Old Earth
by Gary Grossman
on Tour April 2015
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller
Published by: Diversion Books
Publication Date: 3/10/2015
Number of Pages: 419
ISBN: 9781626816336
Purchase Links:
Synopsis:
“An ambitious tale loaded with heaping doses of adrenalin, OLD EARTH sweeps the reader away with history, intrigue, espionage, engaging characters, and an intelligent conclusion – all elements of the perfect thriller!" —Steve Berry, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author, THE LINCOLN MYTHGary Grossman, author of the wildly popular Executive series, returns with a high-octane thriller that digs into the history of the Earth to find the secrets people are willing to kill to keep concealed.
In the summer of 1601, Galileo Galilei made a startling discovery in the mountains of Eastern Italy that, if made public, could shatter faith in religion, bring down governments and lead to worldwide turmoil.
For more than 400 years the secret has been guarded by a small group of incredibly powerful people, willing to do everything in their power to keep these discoveries from being made. But now, a university dig in Montana headed by paleontologists Quinn McCauley and Katrina Alpert threatens to expose the secret Galileo unearthed, the event that caused him to turn his study to the stars, and the hidden reason the scientist was convicted of heresy by the Inquisition.
McCauley and Alpert find themselves in a global game of cat-and-mouse, seeking answersfor a mystery that has endured for centuries, hunted for what they might discover.
OLD EARTH weighs age-old arguments between science and religion in a tense thriller that spans time and questions recorded history.
"A high energy combination of history and intrigue, and last but not least, a great book to bring along the next time you travel." —Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor
"OLD EARTH's richly detailed and unique premise will delight fans of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton." —CJ Lyons, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author
Author Bio:
Gary Grossman, author of wildly popular Executive series, is a print and television journalist, an Emmy Award-winning network television producer, and a film and TV historian.
Catch Up:
Interview When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always been writing. But the first time I think I was aware of it was in 4th grade in Hudson, New York. We were all part of a national reading project and we got rewards for writing short book reviews. I can’t remember what we actually earned, but I do remember being absorbed in the Landmark history series and the Random House “All About Books.” I credit both series in the acknowledgments of OLD EARTH. Science, earth history, and dinosaurs all play into the plot of my latest thriller. Clearly there’s a real through line to my reading in 4th grade.
How long does it take you to write a book?
From the time I start writing a new thriller, I aim for three pages a day. That gives me a goal of roughly 90 pages a month. I do skip some days intentionally, and there are other days I just can’t get to it. Then there’s research¸ certainly integral to the process, that will interrupt the writing schedule. When I stay on track, I can have a first draft in about five months. It’ll take me as long, if not longer for the rewrite. That comes in stages: Reading and making notes. Retyping. Re-reading and then re-typing. Next a go through copy editing steps; first with three or four friends, and ultimately a few passes with my editor at Diversion Books. So all, in all, though I’d like to do it in less time, it averages at least 18 months.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
This is a great question. In a word: everywhere. From the news, from documentaries I’ve made for television (my day job is producing TV), from ideas I’ve noodled and played with for years, from something I might hear on the radio. OLD EARTH is a combination of a few of these. I produced a documentary for the History Channel on dinosaur hunters Cope & Marsh and a famed British magician named Maskelyne. But there’s no shortage of discussion on TV, radio and in print on the age of the Earth. Finally, I’ve always been interested in fossils, which works into the story in an important way. As a kid in upstate New York, I used to go fossil hunting in our limestone quarries.
All of that adds up to the inspiration for OLD EARTH. For my political thrillers, I try to think the unthinkable. It’s increasingly scary because we’re seeing the unthinkable unfold day after day.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
Now I write thrillers. The first four fall into two categories, political thrillers and historically-driven thrillers. However, my first two books covered television history. I was 26 when I wrote “Superman: Serial to Cereal,” which looks at the George Reeves Superman era and the transition of the character from radio to motion picture serials to television. It’s still a fun read. So is “Saturday Morning TV” which I wrote a few years later. This book chronicles the first 30 years of children’s television. They’re both fun trips down memory lane. Honestly, the influences of the shows that I wrote about helped shape my world view and gave me my first understanding of storytelling.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I still produce quality television documentaries and live event specials. I also teach graduate film courses at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and write media criticism for “Media Ethics Magazine.” You might say I’m always creating. In fact, each day is loaded with different things. A few hours of writing, working on students’ assignments, producing or post producing shows, developing new ones and reading about the world today and we’re headed. That’s tremendously important. The world is moving at light speed and we have to constantly change and adapt to survive in any business. Just look at how we’re consuming content these days, through eBooks, the Internet and over-the-top services like Netflix, Hulu, and Google Play. Everything is changing everywhere. We have to keep up with it all to be relevant, competitive, successful and even creative.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I love the accidents that happen when I write. I often come up with an idea and then begin to do research, thinking there has to be a door opened to what I need. It’s always there. At first I discovered the excitement when I was writing “Executive Actions,” my first political thriller. I needed a centuries old fable to underscore a key plot element. It was there in an Arabian Nights story. I wanted a typical town, a hometown USA to stage a presidential debate. I picked one totally at random literally tossing a dart at a map. It landed on Verona, Wisconsin. I then did research on Verona and low and behold, its nickname is “Hometown USA!”
