Interview with Andrew Gross

All you aspiring authors out there--Imagine what it would be like if you had the opportunity to co-write a book with James Patterson? This month's jewel did just that. Not only did he co-write a New York Times Bestselling Book with the master of storytelling, but he did it six times. That in itself is an amazing story.

I am sure you have noticed my recent pattern of interviews over the last few months. I have branched out into mainstream fiction and even have temporarily left my first love of romance to try my hand at other genres such as political thrillers. I have been quite impressed with the magnitude of talent out there and thrive on bringing to you what I feel is the very best in this business. So without further ado, go grab yourself a cup of tea and get to know one of the hottest rising stars at HarperCollins, Andrew Gross. And, don't forget to look for the trivia question at the end on the interview. You, too, could win your very own copy of Andrew's latest release, THE DARK TIDE.

Jen: Every author has his own personal story that influences the path of his career. Please take us on your journey highlighting the significant moments in your life that led to your becoming an author.

Andrew: Well, two moments stand out in that journey. The first was a "turnaround" business venture that didn't turn around. I was always deft at phrasing and writing, always a savvy reader, and over two decades of managing companies in the sports apparel field, and, like a million people, it was always one of my dreams-- more of an inner fancy really-- that I would one day find the time to take a year "sabbatical" and write my novel. Well, that sabbatical became a reality in a management RIF (reduction in force.) I took my wife away from the kids to Key West, Florida. We sat around for a few days and she asked me, "So what are we going to do?" I cleared my throat and said, "Well, I want to run something by you, honey..." When I told her I wanted to take a year off to write a book, that I had this idea for a political conspiracy thriller, that we would monitor that year and my progress closely and not turn it into something frivolous and crazy--instead of looking at me and saying "No, are you insane, Andy? We've got kids in private school," she saw something more determined than desperate in my eyes, swallowing all the dubious snickers we would no doubt receive and replied, "Do it. I'm behind you, honey. All the way. " There's no amount of inspiration or dedication more important to a change of life decision than a supportive spouse.

The second, clearly, was the call I received from James Patterson. I had written my novel, HYDRA--it took two years actually-- polished and revised it, found a top agent to sell it, and watched, with exuberant hope as it was sent out to twenty publishers, and, two weeks later, fielded an equal number of rejections, some bolstering and complimentary, others, pretty terse and unhopeful. After two years, I had no idea what I was going to do next. Write another novel? Elbow my way back in business? Go another year or two without money coming in, or without a real handle in life? While I was sitting around stewing over this, I got a call from my agent. "Would I be willing to take a call from James Patterson?" My pat line is-- I would have taken a call from the mailman if he had anything nice to say about my book. We met for breakfast and he shared some positive comments about my book, which had been given to him by the then senior editor of Warner Books with five amusing words scratched on it, "This guy does women well!" What Jim said to me was, "You've got the goods, Andy. I can tell you how to sharpen your book, and you can go back and spend another year revising it and then re-submit. Or, I've got a few ideas for stories I'd like to tell, that I don't have time to write--and if you'd like to consider working with me, it just might be worth your while." (Those ideas became the Woman's Murder Club series.)

And, Jim's call changed my writing career.

Jen: One of those most challenging parts of becoming an author is quite simply figuring out the "formula," if you will, for which to create the best book that you can possibly write. What was it like going from a "one man show" to working with a partner? What adaptations to your writing style or methods did you have to make in order to reach the final product?

Andrew: Well, I've made the trip full-circle now. Originally, it probably took that first book to fully understand what Patterson was trying to do, stripping scenes down to their elemental core, learning his voice and how everything in the book is built for speed. After that, I was given a pretty long leash. At the time, his publisher called it "the most seamless collaboration he had ever read."

The challenge then, having sold my own book, was re-finding my own voice, as I had written in someone else's for so long. Seven years. Six books. And let's face it--it's a privilege and a luxury to be able to call up one of the keenest minds in the business to help noodle it out when you get stuck. I still miss that.

Jen: For the best part of seven years, you worked side by side with James Patterson creating New York Times Bestselling novels that put your name on the map in the publishing business. I would think that you were quite comfortable in those shoes, but in the back of your mind, did you know that one day you would return to writing solo? How hard was it to make that break?

