By Matthew Levine
(AJNews) – Writing a book can be seen as a daunting task but it was a challenge that was embraced by Jeff Sheckter, a well-known figure in the Edmonton Jewish community. He recently authored a puzzle driven thriller book titled The Daedalus Protocol. Jeff describes the book as “being in the same genre as The Da Vinci Code” and as being “rooted in science while not slipping into fantasy.”
The story line features a plague that is threatening the world and a mysterious man known only as Daedalus, and a crew of notable soldiers and scientists who have advanced technology and seemingly unlimited resources for an heroic mission.
There are many Judaic Biblical references in the book, remarked Jeff. “There are references to the story of the mana and the exodus of Egypt and also a climactic finale in the tunnels of the Kotel.”
Jeff’s normal day-to-day before his transition into the creative space consisted of managing shopping centres and acting as an angel investor in the biotech industry. The writing process began during Covid when Jeff moved his family out to the Bahamas.
“I forever have been telling people that I could write a book,” he explained, “and then I found myself sitting on the beach with no shopping centres to manage for the first time in 25 years with nowhere to be.”
The philanthropist and now author described his transition into the creative space as a huge shift. He talked about the difference between the real estate industry and being an author as a shift to an entirely new world. For the first time in a while, he was being pushed outside his comfort zone.
Jeff wanted to fully understand the whole process of publishing a novel. “I try and learn from the inside out,” he said, “and so, as opposed to delegating any of those tasks to somebody else, I just had to learn it. Now I have gone through the whole spectrum of developing the book and publishing it.”
Because the completion of the first novel evoked such an enjoyable and rewarding feeling, Jeff wants to continue the series and even try to move into the film industry. He said, “It is at least three books that I have committed to no matter what. But yeah, I could see the series easily stretch to five. It might make for a really good film or Netflix adaptation so hopefully that’s in the works.”
As an orthodox Jewish person, Jeff insists that Judaism plays a massive role in his life and that “everything is through the lens of G-d.” His knowledge of the religion and of Israel had a huge impact on his novel through biblical references and holy sites. Jeff finds it fascinating that despite how long ago the ancient Judaic texts were written, they can still have relevance and practicality in today’s world.
The Daedalus Protocol’s author wanted to personally thank his family for the work that they did. His son, Jake, described the family’s contributions as, “A lot of sleepless nights and a lot of family editing. We have gone through the book so many times just offering little pieces of advice here and there, and in the end thank G-d it all worked out. But, man, it took a lot of hours for a lot of people.”
From character inspirations to location selection, Jeff’s family was there to support him through the entire process. The book launched earlier this month and they held an extremely successful book signing at the West Edmonton Mall Indigo. Jeff’s books were sold out twice after a restocking – but don’t worry, you can order your copy at your favourite book seller or wherever books are sold. For more information visit thedaedalusprotocol.com.
Matthew Levine is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.
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