I'm talking to you on Friday the 13th, your "lucky day." In what ways are you a different writer than
when you first wrote Meg?
It's night and day. I'm seasoned now, I understand the process and can self-edit my own storylines better. That's
not to say that the learning process is ever over. I try to get better with every book.

In light of your book series Meg and Domain, do you write your novels as self-contained stories, or do
you intentionally leave them open?
I intentionally left Meg open. With Domain, I did not realize until the end of the book that I was in fact penning
a series. I never fully understood the scope of the Domain story until I finished [the second part] Resurrection.

What are the challenges of constructing a book series versus a one-book thriller?
Each book must stand alone. I think it is wrong to write in a "trilogy" state of mind even if your intention is to
make it a series. The first book must succeed, or there is no second or third. For instance, I am at the beginning
of writing a new series called Grim Reaper. Nick Nunziata (CHUD.com founder and a budding movie producer)
and I developed a script last year for [it] and I just love the story, so I wanted to expand it into a novel. It
parallels Dante's Inferno, which is itself written as a three-parter, but the first story (Hell) must be something
special for readers to want to read a sequel. What I have in mind in laying out Grim Reaper as a novel is a very
difficult task, because the dark tapestry in this story is intense and the delivery must be woven very carefully,
but if I pull it off then it's a huge literary accomplishment. So the challenge has me excited.

You once stated, "I enjoy the research. It is the cure to writer's block." Is that still true?
Absolutely. Take Grim Reaper. As I said, the story is already laid out because Nick and I wrote the treatment
and script, but when I started chapter 1 last week, I knew I wasn't ready. Writing without research is doing a
high wire act without a net. I need that net, and I needed more fuel--more historic information for Grim Reaper.
So I went back to the original research I had done a year ago and refueled my jets. And it makes all the
difference in the world.

The success of Meg even played itself out into a Japanese radio show. How did that work, and were
you surprised by it?
Meg is ripe for so many venues. I mean, who doesn't want to see or read or listen to a story about a 70-foot great
white shark on the loose? So no, I wasn't surprised. As for the radio show, the Japanese basically contacted me
via e-mail and I had my foreign literary agent set it up. I heard the show did quite well and they renewed. It's
not much money, maybe a thousand dollars, but I'm not complaining.

Your website hosts a wealth of writing advice for budding writers, ranging from discussions about
"setting goals" to "editing as a necessary evil." What is the best writing advice you've ever received?
My (former) manager Ken Atchity said editing a book is like cutting a fish. You cut off the head and tail and
start with the meat in the middle. In other words, hook the reader in the first chapter.

What is your personal writing process?
I begin with a basic premise, research the hell out of it, then evaluate what I have to see if I have something
special. If I do, then I complete a rough outline before I start writing. Each book is a 4-8 month commitment,
so I need to be sure I have something special that can sell. It can be hard, because writing is a lonely process.
You are basically on an island of thought with no one there to help you but your inner voice and instincts.

You are also the author of several screenplays, which differ wildly in tone and genre than your novels.
One of them is a comedy about a semi-pro hockey team, while another is a drama about race relations
in Idaho. Does screenwriting "open" you to genres that you aren't ordinarily known for?
I love comedy and, one day, I expect one of my comedies to make it big. In fact I just finished one that is
high-concept with great potential. Scripts are a different animal than novels, and I am still learning.
Scriptwriting also allows me to get new projects in the pipeline faster. Again, a novel can take eight months
(Shell Game took thirty months), so you need down time before you begin the next book. Writing a script helps
clear my mind between novels while allowing me to be productive. Scripts are harder to sell, but quicker to
write. At least for me.

Do you miss academia?
I miss my youth. And college was a great time. But academia? Not really. I love what I do and teachers work
very hard. I get just enough academia when I visit schools for the Adopt-an-Author program.

