JC: Today we are chatting with Asher Radman, the FBI agent featured in the By The Numbers series written by John Charles.  The series is expected to have at least ten books, each of which is a stand alone novel.  Asher will have a role in each though not always as the key character.  He prefers to to stay in the background and work his magic to bring the mystery to a surprise conclusion.

JC:  There are quite a few questions that our readers want answered.  So let’s jump right in.  Asher, do you consider yourself an optimist?

Asher: Definitely.  I learned at an early age that my attitude played an important role in every part of my life.  I saw other kids who pouted, expressed anger, cried, etc and saw how their attitudes got them so much less than those who were happy most of the time.

JC: What was your biggest failure, growing up?

Asher: I’ve not had any real failures unless you consider that my parents were killed when I was 12 years old. but that was not my personal failure.  I know that sounds overly self indulgent, but I enjoyed my life and well frankly, I was kinda spoiled so failure wasn’t a word I ever used myself.

JC:  OK then what was your biggest success?

Asher: Moving up the ranks in the agency. I passed the test and started as a rookie, I was determined to make a name for myself. I was on a mission, a mission to learn as much as I could and to use that knowledge to help others.

I learned everything they threw at me, went on missions, had my share of mud slug at me, got dirty and made it to senior agent in record time.

Now at 39 I’m handed some interesting and very challenging assignments. I also get my share of stupid assignments, and even the rookie shit like being sent for coffee when I’m working with senior agents.

But They are starting to realize that I don’t complain and I do my job well!

JC: What would you consider your biggest trauma?

Asher: I’ve had two huge traumas in my life. Obviously the first was learning that my parents were killed by a deranged man.  As I mentioned before I was just twelve years old when I was called into the principal’s office and saw my grandparents standing there with several official looking people.  That’s when I was told my parents were killed and that’s when the life I had loved so much changed forever.

The second, although it was not as traumatic, was watching a rookie get severely hurt on what was supposed to be a rather mundane routine mission. No one expected a kid to enter the scene as we were trying to handcuff a suspect. When the kid entered the scene, the rookie took his eye off the suspect for a second too long. The suspect turned, kicked the rookie in the balls and before any other agents could get him down, he pulled a rock off the ground and smashed the rookie’s face.

The rookie had a broken nose, crushed eye socket and other issues from the rock hitting his face. That and his balls took the hit from the suspect’s boot pretty hard.

The rookie was told he could muster out of the agency, but he chose to take medical leave and came back three months later with a new team of rookies.

JC:  Learning that your parents were killed while standing in the principal’s office had to be horrible.  If I may ask, how did it happen?

Asher:  When I was 12 years old, my parents were killed by a madman who invaded a financial conference my parents were attending. He shot 16 people before three of the men were able to surround and restrain him. By the time the police had arrived 8 people including my parents were dead. The others were severely wounded and spent considerable time in hospital recovering from gunshot wounds. The killer told police he wanted to get the president of the bank that foreclosed on his house putting his wife and kids on the street. He got his wish. The president of the bank was one of the dead. The killer received multiple life sentences without parole, leaving his wife and children without a husband, father, and breadwinner.

JC: So you were taken in by your grandparents?

Asher:  Yes I was and although I knew them as grandparents, I found they were very different as my pseudo parents.  My grandmother taught me to cook and to take control of the world in which I lived.  My grandfather taught me that money was not worth anything unless you have integrity.  I had tutors, coaches, and more love than I ever imagined I would have after losing my parents like that.

JC:  This is a bit of a touchy subject.  I understand that you are a multi-millionaire.  Is that correct?

Asher:  I wondered if you’d bring up that subject.  So yes, I am quite wealthy.  My parents had a solid will leaving everything to me, in trust until I was 24 years old. Being the only child and underage, my grandfather worked with his money manager to build my trust fund. When I went to college, the fund paid all expenses and provided a very decent allowance. I was a trust fund kid, but not one who threw his wealth around.  My grandfather taught me how to invest. I had a decent allowance and had the choice to spend it, save it or invest it. I chose a little of each. By the time I entered college, I was a millionaire in my own right. When I turned 24, I not only received my inheritance, I had amassed several millions from my personal investments.

My grands made sure I learned to respect what I had and what others didn’t have. Most of my college buds had no idea that I was a multi-millionaire. I was just Asher the nerd who loved school. I even lived in the dorms wanting to get the full college experience. And secretly to learn as much as I could gleam about how people’s minds ticked.

JC:  Then why did you join the FBI and how did that go?

Asher:  I graduated college with a degree in forensic science and research with a dual major in psychology. Since I had no need for more money I had decided to use my learned skills and enter some form of criminal research. I wanted to know what made people do those horrible things they did, like killing my parents just to get revenge at the bank president.

In my senior year, my coulselor suggested I attend a special job fair. The fair was held every year for only those in certain fields of study, who had top grades. At the job fair I met people from the FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, ICE, and every other alphabet soup agency of the government. I also met people from just about every top security firm in the world. I gave my resume to several people who suggested I might fit their requirements.

Wow, I had four interviews the following week and was offered a job from each. I chose The FBI and was told I’d have to take their formal entrance exame and start as a rookie.

JC:  What is your ethnic background?

Asher:  My grands were Russian Jews who emigrated to the US when being Jewish in Europe was a death knell.

Though my father was Jewish, he hung out with other wealthy people and eventually married an Italian Catholic against my grandparents wishes. They eventually learned to like her, especially since she was from money too.

So I’m Jewish / Italian Catholic. Yeah definitely a confluence of backgrounds.

JC: I have so many questions from your fans.  You OK with one or two more?

Asher: Sure

JC: What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?

Asher: I was having sex with a guy in my dorm room when my roommate walked in. He was supposed to be away for the day, but his plans got cancelled. His walking into the room was no biggie, but he left the door ajar when he walked out and it swung open on it’s own allowing the other guys on the floor watch me having sex with this hot college freshman.

I got up and gently closed the door.   After I got back to the bed, I saw my bed-mate was horrified at what just happened. But we soon started laughing about it and decided that public sex, though interesting, was not for us.

JC:  I was not expecting anything like that, so let’s close this interview with something a little tamer.  What, if anything, would you like to change about your life?

Asher: My life is great. Though I lost my parents when I was young, I had a great home life, had two sets of grands who loved me and I do mean Loved.  I have two degrees, a bachelors in Forensic studies and psychology as well as a masters in Cyber Crime.  My work is extremely interesting and rewarding.

I live in a fantastic building with great amenities.  I have some really wonderful friends and a couple of friends with benefits, too.

JC:  Thanks Asher, it’s been extremely interesting.  As I said, your fans have given me quite a few additional questions.  Would you be open to another chat sometime in the future?

Asher:  Definitely.  Thanks for taking the time to meet me today.

JC:  There you have it.