in the tank.
As I have often admitted to anyone who cares, and many that don’t, I claim no proprietary ownership in my writing. It all flows from The Field – The Field – Lynne McTaggart
I sit down, my mind goes blank, and a few hours later there is something on the screen. I’m a lucky scrivener.
I haven’t written any part of a novel since the summer of 2023. And FR wasn’t going to be a fantasy novel. Claire could only offer me moral support. I was stepping into John Grisham’s genre for the first time. A legal thriller. And I was setting the story primarily in my hometown of NYC, which I’ve visited only once for a week back in 2024 since I moved cross-country to NoCo. To be honest, I was searching for excuses – including cleaning my basement office – before sitting back down before the blank computer screen.
What helped me overcome my fear of returning to writing was a promise I made just before WTLLM hit the shelves to a now passed high school classmate to make him a central character in my next novel. Promises kept PF.
In addition, once upon a time the real-life basis for central character in FR passed through my legal orbit, like 3I Atlas – 3I/ATLAS Tracker – Live Interstellar Object Updates. I never forgot Doc. I always wanted to share a fictionalized version of his story. He deserves that much.
Finally, I have the greatest inner circle of readers – Anna Hillman, Deb Black, Renee Clarke, Eileen Cotto, Pete Sheridan and my barber and confidant, Anna K, from all different professional backgrounds, sprinkled all over the country, who were there every morning calling out “next” as I fed them the novel in chapter portions over 54 days. Once they signed on, I was committed.
The members of the inner circle were brilliant and inspiring. They read each day’s work and came back to me with their comments, critique and edits. The best thing about them is that they know my writing style – I’m the Slip Mahoney of the modern literary set – News Hounds (1947) – Quotes – IMDb. They know the difference between my incompetence and my genius. They had great fun drawing the distinction but never fucked with the latter, whatever that may be.
Given how much I love Halloween, I chose 10/31/25 as the date to whip the Casa Claire elves into their typing frenzy. They hit their stride with the first keystroke.
Anyway, once I finished up on 12/23/25, and my inner circle all signed off, I sent the completed draft out to some of my friends back home in NYC to see if I captured and represented Gotham properly. New Yawkers are very protective and proprietary of their city that never sleeps.
I also ran it by a retired Vet friend of mine, who knows his way around the scientific aspect of the storyline.
Luckily, their responses have uniformly been supportive and positive.
Of course, I sent a copy to my dear friend and mentor, Colin Broderick, to get his feedback. He called me right after Christmas with a wonderful and detailed analysis as his response. Given that we have been sharing our aspirations and dreams of literary success since the ’90s – we lived one floor apart in the same Bronx apartment building – I’m hoping he’ll write the introduction to the novel.
I also reached out to about a half-dozen writers whose work I respect and with whom I’ve become close enough to ask them to take time away from their own busy writing schedules to read my work. I was not expecting to hear back from any of them until way after the holidays. Late January at best. Family first.
Now, it’s always tricky when you ask a writer to read your work. We all want to be nice to each other because we face a common world of readers (and trolls) who really don’t care if they hurt your feelings or napalm your career. Still, we understand the sacrifice and sweat that goes into putting words on paper. We put in the work. We all respect the process and each other and share a writer’s code of honor not to blow smoke up each other’s asses if we are asked to read each other’s work. That anticipated honesty makes sharing our work that much more frightening. Pucker up.
I selected some of the award-winning writers I know because they specialize in genres that I had never dabbled in but that were being mixed into this latest novel. One and all, they are artists who are all about the craft and whose writing is exciting and, unlike mine, impeccable — which is why I never go for the awards they so honestly deserve. I figured that if I completely screwed the pooch, they would let me know and I would have a few months before my March submission deadline with my publisher to fix it.
Surprisingly, I did hear back from three of those writers right away.
Dave Buzan lives in the Northwest. He is a writer of historical fiction that authentically and respectfully captures the Native American culture and plight in an evolving early American setting and also weaves a wonderful line of fantasy into a multi-generational storyline. His writing is every bit as mesmerizing and respectful of Native American culture as the Dark Winds film series – https://youtu.be/KU9X4Xyb8JE. Dave has a solid background in film, and he views literature though that lens. His writing is very visual.
Amazon.com: David Buzan: books, biography, latest update
Right after Christmas, Dave sent me a very complimentary and detailed email, with his positive review of the novel and a proposed blurb. I was thrilled.
