We chat with debut author Adam Plantinga about The Ascent, which is described as “jaw-dropping, authentic, and absolutely gripping” (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author) and sees a high security prison fail, so a down-on-his luck cop and the governor’s daughter must team up to escape.
Hi, Adam! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a native Midwesterner who relocated to the San Francisco East Bay area where I’m a street sergeant with the San Francisco Police Dept. My favorite thing to do is watch my daughters play soccer and volleyball. I’ve seen the movie Fletch too many times.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
When I was a kid, my parents would take my brother and me to the local library and we’d fill up grocery bags with books. Like Tolkien, Twain, and the Encyclopedia Brown stories which may have gotten me interested in detective work in the first place. The first story I recall writing was in elementary school. It was called Space Warrior. It involved a warrior in, ah, space. Lots of laser fighting. Maybe a little light on character development.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: James and the Giant Peach. I still remember Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker.
- The one that made you want to become an author: A Savage Place by Robert B. Parker.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: November Road by Lou Berney.
Your debut novel, The Ascent, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Prison Tour Goes All Wrong
What can readers expect?
The Ascent is a thriller about an all-out security breach in a violent maximum-security prison where the main character, Kurt Argento, an ex-Detroit cop, has to lead a band of survivors to safety through six floors of the most dangerous prisoners in the state. The band includes the governor’s daughter who is at the prison doing a tour for a college course. The book contains a lot of stress-induced sarcasm, close-quarters battles, sticky moral choices, and a host of very bad people who do very bad things. Not everyone makes it out.
Where did the inspiration for The Ascent come from?
I’ve always been drawn to stories where a group of disparate people have to come together to battle long odds as they navigate hazardous terrain to get from Point A to Point B. I also wanted to write a book where I could use some of the practical things I’ve learned during my time as a street cop to shape the main character and fuel the plot.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I enjoyed creating the floors of the prison, each of which houses a different classification of inmate, from a psych ward to a gang block to death row. The prison starts out dangerous and gets even more lethal the higher up you go, with each floor presenting a unique challenge to the protagonists. They can’t just bludgeon their way through every obstacle. Some of them they have to think their way through.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I was fortunate to have a couple of nonfiction books about police work under my belt so I had a bit of a literary track record, which I think helped. I was even more fortunate to find my agent, Caitlin Blasdell, who did the heavy lifting, and my undaunted editor Kirsiah Depp, both of whom have sharp eyes and made the book better. It helps to be part of a strong team.
With it being the new year, have you set any resolutions or goals for 2024?
I’d like to see the book do well, of course, but I’d also like to wear sweatpants as often as possible and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
What’s next for you?
I’m in the editing phase of my follow-up to The Ascent, which has a working title of Hard Town and features the same main character in a different kind of trouble, because he finds it hard to relax.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski. Absolutely gripping, with some keen insights into human nature. And everything by Dennis Lehane. He can’t miss.
