Today we’d like to introduce you to Derwin Bradley.
Hi Derwin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been an artist all my life, but when my brother came home on leave from Germany, he showed me a case file of an investigation into Neo-Nazis and Klan members in the US Army. That gave me the idea of writing a story about him being targeted by those two groups and needing rescue by a private group of former military counterterrorist operatives that specialized in hostage rescue. I took a year off from work, moved to Atlanta, and crafted the first novel, The Operator: Fear No Evil. I traveled all over the US and Europe to get a realistic feel of some the places where the story takes place. After I thought I was finished, I came back to Orlando and went back to work. Admittedly, the first draft was terrible, and I put it down for a year. I looked at the manuscript again and realized I had two stories in one. I rewrote everything and got The Operator: Fear No Evil (an origin story) and The Operator: Die by the S.W.O.R.D. (The actual rescue story). The second novel won first place in a writing competition sponsored by the National Arts Council. In my novels, I include some of my military and police experiences. I continued to write in my spare time (it is good therapy), and I am on my fourth novel. I retired in 2019, but I went back to work last year to help build a Public Safety operation. I am occasionally called upon for other skills such as tactical training, dignitary protection, self-defense, and security consulting.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No. It has not been a smooth road. Everything that could go wrong did. When I abruptly left the police department and moved to Atlanta, everyone thought I had gone mad. I didn’t tell them why I was leaving. There were rumors that I was on Crack and that I was going to Atlanta to be a stripper. My brother wanted me to stay in Orlando to help him with his security company. I gave him some of my savings and some office furniture, but he wanted my expertise in security operations. I told him that I had to go write, and he told me that I wasn’t smart enough to write a book. I was in Atlanta for about two weeks when the entire left side of my body went numb. I freaked out and went to a chiropractor who told me there was nothing wrong with me except stress, and I needed to calm down. Then, after I finished the first rough draft of the novel, I accidentally erased it. I panicked when I called my friend, a computer genius, and he helped me recover everything. I struggled financially because I wasn’t making what I made at the PD, and I had given my brother much of my savings. Some days I didn’t eat, but I kept pushing. The apartment building that I lived in suddenly decided to become condominiums, and we all had less than 30 days to move out. I moved in with a friend I knew from when she lived in Orlando, and it turned out to be a disaster. Some days I just slept in my car. The Chief of Staff from the PD kept calling me to come back, so I finally gave in and moved back home.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a retired Master Police Officer. I currently serve as the Public Safety Director for a large planned community in Orlando. I was hired to build a public safety team because of my expertise in Crime Prevention, CPTED, and Crime Free Multi-Housing. As mentioned before, I specialize in tactical training, dignitary protection, self-defense training, crime prevention, security consulting, and conflict resolution. I am known for being calm in extreme situations and being a highly skilled operative. I am known nationwide for my work in dignitary protection. I am proud that, despite all the darkness I’ve seen, I still have hope that one day humans will learn to live in harmony. I am also proud that I have completed missions on five continents, met amazing people, and experienced their cultures. I keep in touch with a few of them. I think what sets me apart is my intensity, focus, and my worldview. In my world, you are either a good person or you are not. I am not your judge, but I can’t let you hurt innocent people or cause havoc (at least not in my presence).
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’ve had so many instances where I was blessed with good fortune. There are numerous times when I could have been killed or severely injured in the line of duty, but the bullet missed my head by less than an inch, or the bad guy’s partner didn’t attack me from behind because his feet appeared to be frozen in place. I have had some mishaps, but nothing I would call bad luck. If something went wrong, I accept it, correct it, and move on (even if it was not my fault). I have had some amazing luck, so I have no complaints.
Contact Info:
- Website: operatorbook.com or derwinjbradley.com
