BRAD MELTZER... ONE OF THE BEST

Brad Meltzer

I'm proud to say Brad Meltzer has become a cherished friend.

You just want to rub that smooth dome of his, hoping that some of the knowledge locked inside will transfer.  His latest thriller, The Inner Circle, surprise, surprise, is on the New York Times bestseller list.

If you haven't discovered by now, Brad is also a social networking addict.  He's crossed the line!  He tweets constantly on his Blackberry.  He was exercising his digits prior to being interviewed by me on television.  He can't help himself and when you consider the degree of success he's had, you can't blame him.  Hell, I should be emulating him!


You know you've made it to the mountaintop when in the green room, the one and only Chaka Khan told him that she religiously watches his History Channel show, Decoded.  What is it with bald guys impressing the chicks?  Yul Brynner, Telly Savalas, Michael Jordan -- Brad Meltzer!  To be fair, when he was in college at the University of Michigan, it was hard to tell Brad apart from Joey Lawrence.

Colleagues at work who've been living in caves, asked me afterward about Brad.  They were intrigued by his synopsis of The Inner Circle.  Aside from being a first-rate storyteller, Brad is also a freak researcher and it pays off by making his books compelling reads.

I made a huge mistake the other day by starting to read The Inner Circle.  I did this while tweaking my novel and brainstorming the next one.  Of course, it was hard to put the darn thing down.  It now occupies a spot on my nightstand next to the bed.

Brad is also a work-alcoholic, dabbing in writing comic books such as Batman, Superman, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (okay, there has to be good story behind that one).  I guess a guy has to make a living.

Trying to gain whatever insight I can about the writing business, Brad informed me the process basically never stops.  He runs his manuscripts by his wife, a brutal trip down reality lane as I've come to discover as well.  His agent is a former editor so she makes suggestions and then he gives a few trusted friends a look too.  All that before the publisher ever sees the work.

The craft of fine tuning your query letter pays off as well.  Leaving nothing to chance, Brad also wrote the description inside The Inner Circle jacket cover.

I could talk at length about Brad's preparation but hey, I've got writing of my own to do.  And then there's that damn The Inner Circle waiting to tuck me in for the night.

THRILLED ABOUT MY FIRST CONFERENCE

Having recently taken my 14-year old son to a Comic Con convention (one day pass, okay!), I was a little leery of registering for my first writer's conference.  But darn it if Thrillerfest V  in New York doesn't sound like fun.  It's a collection of some of the best murder to paper minds in the world gathering at one place.  If Agatha Christie were alive, she'd have a field day:  Murder At The Grand Hyatt, A Hercule Poirot Mystery.

For an aspiring author like myself (hello mystery agent, my novel is finished), it's a chance to network, schmooze, learn a lot, and kiss plenty of literary agent backside.  First drink is on me.  Second, third, fourth and so on if one decides to represent me. 

Ken Follett

From what I've read, Thrillerfest seems like a loosen your tie experience.  For thriller writers and fans of the genre, I can certainly see the appeal.  In Hollywood terms, it's like the Golden Globe Awards.  New authors are recognized and established pros like Ken Follett will receive special recognition.  Ken if you ever read this, you should know the copy of World Without End you left behind at the studio has enough fingerprints on it to shut down a CSI department.

I'm looking forward to meeting authors I haven't interviewed or spent time with as of yet.  The opportunity to pick their brains would be amazingly beneficial.

Brad Meltzer, who's also scheduled to attend, don't forget you owe me!  I look out for you, you look out for me.  Capeesh?  I also promise not to rag on the Michigan Wolverines.  And sorry I was on vacation when you stopped by to promote Heroes For My Son.

So I'm fine tuning my game and getting excited about heading to the Big Apple.  I'd love to one day belong to that exclusive community known as the International Thriller Writers.  But, if Thrillerfest turns out to be anything like the William Shatner episode on SNL, my wife will never let me hear the end of it.  That is if her stomach would ever stop hurting from laughing so hard.



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