John Winn Miller - Political Gamesmanship, Spycraft, and Military Action

John Winn Miller is an award-winning investigative reporter (Pulitzer finalist), foreign correspondent, editor, newspaper publisher, screenwriter, movie producer, and novelist. The Lexington, Ky., native has produced four indie films, including “Band of Robbers,” written and directed by Adam and Aaron Nee (who recently wrote and directed “The Lost City” for Sandra Bullock). He has taught Media Literacy classes at his alma mater, the University of Kentucky, and Transylvania University. Miller and his wife, Margo, live in Lexington. Their daughter Allison Miller is an actress-screenwriter-director who most recently starred in the ABC series “A Million Little Things.”.

Please give us a short introduction to what Rescue Run is about.

Capt. Jake Rogers leads his crew on a daring mission to rescue his beloved’s father from the Nazis, but a shocking betrayal forces them to flee across occupied Europe with the SS, French gangsters, and a ruthless bounty hunter in hot pursuit.

Rescue Run is a sequel to The Hunt for the Peggy C. How did your approach to writing this book differ from the first?

I read more books about writing fiction and was particularly inspired by Stein on Writing by Sol Stein. As a result, I really sharpened my writing skills. And I learned how not to bog down the plot with too much explanation.

What inspired the premise of Rescue Run? Was it based on real-life events or purely fictional?

When my publisher, Bruce Bortz, and I finished editing the Peggy C, he said I needed to keep writing. I had not planned on doing a sequel and had no idea what I would write. But then I stumbled across a book about Dutch bounty hunters chasing Jews and another book about the “Black Pitt “in the middle of the North Atlantic, where Allied convoys were most vulnerable, and finally, I started reading more books about the British Special Operations Executive. Church had set it up to “set Europe ablaze.” Once I’d done all that research, I started writing my characters into corners. Then, I’d have to do more research to figure out how to get them out. There were a lot of twists and turns because I had no idea what was going to happen next. But they were all based on real events.

Your background as a journalist and foreign correspondent is impressive. How has your experience influenced the way you write historical fiction?

When I started out in journalism, there were no cell phones or internet, and CNN was just starting to report from around the world. So, every time I was covering news abroad, I had to use all five senses in my reporting so the readers would know exactly what happened and what it was like. They couldn’t just Google it.

Your novels have been praised for their historical authenticity. Can you share some of the most fascinating facts you uncovered during your research?

I was amazed to discover just how important ordinary people were in developing gadgets and armaments that helped win the war. Here are just two examples. Edward Terrell, a British barrister, and Royal Naval Reserve Officer invented “plastic armor” of stones mixed with asphalt to replace scarce steel protecting naval gun turrets. RAF Wing Commander Humphrey de Verd Leigh who invented a 1.1-ton carbon arc searchlight with a twenty-four-inch diameter that could be attached to an airplane’s wings and throw a powerful beam 1,000 yards away to spot U-boats at night. Leigh worked secretly to develop a prototype on his own and without anyone’s permission.

How do you balance historical accuracy with crafting a compelling, fast-paced narrative?

I had to be careful not to overload the plot with too much background. But I was determined to make sure that everything I wrote contained accurate descriptions of the technology, food, clothing and armaments of the time. And, I added more info at the back of the book so as not to use too many details.

What were some of the biggest challenges in portraying life under Nazi occupation?

It was so depressing to read about all the ways the Nazis starved, oppressed, and bankrupted the people in the occupied countries. I don’t think most people today realize just how cruel and insidious the oppression was.

Rescue Run has elements of espionage, military strategy, and personal drama. How do you weave these elements together without overwhelming the reader?

I tried to keep the tension high as my characters were caught in one dilemma after another. They also had some almost unbelievable escapes that I actually based on real events. That’s how weaving all those elements together worked so well.

The book has been described as cinematic. Given your screenwriting background, do you envision Rescue Run as a film or series?

Yes, we are. I have gotten interest from a partner of a prominent management agency in Los Angeles, who is pitch my novels as a limited series. It helps that I have already finished the third volume so we have at least three seasons ready to go.

Captain Jake Rogers is a complex protagonist—flawed but heroic. What qualities do you think make him stand out from other WWII fiction heroes?

He was a reluctant hero at first. He didn’t want anything to do with either side in the war. But when he saw in person what the Nazis were doing and then fell in love with the Jewish family he was rescuing, he changed. He was still a rough character with a bad temper but had to learn to use his brain more than his brawn.

What do you hope readers take away from Rescue Run beyond the action and adventure?

I dedicated the book to all the people who resisted the Nazis’ heinous ideology. And I want people today to know about them and to not forget about their courage. I think by Polish Holocaust survivor Marian Turski best summed up my message.

The recently deceased Turski, who co-founded Warsaw's Jewish history museum, often said the Eleventh Commandment of the Bible should be: "Thou shalt not be indifferent."

Will there be another book in The Peggy C Saga? If so, can you share any hints about what’s next for Jake Rogers?

Yes, I have completed the third volume, and Bancroft Press will publish it sometime in 2026. I can't provide any other details without spoiling the plot.

Do you have any plans to explore different historical periods or genres in future novels?

I’m not sure. My favorite historical period is ancient Rome. However, it would be hard to match the incredible works of Richard Harris, Robert Graves, and my absolute favorite, Colleen McCullough.