I have been writing all my life. I've written short stories, plays, poems, songs, and various combinations thereof. Whenever I write something, I am doing so for my own enjoyment. Sometimes I share my writing with others that they might enjoy it also. The songs that I've written as a singer and rhythm guitarist in the band Seven For a Dollar are probably the best example of this. Most of the stuff I've written was eventually forgotten and thrown out.

I became a fan of Hanson's in mid-2001, when a friend of mine challenged me to listen to "This Time Around," and not like it. I lost the challenge pretty handily.

Only at this point did I become aware of the existence of the genre of fan fiction. My understanding of "fanfic" is that it allows the author to give the rest of the world a look into the imaginary lives of someone they admire. Fanfic comes in every conceivable flavor and exists in the form of satires, adventures, romances, and some that I won't mention here. Personally I think the whole concept is extraordinary.

Most of the fanfic out there, while being written by a talented body of writers with followings of their own, is a tad formulaic. The basic outline of a Hanson fanfic is this:

1. Isaac, Taylor, or Zac meet girl (usually a girl anyway) who is a huge Hanson fan
2. Isaac, Taylor, or Zac realize that this girl (whatever) is different than all the others, and a romantic relationship ensues
3. A conflict arises that threatens the relationship and possibly the band
4. The endings vary. Usually the conflict is resolved and the fan and the Hanson go on to a long, successful relationship and marriage (possibly in Vermont). Occasionally, to satisfy the gods of realism, one of the brothers (or the lovelorn fan) is killed in a horrible accident.

It goes without saying that this is not a negative commentary on the people that write these stories. The writing is often exceptional, and is spiced with plot turns and kissie scenes to keep the reader wanting more. Personally I'll take a plot turn to a kissie scene any day, but I am the Hanson Fan exception, not the Hanson Fan rule.

And this, really, was my inspiration for writing "Operation Tulsa Thunder." I asked myself, "Is it even possible to write a good fanfic without a romantic relationship in it?" I supposed it was probably possible. The books I read in my free time are almost exclusively free of romance, and I think many of them are pretty good.

With this in mind, I set out to do just that. I contacted a fanfic author whose writing I enjoyed and respected and asked her to pre-read for me, thinking that if I failed completely, at least only one person would have to know about it. She seemed to enjoy the first couple chapters, and then the next couple, and so on. Finding the story fit for fan consumption, I shared (and am still sharing it) with my fellow fans.

This section is probably completely unnecessary, but I do want to mention that it is not necessary to read The Prologue a.k.a. Part 001. My favorite Science Fiction author, Orson Scott Card, once said that he never reads prologues, and as long as the story is well written he isn't missing much. But, since I didn't have a whole novel to drop hints in about how Hanson got the extraordinary job that they have in this story, I figured I'd come right out and say it in a prologue if anyone wanted to read it.

In fact, Hanson does not even appear in Part 001, which is generally a "no-no" in fanfic as a whole.

Enough prattle. The chapters are listed to the left. Select one and get reading. I hope you enjoy Operation Tulsa Thunder, and that in some small way it makes the wait for Hanson's next album more bearable.