FaceOff (45 page)

LINWOOD BARCLAY
had written several novels by the time he was in his early twenties, but no one wanted to publish them (this may have been because, according to Linwood, they were not all that good). So he decided on a field where he could get paid to write every day. He spent twenty-seven years at Canada’s largest paper, the
Toronto Star,
the last fifteen as a columnist. But in 2004, with the publication of
Bad Move,
he finally got to do what he’d always wanted. In 2008, he left the paper to write fiction full-time. Linwood has published more than a dozen novels, which have been translated into nearly thirty languages. They include the best seller
No Time for Goodbye
and
Trust Your Eyes,
which has been optioned by Warner Bros. for film. He lives near Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children. His website is
linwoodbarclay.com
.

STEVE BERRY
is the
New York Times
and number one internationally best-selling author of nine Cotton Malone adventures, four stand-alone thrillers, and four short story originals. His books have been translated into forty languages with more than seventeen million printed copies in fifty-one countries. History lies at the heart of all of Steve’s novels. It’s his passion, one he shares with his wife, Elizabeth, which led them to create History Matters, a foundation dedicated to historic preservation. Since 2009 Steve and Elizabeth have crossed the country to save endangered historic treasures, raising money via lectures, receptions, galas, luncheons, dinners, and their popular writers’ workshops. He is a member of the Smithsonian
Institution Libraries Advisory Board and a founding member of International Thriller Writers—where he served three years as its copresident. For more information on Steve and History Matters, visit
steveberry.org
.

LEE CHILD
has been a television director, union organizer, theater technician, and law student. After being fired, and on the dole, he hatched a harebrained scheme to write a novel, thus saving his family from financial ruin.
Killing Floor
(1997) was that novel and won worldwide acclaim. The hero first introduced there was Jack Reacher. Seventeen novels later Reacher is a worldwide phenomenon. Millions of copies of those books have been sold in countless languages. In 2012, Tom Cruise brought Reacher to life on the big screen. Lee himself was born in England but now lives in New York City. He likes to say that he leaves the island of Manhattan “only when required to by forces beyond his control.” Visit Lee online at
leechild.com
.

MICHAEL CONNELLY
is the author of twenty-six published novels and a book of nonfiction. He is a former journalist who covered crime and courts for the
Los Angeles Times
. Eighteen of his novels have featured LAPD detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, who debuted in the mystery world in 1992 with
The Black Echo
. Michael has also written several novels featuring defense attorney Mickey Haller, who debuted in 2005’s
The Lincoln Lawyer
. More than fifty million copies of his books have been sold worldwide. Two of his novels—
Blood Work
and
The Lincoln Lawyer—
have been made into films. Michael was born in Pennsylvania, raised in Florida, and spends much of his time in California where he researches his characters and books. His website is
michaelconnelly.com
.

JEFFERY DEAVER
is a former journalist, folksinger, and lawyer. Now he’s a number one internationally best-selling author, sold in 150 countries and translated into thirty-one languages, with thirty-two novels, three collections of short stories, and a nonfiction law book to his credit. His
The Bodies Left Behind
was named 2009 Novel of the Year by International Thriller Writers. He’s also won the Steel Dagger and the Short Story Dagger from the British Crime Writers’ Association and the Nero Wolfe. He’s even entered the world of James Bond, chosen by the Ian Fleming estate to write
Carte Blanche
(2011), a huge best seller, which also received the Japanese Grand Prix award. Movies are no stranger to him, either. His book
A Maiden’s Grave
was made into an HBO film starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin.
The Bone Collector
became a feature release starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. His
The Devil’s Teardrop
is a Lifetime Network feature film. And, yes, the rumors are true, Jeff did appear as a corrupt reporter on his favorite soap opera,
As the World Turns.
Jeff was born outside Chicago, has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and a law degree from Fordham University. Learn more about this fascinating writer at
jefferydeaver.com
.

