I always knew this day would come, and it has: it's gotten impossible for me to continue writing a book a year while personally responding to all my mail, blog comments, and MySpace messages. In many ways this is a positive development, of course, because it means the audience for my books has grown substantially. But it's sad, too, because I like to stay in touch with people who enjoy my books and blog, Heart of the Matter. So here's what I've decided to do...
I've created a forum that I hope will serve as a central location where we can all discuss the books, the blog, and anything else that comes to mind. My good friend, the multitalented Hank Shiffman, has agreed to help moderate. This way, rather than answering my email and messages one by one (which I can't do anymore), I can see everything all in one place. Also, the forum will enable Rain and Heart of the Matter fans to talk to each other, not just to me. Why don't you stop by now, register, and leave me a message? It would be great to hear from you there.
If you'd still like to send me an offline message, you can do so here. But please read the FAQ responses below before asking a question; you might find it answered right here. And forgive me if I don't answer personally—it doesn't mean I don't appreciate the thought (I do), it just means I'm trying to get the next book done. I'll continue to try to read all my personal messages—except for business propositions and suggestions for what I should write about, which I immediately delete having read just enough to determine the nature of the message. Too many whackos looking for something to sue about, and I can only write my ideas anyway, not someone else's. Regardless, the forum is the best place to find me.
Another good way to stay in touch is to check out my MySpace page and my Face Book page. And then there's my mailing list, which I send out about twice a year with updates on Rain, contests, sneak previews, and of course the tour schedule. The mailing list is private and your email address will never be shared or otherwise used for anything other than the occasional message from me. If you have a spam-blocker on your email account, you may need to put Barry_Eisler@mail.vresp.com into your contacts or on your approved list to receive updates.
Thanks for visiting my site and for enjoying the books!
—Barry
Need a copy of the book cover or a photograph of Barry? Click here.
FAQ
Q.When will the next book come out?
My seventh book is a standalone, so not set in John Rain's universe, though it does contain the usual compelling characters, edge-of-your seat action, realistic tradecraft, exotic locales, and steamy sex (if I do say so myself). Very happy with how it's turned out and so is my new editor, Mark Tavani of Ballantine, who will be publishing the book in early '09. Should have a title soon—will keep you posted. And you can see some photos of locations that appear in the book here.
Q.Do I need to read the books in order?
Each book is written to function as a standalone, so you can read them in any order you like (though of course you should read them all ;-)). But there is an arc to the character as he goes from being a cynical loner to someone with attachments—attachments which often present complications, given the life he leads—so, other things being equal, you might as well start with the first: Rain Fall. For the rest, the order is laid out here.
Q.Will there be more Rain books?
Every time I write a Rain book, I think it's going to be the last, and then somewhere along the way I get an idea for a new story and the series keeps going. So I've given up predicting, and am just taking 'em as they come. I can say this: #7 will be a standalone. Stay tuned for details...
Q.Will there be a movie?
It's looking increasingly likely. Gary Oldman is set to join the cast as William Holtzer, Rain's CIA nemesis, and Japanese actor Shiina Kippei will play Rain. There's more in this article from Variety and on IMDB.
Q.Will you blurb my books?
I blurb very few books—six so far, which translates into about one for each year I've been in this business. Here's why.
Q.Why are some of your UK titles different from the US? Are you trying to rip me off?
My apologies for the confusion. Sometimes publishers in different markets, in this case the US and UK, prefer different titles. Take a look at the Books page of my website, and you'll see which title corresponds to which: Rain Fall/Rain Fall; Hard Rain/Blood From Blood; Rain Storm/Choke Point; Killing Rain/One Last Kill; The Last Assassin/The Last Assassin. If it were up to me, the titles would be the same in each market, and different from what the books are currently sold under in any event.
Q.Why do you do so much research? Aren't you writing fiction, after all?
I am writing fiction, but even in fiction there are rules that, once set, can't be violated. And my rules are all about realism: the settings, the characters, the combat, the spycraft, the sex (just making sure you're paying attention), the backstory... it's all as real as I can get it. I want my readers to trust me when I'm describing a place or an event or a martial arts or shooting technique or whatever, so I travel to the places and study the events behind the backstory and train with the experts. All of this is to ensure that "yeah, it's fiction... but it could really happen. And if it did happen, it would happen like this." For me that's a lot of fun, and I hope it is for you, as well.
Q.Have you ever known a real assassin?
