In a world increasingly defined by geopolitical tension and covert power plays, the line between national security and institutional betrayal often blurs. For many, the idea of a high-level government conspiracy remains the stuff of headlines and water-cooler speculation. However, when a soldier trained to protect the state becomes the state’s primary target, the stakes shift from abstract policy to a visceral fight for survival and justice.
K. C. Rice, author of the pulse-pounding new political thriller Sleeping With The Enemy, explores this volatile intersection of duty and corruption. Through the eyes of protagonist Lieutenant Colonel Sawyer Blackburn, Rice delivers a narrative that is both a high-stakes investigation and a deeply personal journey of resilience. This interview dives into the research, character development, and real-world inspirations that make this novel a timely exploration of power in the modern age.
Q: Your protagonist, Sawyer Blackburn, is a Marine sniper dealing with significant trauma. How does her military background and specialized training shape the way she investigates a domestic conspiracy compared to a traditional civilian protagonist?
K. C. Rice: Because of Sawyer’s military background she has a lot of resources at her disposal and she utilizes them. Sawyer and Cooper lost their parents when they were young, and their grandparents raised them. Their grandfather and the president were life-long friends, the president watched the two of them grow up, and through the years they became a family per se. Sawyer had the knowledge and resources available at her disposal- she knew where to look, how to look and what to do with the information she found. Whereas a civilian has no training, no knowledge or ability to dig deep into the government without the help of a trained person. And usually that person is a complete stranger, trust is of the utmost importance.
Q: The core of the conflict involves a covert oil deal between high-ranking U.S. officials and China. What specific real-world geopolitical trends or historical events influenced the development of this particular “enemy within” scenario?
K. C. Rice: I spent quite a while in research. I wanted to create a question deep inside the reader’s mind: Could this really happen or has this happened? I wanted that question to keep popping back into their minds as they continued reading. As of 2025 China’s central bank owns 2.1% share of America’s nearly $37 trillion deficit, we’re talking $756 billion. Per Moneydigest.com. I played with numerous scenarios and came up with, what if China was demanding payment, what if they were holding something over our government officials heads and if so what would they do to rectify the problem. What if China wanted Alaska. Would our government actually give it to them? Then I thought of oil. Oil is always at the top of the list in economics. So I did some more research. Prudhoe Bay Alaska is North America’s largest oil field, producing over 280K of barrels a day. What if our government made a deal with China, giving them all the unrefined oil to pay off our debt? And what if the vice- president was the deal maker.
Q: Sawyer’s brother Cooper is an investigative journalist whose murder sets the plot in motion. How did you want to portray the relationship between military action and investigative journalism as two different, yet complementary, ways of uncovering the truth?
K. C. Rice: Sawyer’s brother Cooper had done most of the investigating, he had uncovered a lot of evidence but still had a few loose ends. He knew Sawyer had friends in high places and she had the ear of the president. He knew she could and would get the truth out there and bring the conspirators to justice. Thus the reason for sharing a few details with her and placing all his research and evidence in a safe place for her to find, if something were to happen to him.
Q: FBI Special Agent Reece Atwood represents the “official” side of justice, yet he forms a fraught alliance with Sawyer. What does their complicated partnership reveal about the difficulty of maintaining integrity within large, compromised government institutions?
K. C. Rice: Reece’s dedication to his title and badge never sways throughout the story. He knows something fishy is going on the moment he is taken off the Blackburn case. And when it gets logged under ‘cold cases’, only confirms his suspicions. He knew there was something Sawyer knew about the murder of her brother, even if she hadn’t realised it yet. Thus the reason for keeping an eye on her and waiting until the right time. What he didn’t expect was to fall head over hills in love with her.
Q: The body count in the novel rises quickly, involving everyone from foreign operatives to cabinet members. How do you balance the fast-paced action of a thriller with the psychological depth required to show the human cost of such a widespread betrayal?
K. C. Rice: I drew on Sawyer’s military background and training to help her to disassociate from her emotions. The only way she could immerse herself in her brother’s files and investigation was if she treated it as if it were a specific military order, wearing her military persona. The persona she had spent years training and learning to become in order to remove herself from any emotions and focus solely on the mission at hand.
Q: For readers who are increasingly skeptical of modern political systems, what is the primary message you hope they take away from Sawyer’s relentless pursuit of accountability against all odds?
K. C. Rice: I want them to see Sawyer for her strength and dedication to her brother and her country first and foremost, but to also see there are consequences in actions and sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest.
The insights shared in this discussion underscore the meticulous craftsmanship required to weave military precision with political intrigue. By focusing on a hero who must pivot from external defense to internal investigation, the narrative highlights the unique challenges faced by whistleblowers and truth-seekers today. The conversation reveals that while the conspiracy may be fictional, the themes of loyalty and moral courage are profoundly real.
As global power dynamics continue to shift, stories that scrutinize the ethics of those in high office remain essential. Sleeping With The Enemy serves as both a gripping entertainment and a cautionary tale about the fragility of trust within a democracy. For fans of the genre, the novel offers a compelling look at the resilience required to stand against a system that has forgotten its duty to the people.
To learn more, visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQTY1M2M
