This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ira sits down with Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke, retired military officer and author of "Vital Mission," the latest installment in the gripping "Jake Fortina Series: A Love Story." Drawing on decades of experience in international affairs, counterterrorism, and military leadership, Rick shares what inspired him to leave his high-stakes career behind to tell the untold stories—those of behind-the-scenes missions and the families who serve silently alongside the soldiers.

In this episode, Rick reveals how Jake Fortina, his title character, is two-thirds based on his own life—and one-third pure “Hollywood.” He opens up about how a close friend also helped shape Jake’s identity, and how military discipline gave him the structure to write compelling thrillers grounded in reality.

Rick explains how his novels, vetted for classified content, evolved from a single story into a full-blown series packed with danger, heart, and political intrigue. Vital Mission tackles one of today’s darkest topics—children taken from Ukraine and relocated to Russia—and weaves it into a high-stakes global thriller featuring espionage, betrayal, and a standout subplot involving a Russian female army medic.

Get ready for a conversation about what it means to write fiction with a purpose, create characters who feel like flesh and blood, and channel real-life experience into page-turning storytelling.

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