Ralph Reed ~ Author Interview

Ralph Reed is chairman and CEO of Century Strategies, a public relations and public affairs firm. He has advised numerous Fortune 500 companies and served as a senior advisor to the George W. Bush presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. He is a sought-after political commentator on television whose columns have appeared in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author and editor of three best-selling books. To read Ralph's full bio, click here.


His new book, Dark Horse, hit the shelves this week. Ralph's many years of political involvement at the highest levels have prepared him to identify and portray in fiction some of the most glaring problems in our current political system—and to tell that story with characters so true to life that they could well be subjects of a news story.

At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, California governor Robert Long got robbed.

It’s a tight race between Long and Senator Salmon Stanley for the Democratic nomination for president. When Stanley triumphs, Long’s delegates walk out, the media has a field day, and Long and his team—including ace political strategist Jay Noble—pack their bags and go home, knowing that whether Stanley fought fair or not, it’s the end of the line.

Unless…Would Long consider running as an independent? Independent campaigns of the past, such as those of Ross Perot and Ralph Nader, have been more gesture than threat—but how might the Internet and modern communications technology change that? And are the American people so disgusted at the partisanship and gridlock of the two-party system—in particular, is the right wing so fed up with the Republican Party—that they would vote for an independent? Would Long even be able to get on the ballot in all fifty states?

Ralph, you're already a national figure in politics and have written two non-fiction best sellers (Politically Incorrect & Active Faith). Why fiction?

My literary agent Rick Christian approached me in the fall of 2006 about me writing a political thriller. I had proposed a couple of ideas for non-fiction books, but her persuaded me that fiction was the best way to make some important points.

I heard an interview with you on Fox News, saying you had written the outline for Dark Horse 30 years ago. Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

I outlined Dark Horse and wrote the first chapter in 1976. I was inspired by Gene McCarthy’s independent campaign for the presidency against Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. McCarthy was kept off the ballot in New York state by a technicality---his ballot access petitions were “improperly bundled.”

Had he gotten on the ballot, Ford would have probably carried New York and with it the presidency. It got me to thinking---what if someone who was charismatic, capable, and built a strong grassroots campaign ran as an independent. Keep in mind this was 16 years before Ross Perot.

That was the genesis of Dark Horse, but I set it aside after writing the first chapter (which is the first chapter of the book in its current form), realizing that at age 15, I didn’t know enough to write it then. I think after a quarter century of political involvement and seven presidential campaigns, I was finally ready to write it.

What sparked the resurrection of that outline now?

I had always said I would write another book when I had something substantive to say. It has been 12 years since my last book, Active Faith, and I was ready. I had no idea when I started writing that so many of the aspects of the plot would be replicated in the 2008 campaign: the first African American major party nominee for President in U.S. history, the first woman on a national ticket since 1984 (which I do believe will happen in at least one of the two parties), and a Democratic nomination that goes all the way to the convention.

While writing Dark Horse, did you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how did you overcome it?
No, I really didn’t. The story was bottled up inside for so long, that it virtually poured out of me. I tried to write at least 2 pages a day.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What was the most difficult part of writing this story?

Making it personal. My main interest was the arcane political twists and turns; I had to remember that what ultimately made the story interesting to readers was the personal trials and challenges.

How did you dig your way out?

I had a great editor, David Lambert at Howard Books, who urged me to stay focused on the personal drama facing the characters.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, a cozy attic nook or on an airplane?

Usually in my study at home. Sometimes on planes and in hotel rooms when traveling.

I really want to know what a typical day looked like for you when you were writing this.

I wrote early in the morning or late at night before I went to work. During the day, I continued to work at Century Strategies, the public affairs firm where I am Chairman or CEO.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Did the scenes flow freely from your veins or did you have to tweeze each word out?

The scenes pretty much flowed easily. The hard part was making sure that the plot made sense both in terms of a page-turning thriller, and in terms of the political narrative.

What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?

Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Advise and Consent, Allen Drury
Modern Times, Paul Johnson
Reagan’s War, Peter Schweizer
Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Edmund Morris

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

In terms of fiction, write what you know.

How much marketing are you doing? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

A lot of TV and radio. I will do a lot of talk radio interviews and TV interviews. My publisher is also doing a fair amount of Internet marketing.

How are you managing the marketing with all your work at Century Strategies?

I’m squeezing most of the television and radio marketing into the first few weeks of the book launch. Fortunately, I have a very good team at Century and they are keeping the trains running on team. I am able to stay on top of all our many projects via cell and email constantly.

Do you think you'll write another novel?

I certainly enjoyed writing Dark Horse. It was the most fun I have had and the hardest I have worked in writing. So I’m open to doing more in fiction.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Writing is like anything else: success comes by continuing to put one foot in front of the other. Just keep plugging away and set an achievable goal of a number of pages a day…and try to write every day, maybe with one day a week taken off to recharge your batteries.

NJ/Ane: This was a very personal interview for me. In the early 90s, I was Legislative Affairs Director for Christian Coalition of New York and part of Ralph Reed's national Dream Team, a title I wore proudly. When I saw him interviewed on Fox News promoting his new novel, I took advantage of our friendship, and Ralph graciously granted Novel Journey this interview. This photo is from the days of our working together in Christian Coalition. It was taken in 1993 in my den in Clifton Park, NY.