Andrew: From book one, we always knew there would be an end game. But the deals grew in lucrativeness; the books always went to number one. It's a thrill seeing your name at the top of the list, having a million people reading your stories-- three of them were sold to the movies. So one book grew into six. And this was before Patterson became, Patterson, Inc., so to speak. I was actually waiting for a seventh treatment from him when I scratched out some thoughts and put them in this outline and submitted it to my agent, questioning, you think this might sell? A week later we had four publishers bidding on the outline. I actually fully never intended to make the break when I did; it more or less was hoisted on me. I never forget for a second that my career is a chain of such fortuitous events.

Jen: Your first solo project, THE BLUE ZONE, soared to the New York Times Bestselling List which validated to the critics (as well as to yourself) that you are a talented author in your own right. How did that change your view of yourself as a writer? Did you feel more pressure to exceed your readers' expectations or did it have the reverse effect in respect that you were able to recognize that you had honed your craft to the point that success was truly attainable?

Andrew: I never really feel pressures like that. People who know me would joke that I'm a host-- not a recipient. It's taken a while to accept that I'm actually pretty good at what I do. First, it was always, it must be Patterson doing it and then there was always the nagging doubt-- well, working with Patterson gave you the platform for your success, or that as you say, that burst to the Bestseller List was an ocean of Patterson readers familiar with your name. It took a book for people to realize I'm not writing Patterson clones. That I have my own voice. I've received about a thousand emails of readers, going "wow!" Or "this is a lot more that I was expecting." Then you get reviews that back that up and praise from other writers you always read and admired--then that initial three book deal with Morrow is suddenly backed up with an almost unheard of six book extension--and you look at your wife who was there at that first agonizing decision to give this a shot and scratch your head and go, "jeez, it isn't about Patterson at all. I must really be able to do this thing."

Jen: Your latest release, THE DARK TIDE, is an amazing thriller that is fast-paced, nail- biting, and deftly executed. How did you arrive at the premise?

Andrew: While the book starts with a horrific event, THE DARK TIDE is a not a book about catastrophe or terror. I think I've always been touched by the inner "terror" of successful, complete, seemingly untouchable lives altered in a second through fate. THE BLUE ZONE was such a story, a husband and father betraying their family's trust. In THE DARK TIDE, a successful dad wakes up, kisses his wife goodbye, heads to the train, and is never, ever heard from again. I've also had a lot of contact in my career with very successful businessmen who have been brought down through either fraud or stock scandals. The mighty falling seems to also be a theme--and the two are woven together here.

Jen: How much research went into the formulation of the novel? And if you had to choose, what one bit of information was most helpful for making your readers buy into your storyline?

Andrew: As I said, I've witnessed close hand the fall of a few, iconic, seemingly "untouchable" business people. I've also been part of a family company that was once on the New York Stock Exchange, but now, due to financial misreporting, no longer exists. This is my best research--stories of sudden shame or complicity, or hypocrisy. And greed. We also lost a close friend on 9/11, so I know little about what Karen, my protagonist, had to go through.

Jen: In my opinion, the brevity of your chapters is a brilliant writing technique because it keeps the story focused while at the same time teases the reader "to just read one more." From a writer's point of view, do the short chapters help to keep the story moving forward or is it double the work because you have to make sure the story doesn't become disjointed?

Andrew: Absolutely the first. My tales are plot intensive, like Patterson's. One hundred four page chapters or so, each propelling the story forward. If you do it well, if each chapter ends with a jolt and a mystery, propels into the next, it's an automatic page turning machine. It keeps people up at night. Still, I try to let the scenes go to their natural dramatic conclusion. Unlike Jim, I don't abruptly end them, just to make them brief.

Jen: Your lead character in this book is a female, a choice that entailed quite a bit more finesse on your part in order for it to ring true with your readers. What was the most challenging part of writing from a woman's point of view?

Andrew: I have always written in a female voice. Can't explain why. Even my first still unpublished manuscript that got me to Patterson. I know I do it well, because I like to write about sensitivity and emotion wrapped up with crisis and danger. I like to write about women who act heroically. The books I started writing out with Jim had four women! Now, I only have to do one or two!

Jen: The catalyst that sets the plot in motion takes place in New York City, which carries with it the connotation of being similar to 9/11. What makes that locale so vital to the story?

