Blood and Bone
More Archaeological Adventures from Popular Suspense Writer Don Hoesel.
A decade after Serpent of Moses, Jack is married to Espy and back teaching at Evanston University. They have two sons, one of whom has cystic fibrosis. Despite this challenge, life is comfortable. But that all changes when the CIA, while combing through the papers of the late Gordon Reese, uncovers the secret of Elisha's bones. Jack's world is then turned upside down by an urgent call from his old friend Duckey, who's been alerted to the CIA's probing by one of his former contacts. Jack and his family escape from their home just ahead of the CIA, and he decides to do what he should have done long ago: recover the bones and destroy them. Except the bones aren't where he left them.
So now Jack is in a race, for the last time, to find the bones. And he's not the only one. Pitted against both the CIA and an organization that will kill to protect their secrets, Jack and Espy follow hard-to-decipher clues across the globe before arriving in the catacombs of Paris for a final showdown that will either save their family--or tear apart everything they hold dear forever.
Author Don Hoesel
Don Hoesel is a Web site designer for a Medicare carrier in Nashville, TN. He has a BA in Mass Communication from Taylor University and has published short fiction in Relief Journal. He lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. The Alarmists is his third novel.
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INTERVIEW:
INTERVIEW:
The
Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.
Can
Jack Hawthorne recover the bones of the prophet Elisha in order to save his
family? Find out in Blood and Bone.
How
did you get the idea for the story?
To
answer that, I have to broaden the question so that it covers the series
instead of just this most recent book, because Blood and Bone is a
continuation of the story first introduced in Elisha’s Bones. The idea for Elisha’s Bones came
together from a number of different influences.
Chief among them, oddly enough, was a conversation I was having with a
friend about where story ideas come from.
I told him that a story idea can come from anywhere and, by way of
illustration, I referenced a Sunday school lesson about the bones of Elisha. The second I said it I knew I had my next
book idea.
What
solidified the idea was the following:
1. I’m at
the right age to have grown up with Indiana Jones.
2.
Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code
(2003) had sold more than 60 million copies by that time.
3.
The fourth Indiana Jones movie
came out in 2008.
So what it comes down to is that
I was able to indulge my inner child by writing a book geared toward the CBA
and shamelessly riding the coattails of both a best-selling author and a
popular movie series.
As far as Blood
and Bone—originally I had no
real plans to write another Jack Hawthorne book after Elisha’s Bones,
even if I thought there were some good stories left to tell. But people seemed
to really connect with Jack. I got a lot of emails asking if there would be
more Jack Hawthorne adventures. And I was happy to do it because Jack’s such a
fun character to write about. With Blood
and Bone, the third in the series, it’s a chance to provide some closure to
the story that kicked everything off.
Which
character would you most/least like to have dinner with?
I’d
definitely break bread with Jack. Of all
the characters I’ve created, Jack Hawthorne is my favorite. From the beginning, it was easy to write his
flippancy, his irresponsibility, his skepticism. He’s a fun character to create stories for,
the kind of character that makes the process enjoyable. Plus, we both love cigars so I could see a
post-dinner chat on the porch.
As
far as who from the book I wouldn’t want to have dinner with—probably any one
of the great many people who are trying to kill Jack!
Do
you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?
With
the end of the Jack Hawthorne books, it’s time to move on to something
new. I’m taking a bit longer than usual
in trying to figure out what the next book will be but, after five books in
five years, I want to take a bit of a breath and make sure I choose the right
project. So that’s a long way of saying
that something’s coming but I’m not entirely sure what it is yet.
What
book(s) is your book’s “cousin”?
I
guess the closest cousin to Blood and Bone, as well as the rest of the
Jack Hawthorne books, would be some of the Dan Brown novels. But I think that’s only a thematic
comparison. Despite the fact that Blood
and Bone contains all of the suspense novel touchstones, I think the tone
of the book—the character interaction, the person of Jack Hawthorne—makes my
books truly unique. Jack is a one of a
kind character. He's flippant,
irresponsible and skeptical. He's filled
with character flaws. Yet he's also
loyal, resourceful and determined. And
Jack's interplay with the other main character, Esperanza Habilla, goes a long
way toward separating this series from others like it.
What
are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?
I
read every day. Honestly, I probably
read more than I write.
Some of my favorite
books are The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Joe and Father
and Son by Larry Brown, and Nobody’s Fool and The Risk Pool by
Richard Russo.
Do
you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your
playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?
I
generally write pretty late at night. No
music but definitely coffee.
Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?
Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?
Most
of my non-writing time is spent with my family.
When my wife and I aren’t taking them from one ballgame to another,
we’re just doing family stuff—movies, games, hikes, camping, etc.
Is
there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?
Writing
the Jack Hawthorne series has been a lot of fun and I’m grateful to everyone
who read the first one and liked it enough to want to see Jack’s adventures
continue. I hope, after reading Blood
and Bone, you think it’s a fitting end to the series.
Lightning
round: this or that?
Vanilla
or chocolate?
Chocolate
Edward
or Jacob?
Neither.
Hockey
or soccer?
Hockey
Ebook
or paper?
Paper
Salty
or sweet?
Salty
Beach
or mountains?
Mountains
Phone
call or email?
Email
Early
bird or night owl?
Night
owl
Dog
or cat?
Dog
Messy
or neat?
Neat
Ninjas
or pirates?
Pirates
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I love these quest/adventure books and I'm a big fan of both Indiana Jones and The DaVinci Code, so Jack and I would probably click well.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this book, but it sounds interesting! Plus, I love your lightning round! I agree with everything Mr. Doesel said except for PIRATES! Ninjas wayyy cooler! lol; p
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this awesome post, Brandi! :D
~ Maida
Literary Love Affair
This sounds like a great series and one my mom would especially enjoy. I'll have to remember to get her the first book!
ReplyDeleteBlood and Bone sounds like a really interesting story Brandi! And thanks for sharing a great interview with us too! :)
ReplyDeleteit sounds like a nice book, thanks for the post!
ReplyDelete