"I love politics. I love baseball. What could be better than writing about the two topics in one novel?" he asks.  "And, I got to do research at spring training in Florida."

Of course, once Congressional hearings began, the whole story didn't seem so much like pure fiction anymore. Robinson does drag quite a bit of realism into his book, although he promises that we won't see McCain or Obama look-alikes in this book.

"You will see a lot of the characteristics I picked up from watching candidates and office holders over the last 30 years," Robinson says. "I like when people try to match characteristics of real people to my characters. It keeps them guessing."

That applies to Robinson's entire plot - it will keep you guessing, even while it gives you an insider's view of national politics. What makes Sniper Bid unique is that unlike most political thrillers, this one really deals with politics. Along with telling a story, this novel will let you know what it feels like to be on a campaign bus tour for five days straight.

"I started to read some books in the political thriller genre," Robinson says. "No one was writing them from the perspective of a campaign insider. So, I figured that would be my niche."

Of course, that means that his characters have real opinions and political stances. As Robinson explains, "My main character, Richard Thompson, is a Goldwater Conservative. Basically, this means that he's pretty much a libertarian. There's enough there to draw in both Democrats and Republicans...or piss either group off."

There's no denying that there's a lot of the author in the fictional character: both are former Capitol Hill staffers and Goldwater republican who love pork chops and Warren Zevon's music. However, Thompson also reflects a lot of characteristics that Robinson observed in other candidates over the years. He's a man trying to do what's right in a complex system that depends on traded favors and influence peddling. Still, Robinson insists that every new representative arrives in Washington wanting to do what's right.

Will Richard Thompson succeed in passing the needed laws? And will he be able to do it while keeping his soul intact? Will he even survive the experience? The only way to know is to read Sniper Bid. This is one thriller that earns that title, and will keep you guessing until the very end. As Robinson says, even if you don't watch CSPAN, the plot and the pace will keep you engaged.

"You don't have to love politics to enjoy this book. Political junkies will like it, but so will hockey moms."

Contributing editor Austin S. Camacho has written a series about private detective Hannibal Jones and a series of adventure novels featuring mercenary Morgan Stark and jewel thief Felicity O'Brien.  To pay the mortgage he answers media queries for the Defense Department.  Camacho lives in Springfield, Virginia with his lovely wife Denise and Princess the Wonder Cat