Warning. Spoiler Alert. Please Do Not Read The Following Unless You Have Already Read Blowback.
If you’ve read the acknowledgements section of Blowback, then you will know that I have been fascinated with Hannibal and his crossing of the Alps for a very long time. When the idea for this novel came to me is tough to say, as I think it came together in pieces from articles and books I had been reading.
Originally I had an idea about sailors trapped on a disease-ridden ship off Venice hundreds of years ago. With an edict from the Doge prohibiting the men from coming to shore until a lengthy quarantine period had been observed, all souls aboard perish. Defying the Doge’s mandate that the ship is to be set ablaze and all the bodies burned, the captain’s family recovers his corpse and seals it in a glass coffin constructed on the island of Murano, where it is sealed in the family crypt. Eventually, the glass coffin is exhumed, the disease harnessed by forces hostile to the US, and all chaos breaks loose. At least that was my first idea for Blowback.
After reading Adrienne Mayor’s book about chemical and biological warfare in the ancient world (Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs – Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World) and John Prevas’ book about Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps (Hannibal Crosses the Alps), I knew I had to take my novel in an entirely different direction.
Learning about paleopathology – the study of disease in antiquity – was an unexpected pleasure. I was fascinated with how this branch of science had come about, and I worked hard to make it an accessible and exciting component of the novel. The real-life neurological connection to vampirism was an additional item that had fascinated me for a long time. In fact, at one point, I had pitched several television networks on a special entitled “Solving the Vampire’s Curse.” Writers are amazing repositories of information and it was exciting to finally put some of my favorite scientific facts and anecdotes to use.
Another part of writing this novel that I really enjoyed was combining an historical element. I enjoyed it so much, that as I began looking forward to the next Scot Harvath adventure, I found myself trying to figure out how I could roll in another interesting piece of ancient history. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. What’s more, I didn’t want my novels to seem like they were starting to go the formula route.
I ended up going to New York to meet with my editor to pitch Novel #5 (now entitled Takedown) with absolutely no idea what it was going to be about. The night we arrived, my wife and I checked into our hotel and then stopped into the bar for a drink. We began kicking some ideas around, and the idea for the new book hit me. I did a little research and pitched it to my editor the next night over dinner. She told me she loved it, that it was absolutely terrifying, and a totally fresh and exciting new direction. It just goes to show you that you never know when the idea fairy is going to strike.
So, what is the next Scot Harvath thriller – Takedown – all about? You’ll have to stay tuned to see. My biggest concern right now is that what I’m writing about is actually going to come true before I can get the book to market.
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