Interview: Novelist Davis Bunn

Lion of Babylon

 By Mark Young

Author Davis Bunn has written another edge-of-your-seat thriller guaranteed to make readers lose sleep. In this unique page-turner, Bunn’s well-written and fast-paced Lion Of Babylon novel takes readers by the scruff of the neck, never letting go until the last chapter. (Release date: July 2011 by Bethany House Publishers).

Ex-intelligence officer Marc Royce’s life—once filled with excitement and adrenaline—drifted into sadness, lethargy and boredom since his wife passed away at the age of twenty-nine. Grieving over her death, he prays life might change. Royce soon finds out that one must be careful about what one prays for.

His former boss, an ambassador living in the shadows of powerful government, emerges to report that Marc’s best friend—an assistant chief of security in Baghdad’s Green Zone—has disappeared along with two young women. The ambassador wants Marc to ferret out the truth. Were these disappearances just part of a romantic tryst at a Red Sea resort for a few days, or did this CIA operative and two women get caught up in political espionage, kidnapping, or are they lying in a sandy grave?

Thrust into a war-torn country, Marc joins forces with Sameh el-Jacobi, a lawyer and member of an Iraqi Christian Church, who specializes in returning kidnapped children to their families. Cultural and religious conflict makes the job harder to find Marc’s friend and to learn of the real reasons behind the disappearance of these three Americans. As the plot deepens, nothing can be accepted at face value. Everything has consequences. Religion. Politics. Even the release of nearly 100,000 criminals by Saddam Hussein prior to liberation may play into the problems Marc and Sameh face regarding the ugly trade in human bodies.

This novel explores some of the contemporary issues inside Iraq today, including the persecution and kidnapping of Christians and others in that country.  In a recent article posted in American, the national catholic weekly, figures show that of all the persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East, those in Iraq have suffered the worst. At beginning of the occupation there were more than 800,000 Christians in Iraq, now there are about 450,000.

It is within this political and cultural backdrop that the Lion Of Babylon is born.

Davis Bunn is a superb writer, whose many novels continue to intrigue, entertain and inspire readers. This author is a Writer in Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University in England, while managing to migrate back to Florida for part of each year where he undertakes another one of his passions—surfing.

MARK:  Thanks again for joining us to discuss your latest novel, Lion of Babylon. As I read this novel, I became fascinated with the amount of detail you folded into the story. I came away feeling like I had received a deeper understanding about this troubled country and some of the issues it faces. Which sources did you draw your information from to write this novel?

DAVIS:  I worked for a number of years with a Swiss-Arab consortium, first as Assistant to the Chairman and then as Marketing Manager for one main division.  I was the only non-Muslim in the management structure.  I was twenty-five years old when I started there.   To say the least, this was a real eye-opener.  I lived about six months of each year at our headquarters in Switzerland, and the rest of the time in Africa and the Middle East. 

I left that job to become a consultant based in Germany, and it was here I came to faith, and then began writing two weeks later.  Since then I have been back a number of times to the Middle East and Africa, and have long wanted to base a story there.  This was my first real foray, however, and I am thrilled with how the story has turned out.

MARK: As I mentioned above, the level of kidnappings seems to have escalated in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was removed from power. As you point out in this novel, one of the last acts Hussein did before the occupation was the release of over 100,000 criminals. Can you share with our readers about the scope of this problem based upon your research and contacts? Does this account for a significant number of kidnappings, or are there other considerations at play?

DAVIS: The crime situation in Iraq is often masked by the overall violence and bombings.  This is only natural, since the terrorist bombings are what most affect the American service personnel still based in the region.  But for the average Iraqi, the problems of crime and lawlessness are equally vital.  I used the kidnapping issue, which is a very grave threat to all families with children, as a means of showing what life was like there for the average citizen.

MARK:  In your novel, one of the main characters is Sameh el-Jacobi, a lawyer and a member of the Syrian Christian Church, which you mention is the majority church for Iraqi Christians. Can you tell us a little about the history of this church and whether it has any influence on the current situation in Iraq?

