FAQ
Q. Where can I get information on your digital editions?
Information is here.
Q. Tell me about the Rain Fall movie!
The Rain Fall movie opened in Japan in April, 2009, produced by Sony Pictures Japan and starring a mostly Japanese cast and Gary Oldman as CIA Station Chief William Holtzer. It was released on DVD in the States in May, 2010. It's very different from the book. I can't take any credit or blame for the movie because other than selling the rights to the book, I had no involvement.
It's common when selling movie rights to a book to give up all control over the screenplay, casting, and everything else. Trying to retain control in those areas would probably result in an inability to sell the movie rights generally. When one becomes John Grisham, one's negotiating leverage changes, but at the outset, authors are typically faced with a decision that can be oversimplified as: do I want to risk a bad movie, or no movie at all? Most authors (myself included) happily choose the first risk. Because no matter how a movie turns out, on balance it will sell more books than no movie would. In addition to which upside, there's the upfront money, and of course there's always the possibility the moviemakers will make a very fine film indeed.
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 ;-)). In the John Rain books, there is an arc to Rain's character as he goes from being a cynical loner to someone with attachments—attachments that often present complications, given the life he leads—so, other things being equal, you might as well start with the first: Rain Fall. Like the Rain books, each of the Ben Treven books builds on the book that came before it, but each works also as a standalone. The order of all the books is laid out here, the first book (Rain Fall) at the bottom, and subsequent books laid out south to north, with the latest at the top.
At this point, I'm sure you're wondering why publishers don't number books in a series. I wish I could tell you. If I were a publisher, I'd try to make it easier for readers to find what they're looking for.
Q. Will there be more Rain books?
Lots more, starting with THE DETACHMENT.
Q. Why are some of your UK titles different from the US? Are you trying to rip me off?
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. If it were up to me, the titles would be the same in each market, and for many of my books, different from what the books are currently sold under in any event. The truth is, most publishers don't know how to pick a title, or how to choose a cover or package a book generally.
Q. Where can I get an autographed book?
For a list of stores that typically stock and will ship signed copies of my books, click here.
Q. Where can I find audio versions of the books?
Here you go.
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 blurb my books?
I blurb very few books—about eight so far, which translates into about one for each year I've been in this business. Here's why.
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 an 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 likely face on the way to being published. What you really need is here, and I recommend reading it.
You can find lots more information in various interviews and videos.