Andrew: THE DARK TIDE is not really a New York story. It's set in Greenwich, CT. What attracts me there is that it is a community of the richest, most successful business people in the country, yet it's a small town. Moms drive their kids to school, go to yoga--dads coach the teams. The mix of power and suburban familiarity is what is so compelling.

Jen: My favorite character in THE DARK TIDE is Ty Hauck. What are his strengths and weaknesses? And, which scene of his was the most enjoyable to write and why? Which one was the most difficult and why?

Andrew: Hey, a male! I did it! I'm glad you feel that way. Hauck is quiet, strong, dogged, and vulnerable, carries a private tragedy, has a true sense of right and wrong, and is willing to risk his life for someone else's wrong. He is a true knight. Selfless, courageous, and in that sense, romantic and heroic. I'll pass on the scene so I don't give anything away.

Jen: Of all the books you have written so far, which one are you most proud and why?

Andrew: I like this one, because I think it is the richest in feel and most complex. And exciting. Yet there are parts of me in every one that enliven them for me. I loved writing THE JESTER--a book that should have gained more fans--a real fairy tale in the middle ages with enormous charm and emotional resonance at the end, an ending that's sort of a signature with me.

Jen: What has surprised you most about the publishing business and why?

Andrew: That it's actually not a whole lot more advanced than the old woman's dress business where I started out. Publishers aren't sure just what they have. They throw it out, everyone believes their "line" is better than the next guy's, and then the customer tells them what sells! Then they try to milk that concept as much as they can on the next one. Never had any idea my old resume was so applicable to my new career!

Jen: Are you currently at work on your next project? And if so, is it collaboration or a solo venture? What can you tell us about it?

Andrew: No more collaborations. I've got a book to write a year for the next eight. Yes, I'm halfway through. I'd rather not say the subject though until people read THE DARK TIDE.

Jen: Please tell us about your website. Do you have e-mail notification of upcoming releases? Do you participate in author phone chats? And if so, how would my readers go about arranging one? Do you have a blog?

Andrew: Yes, yes, yes. It's a strong site. I try to share things about myself and make myself available. I never forget for a second what a privilege it is to be doing this and in my heart, I still identify with the reader writing in more than the author responding. So, I love contact. I learn from interacting with my audience. So don't be shy--good or bad, although I have to say, of the thousand or so e-mails I've gotten on THE BLUE ZONE, only a couple or so were negative, and they were pretty much due to how I completely bungled the Spanish. (I promise, no Spanish in THE DARK TIDE!)

Jen: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with my readers. It has been such a pleasure for me to be able to interview you. I was truly impressed with your novel and look forward to your next release. Best of luck in 2008!

Andrew: Thanks for giving me the time. Hope I hear from some of your readers down the line!

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Andrew Gross. THE DARK TIDE would make the perfect gift, so why not pick up a copy today? Or, would you rather win one? Enter my Jen's Jewels contest with the correct answer to the trivia question and be one of five winners! Good luck!

Please name the title of Andrew's first solo project?

Later this month, I will be bringing to you my interview with Therese Fowler, author of the masterfully written debut novel, SOUVENIR. You won't want to miss it.

Until next time...Jen

When a twist of fate landed Jennifer at the "Reading with Ripa" roundtable discussion with Kelly Ripa and Meg Cabot, she knew that her career as a French teacher would essentially be over. Instead, she figured out a clever way to combine her love for reading and writing and "voilà" She became a book reviewer and columnist with www.freshfiction.com. On the sidelines, her parents secretly hoped that her French degree from Vanderbilt would one day come in handy and Jennifer is happy to report that the phrases ‘Je ne sais pas' and ‘C'est incroyable!' have been quite useful when reviewing certain selections! As is typical in her whirlwind life, one thing led to another and soon she found herself facilitating a popular moms' book club and writing a column she cleverly named Jen's Jewels. (Jewelry is one of her many addictions, as is the color pink and Lilly Pulitzer, which when you think about it, would probably make for a good story! Hint! Hint! ) To keep herself away from her favorite retailer, Ann Taylor, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Harford County Public Library in Maryland. As a national trainer for The Arthritis Foundation's Aquatic and Land Exercise Classes, she is an advocate for those like herself who suffer from arthritis, the nation's #1 cause of disability. When asked how she manages to do all of these things and actually get some sleep at night, she simply replied, "It's just Par for the Course." Hmm! Now where have we heard that before?