After spending thirty years developing defense, Internet, business intelligence, data mining and marketing solutions as a computer engineer, DU alum Patrick F. Rooney has written his first novel. Entitled “The Acheron Deception,” the book is being offered to the DU community free of charge.
Rooney didn’t think twice about letting his fellow Pios read the novel at no cost. “I really value the education I received from the University of Denver, and I wanted to give back to the DU community,” said Rooney.
Rooney received his Masters of Business Administration from DU in 1988, which helped him to not only improve his management skills, but also gave him the financial knowledge to build computer programs designed around finance. This knowledge plays a part in the book, which centers around a computer programmer who takes his skills to Wall Street. The man teams up with a CIA agent, and the pair race to stop terrorist attacks in Europe and a plot to take down the world banking system in the espionage thriller.
According to Rooney, the story was partially inspired by odd airline trading patterns that occurred right before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as the mysterious world of anonymous trading transactions that is rooted in countries like Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.
While Rooney certainly has the knowledge and insight of programming and the financial world to inspire a novel about the topics, he did not anticipate becoming a novelist.
“I’ve always loved reading, but I never thought that I’d eventually become an author. It just shows that you can never tell what you’re going to end up doing,” said Rooney. “When I received my bachelor’s degree in music composition, I didn’t realize that the attention to detail required would translate into programming and engineering, which would be my career later on. Just be open to new ideas and experiences, and your life will be richer for it.”
As for students currently attending DU, Rooney encourages them to take advantage of all the opportunities that DU has to offer, particularly in international education.
“With the immense globalization occurring in the world today, DU’s focus on international education is really useful and important. Take advantage of the opportunities to travel and understand other cultures and viewpoints,” he says.
To get a free copy of “The Acheron Deception,” go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/470678, select the “Buy” option, and enter discount coupon code MB96R. The book will be free upon checkout once the code is applied, so simply download it and enjoy the story. The code is valid through March 31.
You can visit Rooney’s website at www.patrickrooneyauthor.com. Rooney’s next book, “The Angel of Innisfree,” is set for release in May.
