Author Stefan Jaeger’s Arlington-based thriller “The Jackhammer Elegies” was among the blockbuster movies and television shows honored at the 3rd Annual Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) Awards in Beverley Hills last fall.
The SET Awards recognize film, television, comic book, digital and other media that inspires youth interest in science, engineering, technology and math through media and entertainment.
“The Jackhammer Elegies” follows civil and structural engineer Scott Carter as he aids the FBI in their investigation of a terrorist (aka Jackhammer) who is threatening the lifelines of the city’s public works. There is also a growing romance between Carter and Special Agent Michelle Taylor, the FBI agent he assists.
The novel is available through Amazon.com and an electronic Nook Book version is available on BN.com. Bulk discounts are available through CreateSpace.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.
During his acceptance speech at the SET Awards, Jaeger stated that he was inspired to write the novel after hearing the engineers he worked with mention their lack of presence on television.
“Over those decades the refrain that I’ve always heard from civil engineers is why can’t there be a television show LA Engineer, a take off on LA Law. The idea being that those shows like Grey’s Anatomy inspires others to become doctors. Well I can’t write for television but I have been writing quite a bit of fiction and I thought I’d take my shot,” he said.
Jaeger also incorporated some world events into the novel along with landmarks and geography from Rosslyn and Arlington County.
It took Jaeger about 2 and a half years to research, write and edit the novel. During the process, he said he incorporated much of his experience as a civil engineer in creating his main character, Scott Carter.
“It probably helped that I’m not a trained civil engineer and that I have a writing and editorial background. I wasn't tempted to get into the technical nitty-gritty like an engineer might be. I focused on making the characters believable and the civil engineering references accessible in layman's terms,” he said.
Overall, Jaeger is thrilled that his novel was chosen by the Entertainment Industries Council. He hopes that readers will enjoy the suspense-filled plot of “The Jackhammer Elegies” and learn a little something about the field of civil engineering.
“I really hope that the book is able to show how civil engineering is a dynamic and rewarding career, with the opportunity to do good and to be a leader. That's important because engineers don't often get the exposure that doctors and lawyers do,” he said.
According to Jaegar, the public often takes for granted “the infrastructure civil engineers design … until something goes wrong like a power failure or a disruption in the water supply.”
During his spare time, he enjoys traveling, reading and, of course, writing. Every morning, he sets aside time to jot down a few ideas for his next project. Some of his favorite authors include Graham Greene and John Grisham.
In 1984, the Indiana native resettled in Washington, D.C. where he began working for a number of major engineering associations with an initial focus in the editorial side. Currently, Jaegar is a managing director with the American Society of Civil Engineers in Reston.
He resides in Fairfax Station, near Fountainhead Regional Park. “Besides strolls in the neighborhood, in the summer we have often headed down to the Occoquan Reservoir in the park to hang out on the pier or occasionally rent a row boat to get out on the water,” he said. “When we lived in Burke Center for 15 years, we often went to Burke Lake Park for walks. We enjoy taking the drive out to Clifton for a stroll by the historic houses, and one memory of a great meal is Trummer's on Main. When it's warm, from time to time we'll sit by the water in the Town of Occoquan.”