FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: When's your next book coming out? A: The US paperback edition of Fear came out on August 7, 2007 from NAL/Penguin. Fear already hit at #5 on the paperback bestseller list in the UK earlier this year. I'll have a new suspense thriller out next summer—more news to come soon. Q: What's Fear about? A: Fear delves into the world of three ordinary people who were forever changed by horrifying violence. A federal witness, a grieving widow, and a broken soldier fight a deadly conspiracy to take control of a new drug that could save them—and millions of others—from their crippling fears. The main character, Miles Kendrick, is living in the Witness Protection program. He was forced into being a mobster's spy and he helped the FBI bring the mobster down, but during the sting, he accidentally killed his best friend. Miles cannot remember exactly what happened that fatal day, and he is haunted by his friend's death. Suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and mentally broken, Miles wants more than anything to forget the horror he survived—and to regain a normal life. When his psychiatrist tells him she's in danger and needs his help, Miles suddenly finds himself targeted by a brutal killer and on the run to stop a powerful group of people who want to cure Miles—by killing him. Fear is an unusual thriller, and unlike many suspense novels it really deals with the aftermath of violence. I think it's an entertaining novel but also an emotional one. Q: What's Panic about? A: Imagine that one day you discover everything in your life is a lie—your parents, your girlfriend, your work. It's sort of a Hitchcockian idea, that so much of what you treasure in your life could be suddenly revealed as a deception. Panic is about Evan Casher, a successful but naive young film maker who's abruptly summoned home to Austin by his mother. He walks in on her murder, barely escapes a brutal attempt on his own life, and has to go on the run from a group of ruthless killers to find out the truth about who his parents are—and who he truly is. I had a blast writing it and I hope you have a blast reading it. Q: What's the status of the film version of Panic? A: Panic was optioned by The Weinstein Company, and the screenplay is in development. Richard Shepard (who directed The Matador with Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear, and is currently filming Spring Break in Bosnia with Richard Gere and Terrence Howard) has been signed to direct. Q: Why write standalones? Will you write more Whit Mosley novels? A: Well, Dutton asked me to consider writing a standalone, but I had already had several interesting ideas for standalone thrillers, and the time seemed right to try. It definitely got me out of my comfort zone; new characters, new settings, a novel structured in a different way than a Whit novel. And I think escaping a comfort zone is a good thing, and will make for stronger Whit novels—and standalones—in the future. The novel I'm writing right now is a standalone, I'm incredibly excited about it, and then we'll see what I write next. But I promise Whit, Claudia, and Gooch will be back—with a vengeance. I definitely want to write a Whit novel where we learn the truth about Gooch's background—I think readers have been deeply curious about Gooch from the beginning. Q: What's the correct order of the Whit Mosley novels? A: The books don't have to be read in order, but for those who like to read them in the order they were published originally: A Kiss Gone Bad, Black Jack Point, and Cut and Run. Q: What's your writing schedule like? A: I write pretty much all day, with maybe an hour in the afternoon set aside to deal with writing-related business. I'll also write late at night, after my kids are asleep, if I'm close to deadline or on a roll. Q: Where do you get your ideas? A: Like everyone else, at that secret aisle at Target. Kidding. A lot of writers hate this question, not because it's a bad question, but because 1) the idea is only the tip of the iceberg of what the book is and 2) most writers don't know where their ideas come from. An idea is meaningless until the book is written around it. Anyone can come up with an idea, and I have far more ideas than I could ever write books about. Some of my ideas are quite bad, and I sure wouldn't want to spend a year with them. But to try and answer the question, ideas tend to be related to something you see or hear or read about and it sticks in your mind, dormant but present, a seedling, maybe waiting for the fertilizer of another idea or stimulus to take the appropriate shape. It's not that you go somewhere to get ideas; it's that you make your mind receptive to all the ideas that are confronting you each day. Q: Which of your books is your personal favorite? A: The old adage applies—your books are like your children. I don't have a favorite, although I am very, very pleased at the reception the three Whit novels have gotten from readers. Q: My local bookstore ran out of your books. How can I get them? A: Sometimes stores sell out and are slow to reorder. It would be great if you asked the store to order the books for you; most stores are happy to do so. There's also a link to some of my favorite bookstores on the Buy the Book page. Q: How many short stories have you written and where can I find them? A: The most current listing of my short stories and anthologies can be found here. I'll have my latest short story, "A Few Small Repairs", in a new Mystery Writers of America anthology called Relationships Can Be Murder, edited by Harlan Coben, due out later in 2005. Q: Are we ever going to see Jordan Poteet (the detective in your first four books) in a new book? A: It is wonderful how many readers ask for Jordan's return, but I don't think that, given my other commitments, I can write a Jordan novel any time soon. I had a lot of fun writing those books, and am so pleased that they are still in print in both the US and Japan. Perhaps Jordan will reappear in a short story in the near future—you never know. Q: May I send you my manuscript for critique or have you send it to your agent? A: No, unfortunately; as I'm sure you understand, I have to spend my time writing books. So, regrettably, I can't read manuscripts or recommend agents or editors. A good source of information on agents and editors is the Writer's Market, available in most libraries and bookstores. And I wish you the best of luck with your manuscript. Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? A: Read heavily in the area where you want to write. Be aware of what's selling and what's doing well but don't try to write to market trends; they are fleeting. Set a schedule for yourself; novels are big and you should try to break the work down in manageable chunks. So write for an hour each day, or write 2 or 5 or 10 pages a day and stick to that schedule. If you do, you'll have a book eventually. It may not be publishable, but you'll have a book. Also—don't worry about getting an agent until the book is finished. I wish I had a dollar for every time an aspiring writer asked me how to get an agent and they don't even have a first chapter written. First things first—finish your book. Q: Will you come talk to our school, conference, library, etc.? A: With the demands of writing and family, I have to limit the number of appearances I do when I'm not touring, but I do enjoy giving talks when my schedule permits. If you wish to make a request, please send it to request AT jeffabbott DOT com. Q: Why don't you ever come to Des Moines or Jackson or (fill in your city)? A: I do know that tours are expensive for publishers and sometimes smaller cities get left out. But if you're with a bookstore, and you'd like me to visit your store, please send a note to request AT jeffabbott DOT com and I'll see what we can do. Q: How can I get a signed copy of your books? A: The Events page always lists my upcoming signings. Most stores I sign at are happy to take orders over the phone and ship signed copies to you. I'm happy to personalize signed copies (To Mary; Happy Birthday Fred; etc.); just let me know what you want (within reason, I won't sign something like "Thanks for the hot night we shared in Reykjavik, babycakes"). Unfortunately, I can't honor requests to send books to my home or to my publisher for signing. Thank you for understanding. Q: Who are your favorite writers? A: For my own peace of mind, I'm only going to mention writers who have passed away, because there are so many good contemporary writers if I list any of them I'm bound to forget someone and offend a colleague. Lately I have been reading a lot of Eric Ambler, who many feel invented the modern suspense novel and I think he's an absolutely fantastic writer with an unerring command of character and plot. I also enjoy John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee novels. I admire Patricia Highsmith for the psychological depth of her characters and for her subtlety. Graham Greene, with his precision and his understanding of the human condition, is another great favorite. I've also recently discovered Ross Thomas, who I hadn't read before he died, and I can't believe he's not a household name. Brilliant plotting, completely engaging characters, and diamond-cutting precise writing.