LINDA FAIRSTEIN
spent thirty years as a prosecutor in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. But she is now the author of fifteen
New York Times
and internationally best-selling Alex Cooper crime novels. She is also the author of a
New York Times
Notable Book of the Year,
Sexual Violence: Our War Against Rape
. Among her many honors, Linda was awarded the International Thriller Writers’ 2010 Silver Bullet for her work with battered and abused women. You can find out more about Linda at
lindafairstein.com
.

JOSEPH FINDER
is the
New York Times
best-selling author of ten novels. The
Boston Globe
called him a “master of the modern thriller.”
His first novel,
The Moscow Club
(1991), was named one of the ten best spy novels of all time. In 2007, his
Killer Instinct
(2006) was tagged as Best Novel of the Year by International Thriller Writers. He’s also made a successful move into theaters. A major motion picture based on his novel
Paranoia,
starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, and Liam Hemsworth, was released in 2013. Previously, his novel
High Crimes
became a hit starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. Joe is a graduate of Yale College and the Harvard Russian Research Center. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. He lives in Boston. Check him out at
josephfinder.com
.

LISA GARDNER
is both a number one
New York Times
best-selling author and the 2010 winner for Best Hardcover Novel (
The Neighbor
) from International Thriller Writers. She began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire she took the hint and focused on writing. With sixteen million copies of her books now in print, Lisa’s glad she did. She lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with her race car–driving husband, speed-skiing daughter, two extremely barky dogs, and one silly puppy. For the full scoop on Lisa, check out
lisagardner.com
.

HEATHER GRAHAM
is the
New York Times
and
USA Today
best-selling author of over one hundred novels ranging from suspense, paranormal, and historical, to mainstream Christmas fare. She lives in Miami, Florida, which makes for an easy drive down to the Keys where she can indulge her passion for diving. Travel, research, and ballroom dancing also help keep her sane. She is the CEO of Slush Pile Productions, a recording company and production house for various charitable events. Look her up at
eheathergraham.com
.

PETER JAMES
’s
Sunday Times
number one best-selling Detective Superintendent Roy Grace crime novels have been translated into thirty-six languages, with worldwide sales of over fourteen million copies. Three of his books have been filmed and two more are currently in development, as well as a stage play. All of Peter’s novels reflect his deep interest in law enforcement. His research is legendary, delving into science, medicine, and the paranormal. He’s also produced numerous films, including
The Merchant of Venice,
starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Joseph Fiennes. In 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Brighton. He served two terms as chair of the Crime Writers Association and is a board member of International Thriller Writers. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London, and near Brighton in Sussex. Visit Peter’s website at
peterjames.com
.

RAYMOND KHOURY
is the
New York Times
and internationally best-selling author of four Reilly and Tess adventures:
The Last Templar, The Templar Salvation, The Devil’s Elixir,
and
Rasputin’s Shadow,
as well as two stand-alone thrillers,
The Sanctuary
and
The Sign.
His debut novel,
The Last Templar,
spent twenty weeks on the
New York Times
best-seller list and was adapted for television by NBC. His books have been translated into over forty languages and sold over ten million copies. Raymond earned an MA in architecture and an MBA before deciding he wanted to write. His screenwriting work includes the award-winning British series
Spooks
(
MI-5
) and
Waking the Dead.
You can connect with him at
raymondkhoury.com
.

DENNIS LEHANE
grew up in Boston. Before becoming a full-time writer, Dennis worked as a counselor with mentally handicapped and abused children, waited tables, parked cars, drove limos, worked in bookstores, and loaded tractor-trailers. His first novel,
A Drink Before the War,
won the Shamus Award. He has published nine more novels since that have been translated into more than thirty languages, each an international best seller. Gems like
Darkness, Take My Hand; Sacred; Gone, Baby, Gone; Prayers for Rain; Mystic River; Shutter Island; The Given Day; Moonlight Mile;
and
Live by Night
. He was a staff writer on the acclaimed HBO series
The Wire
and is currently a writer-producer on the fourth season of HBO’s
Boardwalk Empire
. Learn more at
dennislehane.com
.

