BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
Books in Bloom has scored some big names in nearly every genre in the past 14 years — among them Catherine Coulter, Craig Johnson, Terry Books, C.J. Box and even the inimitable James Dean. They are, says event co-chairman Jean Elderwind, “writers [fans] have loved and never thought they would ever meet.”
As she prepares for this year’s event May 19, Elderwind is particularly excited about Jeffery Deaver, who “has 40 million books out with a new release coming out in a week [and] will be at a signing in London the day after Books in Bloom,” and “Chris Bohjalian, who has a huge following, and we have been trying to get him for years. His latest is being made into a movie starring Kaley Cuoco.”
Both Deaver and Bohjalian took time out of those busy schedules to answer some questions for What’s Up!
Deaver is a former journalist, folksinger and attorney who is the author of more than 35 novels, three collections of short stories, a nonfiction law book and the lyrics of a country-western album. He’s been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention and by the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy, and his novel “The Bone Collector” was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. His most recent novel, “The Never Game,” starts a new series.
Q. In what ways, situations, moments, do you find inspiration for a story you want to tell?
A. My goal is to write the most intense, emotionally engaging story I can. So I’m always receptive to ideas that will be a springboard to achieve that end. I’m like a sponge, always ready to absorb a situation that might be a theme for one of my twisted stories
Q. Do those stories require historical context? Or would you ever write something that was untethered to our real world?
A. I feel the most engaging tales are of this world. Supernatural, fantasy and science fiction create a remove from the readers’ involvement — though, with the best fiction, a very small distance. So I ground all of my stories in the real world and largely in the present day. I have written several historical short stories and an historical novel (“Garden of Beasts,” set in Berlin in 1936).
Q. Was there something else you intended to be when you grew up? Is there anything else you’d still like to explore doing?
A. No, ever since I was 11 or 12 I knew I wanted to write fiction for a living. I was a nerd growing up and found comfort in books, not on the sports field. And, again no, there’s no other profession I’d be interested in (or have any talent for!)
Q. What do you enjoy/learn/appreciate about events like Books in Bloom where you can interact with fans?
A. Oh, I love going to events like Books in Bloom — and it’s one of the best! — because I want feedback from my readers. I consider myself a manufacturer of a product (a creative product, true, but a product nonetheless), and like all manufacturers, we need to meet our market and find out what they like and don’t like about the goods we offer to them. I never write for myself; I write for my fans, and I have to make sure I’m successful at that goal.
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FAQ
Books in Bloom:
Jeffery Deaver
WHEN — 12:30 p.m. May 19
WHERE — In the conservatory at the Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs
COST — Free
INFO — booksinbloom.org
BONUS — Deaver will be leaving the event about 3 p.m. headed for London.