“It’s Grisham meets Crichton in this bold, entertaining, and thought-provoking thriller. There’s enough courtroom intrigue, shadowy conspiracies, and explosive action for any book jury to render a must-read verdict.” — David Buzan, bestselling author of IN THE LAIR OF LEGENDS”
Cam Torrens is an ex-military guy -30 years in the Airforce including overseas deployment – with all of the authentic experiences that come along with it. Real deals can smell bullshit, and I was terrified my military references, armament, characters and storylines would not get past him. Because he has lived those experiences, his Tylor Zahn character leaps off the pages of his wonderful series.
Amazon.com: Cam Torrens: books, biography, latest update
Cam got back to me well before the New Year. He provided me with a review and a blurb:
“Tom McCaffrey, bestselling author of The Claire Saga series, steps into the techno/legal thriller genre and knocks it out of the park on his first swing! “Free Radical” is a smart, fast-paced novel featuring two razor-sharp legal minds, cutting-edge biotech speculation, and an underlying story of ambition, loss, love, and purpose.
McCaffrey’s plot is layered–I’m talking multi-layered–and clever, escalating tension through legal battles, corporate secrecy, and an underlying possibility that never fully lets the reader settle. Veteran lawyer Pete Flanagan is flawed, weary, and compelling. His counterpart Morgana O’Byrne is…well, you’re just going to have to find out for yourself. Hint: there might be more than one protagonist in this story!
Above all, the “Free Radical” is a love letter to New York City, capturing its politics, courts, subways, bars, and shadows with authenticity and grit. Tom McCaffrey writes what he knows–and he knows the City! Highly recommend!”
Michael Crichton’s speculative menace meets John Grisham’s legal firepower as two brilliant New York lawyers join forces against a biotech breakthrough whose consequences threaten their careers, their city, and the future of humanity!–Cam Torrens, bestselling author of the Tyler Zahn mystery/suspense series
Cam lives in the Southern part of Colorado, but I will be lucky enough to grab a cup of coffee with him this week. Cam, I’m buying.
Yesterday, I heard from Joe Lewis, who is another award-winning writer of gritty thriller/crime/detective mysteries with a strong coming-of-age theme embedded within. Joe grew up in Wisconsin but now calls Virginia his home. He uses his professional background in psychology and counseling to brilliantly plumb the emotional depths of his characters and plots.
Amazon.com: Joseph Lewis: books, biography, latest update
Joe also provided me with his detailed analysis of FR with a psychological flair and concluded with this incredible summation:
“Free Radical by Tom McCaffrey is an outstanding legal thriller, a page-turner steeped in mystery and intrigue. There are twists and turns aplenty, and I found myself guessing- and guessing wrongly more times than not. I am a sucker for flawed characters, and Pete Flanagan certainly is one of the best created. The writing is fantastic. McCaffrey is a master of setting and pacing. I had trouble putting the book down, and after finishing it, I went back and reread passages because I found myself thinking about the story and its characters long after I closed the book. As a writer and reader of thriller-crime-mysteries myself, anyone who loves that genre will find Free Radical one of the best of the bunch. I highly recommend this wholehearted 5 Star book. Review by Joseph Lewis, award-winning author of Fan Mail and Black Yéʼii (The Evil One).”
I will admit that this kind of response from these amazing writers is humbling. Literally brought tears to my eyes.
But their support has allowed me to put on my writer’s speedo and leap into the literary icy pool water to doggie paddle with floaties where writers like John Grisham, Scott Turow, Meg Gardiner, Richard North Patterson and Michael Connelly are effortlessly swimming Olympic record-breaking medleys.
I hope to have the final editing and cover art done — (2) Richard Lamb | LinkedIn (did the covers for The Claire Saga) – for FR before the end of this month, because I have already shanghaied my inner circle for a run at another novel – a medical/mystical drama – in February or March at the latest. Might as well get on it while the car’s engine is still warm and before any doubts about talent and skill start to creep back in. And one never knows what the future will bring. Wish me luck.
Finally, I’m also hoping that my publisher gets wind of this strong response and, if an opening appears in the BRW 2026 publishing schedule, that he will slide FR into that spot. There is nothing that makes being a writer more real than seeing his novel in physical form.
And for my fine, five readers that actually open this blog every morning, thank you so much for keeping me writing on a daily basis like a paid gym buddy. Without you as my audience out there on the InterWeb, my daily musings are nothing more than a sad diary left behind in a NYC subway car.
I really appreciate every person that has spent any time reading any form of my writing. From my heart, thank you.
So, now that I’ve tossed out this teaser to keep the readers thinking about me until Free Radical finally hits the shelves in a year, I hope that, while they wait, they pick [back?] up copies of The Claire Saga and immerse themselves in the other manifestation of my Dissociative Identity Disorder.
I also hope Hollywood comes calling. So, if you know anyone, please share.
Until then, let’s make today a great one.