DAVIS:  This was one of the great delights of this book, learning about the Christian churches of Iraq and the surrounding countries.  The Syrian Christian Church has its roots in some of the very earliest missionary journeys.  Some say it was one of Christ’s own disciples who founded the church.  Whatever the actual beginning, there are churches still intact today that are built upon foundations laid in the third century—around 225AD. 

MARK:  From your research and contact, can you tell us a little more about any positive alliances or progress being made in that country today? In your novel, there is a hint of optimism, of a hope that divergent groups might be able to come together in that country working toward peace. Is this possible, or are the cultural and religious differences so vast that there is little hope?

DAVIS:  The optimism is real, just as the hope that Jesus brings.  These peace initiatives are a strong and vibrant part of our heritage of believers.  They are often referred to as faith-based peace initiatives, and are usually headed by a former member of Congress or a senior White House official.  Chuck Colson, head of Prison Fellowship and former aide to President Nixon, is heavily involved in a number of these issues, mostly related to the treatment of prisoners and their families.

MARK: Your novel is titled Lion Of Babylon. This symbol of the lion is repeatedly used in Babylonian history and carried forward into today’s Iraqi culture. Even an Iraqi-built version of a Soviet battle tank was dubbed the Lion of Babylon. How did you settle on this name? What significance does it play in your novel or is this something the readers should find out for themselves?

DAVIS:  Because of the crucial role this plays in how Marc is perceived, and really who he grows into as a man applying his faith to his world, I would rather leave this for the readers to discover in the book. 

MARK: Your main protagonist, Marc Royce, came from an intelligence background with the U.S. State Department. Last year on this blog, we interviewed former anti-terrorism agent Fred Burton, (author of  Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent and his forthcoming book. Chasing Shadows), who served for sixteen years with the Counterterrorism Division of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. Is this the branch of service your main character emerged from or was he from another division within State? Did you have your own contact inside DSS or gain your information from other sources?

DAVIS:  Yes.  The State Department Intelligence operation is the smallest of the American intelligence groups.  Their primary remit, or main task, is to protect all non-military American operations – like embassies and safe houses – outside the US borders.   I had actually started this story planning to use the CIA, but this had already been used so successfully by other authors whose work I admire, and State intel was relatively unknown.  Then I was introduced to a wonderful woman who has served both as a senior operative and then as assistant to the director – the role Marc Royce plays – within the organization.  This was a genuine prize.  She is a fan of my work, and was happy to take me into their HQ and walk me through their operation.  Such opportunities are one of the greatest joys of researching a new story.

MARK: I highly recommend to those who enjoy a real page-turner to pick up a copy of the Lion of Babylon. They are in for a real treat. What does the future hold for you now that this novel is about to be released? Can we be look forward to any more stories like this in the near future?

DAVIS:  I am currently busy with the sequel to Lion.  The title is Rare Earth, and it is due for release in May of next year. 

MARK: Again, thanks for joining us. We wish you well upon the release of this novel.

************************

For more information on Davis and his writing career, visiting his website at http://www.davisbunn.com/

Novels To Read

Mystery Novels To Warm Up Autumn

The Bone Chamber by Robin Burcell

 (Editors Note: Interviews with Robin Burcell, retired police officer and novelist, are scheduled for the coming weeks ahead. Robin, also a trained forensic artist, writes from experience.)

Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick, forensic artist to the FBI, returns to Quantico to help identify a brutally murdered young woman. But when Sydney’s friend and colleague, the forensic anthropologist who assisted her, is killed in a hit-and-run, a covert government team takes over the investigation, and Sydney is suddenly removed from the case. Certain her friend’s murder is connected to the first case, Sydney investigates. She discovers that the first victim was not only an archeological student, but also the daughter of the ambassador to the Holy See. Just before she was killed, the ambassador’s daughter claimed to have found one of three keys that just might lead to a map of the long lost Templar treasure. Sydney’s search for answers takes her to the streets of Rome, and into the underground crypts and caverns in Naples, one step ahead of a ruthless killer. Time is running out for Sydney as a fellow government agent is kidnapped. And the ransom demanded? The Templar map.

