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Who's Who
Robert C. Powers |
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For retired Navy Capt. Robert C. Powers, director of asynchronous education programs and assistant professor of engineering management, his more than 25-year career as a naval officer was not just a job, it was an adventure. An adventure novel, that is. Powers, who joined Old Dominion last fall, will soon publish his second fiction book, "The Mud Fox: Ghost of the Jungle," based on his experiences and adventures during the Vietnam War. Due out in February, it is the second in a series following hero Lt. Harry Quester - a slightly romanticized version of Powers himself - through the riverine wars of the Mekong Delta and special operations in the Nam Cam Forest. The first book, "Quester: A Story of the River Warriors," trails Quester as he tries to rescue his captured friend, escape from Cambodia, stop a notorious Viet Cong leader, and fight through his own web of love, murder and betrayal. In the sequel, Quester is on the trail of a rogue Navy SEAL who is also his best friend. "I took little vignettes that I went through and expanded them," explained Powers, whose first book is based on an actual event called Operation Giant Slingshot. "It was such a distinctly different environment and atmosphere than that anyone here has experienced. I tried to capture it, share it and use it as the background for an exciting book. I tried to make the dialogue as realistic as possible." For some, the notion of an engineer delving into the world of novelists may seem unlikely. But for Powers, it's a natural extension of who he is. "Despite the fact that I have an engineering degree, in high school I liked languages and read everything I could get my hands on," said the Portsmouth native, who recently finished the third book in the Quester series and is now looking for a publisher. "The things that give me the most satisfaction are things where I feel I'm being creative." Indeed. In addition to his three war novels, Powers has written a mystery novel and two musical symphonies. He also has plans for five additional books and a screenplay. His mystery novel, "The Wara Wa: The Ultimate Campfire Story," is based on the Eagle Scout's years as both camper and a camp counselor and the legends and stories that are told around the campfire. A deal with Publish America is in the works, and it should be available in bookstores by the end of the year. His symphonies, which he is offering to various musical groups, are available at Planet Music. Moved by the disasters of Sept. 11 and the ensuing events, Powers wrote "Bold Victory," a symphony in C major that tells the story of the terror of war in three movements. "Neptune's Festival" musically illustrates the story of a great festival where the ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay and the love of the Prince and Princess of the Ocean Sea. In fact, love stories play a pivotal role in virtually every creative work by Powers. In "Quester," the hero falls in love with a Eurasian woman, is betrayed by a former girlfriend and is drawn to a friend's wife. Rogue SEAL Mudfox is fascinated by a "feisty redhead" and the main character of "Wara Wa" is smitten with an Indian maiden. According to Powers, every good action-adventure novel contains interesting characters, is told at a fast pace, has an exotic theme, and contains lots of action and love scenes - at least one per chapter. Lest one think he's going "soft," Powers is a well-respected consultant and commentator on political military affairs, defense technology and war gaming. He holds a doctorate in world politics from Catholic University of America, master's degrees in international relations from George Washington University and electrical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and a bachelor's in naval science from the U.S. Naval Academy. Additionally, he is a graduate of the National War College. Following his retirement from Naval service, Powers held a series of research and consulting positions before joining Old Dominion to oversee its extensive CD-ROM master of engineering management degree for Navy officers. After a career that's taken him around the world in defense of the country, Powers said a second, creative career is very appealing. "I enjoy working with people and would like to make a living selling books and music. A place on the bestseller list would be great!"
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