Your Adopt-an-Author program is an innovative way to help students to read. What can you tell us
about this program?
Adopt-An-Author is a free nationwide program developed to get teens to read. The secret is making reading fun
again, and my novels are very popular among adolescents. We provide teachers with everything they need to
develop an exciting curriculum: free tests and vocabulary lists, plus direct communication between our authors
and students via e-mail, visits, and in-class conference calls. We now have over 9,000 registered teachers and
AAA has been called the best secondary school reading program in existence. Middle and high school teachers
can register or learn more at www.AdoptAnAuthor.com.

In the same vein, you seem closer to your readers than many other novelists. Why is this?
Without my readers, I am nothing. If they invest their hard-earned money in my work, then I want them to
come away with a great experience. If they e-mail me, they get a personal response back. I also offer them
opportunities to be part of my work--submitting their own descriptions in character contests. This actually
helps me immensely as it adds depth to even my minor characters.

Unfortunately, you've been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Has this impacted or changed your
writing at all?
It's impacted my life, so it affects everything. But I am aggressively fighting back with exercise and nutrition.
The two things PD really affects is my ability to play the drums, which I've been doing since I was twelve, and
my ability to sign my name. It affects the right side of my body, so it affects my gait. Still, I am very active and
determined to beat PD. Strangely, I never felt sorry for myself. There are far worse things to have, and
communicating with fans helps me realize that I am pretty lucky.

The Shell Game is a dramatic shift in focus for you. Instead of prehistoric monsters, you've written
about a different monster: the post-9/11 world. What compelled you to write this?
It began with researching Peak Oil and led to 9/11. I never expected to go that route, but once I realized what
the neocons did to our country, I had a choice to make: Do I write a novel or do I write a cautionary tale in the
guise of a novel, designed to expose the truth. I chose the latter.

You more than suggest that the public was lied to about 9/11 in The Shell Game. In your research,
were there moments when you were shocked or disconcerted by what you found?
I would say without a shadow of a doubt that the truth about what really happened on 9/11 affected my nerves
and brought out the Parkinsons, which most people (80+%) never see until after age seventy. I am 48. I am
sickened by how our country is being manipulated, how innocent Americans were coldly sacrificed on 9/11 to
fulfill a neocon agenda, and how it is still going on. I am sickened by Democrats who refuse to impeach these
criminals because they place their own political agendas above what is right. I am sickened by a mainstream
media that is profiting from war, therefore does not report the news, blacking out any issue that does not
support their vested interests. I am not a conspiracy nut, the facts regarding a Bush/Cheney conspiracy speak
for themselves!

Is it a coincidence that you set this novel in 2012: the same year the Mayan calendar predicts as the
end of days, as you pointed out in your Domain trilogy?
No coincidence. It worked out by design as the storyline takes pace during the next presidential election.
You claim to have been threatened by what you call a "disinformation group" bent on attacking the novel's
success. What happened? Were you surprised by this, or did you brace yourself for this possibility?
I knew it might happen, still it is unnerving to see private info and photos of your home displayed on blogs.

How has the publishing world changed since you first published Meg, in your opinion?
There are far fewer big houses. At the same time, there are more independents. I broke in with a big house
(Doubleday) and enjoyed the perks. At the same time, I had zero say on artwork. Working with a smaller house
gives me a bigger voice and control.

Your novel Meg has had a long, torturous route to movie theaters, even going so far as getting a studio
(New Line), a budget, and a big-name director (Jan de Bont) attached. What have you learned from
the experience?
I learned never to get too high or too low. I really believe Meg will be made, and I truly believe it will be a huge
hit. The New Line experience was disappointing, but I love the new script far far better than the three New
Line was presented. If the new script is made...good things will happen.

Do you ever write your novels with the screenplay (i.e. certain actors, set pieces) in mind?
Sometimes. The Angus Wallace character in The Loch was always Sean Connery. It helped to envision him
saying the dialogue in my head.

Given The Shell Game's political intrigue and the nature of your screenplays, are there other genres
that you would like to expand into as a writer?
I have written three comedies. They are sort of lined up, waiting for Meg to be made before I bring them out.
The last one I just finished is R-rated, laugh-out-loud stuff.

Thanks for doing this.
My pleasure.

For more about Steve Alten, visit www.stevealten.com.