The Black Madonna by Davis Bunn

Art historian Storm Syrrell and rugged treasure hunter Harry Bennett travel to Russia to search for and investigate another historic art treasure with significant contemporary implications: The Black Madonna. 

And as before, their efforts to shed light on the mystery surrounding the murder of Storm's grandfather, Sean Syrrell, and the contents of his frayed leather journal, puts their own lives in grave danger. 

Formula for Danger by Camy Tang

Her life was on the line.

Someone wants dermatologist Rachel Grant's latest research, and they'll do anything to get it. Including trashing the plants needed for her breakthrough scar-reducing cream—and trying to run Rachel down. Desperate for help, she turns to Edward Villa, the only man she trusts. But the greenhouse owner knows too much about Rachel's research, and now he's a target, too. Break-ins, muggings, murder...the would-be thief is getting desperate—and getting closer. Edward vows to protect Rachel at all costs. Yet with time ticking away, Edward knows they have to uncover the madman shadowing Rachel before their chance for a future is destroyed.

Think Of A Number by John Verdon 

Arriving in the mail one day is a taunting letter that ends with a simple declaration "See how well I know your secrets-just think of a number." Eerily, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD's top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial-murder investigation. Brought in as an investigative "consultant," Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that have local police in awe. Yet, with each taunting move by his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney feels his tragedy-marred past rising up to haunt him, his marriage approaching a dangerous precipice, and, finally, a dark, cold fear building that he's met an adversary who can't be stopped.

GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent by Fred Burton

(Editor’s Note: Okay, this is not a mystery novel … but it reads like one. Fred Burton—one of the world’s foremost experts on security, terrorists, and terrorist organizations—will be a guest here on this blog in the coming weeks).

For decades, Fred Burton, a key figure in international counterterrorism and domestic spycraft, has secretly been on the front lines in the fight to keep Americans safe around the world. Now, in this hard-hitting memoir, Burton emerges from the shadows to reveal who he is, what he has accomplished, and the threats that lurk unseen except by an experienced, world-wise few.

In the mid-eighties, the idea of defending Americans against terrorism was still new. But a trio of suicide bombings in Beirut–including one that killed 241 marines and forced our exit from Lebanon–had changed the mindset and mission of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the arm of the State Department that protects U.S. embassy officials across the globe. Burton, a member of DSS’s tiny but elite Counterterrorism Division, was plunged into a murky world of violent religious extremism spanning the streets of Middle Eastern cities and the informant-filled alleys of American slums. From battling Libyan terrorists and their Palestinian surrogates to having to face down hijackers, hostages, and Hezbollah double agents, Burton found himself on the front lines of America’s first campaign against Terror.

In this globe-trotting account of one counterterrorism agent’s life and career, Burton takes us behind the scenes to reveal how the United States tracked Libya-linked master terrorist Abu Nidal; captured Ramzi Yusef, architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; and pursued the assassins of major figures including Yitzhak Rabin, Meir Kahane, and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the president of Pakistan–classic cases that have sobering new meaning in the treacherous years since 9/11. Here, too, is Burton’s advice on personal safety for today’s most powerful CEOs, gleaned from his experience at Stratfor, the private firm Barron’s calls “the shadow CIA.”

Told in a no-holds-barred, gripping, nuanced style that illuminates a complex and driven man, Ghost is both a riveting read and an illuminating look into the shadows of the most important struggle of our time.

