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FAQ

• Q. How long did it take you to write Subterranean?
  A. From idea to completed manuscript, it took eleven months. ... Read More
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  From idea to completed manuscript, it took eleven months.

• Q. Where did you get the idea for Subterranean, your first novel?
  A. Both the idea and the outline for this first work came from one kernel: “I’m going to take five ... Read More
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  Both the idea and the outline for this first work came from one kernel: “I’m going to take five characters, drop them two miles underneath the Earth, through in a few monsters, and shake vigorously.” From there, I only had to figure out what characters, where the deep hole was, what type of monsters, and how to shake the Earth vigorously. Simple!

• Q. If this were made into a movie, who would you want to star?
  A. I personally hate playing that game. Even after ten years, I still have a firm picture in my head of ... Read More
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  I personally hate playing that game. Even after ten years, I still have a firm picture in my head of what those characters look like. As I think most readers do. I can’t imagine any current stars playing those roles. But I do love to hear how OTHER people would cast those roles—and sometimes I’m darned surprised by their responses.

• Q. What have you learned in the years since you wrote this first book? How is your writing different? What truisms did you know then that have proven true again and again as you write other books?
  A. Since the first book, I’ve always written to entertain: to get the blood flowing, the heart pumpin ... Read More
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  Since the first book, I’ve always written to entertain: to get the blood flowing, the heart pumping. One of the best compliments I get about a book is when I hear it kept someone up all night. Then I known I’ve done a good job. But over the years, I’ve learned that entertainment can have a greater impact if it leaves the reader with something to think about afterward, to raise some question, to pique some curiosity. I strive my best to do both. It’s one of the reasons I include a “what’s true and what’s not” section at the end of each book. It points in a general direction for anyone who wants to pursue the details of a book in greater depth.

• Q. Your first book is coming out in hardback now. Looking back, is there anything about the story you'd like to change?
  A. I don’t think so. The story was told in the manner it needed to be told. Okay, maybe one small cha ... Read More
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  I don’t think so. The story was told in the manner it needed to be told. Okay, maybe one small change. At one point, the main character’s son extols the virtues of the latest PC (a Pentium II, of all things). Of course, that is way out of date by today’s standards. And nowadays, I’ve drank the Kool-Aid concerning Macintosh computers. So that detail would have to change: “Hey, look, Mom, they have a brand-new iMac down here!”

• Subterranean Cover Story
• 3 Hardcover Thriller Novels