Can't answer that one. John Rain is a work of fiction... although he may not realize that.
Q.Was RAIN FALL your first book? How quickly did you find an agent and a publisher?
The short answer is that Rain Fall was my first book. But the more complete answer is that I rewrote it so many times and so thoroughly before it was finally published that it might have been my fourth or fifth book by the time I got it right. As for an agent and publisher, I received about 50 rejections before hooking up with my first agent, Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber. Nat saw promise in the early manuscript but knew it wasn't ready for prime time; he offered suggestions for improvement that were as extensive as they were excellent, and, about two years later, he judged the manuscript ready to go. At that point the deals came in fast and furious—first Japan, then Putnam in the US, then eight foreign offers. Since then Nat and I have gone our own ways, and my new agents are Dan Conaway and Simon Lipskar of Writers House. I have a new publisher, too—Ballantine—and editor, Mark Tavani.
Q.What did you do for the CIA?
From 1989 to 1992, I had a covert position in the CIA. It was a fascinating experience and certainly key background for the Rain books. I only recently received the necessary "change of status" that enables me to publicly acknowledge it. Still feels a little strange, but I suppose I'll get used to it. I was in the Directorate of Operations (DO), which is where the spies live. There's also the Directorate of Intelligence (DI), which is the analysts. And the Directorate of Science and Technology (DS&T), where the techs make James Bond gizmos. And the Directorate of Administration (DA), which is support. I was trained in a variety of paramilitary tools and tactics, as well as the full range of spy skills.
Q.What's your martial arts background?
I've been interested in the martial arts since I was a teenager, and I guess I have experience in a lot of different ones, although real expertise in none. I have a black belt in judo from the Kodokan International Judo Center in Tokyo, and I was about 20 years ahead of my time in realizing that wrestling is a martial art, with self-defense applications. And boxing. Boxers have known for a long time that boxing is a damn good martial art. A lot of people think if something isn't Asian and doesn't have foreign words to describe it, then it's not really a martial art. In fact, somebody who's really good at boxing and wrestling is a very dangerous person. I've also played around with aikido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. For more on the martial arts in the Rain books, click here. And here are some Practical Martial Arts Tips from Assassin John Rain.
Q.Where does Barry Eisler end and John Rain begin?
Rain and I share some surface similarities: an interest in martial
arts; a love of live jazz; enthusiasm for good single malt whisky.
And we both know what it's like to work for the government. But our
differences are more significant. Rain has had experiences—war,
violence, and killing—that I've been spared, experiences that have
forged his talents and his worldview. I tend to be an optimist with
a cynical streak; in Rain, the qualities are reversed, and he's more
of a cynic who wishes he could be optimistic. Even in the areas
where there's some overlap between us, the differences can be
significant. I'm a rusty first dan black belt in judo, for an
example, while Rain is not only a fourth dan expert on the mat, but
also an expert at applying his martial arts expertise in combat.
I guess what I've done with Rain (or what he's done with me) is to
take a part of myself and develop it into a whole, with the aid of
people I've known, research, and imagination.
Q.How did you come up with the idea to write about Rain? How did you get into writing?
For a list of stores that typically stock and will ship signed copies of my books, click here.
Q.In The Last Assassin, Delilah is reminiscing about a love affair with Dox. What's up with that?
I'm sorry to report that an overzealous proof reader who didn't think to check with me "corrected" Dov to Dox after my final signoff on the page proofs. It's fixed in the third and fourth printings of the hardback and in the paperback.
Q.I found a mistake in one of the books—wanna know about it?
Yes! I'm obsessive about accuracy and realism, but despite all my efforts occasionally something slips through. I'm grateful to everyone who's ever taken the time to point out a glitch to me—but before you mention one, have a look at the Mistakes page, because someone else might have told me already.
Q.Will you read my screenplay/ manuscript/ treatment/ outline/ synopsis/ poetry?
I get a lot of such requests, and wish I had time to meet them—but
I don't, and then of course there's the legal problem of malcontents
who send such items to create an excuse for claiming a published
author ripped off their idea. The truth is, you don't need a
published writer to validate your efforts, and if you do, you might
lack the confidence it will take to weather the many setbacks you'll
face on the way to being published. What you really need is here,
and I recommend reading it.
Q.What other books do you recommend?
Too many to list—although I've tried to set out a few here.
Portions of this FAQ taken from various interviews.