Davis Bunn

Author Davis Bunn: The Black Madonna, Treasure Hunters, and Advice to New Writers

Stolen art and international intrigue in exotic places fill the pages of The Black Madonna, author Davis Bunn’s next spellbinding novel scheduled for release in September. Treasured art, steeped in historical significance, dramatically changes the lives of art historian Storm Syrrell, treasure hunter Harry Bennett, and U.S Treasury agent Emma Webb.

For those of you who’ve read Davis’ previous novel, Gold of Kings, these names—Storm, Harry and Emma—should sound familiar. They return in The Black Madonna to locate another historic art treasure that will have international repercussions. And their efforts shed more light on the killing of Storm’s grandfather, Sean Syrrell, an art broker found murdered in the first novel.

There is another aspect of The Black Madonna that I found fascinating. Davis conducted intriguing research for both these novels; rubbing shoulders with real-life treasure hunters, talking to intelligence sources, and visiting exotic locations. Readers will travel from an auction house in London, through hostile mid-eastern countries, to the Monastery of Jasna Gora, located near Czestochowa, Poland.

Do you have an urge to travel? Davis takes you on a journey that won’t gouge your wallet—places like the Herodian dig above the Judean Desert; whirling through European cities of intrigue; or traveling a bumpy Jordanian road from Madaba  to Mt. Nebo, where God gave Moses one last look at the promised land. This author seems to have taken a modern-day Indiana Jones journey to be able to write this thriller.

Again, Davis demonstrates why he is a bestselling author. Needless to say—but I’ll say it anyway—he’s one of my favorite authors. I became hooked on his novels after reading The Great Divide several years ago. I’ve enjoyed reading a number of his novels ever since. It is a great pleasure to interview this gifted writer.

MARK: Davis, thanks for taking the time to visit us as The Black Madonna is about to be released. Tell us about this thriller, keeping in mind there are a few readers out there who’ve missed an opportunity to read Gold of Kings for background.

DAVIS:  The Black Madonna is a sequel to Gold of Kings,  carrying forward some key characters and pursuing further mysteries tied to religious relics.  It is a thought-provoking adventure story, with the external quest for treasures mirroring the internal quest for spiritual truths.

The story opens as a venerable Catholic priest, charged with preparing the icon of the Black Madonna for public display in a Polish church, draws closer to the painting for inspection.  Whatever he witnesses leaves him stumbling from the altar, clutching his chest.  He lies motionless on the ancient marble floor, as an old woman cries out for help for a dying man.

Storm Syrell’s flush of notoriety over discovering the treasures of the Second Temple has done little to pay the mounting debts of her arts and antiques business.  Her situation is exacerbated by the global economic crisis and investment scandals, which have left her lofty Palm Beach clientele with little appetite – or indeed cash – to spend on their next trophy.  So she is delighted to hear from an out-of-town buyer, anxious to secure a Russian oil painting.  The portrait itself appears to be of secondary quality, so Storm surmises its cachet must be due to some unsubstantiated stories.  The painting is linked to superstitious tales of sudden healings and answered prayers.   After intense bidding at auction, she manages to secure the work for the secretive new client.  Then another assignment is phoned in—another relic, this time in Spain.  And then still more relics, taking her to England and Switzerland and Italy.

Storm is forced to contend with a number of bizarre encounters.  Is someone out to get her – to keep her from succeeding in collecting these artifacts?  Or is she just imagining such threats because of the dramatic turn of events with the temple treasures?  When her friend Emma Webb turns up, an agent now on detail with Homeland Security, Storm’s doubts coalesce into fear.  National security, Emma explains quietly.  A master-forger is at work.  Together they must track the clandestine commerce in certain religious artifacts and determine the motives of their buyers and sellers.  Other whispers reach Storm –  strange voices of Russian oligarchs, and Vatican emissaries, and Rasputin-like figures promising miracles.  This is no small game of mis-attributed canvases.  Storm is taken to Poland, to a monastery which houses one of the most powerful icons in all Christianity – the Black Madonna.  As she gazes upon the scarred image with the open-handed invitation to trust in something beyond herself, Storm resolves to see the mystery through to the end.  But when she feels a strong grip upon her shoulder, she turns to face a future she could not have imagined.   

