PREPARING FOR THE SURREAL

Available June 4th

June 4th looms as a huge check mark in my life.

Long after my time on this earth has passed, there will be tangible evidence that I was here.  In a way, a contribution to the arts.  That feels good.

For a while, I will have the honor of sharing the same precious space reserved for the works of Ian Fleming, Robert Ludlum, Lee Child, Brad Meltzer, Vince Flynn, Frederick Forsyth and so many more.

The air is getting thinner.

It's like precise math at this point.  Hard work + dreams x never giving up = June 4th, which is the day my debut espionage thriller SANDSTORM is released.

I hark back to my days as a youngster when I was drawn to bookstores like a magnet, seeking some far away land or larger than life character to satisfy my imaginative thirst.

They've been out of business for years, but I fondly remember spending countless hours at Kroch's and Brentano's in downtown Chicago.  My mother could deposit me there and then go shopping, secure with the knowledge that I wasn't going to wonder off.  And that was way, way before the invention of cell phones.

Multi levels of books; mysteries, thrillers, WWII, magazines, and newspapers from around the globe.  It was the best of times as I thumbed through the latest Mickey Spillane, Dashiell Hammett, Len Deighton and other offerings.

I'm sure that's where the fire was first lit.  Imagine one day on the shelf, staring back at me, something I created.

Fast forward to 2013 and it's about to become a reality.

I can only speculate that seeing one's first book, a labor of intense love, on a shelf at a bookstore is like an out of body experience.  To that end, I have to tip my hat to Barnes & Noble and countless independent sellers for surviving in this technological age.  Thanks for hanging in there!  Gone are Borders, B. Dalton, Waldenbooks and various other relics that used to cater to a reading world.

Part of me wants to emulate Mary Tyler Moore in the opening credits of her TV show where she spins and joyously throws her hat in the air.  Another part wants to take on the persona of The Most Interesting Man In The World.  Act like you've been here before.

Whichever emotion comes through, I'm sure it will be genuine and extremely humbling.  There are friends, fans and strangers who will willingly fork over their hard earned dollars.

I can only hope I manage to give them the kind of return on their investment that leaves them wanting more.

BRAD MELTZER... ONE OF THE BEST

Brad Meltzer

I'm proud to say Brad Meltzer has become a cherished friend.

You just want to rub that smooth dome of his, hoping that some of the knowledge locked inside will transfer.  His latest thriller, The Inner Circle, surprise, surprise, is on the New York Times bestseller list.

If you haven't discovered by now, Brad is also a social networking addict.  He's crossed the line!  He tweets constantly on his Blackberry.  He was exercising his digits prior to being interviewed by me on television.  He can't help himself and when you consider the degree of success he's had, you can't blame him.  Hell, I should be emulating him!


You know you've made it to the mountaintop when in the green room, the one and only Chaka Khan told him that she religiously watches his History Channel show, Decoded.  What is it with bald guys impressing the chicks?  Yul Brynner, Telly Savalas, Michael Jordan -- Brad Meltzer!  To be fair, when he was in college at the University of Michigan, it was hard to tell Brad apart from Joey Lawrence.

Colleagues at work who've been living in caves, asked me afterward about Brad.  They were intrigued by his synopsis of The Inner Circle.  Aside from being a first-rate storyteller, Brad is also a freak researcher and it pays off by making his books compelling reads.

I made a huge mistake the other day by starting to read The Inner Circle.  I did this while tweaking my novel and brainstorming the next one.  Of course, it was hard to put the darn thing down.  It now occupies a spot on my nightstand next to the bed.

Brad is also a work-alcoholic, dabbing in writing comic books such as Batman, Superman, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (okay, there has to be good story behind that one).  I guess a guy has to make a living.

Trying to gain whatever insight I can about the writing business, Brad informed me the process basically never stops.  He runs his manuscripts by his wife, a brutal trip down reality lane as I've come to discover as well.  His agent is a former editor so she makes suggestions and then he gives a few trusted friends a look too.  All that before the publisher ever sees the work.

The craft of fine tuning your query letter pays off as well.  Leaving nothing to chance, Brad also wrote the description inside The Inner Circle jacket cover.

I could talk at length about Brad's preparation but hey, I've got writing of my own to do.  And then there's that damn The Inner Circle waiting to tuck me in for the night.

THRILLED ABOUT MY FIRST CONFERENCE

Having recently taken my 14-year old son to a Comic Con convention (one day pass, okay!), I was a little leery of registering for my first writer's conference.  But darn it if Thrillerfest V  in New York doesn't sound like fun.  It's a collection of some of the best murder to paper minds in the world gathering at one place.  If Agatha Christie were alive, she'd have a field day:  Murder At The Grand Hyatt, A Hercule Poirot Mystery.

For an aspiring author like myself (hello mystery agent, my novel is finished), it's a chance to network, schmooze, learn a lot, and kiss plenty of literary agent backside.  First drink is on me.  Second, third, fourth and so on if one decides to represent me. 

Ken Follett

From what I've read, Thrillerfest seems like a loosen your tie experience.  For thriller writers and fans of the genre, I can certainly see the appeal.  In Hollywood terms, it's like the Golden Globe Awards.  New authors are recognized and established pros like Ken Follett will receive special recognition.  Ken if you ever read this, you should know the copy of World Without End you left behind at the studio has enough fingerprints on it to shut down a CSI department.

I'm looking forward to meeting authors I haven't interviewed or spent time with as of yet.  The opportunity to pick their brains would be amazingly beneficial.

Brad Meltzer, who's also scheduled to attend, don't forget you owe me!  I look out for you, you look out for me.  Capeesh?  I also promise not to rag on the Michigan Wolverines.  And sorry I was on vacation when you stopped by to promote Heroes For My Son.

So I'm fine tuning my game and getting excited about heading to the Big Apple.  I'd love to one day belong to that exclusive community known as the International Thriller Writers.  But, if Thrillerfest turns out to be anything like the William Shatner episode on SNL, my wife will never let me hear the end of it.  That is if her stomach would ever stop hurting from laughing so hard.



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