Evening of Explosions and Intrigue: Steve Berry is On Thin Ice

By - August 23, 2013

To ring in the 9:00 p.m. EST start of our EVENING OF EXPLOSIONS AND INTRIGUE segment of TRADE THE DAY, I'm thrilled to have New York Times and Internationally Bestselling Author Steve Berry in the house!  Steve has given some answers we're all looking forward to, but first, a reminder this hour as time runs low: 

 

And don't forget to check the bottom of this post for how to win a giveaway from American Expat & Critically Acclaimed Debut Novelist Barry Lancet!  Now, on to the interview!

CM:  THE KING’S DECEPTION involves a shocking secret about Queen Elizabeth I.  What planted the seed for the idea for THE KING’S DECEPTION?

SB:  The idea came from something I learned while in England three years ago.  For many centuries, on a certain date, in the village of Bisley, the residents would dress a young boy in female Elizabethan costume then parade him through the streets.  Kind of odd, wouldn't you say?  Bram Stoker, the man who wrote Dracula, wrote about this in a 1910 work of non-fiction called Famous Imposters, which I read.  Then, as I researched more, I began to discover the shocking truth behind the legend, so The King's Deception was born.

CM:  What sort of research did you do leading up to writing THE KING’S DECEPTION?

SB:  I read 400 books on Elizabeth I and, when you do that, you quickly discover how little we know about her since there are 400 different versions of history.  There were also tow trips to England where I scoped out all of the locales that ultimately appeared in the novel.

CM: I find the premise of the novel fascinating, and I traditionally love taboo subjects.  Given the revelations within the story, do you have any concerns about how readers will react to potentially controversial subject matter?

SB: This book is the first book of mine that contains a 'so what' that could actually have an explosive affect in the real world, here and now.  It was so explosive that my British publisher asked me to tone it down a bit so as to incite anyone.  So far, nothing has occurred, but the possibilities raised by the novel are indeed profound. 

CM:  What was your favorite book to write?

SB:  I have to say they were all excellent experiences, each a learning process, so it would be impossible to say one was better than the other. 

CM:  What’s something readers would be surprised to know about you after they read one of your books?

SB:  I wouldn't think that a reader would learn much about me from any of the books.  They are fictional worlds, created for a specific purpose, that exist for limited amount of time.  They have little to nothing to do with me personally.  The only connection there might be is that Cotton Malone's personality is modeled after mine.  He and I are quite alike in many ways.    

CM:  What book or author has influenced you the most and why?

SB:  I'm a thriller junkie. For me, David Morrell is the best living craftsman today. I learned much about novel writing from reading David’s work.  I was a Dan Brown fan long before The DaVinci Code. Clive Cussler is another of my favorites, he's the undisputed master of ‘high concept.’  My favorite writer of all time is James Michener.  His historical sagas inspired me early on.

CM:  What’s the best book you’ve ever read and why?

SB:  Hawaii by James Michener.  It was the first adult fiction book I ever read at age 15.  But there's also a book in the Hardy Boy's series, The Twisted Claw, that I read when was maybe 10.  Looking back, that book was the seed for all of my fiction today.  It was action, history, secrets, conspiracies, and international settings --- all things I write today.  I have a copy displayed in my office. 

CM:  If your house caught fire, what are the four things (rather than people) you’d save?  (Because everyone asks “three,” and I think you should get four!)

SB:  Though the things we accumulate are important, none are irreplaceable.  So I'd probably just make sure every one gets out okay.   

CM:  What is your favorite word?

SB:  Yes.

CM:  Least favorite word?

SB:  No.

CM:  What is the one question you’ve always wanted to be asked that no one has ever asked in an interview.

SB:  Boxers or briefs?  

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ABOUT STEVE:  Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author ofThe King’s Deception, The Columbus Affair, The Jefferson Key, The Emperor’s Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. His books have been translated into 40 languages with more than 15 million printed copies in 51 countries.  They consistently appear in the top echelon of The New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller lists.

History lies at the heart of every Steve Berry novel.  It’s his passion, one he shares with his wife, Elizabeth, which led them to create History Matters, a foundation dedicated to historic preservation. Since 2009 Steve and Elizabeth have crossed the country to save endangered historic treasures, raising money via lectures, receptions, galas, luncheons, dinners and their popular writers workshops.  To date, nearly 2,000 students have attended those workshops. In 2012 and 2013 Steve’s devotion to historic preservation was recognized by the American Library Association, which named Steve it’s spokesperson for National Preservation Week.  Among his other honors is the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award, and the 2013 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award given by Poets & Writers.

Steve was born and raised in Georgia, graduating from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He was a trial lawyer for 30 years and held elective office for 14 of those years.  He is a founding member of International Thriller Writers—a group of more than 2,000 thriller writers from around the world—and served three years as its co-president.

Find out more at steveberry.org.

 

With An Additional Giveaway From

BARRY LANCET

 

***Two lucky commenters on this post will win an autographed Advanced Reading Copy of upcoming thriller Japantown (releases September 3) by International Thriller Writers' own Barry Lancet. So, don't forget to comment!***

ABOUT JAPANTOWN: 

Five bodies. The perfect murder.  One clue.  At the murder sight in San Francisco’s Japantown, only a single clue is found—an obscure Japanese character.  The SFPD call in American Japan-expert Jim Brodie to help decipher the writing, but before long the mysterious killer he’s tracking turns the tables and begins tracking Brodie and his daughter—from San Francisco to Tokyo.

Learn more at http://barrylancet.com/ .

 

Comment for your chance to win Barry's giveaways- leave an e-mail address so we can contact you if you win!

 

What's the most controversial book you've ever read or the most controversial movie you've ever watched?