MARK:  As illustrated in your novel, The Black Madonna of Czestochowa is actually one of Poland’s holiest relics as well as a national symbol. What drew your attention to this work of art as an intricate part of  your story? What did you find most interesting about its history?

DAVIS: For many writers, the seed of an idea germinates for some time before being brought to fruition.  The Black Madonna captured my imagination some fifteen years ago, on a visit to the ancient walled monastery at Czestochowa.   My wife, Isabella, is of Polish heritage.  As I came to know her family and the traditions of the Catholic Church, I learned about the importance of images and rituals in sustaining faith.  While we were in Krakow one summer, her ailing uncle Marian expressed a desire to go on one final pilgrimage to Our Lady of Czestochowa.  This turned out to be an extraordinary journey, awhirl with equally astonishing legends.    It is said that the Black Madonna was painted by Luke the evangelist on the wooden board that served as a table for the holy family.  From Jerusalem the painting made its way to Constantinople and eventually to the church in Poland.  Since the early 1400s, the painting has sustained the Polish people though occupations and division and Nazism and Communism, and was linked to the Solidarity movement which eventually brought about Poland’s independence.

 

The Black Madonna depicts Mary holding the baby Jesus, who extends His hand in a blessing to the viewer.  The surface is darkened by centuries of smoke and incense.  Seven hundred years ago, the mother’s face was scarred by a Tartar’s sword thrust.  Today, the Black Madonna remains Poland’s holiest relic and one of the country’s national symbols.   The church that houses it is an elaborate Baroque-styled structure with worn marble floors.

 

And what of Uncle Marian --  did he receive the miracle he was praying for?  Surely he still felt frail upon settling back into the car for the journey home.  But he whispered to Isabella, “Now I can die in peace.”  So I, too, can appreciate the power of the Black Madonna  – not so much as a source of victory – but as a symbolic reminder of divine protection. 

MARK: Treasure hunter Harry Bennett seems to be part rascal, part saint in these stories. I understand that you used a real-life treasure hunter as a model for Harry’s character. What kind of insights did this gentleman provide about this treasure-hunting business?

DAVIS:  Harry was fashioned after Bob Marx, the most famous living American treasure hunter.   One of the great thrills of researching this story was getting to know Bob, and share in his adventures.  Bob is in his seventies now, and his health is not good.  But there still burns in his heart the spirit of a thirty-year old treasure dog. 

MARK: In a way, you and treasure hunter Bob Marx share common interests or experiences—love of history and archeology, love of the sea, and yes … both have been bitten by sharks. On the other hand, I can’t imagine two guys who are more polar opposites. I visualize Bob as being a rather rough and tumble kind of guy, similar to your Harry Bennett character. And you, a writer in residence at Regent’s Park College at Oxford University, an international bestselling author, graduate studies in economics and finance. Can you tell us about this man and how the two of you crossed paths?

DAVIS: You are absolutely right there.  Bob has been imprisoned nine times, been blown up underwater five times, and even had the wall of a submerged city fall on him off the coast of Barbados.  We have nothing whatsoever in common, except our fascination with lost treasure and the mysteries that surround them.  Bob loves to talk, I love to listen.  Bob does not teach.  He doesn’t have the patience.  But his passion for the sea is so strong, and this is another thing we share.  I started surfing when I was fifteen years old.  My first job, at the ripe old age of eleven, was as a dock-hand at a marina on the coast of North Carolina.  The first time Bob and I met, we clicked.

This is one of those remarkable things that happens quite often during the writing process.  I have been a published author now for nineteen years, and it still amazes me.  I love this opportunity to see the world through different eyes, to come to grips with a vision and a lifestyle utterly different from my own.  I leave Bob’s company feeling enriched.

MARK:  These exotic locations in The Black Madonna really come alive in your story. Readers can clearly see these places as your words paint pictures in their minds. What kind of traveling research did you do for this background, and what places did you actually visit?

