Life & Work with George Yuhasz of Hendersonville, NC

Today we’d like to introduce you to George Yuhasz.

Hi George, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
People frequently ask me how I began writing. I was inspired to write my first story by my granddaughter who was enjoying a backyard birthday party celebrating her seventh birthday. A lovely young woman introducing herself as Rapunzel dropped in to join the fun and I watched closely as a dozen enraptured children listened to her read fairytales to them. As I took in this enchanting scene , it occurred to me that I should attempt to write a children’s story for my granddaughter as a special gift. Writing a story, especially for children, seemed a monumental challenge. I had done report writing in my career as a U.S. Government intelligence officer and special agent, as well as an investigator and security consultant in the private sector. But never a creative endeavor such as this. However, I published IMAGINE THAT: THE MAGIC OF THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS two years later in 2019 and presented the book personally to my dear Evelyn on her ninth birthday. The book has won several awards but the greatest blessings have been hearing from children and adults how much they have enjoyed the story, appreciated the lessons learned from it, and were encouraged by its inspiring messages.

My plans to write another children’s book took a sharp turn when I watched on television the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building by our own citizens. The growth of the election denial movement in our country, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, was alarming to me, and still is. The embrace of conspiracy theories and lies by so many was deeply disturbing to me. The assault on the Capitol Building while Congress was in the process of certifying a fair, democratic election was a loud call to take action. It was then I decided to write the novel RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE. I wanted this work of fiction to be more than just another suspense thriller. This is a story about choices made when the stakes are at their highest-about reconciling who we are with what we believe in and standing up against darkness. While writing this book, I found myself weaving together elements of political intrigue, Native American culture, and personal sacrifice. I hope to encourage readers to consider the power of kindness, resilience, and courage in a divided world. The impact I desire to make through my writing is to influence people to treat each other with respect, kindness, and to examine one’s own conscience in asking who do you really want to be. It’s one thing to sit idly by and watch while those preoccupied with power and consumed by greed attack the institutions designed to protect our freedoms and promote opportunity for all. It’s another thing to have the courage to take the initiative and engage by voicing your concerns and opinions, knowing they will not always be well-received.

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?
A challenge that is omnipresent with me is finding time to write. Exercising effective time management amidst health situations, family, and travel has been quite challenging for me. I really have no set schedule for writing and at this point I seize a block of time whenever life presents an opportunity. Early mornings and late night offer the best chances for me and my cat muse to to settle in for some creative time. The lesson learned here is that if I want to be a more prolific writer I need to become more consistent with time allocation.

From time to time, I hear people tell me my writing style is unconventional or does not follow standards for a particular genre, in my case suspense/thriller and children’s stories. Sometimes, apart from constructive criticism, this criticism has been quite direct, perhaps not so nice. Fortunately this has not occurred very often but it still serves to make me aware of remaining true to what is important to me as a writer. Preference and insistence by different writing organizations and groups to adhere to a genre’s rigidly defined plot formula, writing style, word count, and the like is stifling and represents restriction of creative freedom. I believe fervently in writing from my heart. Write with a wild abandon no matter what genre or topic is being addressed. One encouraging development has been the inclusion of contemporary fiction as a genre. Aside from being set in the present day and exploring current and modern day themes and issues, those writers
wishing to employ more than one genre, or sub-genres, can enrich and expand upon their work with these variations. I have entered RIGHTEOUS
ALLEGIANCE in a couple of writing competitions and have enjoyed success by entering the contemporary novel category, as well as other categories.

Someone once asked me what I value as a writer. A heavy question. My response in effect was the following:
I believe in holding myself accountable in bringing my best efforts to creating meaningful, thought-provoking and entertaining stories encouraging love, kindness, friendship, hope, and that will inspire reverence for our natural world. I feel profound gratitude to all who support and encourage me on this amazing journey.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE – Multi-Award-Winning Thriller/Suspense Novel – # 1 Amazon Bestseller – Published November 2024

IMAGINE THAT: THE MAGIC OF THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS – Multi-Award-Winning Children’s Book – Published April 2019

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I was fourteen years old when my great-grandfather gifted me a book that would change my life. It was Christmas 1960; in a few months “Gramps” would pass on to the spirit world. The book was THE STORY OF THE SECRET SERVICE by Ferdinand Kuhn. At the time, I did not have a clue what the Secret Service was all about. I remember becoming increasingly excited as I read this book deep into that holy night. My great-grandfather and I shared a room for the previous three years ever since my great-grandmother Ida had passed away. My family did not want him to be lonely and lovingly welcomed him to stay with us in our home. He saw something in me during the time we spent together as roommates, card game fanatics, and great pals. Although I never worked for the Secret Service, I did eventually engage in a very rewarding career as a U.S. Government intelligence officer, special agent, and contractor. I believe my great -grandfather somehow knew I was destined for this career path. RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE is dedicated to him.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://georgeyuhaszauthor.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-yuhasz-a918a9189
• Twitter: @GeorgeYuhasz
• Other: @georgeyuhasz-7.bsky.social