Like many Catholics, I wondered throughout much of my adult life how my church could be more meaningful and relevant to the day-to-day lives of Christians, including my own. To me, the Catholic Church seemed out of touch. Its positions on social issues were sometimes contradictory, if not irrelevant. The priest sex scandal had caused great consternation, shame and sadness to Catholics across the planet, including my family. My wife, Michele, a lifelong Catholic, had left the church because of the hierarchy's protection and cover up of priests who had so significantly damaged the lives of so many. I struggled with the church's lack of commitment to the poor and its emphasis on pomp, ceremony and the inconsequential. I sometimes wondered why I remained in the church.
On Easter Sunday 2008, while on a road trip with two of our adult sons, I listened to the pope's homily from St. Peter's Basilica on satellite radio because we had missed Easter Sunday mass. I was particularly struck by the lack of substance in the Pope’s message. "The Pope spoke for 15 minutes, but said nothing," I later told a priest friend. My friend asked me what I had hoped the Pope might say, what he should have said, what I would have said if I had the opportunity to speak to a worldwide audience of Catholics. Those questions were the start of Conclave Conspiracy.
Upon reflection, I concluded that the Pope was just saying what a Pope is expected to say. Further, any man educated in and formed by the politics of the church would be an unlikely candidate to say the things that I thought needed to be stated. It was simply not possible for a Cardinal of the Catholic Church to propose the changes I discerned were necessary to restore the church's relevance and Christian leadership role. I decided that only a layperson could make such changes. But a layman Pope? That, I was told, was science-fiction. And that is the reason this story is told in the form of a novel.
I started to write this book in late spring of 2008. Michele’s mother had died the previous December and as part of Michele’s grieving process she traveled a great deal that year, leading Global Volunteers service programs, meeting with our community partners around the world, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. While she traveled, I wrote. Throughout the summer and fall, I researched what I considered the most pressing theological and social issues – birth control, the church's role in war and peace, married priests, female ordination, the church's responsibility for the poor and what if anything she was doing, unification of Christian denominations, respect required for all faiths, the church’s stance on homosexuality, and the forgiveness of sins and repentance. I found that there were compelling arguments on both sides of most issues. And I found the arguments enlightening and intriguing.
Now I needed a layman Pope. The character, Jimmy Flahvin/Pope James, emerged as I wrote, as did the other characters in this book. Some of the events in Jimmy Flahvin’s life are similar to those in my life, but most are pure fiction or taken from the lives of others I know. This is also true of the other characters. For example, Father Greg Keegan is a composite of several Catholic priests and a Presbyterian minister. The story also emerged. I knew from the beginning that the first layman Pope in 1,000 years would be a lawyer, primarily because, as a lawyer, I know something about lawyers. I also knew how the book would end. But everything in between just emerged.
I wrote about places I have visited. And if I hadn’t been someplace I needed to include in the story, I traveled there. For example, I walked the streets of Winnetka, IL and worshiped at the local Catholic and Presbyterian churches on a Sunday morning. I drove from Winnetka to Chicago via freeway, and the more scenic route, along the lake shore. I took the elevator to the top of the Willis Tower and peered out the window from the North East side, visualizing what Jimmy Flahvin would see every day from his office. I toured the Sistine Chapel, prayed in St. Peter’s Basilica, and was granted an unusual visit to the Swiss Guard barracks in Vatican City. I had dinner at the Italian restaurant where Jimmy would eat and drank in the bars where Jimmy would drink. And all the while I wrote; although only with difficulty – in time carved out of an otherwise arduous schedule.
In January, 2009, the story was complete. It was entitled, The First American Pope. I learned; however, that the writing was far from done. I asked a number of friends to read the first draft, and many did. All of their input was extremely helpful, and they sent me back to the writing table. I sent the second draft to a number of other friends, and they too provided significant insights, all of which required additional changes and edits. Michele was most helpful – reading both the first and second versions and offering invaluable suggestions and advice. I carried a copy of this “final” version of the book to the US copyright office in March, 2009 while I was in Washington DC meeting at the US Department of Agriculture about the possibility of my being appointed Deputy Undersecretary.
I was privileged to serve at USDA, but the book was put on hold. I didn’t do anything with the book until the spring of 2011, when I was back at Global Volunteers and finally found some time to work on it. I then discovered there was another novel entitled, The American Pope, and so I changed my title to The Book of James. While attending a session for new authors at the Loft in Minneapolis, I met Ashley Shelby, a novelist and inspiring editor. Ashley worked with me for several months as I wrote and rewrote. By fall, it was “finished.” Or so I thought. I submitted excerpts, summaries and/or the synopsis to 25 to 30 recommended agents. Then I impatiently waited for their responses. A few agents were kind enough to send me individual notes, but most mailed or emailed their standard impersonal rejection letter. One rejection letter was a fuzzy off-center photocopy that I could only presume had been sent to hundred, perhaps thousands, of other aspiring authors. That was discouraging. But I understood it was part of the process.
I finally considered the possibility of self-publishing, but had no idea how to go about doing that. Then I met one of our volunteers in Phoenix. Our meeting had nothing to do with my book, but during the course of our conversation she told me that she was publishing her own book through Create Space, an Amazon company. After investigating their services, I decided I would submit my book to them. Nearly immediately after making this decision, Pope Benedict XVI resigned. I concluded it would be most prudent to wait until I could include his successor’s name in the novel to enhance currency and authenticity.
Then the College of Cardinals elected Pope Francis. It was clear from the beginning that this man was different from previous popes, and I needed to include more than just his name. One of my friends who had read an early version called me and said, “I think Francis is a whole lot like your Pope.” Another told me, “I think Pope Francis takes a lot of steam out of the underlying story of Pope James.” I decided to wait to see if Francis walked his talk.
That was spring of 2013. I waited until the spring of 2014 and then incorporated Pope Francis into this novel as I believe appropriate. Then I discovered that another novel had just been published with the name, The Book of James. Although the topics and storylines are completely different, it didn’t seem wise to retain that title. So I renamed it In the Shadow of My Lord’s Brother, based upon a reference made in Galatians. In May, I started working with Create Space. I have nothing but accolades and kudos for the talented people at this company. They were professional, creative, and extraordinarily helpful.
During this time, I mentioned to a friend who had read the first version my quandary over the title and the decision to rename it In the Shadow of My Lord’s Brother. He was not impressed. In fact, he told me, “No one will read a book with that title. It’s too long and too convoluted.” So, I was back to the drawing boards. I explained to Michele the criticism of the title, and she concurred that I needed to do better. She advised, “The entire book revolves around the conclave - it needs to reflect that in the title.” We thought for a moment or two, considered the primary element was a conspiracy, and decided on, Conclave Conspiracy. Now, as the saying goes, you know the story behind the story.