DAVIS: All of them. 

MARK: Any interesting stores come to mind during these travels?

           

DAVIS: The crossing from Italy into Switzerland, across the Smuggler’s Pass, was my first foray into what is known as glacier hiking.  It was something I had never even heard of before this trip.  Getting to the tongue of the glacier was a four and a half hour hike, basically like climbing a set of uneven stairs.  Up and up and up and up.  My lungs were burning and my legs were like jelly.  All I could think of was, where is the bed?  Finally, at long last, the man I was roped to turned and pointed ahead.  He said, we can stop and have a hot meal in the mountain hut just up ahead.  My first thought was, thank goodness, I might have enough strength for another five steps.  No more.  Then I realized I couldn’t even see the hut!  I craned and searched and realized he was pointing to this teeny-tiny little stone cabin way on the other side of the glacier, it had to be another three or four miles, and each step meant testing the ice with the steel-tipped pole, and carrying a pack that by this point weighed seventy thousand pounds. 

MARK: Tell us a little about your life as an author. What kind of writing discipline do you follow—up at dawn, writing late at night, something in between? Daily word count?

DAVIS: I like to be at my desk by six, or a little earlier.  I rise around five, stretch, have my morning devotional, and get straight to work.  I love to have at least one scene completed before the rest of the world wakes up.  There is a sense of starting the day really well if the sunrise finds me already pushing hard.

Generally I can only do about five hours of writing, otherwise I am not much good the next day.  The only time I stray from this is when I am approaching the climax of a story.  Then all the rules go out the window.  I write until I drop.

MARK: There are at least a few aspiring authors who will read this interview. You’ve been in the writing business for several decades, and you’ve survived many changes in the publishing industry. Right now, there seems to be even more challenges facing new authors trying to break into this industry. What can new authors do to prepare themselves to meet these challenges and be competitive? What one piece of advice would you share with a writer just starting out?

DAVIS: It remains a great pleasure to work with new would-be authors.  Truly.  I wrote in the lonely wilderness for nine years and finished seven books before my first was accepted for publication.  Anything I can do to assist other authors to avoid some of the pitfalls I struggled through is a genuine pleasure.

The most important advice I can possibly offer a Christian author is this:  Attend one of the major five-day Christian writers’ conferences.  Seven are listed here.  I have selected these because they are large enough, and so well-established, that every major publisher and agent will attend at least one of these each year, and perhaps more.  This is a crucial component of a successful conference.  Do not be swayed by one that is quicker, closer, or cheaper.  You need to have the connection to the commercial world, and see your work through the eyes of those people who have the power to offer you a contract.

There are a number of significant differences between one of these Christian conferences and the mainstream counterparts.  Most of these began as church-based ministries, and ALL of them see their work as a service to our Lord.  The same is true for the teachers.  We come in order to serve God and further the Kingdom’s work.

The days are basically split in two.  In the mornings are ‘major tracks’, ongoing classes designed to cover the basic nuts and bolts of your chosen direction—fiction, non-fiction, song and poetry, magazine articles and greeting cards, and screenwriting.  The afternoons are focused upon the commercial side of the writing world—meetings with agents and publishers, classes on pitching and presentations and marketing, and so forth.

Two other advantages come from attending such a conference.  The first is, you have the opportunity to discuss your work with other authors, and know what it means to translate a private dream into a commercial reality.  The second is, you are granted a set of realistic expectations and tools for change.  Both of these are vital components to growth and success.

