Molloy professor publishes second novel

A Wall Street bomb set off by German spies in a secret war against the United States is the explosive beginning to the novel “Water Damage,” which is the second book of Daniel Cillis, a Molloy College business professor.

“The book uses the Wall Street explosion of the early 20th century as a point of organized terror in the United States,” said Cillis. This starts the search for German spies and their secret plot to blow up United States munitions plants, splitting the action between New York and New Mexico.

It is the sequel to his 2012 book, “Statehood of Affairs,” which was about Germany contemplating returning the southwest to Mexico and issues of the United States-Mexico border. “You already have your characters developed when you go to the sequel, so that’s a big difference,” Cillis said of writing a sequel. “And you introduce new characters of course.”

Cillis said that his books are “90 percent history” — Germany did have a secret war against the United States — and the jumping-off point is the characters. He said that the novel involved a lot of research into the German secret war.

Cillis said that the novel pulls his teaching and military backgrounds — he served in the U.S. Army, Strategic Communications Command — and his love of New Mexico. He actually splits his time between Rockville Centre — he lives in the Rockville Tudor at 12 Hempstead Ave., and New Mexico.

In fact, he based the home of his main character, Adobe Centori, on his own adobe home in New Mexico. The house was recently built, but it is modeled on the houses that were built in the early 20th century. “I use a photograph of it in my book,” said Cillis.

“Water Damage” took Cillis two years to write. “Actually a little bit longer than the first one,” he said. “I have a full-time position. I’m pretty much writing on weekends and summers.”

Speaking of his professor job, Cillis actually uses chapters in his books for lessons in his classes. He teaches management behavior classes and has his students analyze and discuss characters’ decisions as case studies for behavioral concepts.

Cillis already has the idea for his next book, which will be called “Doughboys” and follow his characters into World War I, completing his trilogy.

When Cillis is not writing or teaching, he’s completing an addition on his New Mexico house, or doing other activities in New Mexico, including talks with small book clubs and playing on a softball team. “Enjoying the land of enchantment,” said Cillis.

“Water Damage” is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble’s website. It will also later be available at the Rockville Centre public library. “Statehood of Affairs” is already at the library.