Not to give too much information away about OLD EARTH, but after starting the book I realized I needed to give the plot historical underpinning. This time, it was an intellectual dart. I threw it at the 1600s, looking for any research that involved cave exploration. I immediately discovered that Galileo, before he turned his attention to the stars, had invented a device called the thermoscope to measure varying temperatures. Yes, Galileo is credited with inventing the thermometer. With that information, I further found that he had explored caves. I put those two random elements together, then decided that what he found in a cave had a tremendous impact on the rest of his life. Through that surprise, my twists and turns came together for OLD EARTH.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Writers write. My college roommate was a creative writing major. I wasn’t. I studied film and television, sociology and history, but I dabbled with stories. He told me then, and reminds me to this day, to write every day. Here I am doing it answering your questions. Earlier I was working on a TV production, tomorrow I’ll help some of my students with rewrites of their work.
With all of that said, here are my go-to suggestions. Short sentences and quicker scenes. Besides living in a constantly changing world, we consume information at breakneck speed. Scenes are shorter on TV and in movies. Books are changing in kind. Also, I tend to write cinematically, with multiple things happening at the same time. It doesn’t work for every genre, but it will be evident in OLD EARTH, and in my Executive series of political thrillers. Finally, consider the value of research. Whether it’s describing the complexities of a wine your characters are having over dinner, or the weaponry that is authentic in the field, take the extra effort to get it right. I try to, and have still fallen short on some occasions. The more I write, the more I reach out to experts who can provide proper information and then review what I’ve written.
Do you hear from readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I love hearing from readers and I do write back. We have a one-to-one connection, more so than actors with their audiences. We can connect. I see them at ThrillerFest, the annual convention in New York run by the International Thriller Writers Association. Most fans really get my writing and my style. Of course, I can’t please everyone, but the fact that they still read my books and write me underscores the unique one-to-one relationship.
A reader email that really stands out to me came after the publication of my first novel, “Executive Actions.” A woman complained that most authors kill off their strong female characters one or two books into their series. She said I’d created a terrific character in attorney Katie Kessler and she loved how I framed her relationship with Secret Service agent Scott Roarke. Moreover, she liked how integral Katie was to the story. She then pleaded with me not to have anything terrible happen to her, urging “Let her travel around the world for a while,” or if absolutely necessary, “Katie can fall into a coma, but let her live!” Let’s just say that in the sequels, “Executive Treason” and “Executive Command,” Katie is very present and there’s also a wink and a nod to her in OLD EARTH as well.
What would you like my readers to know?
I never thought I’d become a novelist. Now I can’t stop writing. The real magic is once I’m immersed in the plot something amazing happens. I stop writing and begin taking dictation from the characters. In a figurative sense, I sit down and they talk to me. I may have created the story, but they’re very present in the purpose, the direction, the dram, and what is true to their being. It’s like a “Twilight Zone” episode come-to-life. Even the antagonists, which I love to write, reveal their positive qualities and their demons. All of this is to say, that’s what happens to me when I create. I’ve heard the same from other writers. I’d love to hear from your readers if, in their writing, the same occurs.
Finally, today there are so many avenues to getting published: Traditional and non-traditional publishing houses, self-publishing, novels and novellas, short stories and serializations. Explore them all, but don’t put your work out without getting it vetted. Have professionals help you, have a creative writing partner, reach out to teachers you loved, and give credit. Acknowledgments are a must and a great way to say thank you.
With that, I’ll close with my thanks to Deal Sharing Aunt for the interview. I hope you enjoy OLD EARTH, my newest thriller published by Diversion Books. Feel free to write me at gary@garygrossman.com and follow me on via my website at www.garygrossman.com and Twitter @garygrossman1.
Thanks so much for introducing us to this author. His new thriller sounds really interesting!
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