The main Christian writers conferences are as follows

• The American Christian Fiction Writers Conference, each September, location varies. http://www.acfw.com/ 
• The Write to Publish Conference, Wheaton College, Illinois, each June. www.writetopublish.com/
• The Christian Writers' Guild conference, Colorado, each February.www.christianwritersguild.com/
• The Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, Santa Cruz, every April www.mounthermon.org/adult/.../writers-conference/
• The Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference, each May. www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_2008_BRMCWC_Brochure.pdf
• The Glorietta Christian Writers Conference, New Mexico, each Octoberwww.classervices.com/CS_Glorieta_Conf.html
• and The Florida Christian Writers Conference, each February www.flwriters.org/ 

MARK: I know readers will enjoy The Black Madonna and other novels written by this bestselling author. For more information on Davis and his writing career, visiting his website at www.DavisBunn.com.

"Help me ... help you!"

Hook’em and Book’em Grows

Have you ever launched into something without knowing the consequences? Something akin to grudgingly offering to coach a kid’s baseball team knowing the last time you picked up a bat Babe Ruth was still cracking home runs? Or starting a blog without knowing where it might lead?

Almost six months ago, I launched Hook’em and Book’em (HB) with an idea that mystery readers and writers might like to connect with law enforcement. Maybe readers might like to learn from cops—those who have fought the good fight—and use this information to write mystery fiction with more authenticity. Added to this, I thought mystery readers and writers might like to meet other published authors and learn about their latest novel.

Time appears to have validated this assumption. Readers from thirty countries have wandered over to HB in the last six months.These visitors have arrived from every continent but Antarctica—and I’m still hoping for a reader from that icy tip of the world. Although most of our visitors are from North America, they’ve included islanders off the coast of Thailand, as well as visitors from Tobago, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, and other places I’d love to visit.

Here at HB, I continue to learn through trial and error. Thanks for overlooking these mistakes


One thing I’d like to encourage is more dialogue with and between readers. Although we continue to have a number of visitors, they often come and go without leaving a trace. Just past through cyberspace without telling us know what they think or what they might find interesting.

Here comes another assumption. I feel  Hook’em and Book needs to broaden its content to capture the revolution going on in the publishing industry—like ebooks, print on demand publishers, and major publishers starting their own self-publishing ventures. 


Beginning this week, there will three posts a week on HB. Generally, these articles will appear on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, unless my reservoir of ideas come us empty, my computer crashes, or a major publisher wants one of my novels right now. I want encourage readers to jump in with comments, suggestions and requests. Is there a mystery author you’d like me to hunt down and invite to our group? Any topic in law enforcement you’d like to learn more about? How about the publishing industry? Writers and aspiring novelists: how about the pains and joys of writing? What are some things you are struggling with? What rocks your boat? What really ticks you off?

Here at HB, I’d like to open this up to more dialogue and interaction. More of an open forum on any number of topics that might interest readers. Our core law enforcement and author interviews will still continue. I plan on taking a look at the border issues currently in the news, as well as other cops topics. 




Two of my favorite authors will join us in the coming month: 


Bestselling author Davis Bunn will hook up with us—all the way from England, unless he happens to be surfing in Florida—to talk about his latest novel, The Black Madonna, scheduled for release in September. 


Author Dean Koontz, New York Times bestseller, will join us in a few months about his novel, What The Night Knows, targeted for release in December. His prose and his plots are sure to make you shiver.

I hope to offer our readers much more, but it all depends upon you. Let me know what interested you. What you’d like me to pursue.

The key is flexibility in our topics. HB will strive to offer other perspectives about what is happening in the publishing industry. Quick briefs on mystery novels just hitting the stands. We’ll be exploring what’s happening in the publishing digital revolution, cultural trends in fiction, and any other subject that is hot at the time. Please leave your comments in the link to this article, or email me directly at MarkYoung@MarkYoungBooks.com.

Remember that Jerry McGuire movie scene where actor Tom Cruise plays a sports agent. In one scene, the agent, Jerry McGuire struggles to break through to his one and only client about the need to make their best possible football deal. Peering into his client’s eyes, McGuire pleads: “Help me … help you. Help me, help you.”

Here at HB, I saying the same thing … although don’t expect any money.

Thanks to all those readers who’ve stopped by over the last six months. Keep on enjoying this journey.