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From Cancer Diagnosis to Bestselling Novelist
Description
In this episode of Stories and Stanza, I sit down with writer, musician, and cancer fighter Ray Hartjen to talk about his brand new novel, The Iranian Fiasco — a Tom Clancy-inspired espionage thriller published on April 7th and available wherever books are sold.
Ray's story is unlike any I've heard on this show. After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma — an incurable but treatable blood cancer — in 2019, he didn't slow down. Instead, he grabbed life by the shoulders and asked himself one question: "If not now, when?" That question has since fuelled six published books, a shift from nonfiction to fiction, and a deeply fulfilling creative life built around storytelling and music.
In our conversation, Ray reads the opening pages of The Iranian Fiasco and introduces us to Tiger Swanson — a CIA operative who is no princess waiting to be rescued. We talk about how he writes in the detailed, research-heavy style of Tom Clancy but for a modern publishing landscape, how he builds real-world locations into his fiction (right down to motorcycle shops in Western Iran you could find on a map), and why he writes without outlines, letting the story flow organically.
We also get into the writing discipline that makes it all possible — 500 words a day, tracked in a spreadsheet — and Ray shares honest, practical advice for anyone who has a story inside them but hasn't started writing it yet.
This episode spans both my Between the Lines segment, where we explore the craft behind the writing, and Fail With Me, where we go deeper into the human story — because with Ray, the two are inseparable.
📖 BOOKS BY RAY HARTJEN
- The Iranian Fiasco (2025) — https://rayhartjen.com
- Outflanked — Espionage Thriller
- Me, Myself & My Multiple Myeloma — Cancer Patient Memoir
- Immaculate: How the Steelers Saved Pittsburgh
- The Indy 500: A Year-Long Quest to Win the Greatest Spectacle in Racing
- Revenue Orchestration & Today's New Era of B2B Sales and Marketing
🔗 CONNECT WITH RAY
Website: https://rayhartjen.com
Email: rayhartjen@gmail.com
Social media: @rayhartjen (across platforms)
If you are a cancer patient, caregiver, or ally — Ray personally invites you to reach out. He has connected with patients from Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Europe, and across the United States, and considers it the honour of his life.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Podcast Intro and Guest
03:06 Ray's Writing Journey — From Marketing to Six Books
06:13 Cancer Diagnosis to Purpose — The "If Not Now, When?" Moment
19:44 Inside The Iranian Fiasco — Opening Pages Read Aloud
35:00 Writing Advice, Publishing Realities, and Wrap
🎙️ ABOUT STORIES AND STANZA
I'm Abhra, and Stories and Stanza is where I amplify the voices of writers, poets, and people with authentic human stories. The show runs two series — Between the Lines (craft and writing) and Fail With Me (wellness, mindset, and emotional intelligence). New episodes drop regularly across YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
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