JOHN LESCROART
is the author of twenty-four novels, most of which have been
New York Times
best sellers. With sales of over ten million copies, his books have been translated into twenty-two languages in more than seventy-five countries. John has also endowed the perennial $5,000 Maurice Prize for excellence in long-form fiction at the University of California at Davis. Additionally, he is a member of the board of directors of Cal Humanities, an independent nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Finally, and perhaps less known, John loves to cook. His original recipes have appeared in
Gourmet
magazine and in the cookbook
A Taste of Murder
. John and his wife, Lisa Sawyer, live in Northern California. His website is
johnlescroart.com
.

STEVE MARTINI
is the author of numerous
New York Times
best-selling novels, including
Shadow of Power, Double Tap, The List, The Judge,
and
Undue Influence,
the last two of which were produced as network television miniseries on NBC and CBS. In all Steve has written fifteen novels, twelve of them in the Paul Madriani series. Once upon a time Steve worked as a newspaper reporter and California State Capitol correspondent. He also practiced law in California and served as an administrative law judge. He currently travels widely and divides his time between his home in the Pacific
Northwest and a condominium overlooking the Gulf of Siam in Thailand. To discover more about Steve’s interesting life, go to
stevemartini.com
.

T. JEFFERSON PARKER
is the author of twenty crime novels, including
Silent Joe
and
California Girl,
both of which won the Edgar Award for best mystery. His last six books are what he calls a “Border Sextet,” featuring ATF task-force agent Charlie Hood, who tries to staunch the flow of illegal firearms being smuggled from the United States into Mexico. Jeff enjoys fishing, hiking, and cycling. He lives in Southern California with his family. His website is
tjeffersonparker.com
.

DOUGLAS PRESTON
and
LINCOLN CHILD
have been a writing team for a long time. They are the creators of the number one
New York Times
and internationally best-selling series of thrillers starring Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. Their novel
Relic
was made into a number one box-office movie by Paramount Pictures. Two of their novels,
Relic
and
The Cabinet of Curiosities,
were named as among the one hundred greatest thrillers ever written in a National Public Radio poll of avid thriller readers. When not writing together, they write alone. Lincoln is the author of five best-selling novels and was once a top editor at St. Martin’s Press. He first met Doug when he edited Doug’s debut novel. In addition to writing his own separate novels, Doug Preston is the author of several nonfiction books. The most recent,
The Monster of Florence,
the true story of a serial killer, is being made into a film starring George Clooney. Doug also contributes to
The New Yorker
and has taught writing at Princeton University. Lincoln lives in New Jersey and is interested in fast cars, exotic parrots, electric guitars, and the culinary arts. Doug resides in New Mexico and is more the outdoorsman. Skiing,
mountain climbing, and scuba diving consume his free time. Learn more about each of these men at
prestonchild.com
.

IAN RANKIN
is known for his Inspector Rebus series. The first Rebus novel,
Knots and Crosses,
was written in 1987 while Ian was a postgraduate student at Edinburgh University. Eighteen more novels followed and there have been several TV incarnations for the irascible, hard-drinking detective. Ian has also branched out into nonfiction work (
Rebus’s Scotland: A Personal Journey
), two collections of short stories, and a series of thrillers under the pseudonym Jack Harvey. Recently, Ian began to write about an Internal Affairs cop named Malcolm Fox. Ian’s books have been translated into thirty-five languages, and his many awards include the Gold and Diamond Daggers, the Edgar Award, and literary prizes in Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. He is the recipient of five honorary degrees, plus the Order of the British Empire for Services to Literature. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, a city that continues to confound, mesmerize, and intrigue him, with his wife and two sons. His website is
ianrankin.net
.