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James Ray didn't have to look far for inspiration for his military thriller. "Full Threat" is based on experiences he had while working as an electro-mechanical and aerospace engineer for the U.S. Navy.

"It's about 70 percent fact, 10 percent exaggeration, 10 percent elaboration and 10 percent fiction," Ray says.

The main character, DJ, is based on himself and the character's love interest Elizabeth, on Ray's real-life domestic partner Evelyn Triebsch Self.

Ray installed Tomahawk cruise missiles on Navy warships in California before coming to Montgomery County in 1991 to work at the Naval Ordinance Lab in White Oak. There, he worked on technology to make warships better able to withstand the effects of a nuclear attack. It is the same job the book's main character holds.

"It's really based on the work that we did with a lot of enhancements to make the general public more interested," says Ray, who is now retired.

In the book, DJ is part of a team of people looking for a way to create a shield that will protect sensitive areas during a nuclear attack. What most of the team members don't know, however, is that they are also aiding in a secret government initiative that is causing a large hurricane to develop catastrophic strength just off the East Coast.

DJ must figure out how to stop this electro-magnetically charged storm before it wreaks more havoc than Hurricane Katrina. He also must dodge adversaries, including an Argentine trying to assassinate Britain's Prince Charles.

"Full Threat" has a healthy dose of romance and intrigue. Ray says the style is in the same vein as a Tom Clancy or Michael Crichton novel.

Ray has a great deal of experience in writing technical journals and reports for Congress and the military on the country's readiness in case of attack with weapons of mass destruction.

"I've done a lot of technical writing," he says. "But it's always been for a very small, specific audience."

"Full Threat" is his first novel.

"It's the first time that I really got to write for fun," he says.

He says he is extremely proud of his work and the work of his colleagues in developing protection for Navy ships. This book, he says, is an ode to military personnel and civilian contractors who have maintained a world-class military and protected the country. He believes many of these people are unsung heroes.

Writing the book was both grueling and exciting.

"It has been a fascinating adventure," he says.

In some ways, he explains, he has been working on the book for 15 years.

"First, I lived it."

"Full Threat" can be purchased online at www.publishamerica.com and at jamesray.books.officelive.com.

Barnes & Noble's Top-Sellers

Based on last week's sales, the best-selling books at Barnes & Noble are:

Hardcover Fiction

1. The Lucky One

Nicholas Sparks

2. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski

3. Heat Lightning

John Sanford

4. One Fifth Avenue

Candace Bushnell

5. Tsar

Ted Bell

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larson

7. The Other Queen

Philippa Gregory

8. Hot Mahogany

Stuart Woods

9. The Given Day

Dennis Lehane

10. Host

Stephenie Meyer

Hardcover Non-fiction

1. The Snowball

Alice Schroeder

2. A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity, Bill O'Reilly

3. Dewey

Vicki Myron

4. The Last Lecture

Randy Pausch

5. Hot, Flat, and Crowded

Thomas S. Friedman

6. The Secret

Rhonda Byrne

7. War Within

Bob Woodward

8. Letter to my Daughter

Maya Angelou

9. Strengths Finder 2.0

Tom Rath

10. Before you Do

T.D. Jakes